Ontario lifts more capacity limits as province reports 326 new COVID-19 cases
CBC
Ontario is lifting capacity limits today at restaurants, gyms, casinos and some other locations where proof of vaccination against COVID-19 is required. Meanwhile, the province is reporting 326 new cases of the virus Monday.
Of those cases, 231 were found in people who were not fully vaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status, while 95 cases were found in people who are fully vaccinated. The seven-day average for cases dropped slightly, and now stands at 372.
The province is also reporting that 163 people are hospitalized with COVID-19, and 138 people are in intensive care units. It is important to note, however, that not all hospitals report those numbers on weekends.
In Ontario, if museums and galleries, places of worship, and personal care settings choose to require proof of vaccination, they can also lift capacity limits as of today.
Premier Doug Ford announced the development Friday as he unveiled plans for managing the pandemic long term.
The province aims to remove all public health measures meant to slow the spread of COVID-19 by late March, including mask mandates.
Proof-of-vaccination requirements will start to be lifted early next year — as long as trends don't become concerning — starting with restaurants, bars, gyms and casinos in January.
Ford describes his approach to loosening restrictions as "super cautious."
You can find more details about Ontario's plan, including a timeline of what's set to happen next, here.
Here are some other key pandemic indicators and figures from the Ministry of Health's daily provincial update:
New school-related cases: 88, including 74 students and 13 staff, as well as one unidentified case. As of yesterday, two of Ontario's 4,844 public schools (roughly 0.04 per cent) were closed due to COVID-19.
Patients in ICU with COVID-related illnesses: 138, with 94 needing a ventilator to breathe.
Active cases: 3215.
Vaccinations: The province administered 9,697 doses of COVID-19 vaccine yesterday. About 83.89 per cent of eligible Ontarians, those aged 12 and older, have now had two doses of vaccine.
This story is a collaboration between the Investigative Journalism Foundation and CBC Saskatchewan.
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