COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario is an ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
), a
novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
infectious disease caused by
severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) is a strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), the respiratory illness responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The virus previously had a No ...
(SARS-CoV-2).
The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Canada was announced on January 25, 2020, involving a traveller who had recently returned to
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
from travel in
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, including
Wuhan Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei, Hubei Province in the China, People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the List of cities in China ...
. Ontario has had the largest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among Canada's provinces and territories, but due to having the largest population, only ranks sixth adjusted per capita. Ontario surpassed one million lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases on January 24, 2022; one day before the anniversary of the first confirmed case on January 25, 2020. On March 17, 2020, a
state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
was declared by
Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
Doug Ford Douglas Robert Ford Jr. (born November 20, 1964) is a Canadian politician and businessman who has served as the 26th and current premier of Ontario since June 2018 and leader of the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party since March 2018. He ...
. This included the gradual implementation of restrictions on gatherings and commerce. From late spring to early summer, the majority of the deaths were residents of long-term care homes. In late April 2020, one out of five of all long-term care homes in Ontario had an outbreak and 70 percent to 80 percent of all COVID-19 deaths had been in retirement and long-term care homes. Following medical assistance and observation by the
Canadian Armed Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...
, the military released a report detailing "a number of medical, professional and technical issues" amongst for-profit long-term-care homes including
neglect In the context of caregiving, neglect is a form of abuse where the perpetrator, who is responsible for caring for someone who is unable to care for themselves, fails to do so. It can be a result of carelessness, indifference, or unwillingness and ...
, lack of equipment and allegations of
elder abuse Elder abuse (also called "elder mistreatment", "senior abuse", "abuse in later life", "abuse of older adults", "abuse of older women", and "abuse of older men") is "a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any rela ...
. Following a decline in cases, in May through August 2020, the province instituted a three-stage plan to lift economic restrictions. The state of emergency was lifted on July 24, 2020. In early September 2020, the province showed a significant increase in new cases, beginning the second wave of the pandemic. Ontario began to reintroduce some restrictions and in early November, created a new five-tiered colour-coded "response framework". From late November to mid-December 2020, the province began placing regions in rolling
lockdowns A lockdown is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks (such as COVID-19) that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely. The term is used for a prison ...
, culminating in a province-wide shutdown beginning
Boxing Day Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday. It ...
. In the post-winter holiday surge of new infections, Premier Ford declared Ontario's second state of emergency on January 12, 2021, which was lifted February 10, 2021, and a
stay-at-home order A stay-at-home order, safer-at-home order, movement control order (more common in Southeast Asia), or lockdown restrictions (in the United Kingdom) – also referred to by loose use of the terms (self-) quarantine, (self-) isolation, or lockdow ...
effective January 14, 2021, which was phased out regionally between February 10 and March 8, 2021. Following
Health Canada Health Canada (HC; french: Santé Canada, SC)Health Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Health (). is the Structure of the Canadian federal government#Departments, with subsidiary unit ...
's approval of various
COVID-19 vaccine A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19). Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, an e ...
s, widespread plans for vaccinations began during the week of December 14, 2020. Early vaccination efforts were highly criticized and a shortage of vaccine supply in late January and early February slowed immunization rollout significantly for a number of weeks. The rollout continued to be highly criticized for lack of equitability and clarity, which was significantly helped by volunteer groups like Vaccine Hunters Canada. In mid-March 2021, the
Ontario Hospital Association According to the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) website, the OHA is a member association that represents approximately 154 public hospitals in Ontario. The association regards itself as "the voice of Ontario's public hospitals". History On ...
, and Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health declared the province was experiencing a third wave of the virus. Following the third wave surge, ICU numbers in late March climbed to their highest numbers since the beginning of the pandemic. On April 1, 2021, the government announced a second province-wide shutdown beginning April 3. Ford later issued a third state of emergency and stay-at-home order for the province beginning April 8, 2021, and ordered all schools to close on April 12, 2021 (public schools were in the middle of spring break, delayed from March to April). In order to ensure greater decline in the number of reported daily infections, the stay-at-home order was extended yet again to June 2, 2021, at which point it expired. Following the expiration of the stay-at-home order, on May 20, 2021, the provincial government released a three-step roadmap to reopen the economy based on vaccination rate goals. In late summer 2021, the province began preparing for a fourth wave of the virus, which was now largely affecting unvaccinated individuals. After hitting a stand-still on vaccination rates, on September 1, 2021, Ontario became the fourth province to implement a
proof of vaccination A vaccine passport or proof of vaccination is an immunity passport employed as a credential in countries and jurisdictions as part of efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic via vaccination. A vaccine passport is typically issued by a governm ...
mandate for various non-essential functions, which went into effect on September 22, 2021. In January 2022, Ontario entered a partial lockdown (termed as a rollback to "Step 2" of the previous roadmap) due to record cases caused by
Omicron variant Omicron (B.1.1.529) is a variant of SARS-CoV-2 first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa on 24 November 2021. It was first detected in Botswana and has spread to become the ...
, ordering the closure of most non-essential indoor facilities. Face mask mandates and vaccination mandates were lifted on March 21, 2022, due to the decreasing number of new cases.


