Ontario’s Top Doctor Says She’d Be ‘Surprised’ If Things Open Up By The End Of May
She says that numbers are still too high.
The province's top doctor is now warning that Ontario's lockdown might not be over in time to celebrate the May 24 weekend this year.
Dr. Barbara Yaffe, associate chief medical officer of health, said during a press conference on Thursday that she would be "surprised" if things open by the end of May.
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"I would say that given the number of cases is so high still, the number of hospitalizations and ICU overload and so on, I would be surprised if things open up at the end of May. They may open partially."
The doctor warns that the government doesn't want to rush Ontario's reopening plan when the time comes. "Certainly, we don't want to open prematurely and end up with a fourth wave. That is the last thing we need."
However, Yaffe did reveal that when restrictions start to loosen, schools will be the first thing to open in the province.
When is Ontario's stay-at-home order set to end?
As of Friday, Ontario's stay-at-home order is currently set to end on May 20. However, this could be extended if COVID-19 case numbers remain too high.
In fact, we have already seen the order extended once before. When Premier Doug Ford first announced the new restrictions, they were originally supposed to last four weeks.
Yet, on April 16, an additional two weeks were added to the order, along with tighter restrictions.