Ontario closes borders and imposes new restrictions
The province is not coping with the spread of COVID-19.
Ontario extends the lockdown until May 20 and imposes new restrictions. This was announced by provincial Premier Doug Ford on April 16.
As of today, April 17, outdoor gatherings are prohibited. You can only gather with family members and one non-family member who lives alone. The police have the right to stop anyone who is outdoors (including in a vehicle) and inquire about the purpose of leaving the house and the address of residence. Religious gatherings, weddings and funerals are limited to 10 people, whether they are held in a building or in the street.
Penalties for non-compliance can be as high as $750 CAD.
In addition, construction work that is not absolutely necessary is suspended, and a limited number of people may be on the playgrounds. Essential retail stores are only required to accommodate 25% of the total capacity, secondary businesses are closed.
Another innovation: inspectors will now visit companies to ensure that only those employees whose presence is required are at work.
And starting Monday, April 19, there will be checkpoints at Ontario's borders with Manitoba and Quebec: traveling between the provinces without a valid reason will be prohibited.
"We're losing the battle," admitted Premier Doug Ford. — I have never kept the truth from you, even the hard truth. The battle between vaccines and strains of the virus we are losing... That's why we're pulling back."
The strict measures, according to Ford, are necessary because of the province's shortage of vaccines. But public health experts have said many times before that vaccination alone is not enough to stop the spread of infection.
