Ford warns: ‘We won’t hesitate to pull on the brakes at any given time’

Premier defends reopening the economy

Ontario’s premier defended the lifting of a stay-athome order for most of the province Tuesday amid warnings it could lead to a third wave of COVID-19

Premier Doug Ford said the government won’t hesitate to swiftly move regions back into lockdown if COVID-19 cases spike.

“We aren’t reopening the province,” Ford said as Ontario’s legislature began its spring session.

“We’re transitioning. We’re transitioning into the framework that was laid out by the health team ... and we won’t hesitate to pull on the brakes at any given time.”

Twenty-seven regions moved back on Tuesday to the colourcoded pandemic restrictions system used prior to a provincewide lockdown that began on Boxing Day.

Niagara Region was the only one to move to the strictest grey-lockdown category, which allows most businesses to open at 25 per cent capacity.

The rest of the regions, most of them outside the Greater Toronto Area, fall elsewhere along the scale that moves from red — the second-most strict level — through green, with lighter restrictions on businesses and gatherings at each stage.

In Durham Region, which was placed in the red category, residents were seen lining up outside businesses that were allowed to reopen.

Jaquelyn Giles, owner of Caryl Baker Visage in Pickering, said she was glad to be back in her salon on Tuesday.

In between phone calls with clients looking to book appointments, she said she was worried about how long she would be able to stay open before cases rose and businesses were ordered to shut down once more.

“We have a really loyal clientele so I think they’ll come in and see us, but my only concern is that we’re just going to close down again,” said Giles. “Everyone’s talking about that happening again already.”

Dave Curtis, manager of Sunrise Records at Pickering Town Centre, said he was glad to be back and that it was nice to see happy customers again.

He noted, however, that there is a backlog of work after seven weeks out of the store.

“We have to update things, there’s still Christmas stuff on the wall. Dec. 24, we were gone,” said Curtis. “But that’s over the next few days and there’s new promotions starting too.”

Toronto, Peel Region, York Region and North Bay Parry Sound are set to remain under the stay-at-home order until at least Feb. 22.

Three health units — Hastings Prince Edward; Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington; and Renfrew County — returned to the green category of the system last week.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath accused Ford on Tuesday of ignoring the advice of medical experts who have warned of a possible third wave if stay-at-home orders don’t remain in place.

“It seems pretty clear that what this is all about is transitioning into a disaster,” Horwath said.