The Ontario government has unveiled several new COVID-19 restrictions aimed at curbing record-high cases in the province, including increased police powers, provincial border checkpoints, and restricting outdoor gatherings.
Ford announced an extension of Ontario’s state of emergency and provincewide stay-at-home order until at least May 20 in line with recommendations made by doctors and scientists earlier in the day.
Over the past few months, we have ramped up our vaccine infrastructure and we now have the capacity to administer millions of vaccines a month.
While vaccines are our best defence, we must all play a role now and #StayHome to #SaveLives. pic.twitter.com/wgKkOT3IMV
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) April 15, 2021
Speaking at a twice-delayed news conference on Friday, Premier Doug Ford also announced that non-essential construction will be shut down. Outdoor gatherings with people outside a person’s household will be prohibited, effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday.
Ford also ordered the immediate closure of recreational amenities, including playgrounds, tennis courts, golf courses, basketball courts, and soccer and baseball fields.
Effective at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, religious services, weddings, and funerals will be limited to 10 people indoors.
Solicitor General Sylvia Jones told reporters checks will be put in place at the Manitoba and Quebec borders effective as of 12:01 a.m. on Monday. Visitors will be prohibited from entering and exiting Ontario with the exception of essential purposes such as work, medical care, and the transportation of goods.
The new restrictions were announced just hours after new COVID-19 modelling data was released by the province, which predicts case counts to remain high.
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