Non-essential retail stores would be permitted to open but with occupancy capped at 25 per cent of maximum, while essential retail outlets such as grocery stores would be limited to 50 per cent occupancy, said one source. The restrictions would not be as tight as the provincewide lockdown that was imposed in December, according to the sources. The move for all public health units will take effect on Saturday under what the government has called its "emergency brake" provisions. Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government will announce on Thursday that it's putting the entire province under lockdown restrictions for 28 days, multiple sources tell CBC News. Meanwhile, Ontario has released new modelling showing the spread of variants of concern is dangerously outpacing Ontario's COVID-19 vaccination campaign. The Ministry of Health says that 55.1 per cent of those patients are in hospital because of COVID, while 44.9 per cent were admitted for other reasons and tested positive - although doctors say so-called "incidental" cases continue to place immense strain on the system.UPDATE: This story has developed since it was first published.įor the latest on Ontario's province-wide shutdown, click here. Meanwhile, Ontario reported Thursday morning that the number of people with COVID-19 in hospital dropped for a second straight day to 4,061 from 4,132. Lowest test positivity rate in nearly a month There was similarly no mention of expanding PCR testing criteria, which were significantly restricted in early January to only the most high-risk individuals and settings as the system dealt with a deluge of new cases caused by the Omicron variant. Elliott said it would remain in place until ICUs begin to clear of COVID-19 patients. The government's announcement today did not include any mention of Directive #2, which earlier this month ordered hospitals to halt non-urgent surgeries and procedures. The rate of new admissions to hospital and ICUs has begun to slow, she said, while the average length of stays for those who are admitted is stabilizing. It is anticipated that hospitalizations, which now stand at more than 4,000, will begin to taper off in the weeks after that, likely at some point in mid-February. This week, Elliott said Ontario is starting to see "glimmers of hope" in trends related to Omicron, with new cases expected to peak at some point in the coming weeks. "We're taking a cautious approach," Ford said, before adding he's "confident" this reopening plan will work and that "the worst is behind us" in terms of new COVID-19 cases. Kieran Moore, Ontario's chief medical officer of health.įord stressed that the timeline could change based on current COVID-19 trends and data in the province. He was joined by Health Minister Christine Elliott and Dr. Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced the planned changes at a morning news conference Thursday. Proof of vaccination and masking requirements will continue to remain in place where they already exist.Īll capacity limits will also be lifted for religious services, rites and ceremonies, and social gatherings of up to 50 people indoors will be permitted, with no limit for outdoors.
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