Concerns and case numbers alike are seeing a spike as COVID-19 figures continue to pass the 400 mark. Sunday, September 27 saw a total of 491 cases, while the following Monday saw an astronomical leap to 700 cases — 344 of them being in Toronto and 104 in the Peel region.
On Tuesday, Ontario reported 554 new cases of COVID-19 following Premier Doug Ford’s official announcement the previous day on September 28 that the province is now in its second wave.
“Toronto remains the virus hotspot in Ontario,” according to CityNews.
Ford also stated that reverting back a stage is not out of the question — a measure that the Ontario Hospital Association is actually recommending.
Prime Minister Trudeau stated that we may potentially see a fall that could be even worse than the spring.
These cases have also followed the continual trend of around two-thirds of them being found in people under the age of 40. Fortunately, no new deaths were reported at the time of publication.
As new data continues to reach the eyes of the public, the conclusions drawn seem to be apparent: the next stages of reopening will not happen anytime soon. In fact, prior to Ford’s announcement on Monday, some parts of Canada were reporting that they were already in their second wave.
Earlier last week, Prime Minister Trudeau addressed the nation grimly, stating that we may potentially see a fall that could be even worse than the spring, when the lockdown first went into effect.
“The numbers are clear — back on March 13 when we went into lockdown there were 47 new cases of COVID-19. Yesterday alone, we had well over a thousand,” Trudeau said.
“We know that this wave will be more complicated and more complex. It will be worse than the first wave we faced earlier this year,” said Ford.
To get the second wave under control, Trudeau reminded the public of the guidelines we have been hearing for months now: to wash our hands, wear a mask, and stick to our own social bubbles.
As the pandemic continues to evoke feelings of uncertainty, former York student and current first-year medical student at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Swar Shah is able to see some of the positives of all the new data we are receiving, and shares his predictions on Ontario’s moves going forward.
“While there seems to be a general apathy in the public leading to gross negligence of the situation, the increasing in testing availability is also allowing us to provide more accurate numbers. I doubt the province will be going into lockdown again, however I do believe that stricter measures will be added to ensure further exacerbation, such as decreasing limitations on public gatherings,” says Shah.
Only time will tell if Shah’s predictions ring true.
“We know that this wave will be more complicated and more complex. It will be worse than the first wave we faced earlier this year,” said Ford.
Ford announced $52.5 million to be spent on adding 3,700 workers to hospitals and long-term care facilities along with a budget of $1 billion to improve COVID-19 testing and contact management.
To combat the uptick, Ford has taken action towards steps that will be in the best interest of Ontarians. Last Tuesday at Queen’s Park, Ford unveiled a $70 million plan — a large chunk of which will go towards bringing in 5.1 million flu vaccine doses.
Additionally, in his latest address to the province, Ford announced another $52.5 million to be spent on adding 3,700 workers to hospitals and long-term care facilities along with a budget of $1 billion to improve COVID-19 testing and contact management.
Ontario has ordered all strip clubs to temporarily shut down, and has imposed new regulations demanding that all bars, restaurants, and nightclubs stop serving alcohol by 11 p.m., and close entirely by midnight. This is an effective measure given the COVID-19 statistics among the 20 to 39 age group, and that Toronto’s Rebel Night Club and two different strip clubs have contributed to at least 13 infections total.
Popular online rental marketplace Airbnb has also announced that it took down more than 40 listings in Ontario as it attempts to reduce house parties as much as possible.
Health Minister Christine Elliott announced that COVID-19 testing would be available at up to 60 pharmacies across Ontario as of Friday, September 25. Asymptomatic people should book testing by appointment and there will be no charge.
