The Ontario government is poised to impose a provincewide lockdown starting Christmas Eve, sources confirm, as the province logs more than 2,000 new cases of COVID-19 for the sixth consecutive day.
A 28-day lockdown for the southern portions of the province, south of Sudbury, Ont., will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, sources confirm.
Meanwhile, the northern parts of Ontario will be under a 14-day lockdown, sources say.
The restrictions will look similar to the shutdown in March, with only essential businesses remaining open.
On Sunday, the province recorded 2,316 new cases of the virus.
Sources say the government is still “fine-tuning” the list to provide maximum clarity and note that the decisions made were based on modelling data.
Premier Doug Ford is expected to announce more public health rules on Monday, following a weekend of emergency talks.
Lockdown orders in Toronto and Peel Region that were set to expire this week are being extended, Ford said in an announcement on Friday.
GTA Hospitals calling for ‘stronger’ restrictions
Hospitals in the Greater Toronto Area are also calling on the Ontario government for “stronger” lockdown measures amid the surge of COVID-19 cases.
Hospitals across the GTA say they are fearful if restrictions aren’t tightened, a surge in cases will follow.
The joint statement was released on Sunday by hospitals in Toronto and neighbouring regions of Durham, Halton, Peel and York.
The letter, in collaboration with the Ontario Hospital Association, is urging the Ford government to implement tightened restrictions during the holidays, as hospitals deal with growing numbers.
Winter break would be extended for elementary students for a period of one to two weeks, sources tell CBC News.
Under any scenario, Ontario would see 300 people in ICU by the end of the month.
At the current rate of transmission, that would mean upwards of 700 people in the ICU by the end of January, and the number of new cases would grow to 10,000 per day.
‘Level of strain simply not sustainable for much longer’
Staff are grappling with increasing numbers of COVID-19 patients in hospitals while also assisting in other settings such as long-term care homes, the statement says.
“These trends show no sign of slowing — in fact, a surge in cases following the holiday season is expected to make the situation even worse,” it reads.
“We recognize that lockdown measures are challenging for many members of our communities, but we cannot afford to put patients and health-care workers at further risk.”
The statement says hospitals are seeing increasing numbers of staff falling ill and becoming unable to work both with COVID-19 and other illnesses.
“For many months now, these front-line health-care workers have been devoting enormous energy and skill to caring for their patients, at the very epicenter of the pandemic,” it notes. “They are stressed and overstretched. This level of strain is simply not sustainable for much longer.”
An urgent joint statement in support of further <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#COVID19</a> lockdown measures from hospitals in the City of Toronto and Regions of Durham, Halton, Peel and York, supporting stricter public health measures. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/onpoli?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#onpoli</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/onhealth?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#onhealth</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/StopTheSpread?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#StopTheSpread</a> <a href=”https://t.co/29r8knRaMm”>https://t.co/29r8knRaMm</a> <a href=”https://t.co/a1WIAvmuEj”>pic.twitter.com/a1WIAvmuEj</a>
Locally, there are 486 new cases in Toronto, 468 in Peel, 326 in York Region, 151 in Windsor-Essex County and 128 in Niagara.
All of those regions are currently under lockdown due to rising case counts, except for Niagara, which is moving to the red alert level of the province’s pandemic plan on Monday.
Elliott said more than 69,400 tests completed over the last 24 hours, a record for the province. The previous record of 68,246 tests were completed on Friday.
There are currently 54,546 tests under investigation in the province.
There were 2,275 new cases on Tuesday, 2,139 on Wednesday, 2,432 on Thursday, 2,290 on Friday, and 2,357 on Saturday.
There are currently 18,567 active cases of COVID-19 in Ontario.
More than 50 new cases of the virus were recorded in the following areas:
Halton Region: 97.
Waterloo Region: 91.
Hamilton: 88.
Durham Region: 82.
Middlesex-London: 80.
Simcoe Muskoka: 62.
There are currently 875 people hospitalized with COVID-19. Of this number, 261 are in intensive care units across the province, and 156 are breathing with the help of a ventilator.
Elliott said the safest way to celebrate this holiday season is at home with the people you live with.
“Connect virtually to keep in touch with extended family and friends,” the health minister said in a tweet.
“If you live alone, consider exclusively celebrating with one additional household.”
This <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/holiday?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#holiday</a> season, the safest way to celebrate is at home with the people you live with. Connect virtually to keep in touch with extended family and friends. If you live alone, consider exclusively celebrating with one additional household. Learn more: <a href=”https://t.co/ZRCURjRGfW”>https://t.co/ZRCURjRGfW</a>. <a href=”https://t.co/QuC8AVyeIF”>pic.twitter.com/QuC8AVyeIF</a>
Twenty-five additional deaths have been linked to the virus, bringing the province’s death toll is now 4,150. Of the deaths confirmed on Sunday, 18 were residents of long-term care homes.
