COVID-19 News

Ontario hits the brakes, declaring third state of emergency in light of surging COVID-19 cases

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The province buckles down for a four-week “emergency brake” and mandatory stay-at-home order as the third wave of COVID-19 increases cases at an alarming rate; U of G remains optimistic for in-person learning in the fall

UPDATE: Ontario’s stay-at home-order will be in effect until at least May 20, 2021.

(Photo courtesy of Sharon McCutcheon/Unsplash)

On April 7, the Ontario government announced a stay-at-home order to take effect on Thursday April 8 at 12:01 a.m. after an “alarming” surge in COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalizations throughout the province. The announcement was preceded by a provincewide “emergency brake,” putting Ontario into its third lockdown for at least four weeks.

“Make no mistake. These next four weeks are absolutely critical,” Ford said during the announcement. “Hope is on the horizon, I promise you that better days are ahead of us.”

On April 8 Ontario reported more than 3,200 new cases of the virus, the highest daily count since mid January, according to Global News. 

The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Ontario has increased by over 28 per cent between March 28 and April 5, and the number of patients in intensive care escalated by 25 per cent, according to the provincial government.

ICU admissions have surpassed the peak of wave two, meaning hospitals located in hot spots have to further postpone and limit scheduled surgeries, and COVID-19 related ICU admissions are expected to exceed 650 beds over the next few weeks.

On April 1, the provincial government noted that all of these increases are due to COVID-19 variants that are more easily transmittable and result in a higher risk of death and hospitalization. As case rates rise, younger Ontarians are becoming sicker and there is concern that hospitals will quickly become overwhelmed with patients without these measures in place.

“I know pulling the emergency brake will be difficult on many people across the province, but we must try and prevent more people from getting infected and overwhelming our hospitals,” Ford said.

“Our vaccine rollout is steadily increasing, and I encourage everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated. That is our best protection against this deadly virus.”

Ford announced on April 6 that the province is moving into Phase 2 of the vaccine rollout.

Phase 2 prioritizes age and at-risk populations. Starting on April 6, those with the highest-risk health conditions will be eligible for vaccination, such as organ transplant recipients, as well as essential caregivers for the people in the highest-risk category.

Starting on April 7, public health units will begin offering appointments to individuals aged 60 and up. Those who live and work in congregate settings, and certain workers who can’t work from home will also become eligible.

The provincial government intends to have contacted the majority of this group through hospital clinics by the end of the month.

Hot spot communities will also be given increased vaccine allocations to target the areas with the highest rates of death, hospitalization and transmission; those regions are also encouraged to vaccinate people aged 50 and up during this time.

Ford also noted that the federal government has dedicated 1.1 billion dollars to paid sick leave for Canadians, and that there are still 750 million dollars available, urging Ontarians to access the program if needed.

The University of Guelph issued a news release on April 7 detailing what’s open and closed on campus and their hopes for a gradual return to campus in the near future.

While on-campus operations will be affected by the shut down, the university remains optimistic that these additional safety measures will help them plan for “a vibrant on-campus experience in fall 2021 and a gradual return to campus for faculty and staff.”

Further updates on in-person learning will be announced closer to the summer semester.

Students who have enrolled in face-to-face courses can expect to receive information regarding any changes from their instructors; however, all upcoming exams will now take place remotely.

See below for restrictions impacting Ontario, the University of Guelph, and the City of Guelph.

Province-wide restrictions include: 

  • Leaving a place of residence is prohibited, except for essential reasons like school, work, grocery shopping, or health-care reasons.
  • All non-essential retail businesses will remain closed, permitting only delivery and curb-side pickup.
  • Big box stores are required to limit retail sales to essential items like food, household cleaning supplies, etc.
  • In-person shopping is restricted to a 25 per cent capacity limit for essential places like supermarkets, grocery stores, and convenience stores.
  • Both indoor and outdoor dining are limited to take-out, drive-thru, and delivery only.
  • Gyms and other recreational or fitness facilities will remain closed.

 

What’s open on campus:

Social distancing and masks required.

  • Access to campus buildings is restricted to people who can’t perform their work duties remotely, faculty and students involved in face-to-face learning, faculty and researchers with an approved management plan, and students living in campus residences.
  • The Athletics Centre is closed until further notice.
  • Public access to the University Centre is restricted to people with appointments at the vaccination clinic and those visiting businesses like the UC Pharmacy or Chiropractic Care.
  • The on-campus vaccination clinic will continue to run while following the Public Health guidelines.
  • Residences are open, however, no visitors are permitted at this time.
  • Student Health Services  and the Health and Performance Centre are open with enhanced safety measures in place.
  • Similarly, the  Ontario Veterinary Health Sciences Centre Animal Hospitals, Animal Health Lab and Agriculture and Food Lab are open during the province-wide shutdown.

 

What’s open in Guelph:

Social distancing and masks required.

 

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