There are hints the province will be extending the Stay-at-Home orders to continue the battle against COVID-19.
The Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health wants the number of cases per day to go “well below 1,000” before Ontario considers easing any of the restrictions that are in place.
Ontario has not seen under 1,000 cases per day since October.
The province issued the order April 8 saying it could be lifted as early as May 20. The number of people contracting the virus soared over 4,000 cases a day – the highest amount since the pandemic began.
Monday, there were 2,716 new cases, the lowest number since April 1. There were 1,632 people in hospital including 828 in ICU.
Williams is “cautiously optimistic” the curve of the third wave is bending but is “still slightly above the peak in the second wave.”
He added Ontario waited for the case numbers to go down to 1,000 cases per day but loosened restrictions too soon.
Williams suggested to reporters Monday he might want to see the cases fall to about 500 per day and have 70 per cent of adults vaccinated before easing restrictions.
He says to do otherwise could cause a fourth wave and cause more confusion.
“This open, close, open, close is perplexing to people,” he says. “So when we’re down, we’d like to make we’re opening up in the right time and the right way; slow and steady – that’s our goal.”
Health Minister Christine Elliott confirmed the Conservative government is considering extending the order into June.