
The province has documented almost 15,000 new cases of COVID-19 over the past five days, and hospitals now have more COVID-19 patients in intensive care than at any other time during the pandemic.
Toronto Mayor John Tory said he asked for one additional day to give parents time to prepare, but Dr. Eileen de Villa, the city's medical officer of health, said the shutdown is needed immediately.
"Both Peel and Toronto have seen rapid case growth while placed in the Grey-Lockdown category of the COVID-19 response framework, highlight the need for stronger public health measures", the doctors wrote, adding that the third wave is being driven by variants of concern (such as new strains detected in the UK, South Africa and Brazil) and that younger people are being hospitalized with more severe illness.
Ontario's cabinet is now discussing whether to issue a stay-at-home order after a request was made by three of the province's top doctors, sources have confirmed to CTV News Toronto.
Noting on Tuesday that the U.S. has reached a milestone of 150 million vaccinations since President Joe Biden entered office, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Biden will officially announce that by April 19 all adult Americans will be eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine. That could be extended if the situation doesn't improve, TPH noted.
Loh of Peel Region used his powers under Ontario's public health legislation Monday to order local schools closed for in-person learning. "This variant is moving hour-by-hour, day-by-day so we have to move with it and be nimble and be quick and that's what we're doing", he said.
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A spokesperson from Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the province firmly believes that schools should remain open for in-class learning as they are critical for students' metal health.
The decision comes a day after neighbouring Peel Region opted to shut down its schools on Monday.
"As medical experts have said, there is no excuse-no valid reason-to not begin vaccinating all essential workers today; this includes all education workers", Sam Hammond said in a statement.
The province said 494 patients were in intensive care because of COVID-19 and 293 on a ventilator - 44 new patients were admitted in ICUs on Sunday.
But increasingly, experts in the health-care sector say essential workers who can not work from home and often can not self-isolate if they contract the illness should be prioritized for the shot.
Ontario is also moving into a second phase of its vaccination campaign, which includes inoculating essential workers who can not work from home, people with high-risk health conditions and communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the virus.
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