The provincial government is mandating masks across Ontario and implementing new restrictions in three COVID-19 hot spots as the number of new cases reached a record high on Friday.
Ontario's 732 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 marked a high since the start of the pandemic. The province previously announced a record high on Sept. 28 of 700 cases. This comes as provincial modelling released earlier this week showed that if these trends continue, Ontario could reach 1,000 cases daily by mid-October. And while the province processed more than 40,000 tests yesterday, it marked another high with a backlog of 90,513 tests, with the government also announcing a shift toward appointment-based testing.
"Earlier this week we received a real wake-up call," said Premier Doug Ford, referring to the modelling numbers, at a press conference on Friday. He was surrounded by several of his government's top health officials — Health Minister Christine Elliott, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams, Provincial Outbreak Response Co-ordinator Dr. Dirk Huyer and Ontario Health President and CEO Matthew Anderson.
"We are seeing more and more positive cases and we need to take action to break this trend and ensure we can keep Ontarians safe," said Elliott. "To do that we need to take hard but necessary measures."
Starting Saturday, face masks will be mandatory in all public indoor settings across Ontario, said Ford. This includes workplaces and businesses, although there are exceptions like in the developmental services sector. Several regions have already had local masking policies in place for months.
"That means wearing a mask when going shopping, when taking public transit and when at work if you can’t keep two metres between you and your colleagues," said Ford.
In the province's "hot spot" regions — Toronto, Peel and Ottawa — restaurants and bars will have to restrict capacity to 100 people, allowing only six people per table and collecting the contact information for each individual entering the business. The City of Toronto has, however, already voted to implement stricter measures within its borders of a maximum capacity of 75 people starting next week.
For gyms, the province said group classes in these three regions will be limited to 10 people and a maximum of 50 people will be allowed into fitness centres. There will also be further restrictions on event venues like banquet halls with a maximum of 50 people allowed and a limit of six people per table.
Huyer said data from Toronto Public Health indicated restaurants are a "significant factor" when it comes to COVID-19 transmission in the city, which is why the province included them in its new measures. Between Sept. 20-30, 39 per cent of the 49 outbreaks reported were at restaurants, he said.
But the province's new restrictions didn't go far enough for Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa, who called for stricter measures on Friday including prohibiting indoor dining and indoor group fitness classes.
Williams said he would be open to considering requests from other local medical offices of health who would like to see their regions added to the list of hot spots facing additional public health measures. He said he would ask them to provide data to show why they should move into that group.
There will also be another 28-day pause on any further reopening of businesses or organizations. The government also said it was "pausing social circles" and returning to its advice from early in the pandemic of limiting close contact to those in your household.
Ford said this would be "especially important to consider" with Thanksgiving around the corner, with officials noting that those who live alone, for example, could maintain contact with other another household.
The government's messaging on this caused a bit of confusion.
I’m a doctor i live alone and i’m confused by this.
— Andrew Boozary (@drandrewb) October 2, 2020
Asked whether residents in the three hot spots should travel to other regions during Thanksgiving, Ford didn't give a definitive answer, saying instead that it's important to think about people's mental health and those that live by themselves.
Elliott said she was asking people to keep their social gatherings "as small as possible ... to immediate families." But she noted that she also wants people living alone to "have a connection" to a group of people.
Asked whether people should visit their parents living in the same city, Huyer said it's important for people to think about where they are going, what they're doing and to assess the potential risk.
Williams said he didn't want to provide a "tight definition" of "household," but that the goal is smaller groups.
He likened the current situation to waiting for a storm.
"(When) there’s a big winter storm coming, hunker down and be careful for the next while, because we don’t want this to take off, we want to flatten the curve," he said.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 assessment centres will also move to an appointment-based testing system as of Oct. 6, with the centres discontinuing walk-in testing starting on Oct. 4.
The province said this would allow the labs to "make significant progress in processing tests and to allow assessment centres the necessary time to reset, deep clean and ensure preparedness for the new appointment-based model."
Ford said most centres already use an appointment-based system and that they would continue to operate as normal. Individuals with appointments already booked would still be able to get their tests done, he added.
"These changes are absolutely necessary — being able to make an appointment it gives certainty, it will make sure folks don’t have to wait outside for hours, it will help us ensure necessary screening takes place to ensure those who need a test, can get a test, and it will help us ensure we can get your results back sooner," said Ford, asking for people's patience. In recent weeks, people have had to line up for hours at testing centres, with some centres reaching capacity early in the day and turning people away.
Asked about the backlog, Ford said "there's only so many lab technicians in Ontario ... and there's only so much reagent in the world and right now we're having a challenge."
Anderson said he would typically expect a backlog of about 25,000 tests, putting the number of tests to "get caught up on" at 65,000. To do this, he said the government is trying to expand its lab capacity and is speaking with other jurisdictions, the private sector, research facilities and universities.
Testing also needs to be rationed right now, he added.
"We also are asking for folks who don’t need a test to stand aside for a bit let the folks who need the test, particularly those who are symptomatic, and vulnerable populations like our seniors, we really want to make sure we get our testing directed there," he said.
The government said its goal is to be able to process 50,000 tests per day by mid-October and 68,000 tests by mid-November. This follows a promise by Elliott on Sept. 21 that the government would reach 50,000 tests within the next week or so.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath criticized the government on Friday for not doing enough.
"It’s obvious to experts and nearly everyone else that tougher measures are required to beat this dangerous wave of COVID-19. Doug Ford is twisting himself in knots to avoid having to invest in public health or the direct financial supports that businesses need if they lose income again," she said.
Noting the shift to an appointment-based system, Horwath said she would "dramatically expand testing and lab capacity" instead. She also noted that Toronto will have a lower cap for restaurant and bar capacity than what the province is implementing in Ottawa and Peel.
Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner, who has been calling for targeted restrictions in recent days, said "today’s limits on bars, restaurants and gyms are needed to contain the virus and avoid a full lockdown that would be devastating for so many small businesses."
"I will always support aggressive action to stay ahead of this virus instead of playing catch-up," said Schreiner, calling on the premier to listen to health experts in hot spots "and take steps now that will save lives in the long run and prevent another full lockdown."
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