Premier Doug Ford says everything is on the table to clamp down on the spread of COVID-19 in Ontario should the number of cases surge.

Ford made the announcement this afternoon hours after the province registered 313 new cases of COVID-19 Monday. Toronto, Peel and Ottawa are the hot spots in the province. Lambton registered one new case of the virus Monday.

Ford says the province would like at clamping down in the hardest hit regions if it has to start closing more businesses in a second wave. And he says most of the cases now are in places where there are large social gatherings.

“Folks we can’t give up now…social gatherings they have to slow down.”

Health Minister Christine Elliott urged Ontarians to stay the course, practicing physical distancing, washing hands and wearing a mask when necessary.

“It is absolutely essential to follow the rules,” says Elliott. She urged people “not to go to large groups where people are not following the hygiene measures.

“I know it has been a long time, but it is not going to be forever.”

Elliott says the province is ready to release its fall plan to combat COVID-19 as the Legislature resumes adding it will be difficult and complicated since the fall will bring influenza and because hospitals are nearing capacity because they’ve restarted surgery and some long term care patients have returned to hospital to make room in long term care facilities to make them safe.

But Elliott doesn’t expect the province will have to stop elective surgeries since so many cases have been delayed for months.