{"id":71767,"date":"2020-12-11T13:48:29","date_gmt":"2020-12-11T18:48:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mileniostadium.com\/?p=71767"},"modified":"2020-12-11T14:07:20","modified_gmt":"2020-12-11T19:07:20","slug":"york-region-and-windsor-essex-going-into-lockdown-to-curb-covid-19-spread-ontario-announces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mileniostadium.com\/local\/gta\/york-region-and-windsor-essex-going-into-lockdown-to-curb-covid-19-spread-ontario-announces\/","title":{"rendered":"York Region and Windsor-Essex going into lockdown to curb COVID-19 spread, Ontario announces"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Earlier this week, three York Region hospitals issued a joint statement about the “significant increase” in COVID-19 admissions, saying their facilities have reached a “tipping point.” Markham Stouffville Hospital was among them. (CBC)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Ontario has announced York Region and Windsor-Essex are moving into lockdown\u00a0effective 12:01 Monday, Dec. 14, as the province tries to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The move comes three weeks after Toronto and Peel Region, the other hardest-hit parts of the province, were placed into to the “grey” or lockdown-level zone of Ontario’s COVID-19 framework. The case counts in those regions have\u00a0continued to climb steadily since.<\/p>\n

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Also effective Monday, the following regions will move into the red “control” zone: Middlesex-London, Simcoe Muskoka and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph.<\/p>\n

The Eastern Ontario health unit will move into the orange “restrict” zone, while Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District will move into the yellow “protect” zone.<\/p>\n

“Over the last week, public health indicators in the York and Windsor regions have continued to trend in the wrong direction and it is evident additional measures are needed to help limit the spread of the virus,” said Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health, in a statement.<\/p>\n

Earlier this week, three York Region hospitals issued a joint statement about the “significant increase” in COVID-19 admissions, saying their facilities have reached a “tipping point.”<\/p>\n

Markham’s mayor, Frank Scarpitti, had called on the province to consider other measures\u00a0\u2014\u00a0such as switching big box stores and retail centres to curbside pickup only \u2014 before moving York into lockdown.<\/p>\n

The new measures will be in place for a minimum of 28 days or two COVID-19 incubation periods, after which the government will assess if they should be extended.<\/p>\n

45 more deaths reported Friday<\/h2>\n

The news comes as Ontario reported another 1,848 cases of COVID-19 on Friday and 45 more deaths linked to the illness, the most on a single day during the second wave of infections currently afflicting parts of the province.<\/p>\n

The new cases include 469 in Toronto, 386 in Peel Region, 205 in York Region and 106 in Windsor-Essex, where\u00a0religious leaders are ending in-person services in a bid to curb transmission of the virus.<\/p>\n

Current restrictions in the region allow religious services to fill 30 per cent room capacity with physical distancing. But more than a dozen church leaders said this morning that\u00a0they are suspending in-person worship for now.<\/p>\n

Public health officials have also ordered Windsor-area schools to move classes online starting Monday.<\/p>\n

Other regions that saw double-digit increases in cases were:<\/p>\n