Timeline


Provincial government response

The
Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, often referred to simply as the Ontario Science Table (OST), was a group of independent scientific experts that provided advice to the Government of Ontario about COVID-19. It consisted of several s ...
, of which Dr.
Peter Jüni Peter Jüni is a Swiss physician, general internist, and epidemiologist based in England. He was previously both a member of, and the scientific director of, the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, and also a director of a research centr ...
is the scientific director, provides scientific advice to the Ontario government about pandemic response.


Schools and daycares

On March 12, 2020, the provincial government announced that publicly funded schools would be closed for an additional two weeks after March Break until April 5. On March 24, Premier Ford announced that the reopening of schools would be delayed indefinitely past the original April 6 target. On March 31, Premier Ford announced that in-person classes would remain suspended through at least May 4; in tandem, Minister of Education
Stephen Lecce Stephen Francis Lecce (; born November 26, 1986) is a Canadian politician who has served as the Ontario minister of education since June 20, 2019. A member of the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party, Lecce is the member of Provincial Parliame ...
announced the second phase of its "Learn from Home" program, which would involve "teacher-led" instruction delivered via
distance education Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at a school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance. Traditionally, this usually in ...
. On April 14, Premier Ford delayed the reopening of public schools once again. On April 26, it was announced that there were plans to resume in-person classes on May 31. On May 19, Premier Ford announced that all public schools would remain closed through the end of the semester, with plans to pursue in-person classes when the next school year begins in September 2020.


