We’re down, but by no means are we out,” he said. ↴ Leadership with the Northwestern Health Unit says they’re disappointed to see additional COVID-19 cases continue to be reported each day in the area, and if Ontario’s stay-at-home orders were to end … Could parts of eastern Ontario drop that low by May 20? The Ontario government announced Thursday that a province-wide, four-week "emergency brake"lockdown will go into effect Saturday, April 3. The viral load in the city's wastewater has decreased, but is still two to three times higher than it was last summer and continues to hover around the January peak. Probably not, according to Evans, but he said it's possible that some regions with rates of around 30 — like Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties, located between Kingston and Ottawa — could reach that target by the end of the month. “The pace of our vaccine supply has not kept up with the spread of the new Covid variants,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford told reporters. Ontario has broken records for several days for number of new Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and intensive care patients, which are overwhelming its health system. The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) is currently in the low 50s and the Kingston area is in the mid-40s. TORONTO — The Canadian province of Ontario will enter a limited lockdown for 28 days on Saturday, as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations rise and more… UPDATE: On April 1, the Ford government announced that Ontario will go into a four-week province-wide shutdown starting April 3, as a means to … Ontario is now in a longer, tighter lockdown in an attempt to control what its senior medical advisors say is a “frightening” situation of rapidly-filling… "This is really a lesson that we need to have learned ... from the previous [waves.]". We are all working together to break this 3rd wave,” Quebec Premier Francois Legault wrote in French on Twitter. Why warnings of a deadly 3rd wave in Canada may have gone unheeded, eastern Ontario came out of the winter shutdown, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. A closed entrance to a shop in downtown Ottawa April 26, 2021, during an Ontario stay-at-home order. Issued on: 08/04/2021 - 04:17. Without stricter measures, new cases could reach 30,000 per day by June, a scientific committee advising the Ontario government warned on Friday. At the end of the day, it's very difficult to determine who is right or wrong. Effective Thursday, April 8, 2021 at 12:01 a.m., the government is issuing a province-wide Stay-at-Home order requiring everyone to remain at home except for essential purposes, such as going to the grocery store or pharmacy, accessing health care services (including getting vaccinated), for outdoor exercise, or for work that cannot be done remotely. please click ‘OK, I Accept’. “Less than a week ago [state premier] Doug Ford told restaurants they would be allowed to operate outdoor dining even in grey zones; this caused restaurant owners to spend thousands of dollars on these spaces only to find out that this … The Ontario government strengthened pandemic rules three times in April, all as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations surged. Dr. Gerald Evans, an infectious disease specialist at Queen's University, says Ontario must reach very low case numbers in order to ensure a successful reopening, something that may not happen by May 20. The head of a group representing small business owners says the Ontario government's latest round of province-wide lockdowns will be "devastating" and warns it will lead to the closure of thousands of businesses. 14 and was lifted nearly two months later on march 8. The Ontario data indicates that in the first four months of 2021 there were 853 reported assisted deaths. It hasn't been close to 20 since late November. It is also limiting the capacity of essential businesses, such as pharmacies or supermarkets, to 25 percent, as well as weddings, funerals and religious ceremonies to 10 people. (File photo: Reuters), St. Catherine Street, a primary commercial artery of downtown Montreal is seen on the first night after a curfew is imposed by the Quebec government to help slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Montreal, Quebec, Canada January 9, 2021. A petition to end Ontario's lockdown of small businesses notes: “There are over 440,000 small businesses in Ontario. Ontario completed 62,290 tests in the past 24 hours, marking a 4.1 per cent positivity rate. The province of 14 million people registered 4,812 new cases – a record high – and 25 deaths on Friday, according to health officials. Published: 17 April ,2021: 07:09 AM GST Updated: 17 April ,2021: 07:34 AM GST. "When we saw cases dipping in February, people said 'Oh, these are the dying embers of the second wave,' but in fact they were also at the same time the sparks of a third wave," said Dr. Gerald Evans, an infectious disease specialist at Queen's University and Kingston Health Sciences Centre. “The variants have no borders. It's a question that seems to be on everyone's minds these days, and doctors in the province have some key advice for whoever makes the decision: Residents who were