York Region Wants To Move Into The Red Zone Instead Of Lockdown In 2 Weeks
An Ontario mayor has come forward with recommendations for his public health region come February 22.
Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti moved a motion at York Region Council for the region to be moved into the red zone when the stay-at-home order lifts, rather than the grey lockdown zone.
Editor's Choice: Nova Scotia Says Houses Are So Affordable There & These Waterfront Listings Prove It
There should be a consideration of the red zone, even if that’s with additional restrictions.
Frank Scarpitti
The mayor told CP24 that he hopes the motion will pass and that York will move into the red zone come February 22 — even if that means additional restrictions need to be implemented.
"I know we've heard a lot from people saying 'don't open,' and then 'no, close down again,''" he continued.
"The reality is that this is sort of what we're going to have to live with to some extent over the next several months because it'll be well into the fall before the majority of the population is vaccinated."
Ford is expected to make an announcement today about which colour zones certain regions will move into when they can begin to reopen next week.
While three regions are now in the green zone, the province's emergency brake can intervene at any time if cases increase. Scarpitti says that the brake can be implemented for York Region as well if needed.
Dr. Karim Kurji, York Region's medical officer of health, told CTV Barrie that York has recorded 99 variant cases of COVID-19, with 28 of those being the U.K. variant, which may be more transmissible.
Dr. Kurji told Narcity that some individuals in York Region had contracted the variant in as little as two minutes, during essential shopping trips.