Fall semester 2020

For the next school year, Lecce presented three scenarios: full online learning, a hybrid of online and in-class learning, and a return to full-time in-class learning. On July 30, it was announced that elementary schools would return to class full-time, while high schools in 24 districts with higher enrollment would use a hybrid model, alternating daily between in-person and online instruction to reduce class sizes, with physical classes conducted in cohorts of 15 students each. Students in Grade 4 and higher would be required to wear a face mask, parents would have the option to opt out of in-person classes in favour of online classes, and high school students with special needs would be able to attend in-person daily if they are not capable of using remote learning. The province allocated $309million in funding to cover the costs of additional cleaning supplies, protective equipment, and staffing. The plan faced criticism from parents, educators, and health care professionals, noting that some schools had insufficient ventilation and that there was no reduction in elementary school class sizes—with only one metre of distancing specified between desks. Lecce stated that the distance of desks was in conjunction with the use of masks. The
hashtag A hashtag is a metadata tag that is prefaced by the hash (also known as pound or octothorpe) sign, ''#''. On social media, hashtags are used on microblogging and photo-sharing services such as Twitter or Instagram as a form of user-generated ...
"#UnsafeSeptember" was used on
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
to publicize concerns regarding the back-to-school plan. A poll conducted by Maru/Blue in mid-August suggested 38 percent of parents surveyed were not going to send their children back to school, and a majority believed they stood with teachers and that there should be a staggered start to the school year. On August 26, details were issued regarding how positive cases will be handled. In the event of a positive case, the entire cohort will be dismissed and required to self-isolate for 14 days. Students may return to class if they have not developed symptoms during the 14-day period. However, they will not be required to receive a test. Schools may be shut down entirely if the local health unit determines that "potential widespread transmission" is occurring. The same day, the federal government announced a $2billion funding toward schools in Canada, of which Ontario will receive $763million with the first
tranche In structured finance, a tranche is one of a number of related securities offered as part of the same transaction. In the financial sense of the word, each bond is a different slice of the deal's risk. Transaction documentation (see indenture) u ...
of $381million arriving in the fall. The
Toronto District School Board The Toronto District School Board (TDSB), formerly known as English-language Public District School Board No. 12 prior to 1999, is the English-language public-secular school board for Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The minority public-secular franco ...
, Canada's largest, debated and later decided to delay the reopening of schools until September 15, one week later than the initial September 8 date. A survey by the board suggested 70 percent of students would be returning to in class school and 30 percent of students would be opting for learning from home. On September 8, schools opened for many parts of the province, using preventive measures such as masks, physical distancing in classrooms, and remote learning. Teachers in a
Mississauga Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popul ...
Catholic school were reported as briefly refusing to work until proper
personal protective equipment Personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, elec ...
was provided. On September 11, the Ontario government release
a website to track COVID-19 infections in public schools and daycares
By the end of the second week of school reopening, the government has reported 72 cases of COVID-19 in 60 schools and one school closure in Pembroke in
Renfrew County Renfrew County is a county in the Canadian province of Ontario. It stands on the west bank of the Ottawa River. There are 17 municipalities in the county. History Bathurst District When Carleton County was withdrawn from Bathurst District in 1 ...
in Eastern Ontario. The last day of class for public schools in 2020 was December 18, the province closed the fall semester with 7,292 cases reported in public schools. Before the winter break, there more than 20 schools closed in addition to all public schools in the Windsor-Essex region.


Winter/Spring 2021 semester

Due to a province-wide shutdown, all public schools in the northern half of the province were closed to in-person classes until at least January 11, 2021, and the southern half of the province until at least January 25, 2021. Some schools in the north voluntarily remained closed as a precaution. On January 12, the return to in-person classes in Hamilton, Peel, Toronto, Windsor-Essex, and York was delayed to February 10, 2021, as they were still considered hotspots. On January 20, it was announced that only seven school boards would resume on January 25. On February 3, it was announced that most remaining schools outside of Peel, Toronto, and York would return to in-person class on February 8. In-person classes in Peel, Toronto, and York would return on February 16 after the
Family Day Family Day is a public holiday in the countries of Angola, Israel, South Africa, Uruguay, Vanuatu, and Vietnam; in the Australian Capital Territory; in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan and soon New Brunswi ...
holiday. On February 11, it was announced that March break would be delayed to the week of April 12 ("April Break") in order to prevent community transmission via non-essential travel and gatherings. Amid the second shutdown and the third wave, the provincial government stated that it was its "firm belief" that in-person classes needed to continue, as they were "critical to student mental health", and that "due to our strong infection prevention measures, 99 per cent of students and staff have no active cases of COVID-19, however we must remain vigilant and keep our guard up in order to keep schools safe and open." However, on April 5, Peel Medical Officer of Health Lawrence Loh announced the closure of all schools in Peel Region for at least two weeks beginning April 6 (dates including April Break), in an order issued pursuant to Section 22 of the ''Health Protection and Promotion Act''. Later that day, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health announced that the Medical Officer of Health Nicola Mercer would issue a similar order on April 6. On April 6, Toronto Medical Officer of Health
Eileen de Villa Eileen Patricia de Villa is an American Canadians, American-Canadian physician and Civil service, public servant who has served as Medical Officer of Health for the Municipal government of Toronto, City of Toronto since 2017, leading the Toronto ...
also issued a Section 22 for the same duration. On April 11, Minister of Education
Stephen Lecce Stephen Francis Lecce (; born November 26, 1986) is a Canadian politician who has served as the Ontario minister of education since June 20, 2019. A member of the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party, Lecce is the member of Provincial Parliame ...
stated in a letter to parents that most schools in Ontario would continue in-person classes after April Break, despite the new stay-at-home order. However, Lecce backtracked the next day, and Premier Ford announced that all schools in Ontario must close indefinitely. Private schools were required to transition to virtual learning by April 15, and public schools transitioned after April Break. Child care will remain available for non-school aged children and the school-aged children of essential workers. On June 2, Premier Ford announced that all schools would remain closed through the end of the semester, but that he would allow in-person outdoor graduation ceremonies in all grades. In particular, Premier Ford cited safety concerns surrounding
variants of SARS-CoV-2 There are many variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Some are believed, or have been stated, to be of particular importance due to their potential ...
as reasoning, stating that "It was a hard choice to make, but I will not, and I repeat, I will not take unnecessary risks with our children right now."


