New daily COVID-19 cases in Ontario jump back over 500 after days of declining numbers

Ontario reported 525 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, ending three consecutive days of declining daily figures.

The jump in new instances comes after Dr. David Williams, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, said that loosening emergency measures would require two to four weeks of consistently falling daily case numbersand fewer hospitalizations.

"After several days, we have now seen the rise again," saidBarbara Yaffe, the province's associate chief medical officer of health. "And this is why we ask all Ontarians to remain vigilant in following public health advice."

Ontario also confirmed outbreaks in four additional long-term care facilities Public health officials are now monitoring outbreaks in 154 long-term care homes, where 705 residents have died of COVID-linked illness and another 2,491 have been infected by the novel coronavirus.

The province's cumulative tally is now 15,381 COVID-19 cases, with slightly more than 58 per cent of those or 8,964 resolved. Some 2,144 health-care workers have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to the Ministry of Health.

The official death toll now from the disease nowsits at 951, though data compiled from regional public health units by CBCNews puts the actual figure at at least 1,050.

Meanwhile, hospitalization figures remain fairly steady.Some 957 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized, up from 945 yesterday. The number of people in intensive care fell slightly to 239 from 241, and those on respirators dropped to 187 from 191.

More details on plan to reopen economy coming

Yesterday, the province revealed plans to reopen the Ontario economythrough a three-stage process in the coming weeks and months, but didn't give any firm dates.

"Reopening the economy is a process, and it will take some time to do it right," said Premier Doug Ford on Tuesday.

Ford did promise more details later this week, saying that they would release "clear, sector-specific labour guidelines," so that businesses can operate safely through the transition.

Ontario needs consistent downward trend in COVID-19 cases before easing restrictions

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Health Christine Elliott said that the province would have to see a consistent downward trend of cases before easing up on restrictions.

More than 50,000 procedures delayed

Ontario's Financial Accountability Office released a new report today exploring hospital capacity in the province.

It estimates that up to 52,700 hospital procedures have been cancelled or postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic. For each additional week the outbreak continues, another 12,200 more operations are delayed, the office found.

Responding to the report at Tuesday's press conference, Health Minister Christine Elliott said that cardiac and cancer procedures are the government's priority.

"It is one of the top issues we're working on right now," Elliott said.

The FAOreport also notedthat in the lead up to the outbreak, Ontario's hospitals averaged 96 per cent occupancy, leaving only around 900 unoccupied acute care beds at any given time.Strategies such as cancelled elective surgeries andpatient relocations eventually freed up more than 9,300acute care beds.

Further, the office estimates that if the state of emergency declared by Ontario Premier Doug Ford on March 17 had come just five days later, the number of concurrent COVID-19 patients requiring critical care in hospitals would have been four times as high as it is now.

"There may be some people who die because of cardiac or cancer [issues]," said Elliott. "But we also saved thousands of lives by moving as quickly as we did."

Dr. David Williams, Ontario's chief medical officer, said on Tuesday that at no point was allowing people to die due to delayed procedures part of the province's planned response to the pandemic.

He pointed out that doctors are still allowed to upgrade any elective procedure to urgent if necessary.

"My understanding would be that anyone who is in a situation where their condition has deteriorated, then a physician would ramp that up," he said.

Businesses can now request rule changes

The province has created a new web portal where businesses can submit requests to have rules or regulations changed to help them operate during the pandemic.

The website, called "COVID-19: Removing the barriers," is meant to help both businesses who are pivoting to produce healthcare supplies and those who want to operate remotely or in a "non-traditional fashion," according to the site.

"This feedback will help us process the most pressing concerns," said Prabmeet Sarkaria, associate minister for Small Business and Red Tape Reduction.

Ontario to give pandemic pay to more workers

The Ontario government said on Tuesday that paramedics, respiratory therapists, mental health and addictions workers in hospitals and incongregate-care settingsand public health nurses will also get pandemic pay.

Hayley Chazan, spokesperson for Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott, said the government "clarified"on Tuesday exactly which groups of workers will receive the $4 an hour premium.

"This change was made to recognize and thank these front-line workers for putting their health and safety at risk to help our most vulnerable," she said.

Warren (Smokey) Thomas, president of Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), said in a statement that the union pushed for the change.

"As soon as the original plan was made public, my office was in touch with government officials lobbying hard for additions to the eligibility list," Thomas said.

"And while today's expansion is not everything we asked for, I applaud the government for listening and moving the yardsticks."