Ontario says its COVID-19 cases continue to rise and the province’s ability to control the spread of the virus is “precarious.”
The findings come in new data that concludes "hard" lockdowns lasting four to six weeks could cut daily case counts to less than 1,000.
The new projections show that under all scenarios the province will see 300 intensive care unit beds filled within 10 days – double the 150-bed threshold where surgeries must be cancelled.
Under a worst-case-scenario, ICU occupancy could hit 1,500 beds by mid-January.
The data also shows that deaths due to COVID-19 will continue to increase, especially in long-term care where there have been 633 resident deaths since Sept. 1, and 100 over the past week.
The new data comes ahead of an afternoon announcement by Premier Doug Ford, where he is expected to reveal new restrictions for the province.
Ontario reported 2,123 new cases of COVID-19 today and 17 more deaths related to the virus.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec 21, 2020.
The Canadian Press
