TORONTO -- The city’s top doctor is urging Torontonians not to bend the rules and “burst” their social bubbles as they celebrate the last long weekend of the summer.

Speaking at a news conference at city hall on Wednesday, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa warned people that the choices they make during the upcoming Labour Day weekend have the potential to “affect all of us in the weeks and months ahead.”

“While many of us are preparing to send our children back to school, many of us are also looking forward to squeezing in that last little bit of summer fun this coming weekend. And while you are doing this, I would ask that you please be careful while you are socializing,” she said.

“I know we are all tired of physical distancing and sticking with one social bubble. I have heard that many people bending the rules or bursting their social bubble to spend time with more people… The fact is we are seeing COVID-19 infections in our city resulting from people choosing not to follow public health advice.”

She noted that just this past week, the city has identified a number of new COVID-19 infections resulting from people socializing indoors without masks and in close proximity to one another.

“These are exactly the kinds of situations that are contributing to virus spread,” de Villa added.

Provincial health officials confirmed 133 new cases of the virus today, the second highest daily count since July.

In early August, new infections in Ontario dropped down to double digits for a full week but since that time, the province has seen an uptick in daily cases.

There have been more than 100 new infections reported in Ontario for 13 of the last 14 days.

Unsurprisingly, COVID-19 cases have been on the rise in the country’s largest city in recent weeks, a trend de Villa called “concerning.”

“’Our local numbers are starting to increase again with 48 new COVID-19 infections since yesterday. This week alone in Toronto, there have been 123 infections. This is concerning for all of us,” she said.

“It isn't a matter of if we will see more COVID-19 activity in our city, it is a matter of when. I'm concerned because this is now what we are starting to see. We need to be careful and vigilant in our actions to keep each other safe as we return to school, our workplaces, and spend more time inside as cooler weather arrives.”