Here are the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic in the Greater Toronto Area for Friday:
Peel Region to move to red zone while Toronto stays in modified Stage 2
Peel Region will be under the highest COVID-19 alert level short of a lockdown as Ontario shifts to a tiered and colour-coded system for managing pandemic measures.
The provincial government released a list Friday classifying each public health unit under the new red, orange, yellow and green risk level system — a change that will take effect at midnight.
Another of the hot spots, Toronto, will remain under a modified Stage 2 — the restriction classification system previously used by the government — for a week.
Regions in the red category will, among other things, have indoor restaurant dining limited to 10 people and have gyms limited to 10 people indoors.
Decision to ease some restrictions in Peel Region ‘reckless’: OHA
The head of the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) is slamming the provincial government’s decision to ease some restrictions in Peel Region.
Anthony Dale released a statement shortly after the government made the announcement.
“Given the powerful evidence of spread of the COVID-19 virus in the region, including 280 new cases today, the decision to proceed with reopening is reckless and must be reversed immediately given the risks it poses to area hospitals, particularly William Osler Health System,” Dale said.
Status of cases in the GTA
Ontario reported a total of 1,003 new COVID-19 cases on Friday.
Of those:
- 300 were recorded in Toronto
- 280 were recorded in Peel Region
- 125 were recorded in York Region
- 41 were recorded in Halton Region
- 24 were recorded in Durham Region
Ontario reports 1,003 COVID-19 cases on Friday
Ontario reported 1,003 new cases of coronavirus on Friday, bringing the provincial total to 81,693.
The death toll in the province rose to 3,209 as 14 more deaths were reported.
Nearly 41,300 tests were processed in the last 24 hours. Resolved cases increased by 949 from the previous day.
Ontario long-term care homes
According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there have been 1,986 deaths reported among residents and patients in long-term care homes across Ontario which is an increase of 10 deaths.
There are 86 current outbreaks in homes, a decrease of three.
Ontario child care centres and schools
Government figures show there have been a total of 2,628 school-related COVID-19 cases in Ontario — 1,484 among students and 328 among staff (816 individuals were not identified). This is an increase of 85 more cases from the previous day.
There have been a total of 496 confirmed cases within child care centres and homes — an increase of eight (three new child cases and five new staff cases).
— With files from The Canadian Press