Why Mississauga is concerned about Ontario's plan to lift all COVID-19 restrictions
Mississauga’s mayor says she has serious concerns about the province’s projected timeline for lifting all remaining COVID-19 restrictions as the city deals with growing strain on its hospital system.
Speaking at the City of Mississauga’s weekly COVID-19 briefing on Thursday, Mayor Bonnie Crombie said Trillium Health Partners currently has 22 COVID-19 inpatients, the most virus-related hospitalizations of any other hospital network in Ontario.
“While our case counts have steadily decreased, we have seen some concerning trends in Mississauga with elevated COVID-19 transmission in some areas. Peel Public Health is working hard to understand exactly why this is happening,” she said.
“What we do know is that there are some neighbourhoods in Mississauga with a lower vaccine uptake than the rest of the city, leading to a large number of susceptible residents.”
Crombie said those neighbourhoods include Burnhamthorpe, Applewood, Dixie, Cooksville, and Mississauga Valley.
“That’s translated to unnecessary pressure on our hospital system,” she added.
She said while she remains optimistic that the situation will improve, she said she is concerned the Ford government will move too quickly to lift remaining public health measures.
The province has set a target date of Jan. 17, 2022 to begin lifting its proof-of-vaccination requirements at certain establishments, including restaurants, bars, sports and recreational facilities, and casinos.
By March 28, the province would like to remove all remaining COVID-19 restrictions, including masking in indoor settings.
“I appreciate the ambition but these dates give me quite a bit of trepidation,” Crombie said Thursday.
“The last thing anyone wants to see are regulations lifted too quickly and then a sudden spike in cases. We are seeing other jurisdictions like the UK dealing with a surge in cases despite having a large percentage of their population fully vaccinated.”
The province has said they will only proceed with lifting these measures “in the absence of concerning trends.”
“We are now in a position where we can see the proposed plan for lifting the remaining public health and workplace safety measures in Ontario,” Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s chief medical officer of Health, said in a statement released last week.
“The months ahead will require continued vigilance, as we don’t want to cause any more unnecessary disruption to people’s everyday lives. We must continue to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 in our communities by following the public health measures in place and by vaccinating those who have not yet received their shots.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.