Ford delays expanding COVID restrictions, but will extend hot-spot lockdowns By Iain Sherriff-Scott. Published on Dec 18, 2020 2:14pm Premier Doug Ford attends his daily COVID news conference at Queen s Park in Toronto on May 5. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star)
After an emergency meeting with hospital executives on Friday afternoon, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said lockdowns set to expire on Monday in the Toronto area will be extended, and he will take the weekend to consider further restrictions.
“In the areas that are locked down right now that are expiring on Monday, I can tell you, they won’t be expiring,” Ford told reporters. “We’re going to continue on with the lockdowns within those regions.”
December 17, 2020 Reading time: 3 min 30 s
Jim McDonell, MPP
The incorrect Queen’s Park Update appears in the Dec. 16 edition of
Seaway News. The below column was the one that was intended to run, not MPP McDonell’s column from July. We apologize for any confusion.
The second surge of COVID-19 cases continues to persist throughout the riding. With numbers spiking to new highs, our region will be moving to a more restrictive zone next week. Modelling numbers released a few weeks ago predicted increased numbers of cases as colder weather pushes us to spend more time in confined indoor spaces. Our increased vigilance has helped us avoid those much higher numbers, but only strict adherence to proven best practices of social distancing, wearing a mask, and avoiding crowded indoor spaces will bring down these numbers. Our efforts can make a difference in protecting our families from getting this virus, improving our quality of life, and allowing o