Vaccines

COVID-19 vaccination in Ontario began in December 2020, when the first doses of the
Pfizer vaccine Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered on 42nd Street in Manhattan, New York City. The company was established in 1849 in New York by two German entrepreneurs, Charles Pfizer ...
were administered. In February 2021, shipments for both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines increased significantly. By May 2021, over 50 percent of Ontarians had received their first dose.


Hospitals

Throughout the pandemic, a concern about hospital capacity, and critical care like
intensive care unit 220px, Intensive care unit An intensive care unit (ICU), also known as an intensive therapy unit or intensive treatment unit (ITU) or critical care unit (CCU), is a special department of a hospital or health care facility that provides intensiv ...
beds has become a major issue at the peak of the three waves. During the third wave, ICU capacity has reached near critical capacity. Data as of May 30, 2022


Long-term care homes

On April 15, 2020, the
Ontario Nurses' Association Founded in 1973, the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) is the trade union that represents 60,000 registered nurses and allied health professionals working in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, community agencies and industry ...
released a statement saying that long-term care (LTC) homes pre-COVID-19 were already understaffed, but now they are in "crisis" mode. Prior to the pandemic, long-term care home staff who were part-time or casual staff were allowed to work at multiple locations, increasing the risk of transmission and spread between LTC homes. The province issued a new Emergency Order on March 28 that introduced temporary additional staff members to help in the facilities and allowed homes more flexibility in staff deployment. Many LTC homes in Ontario are considered old and small and feature shared bedrooms, increasing the difficulty in isolating sick residents from those who are well.


Inspections

On April 15, 2020, the CBC reported that the Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care had conducted resident quality inspections (RQI) at only nine out of 626 long-term care homes in the province in 2019, down from a bare majority in 2018 and larger proportions from 2015 to 2017. RQIs are proactive, unannounced and more comprehensive than the other main category of care home inspections in the province, complaint and critical incident inspections, where facilities know of the impending scrutiny in advance; the 2018 Long-Term Care Homes Public Inquiry noted that "focusing only on specific complaints or critical incidents could lead to missing systemic issues." , 114 care facilities in Ontario had experienced COVID-19 outbreaks, and those that had multiple COVID-19 deaths last had their RQI in 2018 or earlier.


Outbreaks

On April 7, 2020, Ontario reported that there are 51 long-term care homes in the province that are experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks, and by April 10, 2020, it had surged to 69 LTC homes in Ontario. Some LTC workers pointed to a lack of
personal protective equipment Personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, elec ...
as a cause of the outbreaks. By April 21, 2020, 121 outbreaks have been reported in long-term care homes. On April 8, 2020, the Ontario Ministry of Health released directives to ramp up coronavirus testing and infection control. Also, new residents entering a home must be isolated for 14 days and tested within that period. The directives also require that all long-term care home staff and essential visitors for gravely ill residents wear surgical masks, "whether the home is in outbreak or not." LTC homes are expected to take "all reasonable steps" to follow the new long-term care rules. Prior to this directive, LTC staff were not required to wear masks or other PPE, and testing levels were considered low for at-risk seniors and LTC staff. On April 28, 2020, Chief Public Health Officer
Theresa Tam Theresa Tam (; born 1965) is a Canadian physician and public servant who currently serves as the chief public health officer of Canada, who is the second-in-command of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). Tam initially took the role as ...
stated that as many of 79 percent of Canada's COVID-19 fatalities occurred in long-term care homes, with Ontario and
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
accounting for most of the cases. As part of
Operation Laser Operation Laser is a domestic operation of the Canadian Armed Forces for contingency planning and response in the event of a pandemic. Its three goals are: protecting CAF personnel and capability, assessing CAF capabilities to respond to a pandemi ...
, assistance from the
Canadian Armed Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...
at five Toronto-area nursing homes, beginning in April, led to a report by the Brigadier General in charge documenting extreme conditions and abuse. The
Ontario Ombudsman The Office of the Ombudsman of Ontario is an independent office of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. Role The office's jurisdiction includes more than 500 provincial government ministries, agencies, corpor ...
announced the launch an investigation into long-term care facilities on June 1. During the second wave of the pandemic, LTC homes began to experience outbreaks again. Tendercare Living Centre in
Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to: People * Scarborough (surname) * Earl of Scarbrough Places Australia * Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth * Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong * Scarborough, Queensland, su ...
for example has experienced 43 deaths related to COVID-19. On December 25, 2020,
North York General Hospital North York General Hospital (NYGH) is a teaching hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Primarily serving the North York district, as well as southern York Region, it offers acute care, ambulatory and long-term services at multiple sites. It is one ...
took over control of the home. Data as of February 6, 2022


