Mayor says stay home or face ‘hard lockdown’

Forget colour-coded frameworks and stay home as much as possible with no outside visitors and no park socializing — not even with masks and distancing. That stark message came from Toronto Mayor John Tory and public health chief Dr. Eileen de Villa, replacing complex COVID-19 warnings with the simplest way Torontonians can escape out-of-control infections and total lockdown.

Work and study from home if possible, don’t socialize with anyone not in your household, e Venture out only to shop for essentials and return home as directly and quickly as possible, they said Thursday.

De Villa boiled it down: “Going grocery shopping? Yes. Taking the family along? No. Outdoor dining? Yes. With friends rather than the family members you live with? No. Going for a walk or a run? Yes. With someone you live with? Yes. With your usual running partner? No,” she said. “Don’t spend time in social settings … Infections are very high in Toronto and we need to get them down.”

Tory alluded to public confusion over the Ontario government’s colour-coded framework for anti-virus measures and, layered on top starting Saturday, new Toronto-only rules and recommendations.

Toronto reported 500 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday, with Ontario reporting a record high 1,575 new cases.

Toronto has reported 2,432 new cases in the past five days, de Villa said, adding that’s “just the tip of the iceberg” with many other infections yet undetected. The city reported 164 current COVID-19 hospitalizations, including 36 people in intensive care.

Without urgent action, Toronto risks overloading the health-care system and a return to “hard lockdown” with widespread closures, Tory and de Villa said.

De Villa is urging residents to limit social gatherings.