holding onto hope that the lockdown in Ontario may soon be ending are now being told otherwise. Instead of listing an arbitrary date when the stay-at-home order should end, Evans suggested the end of lockdowns should be pinned to when cases drop below a certain rate. Kit Young Hoon says if Ontario’s stay-at-home orders were to end, northwestern Ontario would still likely be under lockdown measures based on our current COVID-19 rates. Quebec, Canada’s second-most populous province, followed suit by announcing the closure of its common border with Ontario. That will make a big difference if measures stay in place, according to Evans. Ford recently revealed that the province could start re-opening by Victoria Day weekend. On that day, Nicola Sturgeon announced a lockdown in Scotland which took effect at midnight. "But when we come down," he said, "it's a very slow trailing off.". April 22, 2020. If people can hold out a bit longer, he said the start of summer could look much closer to normal. For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. April 22: Extend lockdown over May 24, make this Earth Day count and other letters to the editor Thu., April 22, 2021 timer 4 min. 3 min read. In response to rising COVID-19 case counts, triggered largely by the spread of variants of concern (VOC), the Ontario government announced a set of stringent lockdown measures on April 16. Part of that may be due to the more contagious variants of concern, which made up more than three-quarters of the coronavirus that was found in wastewater as of May 1. To continue browsing, Ontario is scheduled to break out of its stay-at-home order on May 20, but health experts say the province likely won't be ready by then and may need to extend the order for a bit longer, especially if we want to avoid another pandemic wave. Ontario’s science advisers recommended that a six-week stay-at-home order and a vaccination rate of at least 100,000 doses a day is the only way to curb the third wave. That is why it's important to be cautious when loosening restrictions, he said. More specifically, he said, when new COVID-19 cases get below a rate of 20 per 100,000 people per week. Toronto has had the longest lockdown in North America, w indoor dining closed for exactly 300 days since the pandemic began. TORONTO -- Ontario will go into a four-week, provincewide shutdown on Saturday as the government pulls its “emergency brake” in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 variants. A variety of newsletters you'll love, delivered straight to you. Canada’s most populous province, Ontario, has extended its lockdown and implemented stricter measures to fight Covid, closing domestic borders and barring unnecessary travel, its leader said Friday. Deputy Premiere Genevieve Guilbault, tweeted that Quebec would “ensure tight control of movement” between the two provinces. Dr. … The current end date for the stay-at-home order is May 20th. A provincial lockdown means restaurants, including patios, will be closed for in-person dining for the month of April. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. For more information, please read our Privacy Policy, People maintain social distance as they sit at Humber Bay Shores park, Ontario, Canada. (Reuters), Canada’s most populous province Ontario to return to COVID-19 lockdown, Canada suspends AstraZeneca vaccine for people under age of 55, Palestinian UN Ambassador calls UNSC inaction on Mideast 'shameful', Grand day for the French: After six-month lockdown, cafe and bistro terraces reopen, Nepal, Bangladesh scramble to secure COVID-19 shots as India curbs exports, Ford extended the lockdown now in effect by two weeks, UAE, Bahrain offers Sinopharm booster shot for ‘maximum protection’ against COVID-19, Saudi VP shed 25kg in lockdown, does charity triathlon in memory of brother-in-law, US received more information on Israel attack on Gaza AP high-rise building: Blinkin, Dubai Police warn public after large wildcat reportedly spotted, Gaza father who lost entire family in Israeli air strike holds his only surviving son, UAE expresses strong disapproval of ‘disgraceful, racist’ statements of Lebanese FM, Saudi Arabia summons Lebanese ambassador over FM’s ‘shameful comments’, Palestinian UN ambassador challenges US Biden administration. Published Friday, April 16, 2021 4:50PM EDT Last Updated Saturday, April 17, 2021 3:39PM EDT Those sweeping changes started less than two months after eastern Ontario came out of the winter shutdown. Canada passes one mln COVID-19 cases, forcing provinces to tighten rules, Ontario hospitals may have to withhold care as COVID-19 fills ICUs, In COVID-19's shadow, migrants find solace in Ramadan prayers and online iftars. It’s believed the order will be extended until June 2nd to avoid gatherings over the Victoria Day long weekend. The measures, which took effect on … When is the Ontario lockdown actually going to end? A more optimistic modeling scenario showed more than 10,000 daily cases. Besides the variants, another factor during this third wave of the pandemic is widespread vaccinations. NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — Ontario, Canada implemented a provincewide emergency break on April 3 as a result of a surge in case numbers and COVID-19 …