Ontario puts ‘pause’ on further loosening of public health measures as COVID-19 numbers rise

Five-day rolling average of new daily cases continues to trend steadily upward

The provincial government is putting a “pause” of four weeks on any further loosening of public health measures in Ontario, Minister of Health Christine Elliott said Tuesday.

The province reported 185 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, as well as 190 on Monday — the most on any single day since July 24. Data for both days was released this morning because the province did not issue an updated report on Labour Day.

At the province’s daily news conference, Elliott said Ontario’s “latest trends and numbers have raised some concern.” She said the pause includes things like expanding the size of the province’s social circles and the number of people allowed at sporting events.

That pause does not include schools, which started reopening in parts of the province today. Elliot acknowledged community spread will likely mean spread in schools, but said the province’s approach is to limit the spread at the community level to keep the virus from entering schools.

As has consistently been the case in recent weeks, Toronto, Peel and Ottawa saw the most additional infections in today’s update with 48, 42 and 37, respectively. The day before those three public health units confirmed, respectively, 60, 57 and 25 more case

By CBC News
Read More Here: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/covid-19-coronavirus-ontario-september-8-update-1.5715518