Doug Ford puts Restrictions back on Ontario cities despite Low Death Rates

Ontario Premier Doug Ford just announced that tomorrow Ottawa, Toronto, and Peel will be placed under tighter restrictions for social distancing and services for restaurants, churches, gyms and even weddings receptions among many other possible gathering areas. These new tight restrictions will last for at least another 28 days.

This will once again end all dine-in services of restaurants, and church worship services in the affected areas, and put an overall restriction on the number of people who can gather together indoors and outdoor.

This announcement comes after 939 new cases of COVID-19 were reported on Friday.  

In spite of the fact that very few new deaths have been occurring in Ontario, and 81% of overall deaths occurred in long-term nursing homes, Ford said that, “All trends are going in the wrong direction,” and that COVID-19 has been spreading at “an alarming rate.”

The concern behind the new restrictions is primarily a spike in COVID-19 cases, not deaths. The Ontario government is fearful that hospitals could possibly be overwhelmed by the increase in new cases.

The Ontario government warned that if the current trend in cases continued then the province could experience the “worst case scenario” similar to northern Italy and New York City.

Ford stated at the announcement of new restrictions that, “I made a decisive decision to act immediately. If I didn’t make this decision now, I would be negligent.” Despite what the Premier said it has been just little over a week since a group of Ontario doctors, in a letter, warned Ford against putting in place another widespread lockdown. 

The letter read:

Lockdowns have been shown not to eliminate the virus. While they slow the spread of the virus, this only lasts as long as the lockdown lasts. This creates a situation where there is no way to end the lockdown, and society cannot move forward in vitally important ways including in the health sector, the economy and other critically important instrumental goods including education, recreation, and healthy human social interactions.

The doctors in the letter also warned the government against implementing strict restrictions due to the steep increase in overdoses that have occurred in many jurisdictions in the past. 

In order to help protect Ontario businesses affected by the lockdown Ford has committed to providing $300 million in aid. These new restrictions will likely have a negative effect on employment in Ontario, at a time when the Canadian unemployment rate is still around 9%. 

Seeing as the official modified stage 2 restrictions don’t go into place until tomorrow, it is unclear how the restrictions will be implemented and enforced and whether or not the province will make any changes to the plans they have put forward this morning.