Mississauga Mayor Says She's Worried About Ontario Ending COVID-19 Restrictions Too Early
"We have seen some concerning trends in Mississauga."
Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie expressed her worries about Ontario's new plan to end COVID-19 restrictions by the end of March.
Crombie told reporters during a virtual press conference on Thursday that lower vaccination rates in several of the city's neighbourhoods have put a significant strain on its hospitals, despite dropping case numbers.
"We have seen some concerning trends in Mississauga with elevated COVID-19 transmission in some areas. Peel Public Health is working hard to understand exactly why this is happening," the mayor said.
"There are some neighbourhoods in Mississauga with a lower vaccine uptake than the rest of the city, leading to a large number of susceptible residents," she added.
Crombie also spoke about her personal fears of the government's plan of lifting restrictions in the GTA, warning that it could be too early.
"I appreciate the ambition, but these dates give me quite a bit of trepidation," she stated. "The last thing anyone wants to see are regulations lifted too quickly and then a sudden spike in cases. We are seeing other jurisdictions like the U.K. dealing with a surge in cases despite having a large percentage of their population fully vaccinated."
"I encourage the Government of Ontario to remain cautious and not hesitate to adjust reopening plans if the health trends warrant it."
Earlier this month, the province released a timeline for lifting restrictions over the next five months. However, the government has stated that the dates of this plan will only be met in the "absence of concerning trends."