Variants of concern

The Ontario government has become aware of a number of
variants of SARS-CoV-2 There are many variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Some are believed, or have been stated, to be of particular importance due to their potential ...
arriving in Canada due to travel, many of which have been linked to a higher transmission rate and potentially increased fatality rates. The first confirmed case of the
Alpha variant The Alpha variant (B.1.1.7) was a SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern. It was estimated to be 40–80% more transmissible than the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 (with most estimates occupying the middle to higher end of this range). It was first detecte ...
was announced on December 21, 2020, infecting a
Durham Region The Regional Municipality of Durham (), informally referred to as Durham Region, is a regional municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada. Located east of Toronto and the Regional Municipality of York, Durham forms the east-end of the Greater Toron ...
couple initially with no known travel-related contact exposure. The couple, Dr. Martina Weir and Brian Weir, who both work in healthcare, were later charged for lying to contact tracers, admitting later they had met with a traveller from the United Kingdom, who should have been in quarantine. Dr. Weir was later fired from her role. The variant was later identified in a mass outbreak causing 71 deaths at a long-term care home in
Barrie Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, about north of Toronto. The city is within Simcoe County and located along the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, the western arm of Lake Simcoe. Although physically in Simcoe County, Barrie is politically i ...
. The first confirmed case of the
Beta variant The Beta variant, (B.1.351), was a variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. One of several SARS-CoV-2 variants initially believed to be of particular importance, it was first detected in the Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan are ...
was announced on February 1, 2021. The case had no known link to travel. The first confirmed case of the Gamma variant was announced on February 7, 2021, in Toronto. The patient, who was later hospitalized, had recently returned from travel in Brazil. On April 23, 2021, Public Health Ontario announced that there were 36 cases of b.1.617 in Ontario. By June, the government announced that it was speeding up vaccine doses for people living in Delta-variant hot spots such as Toronto and Peel. A study in Ontario found that the Pfizer vaccine was 95 percent effective to prevent hospitalization or death from the Alpha, Beta and Gamma variants seven days after the second dose. The Moderna vaccine was 94 percent effective against Alpha seven days after the second dose. The Moderna vaccine appeared to be highly effective against Delta. A preprint study from epidemiologists David Fisman and Ashleigh Tuite, at the
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
, found that the Delta variant of SARS-COV-2 had a 120 percent greater risk of hospitalization, 287 percent greater risk of ICU admission, and 137 percent greater risk of death compared to variants which are not of concern. The first two confirmed cases of the
Omicron variant Omicron (B.1.1.529) is a variant of SARS-CoV-2 first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa on 24 November 2021. It was first detected in Botswana and has spread to become the ...
was announced on November 28, 2021, in
Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
. Two Ottawa residents with recent travel history to Nigeria had tested positive for the variant, which was first detected in South Africa.


Confirmed cases

Data as of December 30, 2021


Statistics

The "Ontario Dashboard" is a web page provided by the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table with frequently updated statistics about the pandemic in Ontario.


