Ontario Back Under Lockdown Due to Increased COVID-19 Infections

The latest wave of COVID-19 infections in Ontario has gotten so bad that officials in the largest province in Canada have declared another lockdown.

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According to reporting by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Ontario Primer Doug Ford announced on Thursday, April 1, 2021 that Ontario is going on an Emergency Brake due to the effect of the 3rd wave of Coronavirus cases.

Health officials in Ontario reported a record-high number of infections. With more than 2,500 people reporting to hospitals ill, it beats the previous high number of inspections that occurred in January.

I know pulling the emergency brake will be difficult on many people across the province, but we must try and prevent more people from getting infected and overwhelming our hospitals. Our vaccine rollout is steadily increasing, and I encourage everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated. That is our best protection against this deadly virus.
-Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, Canada

Starting on Saturday, April 3, 2021 at 12:01 a.m., Ontario is going under lockdown for at least the next 28 days. The restrictions will be similar to the last lockdown that occurred earlier this year. Some of the restrictions that our Ontarian neighbors will need to comply with are:

Indoor public events and social gatherings are now limited to a five-person max.

Grocery stores, supermarkets, corner stores, and other places that primarily sell food are required to limit capacity to 50%

Other retail outlets like big box stores are required to limit capacity to 25%

In-person dining, indoor or outdoor, is prohibited. Restaurants are allowed to offer drive-thru, Take-out, and delivery service.

Weddings, funerals, and religious services are required to limit capacity to 15%

You can find more information about the Ontario Emergency Brake, including full details around the lockdown rules, right here.

LOOK: Answers to 30 common COVID-19 vaccine questions

While much is still unknown about the coronavirus and the future, what is known is that the currently available vaccines have gone through all three trial phases and are safe and effective. It will be necessary for as many Americans as possible to be vaccinated in order to finally return to some level of pre-pandemic normalcy, and hopefully these 30 answers provided here will help readers get vaccinated as soon they are able.