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
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor qualifies Canada for Paralympics in rowing event
Former Humboldt Broncos goaltender and bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified Canada for a rowing event for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.
Baby boom amongst nurses leads to maternity ward closure in Listowel, Ont.
The emergency room at Listowel’s hospital is open today, but come summer, their obstetrics unit will be temporarily closing its delivery rooms.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.