Coronavirus: Peel Region seeing ‘holiday surge at worst time,’ says public health

Dr. Lawrence Loh, Peel Medical Officer of Health, said Brampton’s test positivity rate is at 17.4 per cent this week, up from 16.9 per cent last week. There is now 350.8 cases of coronavirus per 100,000, up from 278.9 last week.

“One in five tests is coming back positive for COVID-19,” Loh said. “What that means is, looking at both the testing being done as well as the numbers of cases … we’re seeing a significant increase in the risk and a significant increase in the transmission that is occurring in our community.”

Loh said, to put it in perspective, that the World Health Organization said positivity rates should be kept at around three per cent or less.

“So we are significantly magnitudes above that and it represents just the risk that exists with any sort of interaction with people outside of your home,” he said.

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Both Loh and Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown welcome the new restrictions and stay-at-home order issued by the provincial government Tuesday.

“Let me be clear, this is an emergency,” Loh said. “The new provincial stay-at-home measures are welcome and necessary.”

Loh said hospitals in the region have begun to cancel surgeries and have already had to transfer patients to other parts of Ontario due to “dwindling” ICU (intensive care unit) capacity.

“We are facing catastrophe.”

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While both were in favour of the new restrictions, Loh said he would like to see a review of what is deemed an essential workplace and for the Ford government to see what else can be temporarily closed.

Brown also urged both the provincial and federal government to incorporate paid sick days, especially for essential workers, which was something left out of the new restrictions that come into effect Thursday at 12:01 a.m.

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