There are 162 active outbreaks at long-term care homes in the province.
Sunday’s case count brings the total number of lab-confirmed cases in Ontario to 155,930, including deaths and recoveries.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is expected to announce more public health rules on Monday. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)
Hamilton enters grey lockdown phase Monday
Today is the last day before Hamilton enters the grey “lockdown” phase of the province’s pandemic response plan.
Hamilton is joining Toronto, Peel, York and Windsor-Essex in lockdown mode.
The stricter public health protocols — which restrict restaurants to offering takeout and delivery only, and close non-essential stores — kick in at 12:01 a.m. on Monday.
Ontario is providing details on 17 hospitals that will be distributing the COVID-19 vaccine in the coming weeks to health-care workers. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Meanwhile, Ontario is providing details on 17 hospitals that will be distributing the COVID-19 vaccine in the coming weeks to health-care workers. The facilities include hospitals from Windsor to Thunder Bay.
The hospitals will join the University Health Network in Toronto and the Ottawa Hospital in giving the vaccine to workers. The province expects to receive an additional 90,000 doses.
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
CALGARY – Mired in their first four-game losing skid in 20 years, the Calgary Stampeders are going back to Jake Maier at quarterback on Saturday after he was benched for a game.
It won’t be an easy assignment.
Visiting McMahon Stadium are the Eastern Conference-leading Montreal Alouettes (10-2) who own the CFL’s best record. The Stampeders (4-8) have fallen to last in the Western Conference.
“Six games is plenty of time, but also it is just six games,” said Maier. “We’ve got to be able to get on the right track.”
Calgary is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
“I do still believe in this team,” said Stampeders’ head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson. “I want to see improvement, though. I want to see guys on a weekly basis elevating their game, and we haven’t been doing that.”
Maier is one of the guys under the microscope. Two weeks ago, the second-year starter threw four interceptions in a 35-20 home loss to the Edmonton Elks.
After his replacement, rookie Logan Bonner, threw five picks in last week’s 37-16 loss to the Elks in Edmonton, the football is back in Maier’s hands.
“Any time you fail or something doesn’t go your way in life, does it stink in the moment? Yeah. But then the days go on and you learn things about yourself and you learn how to prepare a little bit better,” said Maier. “It makes you mentally tougher.”
Dickenson wants to see his quarterback making better decisions with the football.
“Things are going to happen, interceptions will happen, but try to take calculated risks, rather than just putting the ball up there and hoping that we catch it,” said Dickenson.
A former quarterback himself, he knows the importance of that vital position.
“You cannot win without good quarterback play,” Dickenson said. “You’ve got to be able to make some plays — off-schedule plays, move-around plays, plays that break down, plays that aren’t designed perfectly, but somehow you found the right guy, and then those big throws where you’re taking that hit.”
But it’s going to take a team effort, and that includes the club’s receiving corp.
“We always have to band together because we need everything to go right for our receivers to get the ball,” said Nik Lewis, the Stampeders’ receivers coach. “The running back has to pick up the blitz, the o-line has to block, the quarterback has to make the right reads, and then give us a catchable ball.”
Lewis brings a unique perspective to this season’s frustrations as he was a 22-year-old rookie in Calgary in 2004 when the Stamps went 4-14 under coach Matt Dunigan. They turned it around the next season and haven’t missed the playoffs since.”
“Thinking back and just looking at it, there’s just got to be an ultimate belief that you can get it done. Look at Montreal, they were 6-7 last year and they’ve gone 18-2 since then,” said Lewis.
Montreal is also looking to rebound from a 37-23 loss to the B.C. Lions last week. But for head coach Jason Maas, he says his team’s mindset doesn’t change, regardless of what happened the previous week.
“Last year when we went through a four-game losing streak, you couldn’t tell if we were on a four-game winning streak or a four-game losing streak by the way the guys were in the building, the way we prepared, the type of work ethic we have,” said Maas. “All our standards are set, so that’s all we focus on.”
While they may have already clinched a playoff spot, Alouettes’ quarterback Cody Fajardo says this closing stretch remains critical because they want to finish the season strong, just like last year when they won their final five regular-season games before ultimately winning the Grey Cup.
“It doesn’t matter about what you do at the beginning of the year,” said Fajardo. “All that matters is how you end the year and how well you’re playing going into the playoffs so that’s what these games are about.”
The Alouettes’ are kicking off a three-game road stretch, one Fajardo looks forward to.
“You understand what kind of team you have when you play on the road because it’s us versus the world mentality and you can feel everybody against you,” said Fajardo. “Plus, I always tend to find more joy in silencing thousands of people than bringing thousands of people to their feet.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
