Tory Says Ontario Should Be Reopened As Soon As Possible But It Will Be Done In 'Stages'

Mayor John Tory says Ontario's reopening plan should happen as soon as safely possible. 

The mayor weighed in on the issue during a news conference on Thursday, saying that the process should be done in stages and in a regional approach. 

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As for the opening of businesses or other organizations that are closed ... we would like to see those done as soon as possible. Mayor John Tory 

He states that when things finally start to reopen it won't all happen in a single day. 

Instead, the plan will probably look similar to what we saw last year. 

"You don't suddenly open everything up and say we're back to business as usual because that leads to a very high risk of a third or fourth wave."

However, the regional approach to reopening should be handled a little differently than last time, according to Tory. 

"I believe that when we move to reopen it should be done on a regional basis."

Tory argues that if certain cities within a region open differently, people will flock to the surrounding cities. 

In fact, he even states that the GTHA should be treated as one under the new plan. 

"There are some who will disagree with that because they think they are being lumped in with Toronto or Peel," Tory stated. "What you have to do is what's sensible and what's going to be effective."

The mayor announced last week that he believes "the time has come" to begin early conversations about reopening the city.

However, Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto's Medical Officer of Health, warned that the news doesn't change the fact that "there is still quite a bit of COVID-19 activity" in Toronto.