Coronavirus: Canada’s largest province Ontario announces post-Christmas shutdown
- Lockdown for 28 days in southern part of province, 14 days in less populated north
- Ontario and neighbouring Quebec account for 84 per cent of Canada’s 14,228 deaths
Ontario on Monday announced a provincewide shutdown because of a second wave of Covid-19 in Canada’s most populous province.
The lockdown will be put in place for southern Ontario from December 26 until January 23, but will lift for northern Ontario on January 9. Health officials criticised the delay, with one top infectious disease doctor saying it was ridiculous to wait until the day after Christmas to shut down.
Ontario has had seven straight days of more than 2,000 cases a day. Modelling shows that could more than double in January. Health officials earlier said a four to six-week hard lockdown could significantly stop the spread of Covid-19.
Toronto, Canada’s largest city, had already closed restaurants for indoor dining but schools remained open. All high schools in Ontario will now be closed for in-person learning until January 25. Junior schools will be closed until January 11.
After Covid-19 cases surged in the spring, Canada flattened the epidemic curve with a lockdown. But as in other countries, Covid fatigue set in, restrictions were relaxed and a second wave was unleashed.