Image

Province puts the brakes on reopening of Ontario over concerns about rising COVID-19 rates.

September 8, 2020

The provincial health minister says the increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases are worrisome enough that the government won’t be introducing any new opening measures until October.

Christine Elliott, speaking to reporters this afternoon, said the increasing number of people being diagnosed in the province “have raised some concerns.”

In late August, the health minister noted there were several days when there were fewer than 100 new cases each day. But the province reported 185 new cases in Ontario today and 190 – a 20 per cent increase in cases – on Labour Day.

“We will be taking a pause of four weeks,” says Elliott says noting it will be critical to control the spread of COVID-19 and prevent the need to lock down again.

“We will be taking a pause of four weeks,” says Elliott says noting it will be critical to control the spread of COVID-19 and prevent the need to lock down again.

Premier Doug Ford noted that most of the cases are in Toronto, Peel and Ottawa.

He also pointed out the OPP responded to a party in the Muskoka area with 170 people and laid charges under the Emergency Measures Act. Two people from out of the country are also being investigated for breaking the federal quarantine laws.

“We have to come down hard on people who are coming into our country. It’s a privilege coming into Canada…it is concerning we are seeing the numbers coming up.”

Ford appealed directly to the public to report situations where a lot of people are gathering. “I’m asking the police go in there and lay charges, we have to put the hammer down.”

Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David Williams, also voiced concern about the rising case load. He says people put these lapses down to “COVID-fatigue.

“This is not the time to get casual about that. People say ‘I thought it was no big deal.’ It is a big deal.

“If you don’t know the people, you cannot assume it is not a problem,” added Williams saying if people do slack off, Ontario is susceptible to a second wave of disease as many other countries have.

“It’s not just talk…if everybody starts to slide you end up with a second wave,” says Williams. “We still have the containment at hand yet we see the gatherings where there is a problem.”

Education Minister Stephen Lecce says the pause in the reopening plans demonstrates the province is taking the impact of COVID-19 seriously as schools begin to open.

The province has been heavily criticized by teachers, doctors and parents for its reopening plans.

In Lambton County, there have been two more people diagnosed with COVID-19 in September.

Share This

Image
Front Page

LCCVI’s Grant cracks OFSAA top 20

November 4, 2024

McKinnon, Peters, better SWOSSA results LCCVI’s James Grantbettered his 6K Cross Country time from the SWOSSA meet in Sarnia and cracked the top 20 at OFSAA.Monday, Grant, seen here at the SWOSSA event in Canatara Park Oct. 24, placed 19th at the provincial championships in Ottawa, just 14/100ths of a second in front of SWOSSA’s first place finisher Brendan Currie

Read More

Image
Front Page

Over $70K of equipment stolen in PW break in

November 4, 2024

Lambton OPP are investigating after over $70,000 in equipment was stolen. Nov. 1, OPP were called to a Michigan Line property in Plympton-Wyoming after the owner noticed equipment missing. Police say sometime overnight, someone accessed the property and stole a number of items including a Yanmar compact tractor, a Ferris zero-turn mower, a 1965 Chevy half ton pickup and a

Read More

Image
Front Page

UPDATE: OPP say missing 71 year-old dead

November 4, 2024

The Lambton OPP search for a missing 71 year-old man in the Watford area is over. A social media post states the man is deceased. Police received a call Nov. 3, that the man was missing and he’d been last seen on Highway 402 near the Nauvoo Road exit around 5 am. Police closed the road in the area for

Read More

Image
Front Page

Memorial to the fallen in Petrolia

November 1, 2024

Catherine Lesley, Petrolia Mayor Brad Loosley and Joe Card were among the volunteers at Hillsdale Cemetery in Petrolia Friday morning erecting over 400 crosses in memory of the veterans buried there. The Margaret Stokes IODE spearheads the project with members of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 26 helping out. This year, volunteers also planted 3,500 daffodil bulbs near the memorial

Read More