Coronavirus: Latest developments in the Greater Toronto Area on March 11

Here are the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic in the Greater Toronto Area for Thursday.

Mayors in Peel Region are asking the province to further loosen restrictions in their communities days after a stay-at-home order was lifted.

Peel Region – made up of Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon – was moved into the strictest “grey lockdown” category of the province’s pandemic framework on Monday, following nearly two months under the stay-at-home order.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is coming under fire for remarks he made in Queen’s Park on Thursday suggesting an Indigenous MPP jumped the line to get his COVID-19 vaccine.

MPP Sol Mamakwa disputed Ford’s claim that Indigenous chiefs were upset he flew in to a remote community to receive his vaccine, saying he was asked to participate in order to help curb the vaccine hesitancy that the population was seeing.

The Ontario government‘s latest modelling data suggests progress in reducing coronavirus cases has stalled and deferred medical procedures and screening is poised to have a heavy impact on the health-care system.

“Declines in community cases and test positivity have levelled off. Cases are increasing in most public health units as we see mobility rise,” Dr. Adalsteinn Brown, the co-chair of Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, told reporters Thursday afternoon.

“The variants of concern continue to spread across Ontario and our ability to control the rate of spread will determine whether we return to normal or we face a third wave of infection.”

Ontario is reporting 1,092 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, bringing the provincial total to 313,520.

The death toll in the province has risen to 7,109 as 10 more deaths were recorded.

Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said the province has administered more than a million COVID-19 vaccine doses so far, having now given 1,019,407 shots. This is an increase of 40,610 shots with 281,714 people fully vaccinated with two doses.

“This achievement is a true Team Ontario effort. Thank you to our public health units, vaccination sites and other health care partners for your incredible efforts to help us reach this milestone,” Elliott said in a tweet on Thursday morning.

Ontario reported a total of 1,092 new coronavirus cases on Thursday.

Of those:

• 293 were in Toronto
• 199 were in Peel Region
• 79 were in York Region
• 36 were in Durham Region
• 33 were in Halton Region

Ontario’s finance minister says the province will deliver its 2021-2022 budget on March 24.

Peter Bethlenfalvy says the spending plan will be the province’s second of the pandemic and will focus on funding measures to “defeat” COVID-19.

According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there have been 3,749 deaths reported among residents and patients in long-term care homes across Ontario which an increase of one death from yesterday. Eleven virus-related deaths in total have been reported among staff.

There are 83 current outbreaks in homes, which is a down by one from the previous day.

The ministry also indicated there are currently 51 active cases among long-term care residents and 137 active cases among staff — down by four and up by three cases, respectively, in the last day.

Meanwhile, government figures show there have been a total of 9,809 school-related COVID-19 cases in Ontario to date. This is an increase of 124 more cases in the last day — 102 student cases and 22 staff cases.

The COVID-19 cases are currently from 834 out of 4,828 schools in the province. Thirty-three schools in Ontario are currently closed as a result of positive cases, the government indicated.

There have been a total of 2,949 confirmed cases within child care centres and homes — an increase of 27 (20 new child cases and seven staff cases). Out of 5,273 child care centres in Ontario, 179 currently have cases and 46 centres are closed.

NOTE: This story will be updated throughout the day.

— With files from The Canadian Press.