Health care association urging province to impose more stringent restrictions on non-essential businesses

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Published September 25, 2020 at 4:59 pm

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The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) is urging the province to impose restrictions on non-essential businesses and activities that facilitate social gatherings in order to curb the spread of COVID-19, which has been rapidly spreading the last two weeks.

Additionally, the OHA is urging the government to mandate non-essential businesses require employees to work from home, and instruct colleges and universities to offer classes exclusively online.

Due to concern regarding the rising number of daily cases, the OHA has distributed a statement from 38 health care professionals in Ontario, who believe the rising cases will put undue stress on the health care system as well as adversely affect the economy if the Province is forced to impose another shutdown due to a second wave.

On September 22, the new daily case count reached 478, which pushed the seven-day-average to approximately 400 new cases per day—the highest since the height of the pandemic in May.

Further, the Public Health Agency of Canada believes the number of new daily cases could reach 5,000 at the national level by October.

“While maintaining our province’s economy is always a priority, we are extremely concerned that, without action, the current rate of spread will require a return to the widespread closure of non-essential businesses and schools to prevent a rise in hospitalizations,” reads the statement.

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