Testing

Public Health Ontario has six testing laboratories to which samples can be sent. The main laboratory is the top four floors of the MaRS Centre in the
Discovery District The Discovery District is one of the commercial districts in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It has a high concentration of hospitals and research institutions, particularly those related to biotechnology. The district is roughly bounded by B ...
of
downtown Toronto Downtown Toronto is the main central business district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located entirely within the district of Old Toronto, it is approximately 16.6 square kilometres in area, bounded by Bloor Street to the northeast and Dupont Stre ...
. As of early April 2020, accounting firm KPMG has been contracted to organize all the labs in the province that are capable of microbial testing. In addition to the six public health labs, this includes ten hospital networks and three private lab networks, including Dynacare and LifeLabs.


Access

Access to testing is set by Public Health Ontario who publishes a guidance document that defines the conditions for an individual to be tested. Conditions have included close contact with a test-confirmed case, recent travel, admission to hospital for serious symptoms, healthcare worker, longterm care home resident, etc. The set of conditions has been updated repeatedly from January to April 2020, at times reducing access and at other times increasing access to testing. Starting in March, the public health units across the province have opened over 70 assessment centres, which members of the public can visit if directed by a health professional. These range from mobile units, to walk-up locations, to drive-through locations. This diverts potentially infected people from hospitals and doctors' offices. If warranted, the centre will collect a swab from a visitor for testing. Swabs are also collected at hospitals and by public health officials, for example, at long-term care facilities. Since many cases are not tested, the number of test-confirmed cases, which are the infection numbers reported by the Ontario government, should not be misconstrued as the actual number of infections, which have been estimated to be substantially higher. Unlike some countries, the number of suspected or probable infections is not reported by the Ontario government. In an effort to reduce a burden on provincial assessment centres amid a continued surge in cases, Ford announced on September 23, 2020, that it would expand testing of asymptomatic people by-appointment into pharmacies across the province, beginning with 60 locations by September 25, 2020. He also announced plans to deploy saliva-based rapid testing at three hospitals in Toronto. Accordingly, the province announced on September 24, 2020, that it would discourage asymptomatic patients from receiving tests at assessment centres. Due to the surge of the
Omicron variant Omicron (B.1.1.529) is a variant of SARS-CoV-2 first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa on 24 November 2021. It was first detected in Botswana and has spread to become the ...
in mid-late December 2021, effective December 31, 2021, PCR testing would be limited to high-risk individuals who have symptoms and workers in high risk settings.


Amount of testing

] In late March and April 2020, Ontario was performing the lowest number of tests per capita of all the provinces. As of early May 2020, among the larger provinces, Ontario is second to Alberta and ahead of British Columbia and Quebec in daily tests per capita. In mid-April 2020, polling firms
Forum Research Forum Research is a Canadian market research and polling firm founded in 1993 by Dr. Lorne Bozinoff. Forum Research Inc. is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario and has offices throughout Canada (Edmonton, Toronto and Vancouver) and around the world ( ...
and Mainstreet Research released results of a pair of surveys about COVID-19 symptom prevalence and testing. Four to five thousand Ontario households were randomly selected. Of them, 2 percent of households contained someone who had been tested by April 12, 2020, increasing to 5 percent on April 19, 2020, whereas the incidence of COVID-19 symptoms in a household decreased from one in five to one in seven households. The second survey indicated that one-third of Ontarians report an underlying condition that might aggravate a COVID-19 infection.


Testing capacity

Since January 2020, Ontario has been increasing its capacity to perform testing based on RT-PCR. Various factors have impeded this increase, including shortages of
reagent In chemistry, a reagent ( ) or analytical reagent is a substance or compound added to a system to cause a chemical reaction, or test if one occurs. The terms ''reactant'' and ''reagent'' are often used interchangeably, but reactant specifies a ...
chemicals for the RT-PCR machines and shortages of validated swabs. To tackle these challenges, labs have adapted. In particular, RT-PCR machines from multiple manufactures have been obtained, each of which takes different sets of chemicals. New suppliers of swabs have been found but each must be tested and validated to perform properly. Returning tests results to individuals is automated with an online portal.


