COVID-19 cases may have plateaued in Toronto but top doctor warns against lifting restrictions too quickly
Toronto's top doctor says that the city is now seeing some "initial indicators" that the level of COVID-19 infection may have plateaued locally but she is warning against lifting public health restrictions too quickly, especially with students expected to head back to their classrooms tomorrow.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa made the comment during a briefing at Toronto City Hall on Tuesday morning.
She said that while there are signs that the rate of infection in the city may have plateaued other lagging indicators such as hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths are still increasing, putting a “significant strain” on the healthcare system.
De Villa also said that she is concerned about any move to increase in-person interaction in the wider community just as students resume in-person learning for the first time in nearly a month.
“Ensuring the success of in-person learning for the rest of the school year relies on seeing solid evidence of an improving COVID-19 situation overall before introducing changes that are likely to lead to more in-person interaction,” she said. “We've learned from our own experiences and from the experiences of other jurisdictions that going too quickly risks the progress we have made and in some cases has forced us to go back to more restrictions. We have seen and felt just how disruptive this is.”
Ontario returned to a modified version of Step 2 of its reopening plan on Jan. 5, resulting in the suspension of in-person dining at bars and restaurants and the outright closure of a number of other businesses, including gyms and theatres.
At the time the government said that the restrictions would be in effect until at least Jan. 26, with any decision about lifting them tied to the status of public health indicators.
However on Monday Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore told an Ottawa radio station that he was “starting to have much more hope” about the situation the province is facing.
Then on Tuesday Premier Doug Ford told that same radio station that his government will have “positive news” about reducing some of the restrictions by the end of the week.
Speaking with reporters at city hall, De Villa said that she can appreciate that people are “looking forward to resuming activities that they have missed.”
But she said that “increasing opportunities for people to interact with each other should be done with caution, especially as schools are just reopening.”
“I can compare this to the role of a physician when changing a patient's medication. If there's a change in a person's health and they are currently taking medications doctors will slowly and methodically make adjustments and then evaluate the outcome. This is especially true with patients who are taking several different medications,” she said. “There is a fine balance to maintain with one change being made at a time followed by a period of evaluation. A similar approach can be adopted as we think about our road ahead in the context of Omicron and public health measures.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.