Ontario announced sweeping new restrictions that will see schools closed to in-person learning until at least Jan. 17, a ban on indoor dining, gyms shuttered and capacity limits put in place for retail as COVID-19 cases soar in the province.
The new restrictions, which also includes slashing gathering limits to five people indoors and to 10 people outdoors, come into place on Jan. 5 and will be in place for 21 days, the government announced Monday.
"The immediate goal of these measures will be to blunt the latest wave so we can ease the pressure on our hospitals," Premier Doug Ford said Monday while announcing a return to a modified Step 2. "We face a tsunami of new cases in the days and weeks ahead."
As of Jan. 5, the government said hospitals will be instructed to pause all non-emergent and non-urgent surgeries and procedures to protect hospital capacity.
Meanwhile, retail settings, including shopping malls, have had capacity limits slashed by 50 per cent.
Indoor dining at restaurants, bars and other food establishment must close. Takeout, drive-thru and delivery is still allowed.
Meanwhile, personal care services must reduce to 50 per cent capacity. Indoor concert venues, theatres and cinemas must also close.
Capacity will be limited to 50 per cent at indoor weddings and funerals.
While school will be closed for in-person learning, buildings will be allowed to remain open for child-care operations, and to provide instruction for students with special education needs who are unable to learn at home.
During this period of remote learning, free emergency child-care will be provided for school-aged children of health-care and other eligible front-line workers.
"The level of absenteeism we're seeing in other sectors tells us with absolute certainty that operating schools, ensuring teachers are on the job and not home sick will be a challenge we cannot overcome in the short-term, “ Ford said.
The government also said businesses and organizations are required to ensure employees work remotely, unless the nature of their work requires them to be on-site.
Indoor meeting and event spaces must close and public libraries are limited to 50 per cent capacity.
Museums, galleries, zoos and science centres must close.
To assist small businesses through the latest round of closures, the government says it is expanding its Business Costs Rebate Program.
Eligible businesses will receive rebate payments equivalent to 50 per cent of the property tax and energy costs they incur while they are subject to the current capacity limits.
Online applications for this program will open in mid-January 2022.
Ford said while he understands people will be angered and confused by the new restrictions, the result of inaction would be "catastrophic."
"The evidence tells us that about one per cent of people who get Omicron will end up in the hospital," Ford said. "One per cent of hundreds of thousands is too many new patients."
Currently, there are 1,232 people hospitalized with COVID-19 and 248 patients are in intensive care.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore said the number of people hospitalized will likely "ascend very rapidly over the coming weeks," but will peak by the end of January and descend in February.
"We anticipate a very short, quick, rapid, approach to this epidemic and the impact on the health care system," Moore said.
He said the latest round of restrictions will "buy time" for Ontario to increase third doses and hopefully see the arrival of antiviral pills to treat COVID-19.
Data from Pfizer's 2,250-person clinical trial shows the company's oral medication, called Paxlovid, was around 89 per cent effective at preventing hospitalizations or deaths due to COVID-19 when compared against a placebo. There were also no deaths among the participants that took the Pfizer treatment.
The company submitted its treatment to Health Canada for approval on Dec. 1, 2021. But while Pfizer's antiviral pill has already been authorized in the U.S. and the U.K., Health Canada has yet to make a decision.
The common-law spouse of the man responsible for the Nova Scotia mass shooting told an inquiry Friday that she lied to police about his illegal weapons and failed to report earlier violent behaviour because she was deeply afraid of him.
The man responsible for Toronto's deadly 2018 van attack is seeking to appeal his conviction on 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder.
The cost of dairy is set to rise again across Canada, but one food policy expert says there may be relief on the horizon if other food prices stabilize before the end of the year.
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs is replacing the province’s health minister and the CEO of the Horizon Health Network following the death of a patient waiting in a Fredericton emergency department this week.
While some Canadians are left axing plans for home improvements and decreasing grocery budgets, others, including those hoping to enter the housing market amid now-falling prices, see the recent interest rate hike as a 'positive' opportunity.
A Vancouver surgeon and businessman has lost his appeal of a landmark court case that threatened the foundations of the Canadian health-care system.
Before Ripudaman Singh Malik was gunned down in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday, a white Honda CRV pulled up to the shooting scene. Homicide investigators say the occupants waited hours for him to arrive.
No amount of alcohol is healthy if you are younger than 40, mostly due to alcohol-related deaths by auto accidents, injury and homicide, according to a new global study.
