Lockdown to begin for all of Ontario on Boxing Day

TORONTO -- Ontario will go into lockdown on Boxing Day in an effort to bring soaring COVID-19 cases under control, a move the province announced on Monday after health advisors said thousands of infections could be avoided if tough restrictions were imposed earlier.

The lockdown will shutter all non-essential businesses, ban indoor gatherings, close restaurant dining rooms, and see all schools move classes online for the first week of the new year. It also means Ontarians are advised to stay home as much as possible.

The restrictions will remain in place for southern Ontario until Jan. 23, but will lift for northern Ontario on Jan. 9.

Premier Doug Ford said the virus is spreading rapidly from areas with a high number of cases to those with fewer cases, and the province needs to preserve capacity in its health-care system.

“This difficult action is without a doubt necessary to save lives and prevent our hospitals from being overwhelmed in the coming weeks,” he said. “Make no mistake, thousands of lives are at stake right now.”

Hours earlier, the province’s health advisors said the sooner a “hard lockdown” was implemented, the more new cases could be prevented.

“If we started on Dec. 21, instead of Dec. 28, it plays out significant reductions in cases under almost any scenario,” Dr. Adalsteinn Brown, co-chair of the province’s COVID-19 science advisory table.

Brown added that anything less than a fourweek lockdown will not work, based on the experience of other jurisdictions.

Ford defended the decision to wait until Dec. 26 to impose the restrictions, noting that hot spots are already in lockdown.

“We want to give the same opportunities to businesses that haven’t experienced lockdown before ... (and) give them the opportunity to get ready to hunker down,” he said.

Toronto, Peel, York, Windsor-Essex, and Hamilton are already in lockdown.

Dr. Naveed Mohammad, CEO of the William Osler Health System that operates hospitals in Peel Region, said people needed to act as if the lockdown started immediately.

“Until the people of this province realize what each trip out of their home risks for themselves and their loved ones, we won’t get through this,” he said, noting that hospitals in Brampton are near capacity.

“Please stay home, starting today.”

The Ontario Hospital Association, which had called for strict new restrictions, said it was disappointed the lockdown wouldn’t take effect sooner.

“The Dec. 26 implementation date sends a confusing message about what (residents) should and shouldn’t do at this crucial moment,” said CEO Anthony Dale.

If Ontario’s COVID-19 case rate continues to grow between one to three per cent, the province will have 3,000 to 5,000 daily cases by the end of January, new data indicates.

It also shows that under all scenarios the province will see 300 intensive care unit beds filled within 10 days — double the 150-bed threshold where surgeries must be cancelled.

Ontario reported 2,123 new cases of COVID19 on Monday and 17 more deaths related to the virus. Meanwhile, new measures meant to prevent a possible surge of COVID-19 over the holiday period took effect across Nova Scotia on Monday.

Manitoba reported 167 new cases and four new deaths, while Saskatchewan reported 206 new cases, and four more deaths. Nunavut reported three new cases of COVID-19.