Testing capacity projections


Backlogs

On March 18, 2020, the ''
Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...
'' reported that test results announced by the provincial government were several days old, with turnaround times increasing from 24 hours to 4 days, leading the government to "making decisions based on old information". The province was only able to process around 2,000 tests per day by March 19, 2020, which caused the backlog. The backlog increased to over 8,000 unprocessed samples on March 24 with patients waiting at least four days for results, partially due to fact that private and university laboratories are not allowed to process samples. More backlogs emerged in September and October 2020 amid increased demand for tests and a heightened caseload, reaching 68,000 by the weekend of October 4, 2020. On October 5,
CBC News CBC News is a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC.ca. ...
reported that COVID-19 tests administered at pharmacies were being sent to
Quest Diagnostics Quest Diagnostics is an American clinical laboratory. A Fortune 500 company, Quest operates in the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Brazil. Quest also maintains collaborative agreements with various hospitals and clinics across the globe ...
laboratories in California for processing by means of the local partner for the scheme, In-Common Laboratories (ICL).


Management of testing in Ontario

Officials for Public Health Ontario include the following individuals: * Dr. Vanessa Allen, chief of medical microbiology with Public Health Ontario * Dr. Peter Donnelly, president and CEO of Public Health Ontario (on leave as of April 9, 2020) * Colleen Geiger, interim president and CEO of Public Health Ontario (as of April 9, 2020) * Dr. David Williams, Ontario's chief medical officer * Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Ontario's associate chief medical officer of health In early April 2020, the Ministry of Health brought in a multinational accounting firm
KPMG KPMG International Limited (or simply KPMG) is a multinational professional services network, and one of the Big Four accounting organizations. Headquartered in Amstelveen, Netherlands, although incorporated in London, England, KPMG is a net ...
to assist in the organization and optimization of testing capacity in Ontario. Premier Doug Ford said on April 8, 2020, that he was losing his patience with Ontario's inadequate testing numbers, showing testing capacity was not being fully utilized. Later that day, the province appointed a former Toronto public health head, Dr. David McKeown to troubleshoot and rethink the province's response to the pandemic. The following day on April 9, amid mounting criticism of the province's testing, the president and CEO of Public Health Ontario Dr. Peter Donnelly temporarily stepped down for medical reasons and was replaced in the interim by Colleen Geiger, Public Health Ontario's chief of strategy, stakeholder relations, information and knowledge.


Criticism


Initial response

Regional public health experts suggested that Ontario's initial incremental response—adding new voluntary measures piece by piece—had been ineffective. Businesses of all sizes remained open, and unnecessary social contacts continued. Describing Ontario's efforts to battle COVID-19 as piecemeal and ineffective, Dr. Shanker Nesathurai, who was one of Ontario's 34 regional medical officers of health, urged his colleagues to band together and use more powerful measures to contain the pandemic than provincial leaders had endorsed by the third week of March 2020. In an email, Dr. Nesathurai, who worked for Haldimand Norfolk Health Unit, wrote on March 19, 2020, that Ontario's response had undermined the province's attempt to contain the outbreak, as businesses remain open and travellers ignore advice to self-isolate.


