(December 17, 2020)<\/p>\n
By: Antonella Artuso, Toronto Sun<\/p>\n
Ontario reported 2,000-plus more COVID-19 cases for the second day in a row.<\/p>\n
As Toronto Mayor John Tory urged the public to stay home for the holidays, the city confirmed 780 new cases Wednesday.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for Premier Doug Ford\u2019s office would only say the government intends to follow the advice of Dr. David Williams, Ontario\u2019s chief medical officer of health,\u00a0 for any additional restrictions on public behaviour or businesses over the holidays.<\/p>\n
\u201cOntario is reporting 2,139 cases of #COVID19. Locally, there are 780 new cases in Toronto, 528 in Peel, 148 in York Region, 143 in Durham and 111 in Windsor-Essex County,\u201d Health Minister Christine Elliott tweeted Wednesday. \u201cThere are 2,043 more resolved cases and nearly 49,200 tests completed.\u201d<\/p>\n
The province saw 2,275 new cases Tuesday, although that number included 2 1\/2 additional hours worth of cases than the usual 24-hour period.<\/p>\n
Ontario reported 43 additional deaths related to the pandemic Wednesday, and 4,035 people have died in total since mid-January.<\/p>\n
There were 932 COVID-19 patients in hospital, 256 in intensive care and 157 on ventilators.<\/p>\n
Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) President and CEO Anthony Dale described the situation for hospitals as \u201csailing right into a hurricane this winter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), said hospitals and long-term-care homes are overwhelmed despite opportunities over the past summer for the provincial government to prepare for the anticipated second wave of the pandemic.<\/p>\n
People hear the COVID-19 numbers every day but might not realize what that means on the front lines, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re not seeing the people who are dying; they\u2019re hidden away in long-term-care homes and they\u2019re hidden away in ICUs,\u201d Mehra said. \u201cThere\u2019s no picture in front of them of what\u2019s happening and so it\u2019s all numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said the province needs a \u201cpost-holiday strategy\u201d for January that includes in-workplace and in-school testing, and also paid sick and family-care days.<\/p>\n
Dan Kelly, of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), said the Ontario government should \u201clockdown the big guys\u201d if it plans to continue banning in-store sales for small retailers.<\/p>\n
Many small business owners have expressed outrage that places like Walmart and Costco continue to sell non-grocery items while they\u2019re limited to curbside pickup.<\/p>\n