Toronto will not push Ontario’s COVID-19 framework into the red zone, but rather ask the province to tweak its grey-lockdown rules for some outdoor activities. Although the province has the final say on Toronto’s reopening, Ontario officials normally follow the advice of the public health unit. It’s unclear what those activities will be, but city officials mentioned outdoor dining and fitness during a press conference on Wednesday.
The city’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, said there will be a collaborative discussion with the province about potential changes. The CafeTO program saw a dramatic increase in the number of outdoor restaurants and bar patios in the city. The program will not be up and running until early May if the province allows changes.
The news comes after the City of Toronto reported 576 new cases on Wednesday. The city also opened three new mass vaccination sites and urged anyone born before 1941 to schedule a shot. “What we do now will determine what happens in the future,” De Villa says. Officials say Peel Region is also discussing changes to the grey zone framework designation to allow for more leverage on things like outdoor dining and fitness. Meanwhile, York Region is still in the red-control zone, which is the framework’s second-most restrictive zone.
News and picture Source: CBC
