Ontario Lockdown Likely Being Extended to June 2: Toronto Wants Golf/Tennis Opened
May 10, 2021 ctn_admin
Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives are setting the table to extend Ontario’s pandemic “stay-at-home” order for another two weeks, until June 2, according to the Toronto Star.
“We need to stay the course for right now,” Health Minister Christine Elliott said Monday.
Ford declared a state of emergency on April 16, which outlawed such outdoor activities such as golf, tennis, and basketball, in a bid to reduce the spread of COVID-19 variants.
The current emergency “stay home” declaration is set to expire on May 19. Ontario on Monday recorded its lowest COVID-19 case numbers since April 1, but provincial health officials say ICU numbers and other key stats are still too high.
“We’re looking at things daily but what I do know is that we’re going to have to see our numbers go down,” Elliott said. “They’re under 3000 (cases) today, which is encouraging, and the numbers in intensive care are at 828. But that’s still very high, and we need to see them go down more before we can change the stay-at-home order.
“The medical experts have been very clear that we need to stay the course right now.”
An extension of the “stay at home” order likely would mean continued restrictions on people crossing into Ontario from both Manitoba and Quebec, but there was no official word today.
Meanwhile, the City of Toronto board of health has passed a motion calling on the province to reopen outdoor recreation amenities.
According to the CBC, Elliott has previously stated there’s no plans to change the rules around tennis courts or golf courses until cases significantly decline.
Speaking to CP24 on Monday, Ward 12 Coun. Josh Matlow called the restrictions on outdoor amenities “absurd” and “counter to the interests of the public.”
“They don’t make sense. They don’t make sense from a public policy perspective, certainly they are not backed by any science-based advice that I’m a aware of.”
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