Ontario's Top Hospital Officials Say Our COVID-19 Progress Is 'Slipping Away'
For three straight days, Ontario’s daily COVID-19 cases have surpassed 200. Now, top health officials are making a public plea to take protocols seriously. They are calling Ontario's COVID-19 trend "alarming."
Anthony Dale, president and CEO of the Ontario Hospital Association, released a public notice on Sunday, saying that our “hard-won progress is slipping away.”
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“Unfortunately, Ontario’s COVID-19 reproduction rate is now over 1 and the spread of infection is accelerating," Dale writes.
"Daily case growth is now over 200, a clear warning sign that our hard-won progress is slipping away."
Dale says that, despite the provincial government reopening the economy, Ontarians shouldn’t be too quick to resume life as normal.
“Make no mistake, COVID-19 is still a very real threat," he says.
"Without continued vigilance, today’s isolated outbreaks in Toronto, Peel, York and Ottawa could easily spread throughout communities right across Ontario."
Premier Doug Ford has been quick to point fingers at attendees of private gatherings for the uptick in cases.
Dale is urging young Ontarians to “neither host nor attend unsafe gatherings and parties.”
Parties among young people have increased in the past weeks, especially with university coming back into session.
With outdoor gathering limits set at 100, some outdoor parties have been able to take place legally.
However, top officials are directly telling young people to skip these events.
"Ultimately, skipping a dinner party or a wedding that isn’t safe is a very small sacrifice to make to protect our loved ones and people who are particularly vulnerable to the threat of COVID-19."
Dale ends the letter with a powerful statement:
"Ultimately it is up to the many to protect the lives of the few."