Ontario's uptick in COVID-19 cases could put an early move to Step 1 in jeopardy, top official says
A rise in COVID-19 cases over the past two days has prompted Ontario's top doctor to warn the chances of an earlier reopening are looking "less promising."
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams told reporters on Thursday he’s concerned about the recent uptick, and said it could potentially be attributed to the Victoria Day long weekend.
Ontario confirmed 870 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, which comes after 699 new infections on Tuesday and 733 on Wednesday.
Despite the daily uptick in cases, Ontario's rolling seven-day average continues to drop and is currently at 940.
"I hope we don't have a continual rise over the weekend," Williams said. "Getting over 1,000 again, that would be disappointing to say the least."
"Let's hope we can turn that around."
Williams said he would have "better answers" for Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Christine Elliott next week about whether Ontario can enter Step 1 before June 14.
He said he wants to ensure the increase in cases is "just a temporary one."
Earlier on Thursday, Elliott said she understands that people are anxious to move into Step 1 and are waiting for a decision on whether that timeline can be pushed up by a few day.
“But we can only do that when it's safe for everyone’s health for that to happen," Elliott said, adding there was no word on when the final decision would be made.
She said the province is also tracking the increase in variant cases, especially the "delta variant," first discovered in India.
"The number have gone up slightly today, but generally they are trending downwards," Elliott said. "We're going to continue to follow the data."
Premier Doug Ford said on Wednesday, while announcing schools will not reopen this academic year, that he's waiting for advice from Williams about whether the province can push forward the Step 1 date.
Step 1 allows for Ontario to relax restrictions that mainly involving outdoor activities.
Outdoor gathering limits will increase to 10 people, patios can reopen, and non-essential retail reopens at 15 per cent capacity.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.
Woman, 18, killed by co-worker's vehicle on Highway 1 in Moose Jaw
Moose Jaw police say an 18-year-old woman who was at work has died from injuries she sustained in a collision with a vehicle being driven by her co-worker last Thursday.