Ottawa has signed a deal with the vaccine and specialty medicine manufacturing company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to produce millions of additional influenza vaccines to better prepare for flu cases in the fall.
Quebec's judicial council has begun examining a complaint against Judge Matthieu Poliquin, the young judge who granted a conditional discharge to engineer Simon Houle last June after he pleaded guilty to charges of sexual assault and voyeurism for his actions in 2019.
A Quebec family was forced to take a detour when their baby decided it was time to make his debut.
Quebec-born rider Hugo Houle finished third in Stage 13 of the Tour de France, narrowly missing Canada's first stage victory in 34 years.
Sarnia police are searching for a 33-year-old man who they say hasn’t been seen since July 6.
Sarnia police have arrested a Windsor man who is now facing 18 new criminal charges.
A transport truck driver has been charged after crashing into the CN Railway Bridge in Strathroy, Ont.
Police shut down a 17 km stretch of Highway 403 eastbound between Brantford and Ancaster Friday as officers investigated a pair of collisions involving motorcycles.
The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the Waterloo region has more than tripled since the start of the month, according to the Waterloo Region COVID-19 dashboard.
Grand River Transit’s new $118.8 million maintenance facility is officially open in Waterloo.
A Sudbury man caught on video using racist language has been charged with "hate-motivated charges," Greater Sudbury Police said Friday.
A 46-year-old man from the Greater Sudbury area drowned in Lake Mindemoya on July 13, Ontario Provincial Police said Friday.
OutLoud North Bay in Northern Ontario has postponed its youth drag show due to safety concerns after staff and youth were subjected to harassment and threats about the event.
An Ottawa woman travelling to Stockholm with her family has been stranded in London, U.K. for several days, caught up in the massive struggles plaguing the airline industry.
Three new deaths linked to COVID-19 have been reported in Ottawa and hospitalizations and COVID-19 outbreaks continue to rise, as health officials issue a reminder that the "pandemic is not over."
The Glengarry Memorial Hospital has announced it has made the "difficult decision" to temporarily close the emergency department from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily, starting Friday at 6 p.m.
A Markham, Ont., man is facing several charges after a single-vehicle crash in LaSalle.
Operations between Stellantis and Syncreon Automotive will eventually end affecting the lives of 280 employees and their families.
Sarnia police have arrested a Windsor man who is now facing 18 new criminal charges.
Friday marks one year since an EF-2 tornado tore through a south-end Barrie neighbourhood with winds up to 210 kilometres an hour, causing over $100 million in insured losses.
Provincial police are investigating a shooting in Wasaga Beach that sent a woman to the hospital Thursday night.
Three years after a violent stabbing in downtown Barrie, police say both men responsible face charges after one fled the country.
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs is replacing the province’s health minister and the CEO of the Horizon Health Network following the death of a patient waiting in a Fredericton emergency department this week.
The common-law spouse of the man responsible for the Nova Scotia mass shooting told an inquiry Friday that she lied to police about his illegal weapons and failed to report earlier violent behaviour because she was deeply afraid of him.
Like a cherished family member with an addiction they are unable to recognize, the United States of America needs an intervention from those who care. The USA is tragically addicted to guns and the right to own them, use them and abuse them.
A chuckwagon racing horse was euthanized Thursday night after suffering a serious injury during the Calgary Stampede.
Alberta's NDP says the massive year-over-year increase in the price of beef at Canadian is not benefiting the province's beef producers and the party is calling for an investigation.
Tinder-dry conditions in Banff National Park have led officials to change the fire rating for the region to 'extreme.'
The Keystone Party of Manitoba officially launched on Friday and named its first leader.
Winnipeg police officers are investigating an assault with an edged weapon in the city’s North End on Thursday.
As the number of monkeypox cases in Canada reaches 500, one virologist is saying that the rare disease will likely make its way to Manitoba.
Before Ripudaman Singh Malik was gunned down in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday, a white Honda CRV pulled up to the shooting scene. Homicide investigators say the occupants waited hours for him to arrive.
A Vancouver surgeon and businessman has lost his appeal of a landmark court case that threatened the foundations of the Canadian health-care system.
Homicide investigators have been called to Maple Ridge after one of the two people shot there Friday morning succumbed to her injuries.
The Edmonton Police Service says it's noticed a 'significant increase in extreme speeding' this year.
Some Albertans woke up Friday to hundreds of extra dollars in their bank accounts.
A very popular spray park will be closed for construction during what is expected to be one of Edmonton's hottest weekends.
© 2022 All rights reserved. Use of this Website assumes acceptance of Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy