Ontario Has Extended Its Emergency Orders For Another 2 Weeks
It looks like residents are going have to wait a little longer for Ontario's emergency orders to be lifted. Ford's government announced on Thursday that it would be extending the province's COVID-19 pandemic initiative until May 6, 2020. This means that multiple businesses will continue to keep their doors closed.
The decision was made on the advice of Dr. David Williams, the Chief Medical Officer of Health, to "help protect the health and well-being of people across the province."
The latest extension of the order will force outdoor amenities in parks and recreational areas, non-essential workplaces, public spaces, and restaurants to remain closed.
Other social distancing bylaws that aimed to limit the spread of the virus by banning gatherings and residents congregating closely with each other in public, will also remain in place.
"We are making steady progress in our battle against this deadly virus, but we are not out of the woods by a long shot. It is absolutely necessary to extend these emergency orders to continue keeping all Ontarians safe and healthy," said Premier Doug Ford in a press release on Thursday.
"Every effort made by each of us to stay home, practice physical distancing and wash your hands has been, and will continue to be, the key to stopping the spread of this virus," he added.
Ford stated on Wednesday that residents could expect to see the province on lockdown for a little while longer.
When asked if the province could re-open by Victoria Day, he clarified that it is "absolutely not going to happen."
"By no means are we going to have the May 24 weekend to open things up. That is absolutely not going to happen," he added.
However, Ontario did reveal earlier this week that they are currently at the "best-case scenario" when it comes to the number of COVID-19 cases the province is seeing.
While Ontario's emergency orders are now in place until May 6, the province's state of emergency will last until at least May 12.