Stay-at-home order may come to Ontario as early as tomorrow: Premier Doug Ford

By: Thomas I. Likness
EBC News Service

(Eagle News) — More restrictions, including a stay-at-home order, could be coming to Canada’s largest province, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Tuesday.

“We’re going to have further restrictions going forward, very, very quickly,” said Ford, adding details will be announced tomorrow.

Ford says the measures will focus on three regions of the province — York, Peel and Toronto. Those regions have 60% of Ontario’s Covid-19 cases.

“When you have an inferno going on somewhere, you have to turn the hoses there,” said the premier. “You have to continue doing the whole province but we’re really focusing on the, on the hot areas.”

Ford expressed disappointment with what he saw on the weekend, saying shopping malls were jam packed.

“I truly was hoping that, you know, people wouldn’t be going in there to the volume that we saw,” he said. “Folks, you know, this variant is taking off and please, when you can, follow all protocols. Make sure, when you can, stay at home.”

Just last week, Ford locked down the province with strict measures that closed thousands of businesses and restricted others.

Despite those restrictions, the province has seen nearly 15,000 new cases in the past five days.

As well, hospitals are being overwhelmed with Covid patients.

Restaurants want outdoor dining resumed

While Ford is talking about more restrictions, Restaurants Canada and the Ontario Hotel & Motel Association are calling on him to allow patio dining.

“Patio dining should remain available as an alternative to private gatherings, as safe options for enjoying outdoor activities are important for people’s mental health,” the groups say in an open letter to Ford.

The food service industry says it has been impacted more than other industries.

“Unfortunately, we are not all in this together,” the letter reads. “In a year when so many others have continued to receive their full pay, and some industries thrived during the pandemic, those in the restaurant sector have never worked harder and lost so much through no fault of their own.”
(Eagle News Service)