The Ontario government is looking to extend the provincewide stay-at-home order past its scheduled end date of May 20 and into June amid the third wave of COVID-19, sources tell Global News.
The Ford government cabinet is working to finalize the date, however, sources said the province is looking to extend the order until at least June 2.
The stay-at-home order was first implement on April 8 in an effort to curb increasing case numbers as well as high hospitalization rates in the province.
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“We are looking at things daily, what I do know is that we are going to have to see our numbers go down they are under 3000 today which is encouraging and the numbers in intensive care are at 828 but that still is very high, and we need to see them go down more before we can change the stay-at-home order,” said Health Minister Christine Elliott.
“The medical experts have been very clear we need to stay the course for right now,” she continued.
Elliott wouldn’t confirm exactly where the numbers need to be for the stay-at-home order to be lifted.
On Monday, Ontario reported 2,716 new COVID-19 cases bringing the provincial total to 495,019. The province has reported 8,327 total deaths since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.
The news comes as businesses including restaurants and fitness companies are calling on the government to allow them to open up. Global News has reported on several companies who have reopened or remained open despite the stay-at-home order.
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