Protests

On April 25, 2020, there were small protests totalling 200 protesters in front of the
Ontario Legislative Building The Ontario Legislative Building (french: L'édifice de l'Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is a structure in central Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It houses the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and the viceregal suite of the Lieutenant Governor ...
in Queen's Park, Toronto, demanding that Doug Ford end all emergency measures. Some of the protesters consider the coronavirus a hoax. Ford called them "a bunch of yahoos." On May 2, 2020, there was another protest with 100 protesters in front of the Ontario Legislative Building. On January 15, 2021, Roman Baber, Member of Provincial Parliament for the
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
riding of
York Centre York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a m ...
, was removed from the caucus of the governing
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (french: Parti progressiste-conservateur de l'Ontario), often shortened to the Ontario PC Party or simply the PCs, colloquially known as the Tories, is a centre-right political party in Ontario, Canada ...
after publishing an open letter to
Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
Doug Ford Douglas Robert Ford Jr. (born November 20, 1964) is a Canadian politician and businessman who has served as the 26th and current premier of Ontario since June 2018 and leader of the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party since March 2018. He ...
criticizing Ontario's lockdown restrictions. Baber continued his anti-lockdown advocacy as an
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
member of the legislative
opposition Opposition may refer to: Arts and media * ''Opposition'' (Altars EP), 2011 EP by Christian metalcore band Altars * The Opposition (band), a London post-punk band * ''The Opposition with Jordan Klepper'', a late-night television series on Comed ...
. On January 23, 2021, an anti-lockdown rally took place at Yonge-Dundas Square which resulted in arrests and charges being laid by Toronto police. Since early March 2021, there have been protests held in
Barrie Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, about north of Toronto. The city is within Simcoe County and located along the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, the western arm of Lake Simcoe. Although physically in Simcoe County, Barrie is politically i ...
,
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
at Meridian Place, with one protest on April 10 drawing a crowd of 300 people. The person who led the protests was fined $800 by the
Barrie Police Service The Barrie Police Service (BPS) is the police service of the city of Barrie, Ontario, Canada. It is made up of 218 police personnel and 94 civilians that serve a population of 135,711, as of 2011, in an area covering . The chief of police is the ...
. On April 17,
People's Party of Canada The People's Party of Canada (french: Parti populaire du Canada, PPC) is a right-wing populist federal political party in Canada. The party was formed by Maxime Bernier in September 2018, shortly after his resignation from the Conservative Pa ...
leader
Maxime Bernier Maxime Bernier (born January 18, 1963) is a Canadian politician who is the founder and leader of the People's Party of Canada (PPC). Formerly a member of the Conservative Party, Bernier left the caucus in 2018 to form the PPC. He was the member ...
attended the protests and gave a speech in front of a crowd of hundreds of protesters. On the afternoon of April 17, 2021, approximately 300 anti-lockdown protesters gathered in the area of Main Street East and Kenilworth Avenue North in
Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of T ...
. Police were present for public safety and enforcement. On February 4, 2022, a group of protesters associated with the Ottawa-bound Freedom Convoy began a protest against continued provincial COVID-19 restrictions such as requiring proof of vaccination in certain indoor settings. On February 12, 2022, in reaction to two weeks of protests against COVID-19 restrictions, Ontario has declared a state of emergency. According to Ontario Premier Doug Ford, blocking critical infrastructure will be deemed "criminal" under the order. Protesters could face a year in prison and fines of up to C$100,000 (US$79,000; £58,000).


Paid sick leave

The Progressive Conservative government has largely resisted calls to implement paid emergency leave for workers that fall ill due to COVID-19, and blocked legislation proposed by the opposition
Ontario NDP The Ontario New Democratic Party (french: link=no, Nouveau Parti démocratique de l'Ontario; abbr. ONDP or NDP) is a social-democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. The party currently forms the Official Opposition in Ontario following th ...
. Premier Ford stated that affected workers should use the federal Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB), which is retroactive and delayed, and argued that NDP leader
Andrea Horwath Andrea Horwath (; born October 24, 1962) is a Canadian politician who has been the 58th mayor of Hamilton since 2022. Horwath previously served as the member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Hamilton Centre from 2004 to 2022, as leader of t ...
wanted to "double dip into people's pockets when there's a program working and working well now".


See also

*
COVID-19 pandemic in Ottawa The COVID-19 pandemic in Ottawa is part of the global ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Ottawa is the 4th most p ...
*
COVID-19 pandemic in the Regional Municipality of Peel The COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The pandemic has affected the Cities of Mississaug ...
*
COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto The COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto is an ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Toronto is the most populous city in Can ...
*
COVID-19 pandemic in the Regional Municipality of York The COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This pandemic has affected the Regional Municipality ...
*
COVID-19 pandemic in Canada The COVID-19 pandemic in Canada is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (). It is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). Most cases over the course of the pandemic have been in Ontario, Que ...
*
Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada The COVID-19 pandemic had a deep impact on the Canadian economy, leading it into a recession. The government's social distancing rules had the effect of limiting economic activity in the country. Companies started mass layoffs of workers, and ...


References


External links


The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

COVID-19 cases in schools and daycares - Ontario
{{portalbar, Medicine, Ontario, Viruses, COVID-19
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
Disasters in Ontario Health in Ontario
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
2021 in Ontario
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...