The COVID-19 pandemic

[tomh009]

Province wide 28 day minimum lockdown starting on Christmas Eve: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/o...-1.5849274

What is "minimum lockdown"?  And, whatever it is, why are they waiting so long to impose it?  It's like they want everyone out scurrying around the shops to spread the virus as much as possible before the restrictions set in.

I think it means "28-day minimum" period for a "lockdown".

[panamaniac]

What is "minimum lockdown"?  And, whatever it is, why are they waiting so long to impose it?  It's like they want everyone out scurrying around the shops to spread the virus as much as possible before the restrictions set in.

I think it means "28-day minimum" period for a "lockdown".

D’oh (yet again!).

[jamincan]

What does "lockdown" entail. Grey-zone for everyone, or is it a more stringent measure since the grey-zone seems to not have had much effect in places where it has been implemented?

[tomh009]

What does "lockdown" entail. Grey-zone for everyone, or is it a more stringent measure since the grey-zone seems to not have had much effect in places where it has been implemented?

At the moment, the "sources" say it will be closer to what we had in the spring than to the current grey zone, which indeed has not been all that effective -- at best, it has slowed down the growth in the number of new cases, but it has not stopped that growth, let alone reduced it.

I expect we'll know more this afternoon.

[ac3r]

Here are the latest Covid-19 projections as of December 21st: https://assets.documentcloud.org/documen...inal-1.pdf

[tomh009]

Province wide 28 day minimum lockdown starting on Christmas Eve: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/o...-1.5849274

Apparently it's now a "shutdown" rather than a "lockdown". Starting Boxing Day rather than Christmas Eve. 14 days in Northern Ontario, 28 days for us. Curbside delivery only except for essentials.

Ford is saying that Ontario will enforce testing of arriving air travelers if the feds won't do it. Testing at all airport exits?

[tomh009]

MONDAY 2020-12-21
Waterloo Region reported 83 new cases for today (14.1% of the active cases).  568 new cases for the week (+23), averaging 15.8% of active cases. 605 active cases, +128 in the last seven days.

Next testing report on Tuesday.

Ontario reported 2,123 new cases today, with a seven-day average of 2,276 (+26). 1,654 recoveries and 17 deaths translated to an increase of 452 active cases, and a current total of 19,019. +2,433 active cases for the week and 195 deaths. 54,505 tests resulted in a 3.90% positivity rate. The positivity rate is averaging 4.05% for the past seven days, as compared to 3.35% for the preceding seven.

265 patients in ICU (+4).

• 138 cases in Windsor-Essex: 35.5 per 100K
  
• 480 cases in Peel: 34.7 per 100K
  
• 611 cases in Toronto: 20.9 per 100K
  
• 192 cases in York: 17.3 per 100K
  
• 92 cases in Halton: 16.8 per 100K
  
• 64 cases in Middlesex-London: 15.8 per 100K
  
• 94 cases in Waterloo: 15.2 per 100K (based on provincial reporting)
  
• 68 cases in Niagara: 15.2 per 100K
  
• 91 cases in Durham: 14.1 per 100K
  
• 33 cases in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph: 12.1 per 100K
  
• 16 cases in Brant County: 11.8 per 100K
  
• 61 cases in Simcoe-Muskoka: 11.3 per 100K
  
• 21 cases in Southwestern: 10.5 per 100K
  
• 36 cases in Hamilton: 6.2 per 100K
  
• 9 cases in Thunder Bay: 6.0 per 100K
  
• 11 cases in Eastern Ontario: 5.4 per 100K
  
• 4 cases in Huron Perth: 4.1 per 100K
  
• 32 cases in Ottawa: 3.2 per 100K
  
• 6 cases in Kingston Frontenac: 2.9 per 100K
  

[tomh009]

Province wide 28 day minimum lockdown starting on Christmas Eve: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/o...-1.5849274

Apparently it's now a "shutdown" rather than a "lockdown". Starting Boxing Day rather than Christmas Eve. 14 days in Northern Ontario, 28 days for us. Curbside delivery only except for essentials.

Ford is saying that Ontario will enforce testing of arriving air travelers if the feds won't do it. Testing at all airport exits?

• No indoor public events or social gatherings will be allowed, except with members of the same household.
  
• Ontarians are advised to stay home "to the fullest extent possible."
  
• People should only leave home for essential trips such as work or groceries, however the lockdown doesn't include curfews or travel restrictions.
  
• All non-essential businesses must close, and essential businesses that remain open will have strict capacity limits in place. Hardware stores and pet stores will not be deemed essential under new measures and must switch to curbside pickup and delivery.
  
• Schools in southern Ontario will switch to remote learning when classes resume in the new year. Elementary schools will be closed for in-class learning until at least Jan. 11 while secondary schools will remain closed until Jan. 25.
  
• All public and private schools — both elementary and secondary — in Northern Ontario will be permitted to resume in-person learning on Jan. 11.
  
• Childcare centres will remain open for the duration of the provincewide lockdown.
  

[danbrotherston]

Apparently it's now a "shutdown" rather than a "lockdown". Starting Boxing Day rather than Christmas Eve. 14 days in Northern Ontario, 28 days for us. Curbside delivery only except for essentials.

Ford is saying that Ontario will enforce testing of arriving air travelers if the feds won't do it. Testing at all airport exits?

• No indoor public events or social gatherings will be allowed, except with members of the same household.
  
• Ontarians are advised to stay home "to the fullest extent possible."
  
• People should only leave home for essential trips such as work or groceries, however the lockdown doesn't include curfews or travel restrictions. 
  
• All non-essential businesses must close, and essential businesses that remain open will have strict capacity limits in place. Hardware stores and pet stores will not be deemed essential under new measures and must switch to curbside pickup and delivery.
  
• Schools in southern Ontario will switch to remote learning when classes resume in the new year. Elementary schools will be closed for in-class learning until at least Jan. 11 while secondary schools will remain closed until Jan. 25.
  
• All public and private schools — both elementary and secondary — in Northern Ontario will be permitted to resume in-person learning on Jan. 11.
  
• Childcare centres will remain open for the duration of the provincewide lockdown.
  

So let me get this straight, AFTER the single biggest family visit event of the entire year, and after the single biggest shopping season of the year, THEN we get locked down. That's a bit like closing the barn doors after the horses have left?

This is a greedy government, they want their cake and eat it too, and we're all going to suffer for it...some much more than others...some much MUCH more than others.

[panamaniac]

Has there been any 

• No indoor public events or social gatherings will be allowed, except with members of the same household.
  
• Ontarians are advised to stay home "to the fullest extent possible."
  
• People should only leave home for essential trips such as work or groceries, however the lockdown doesn't include curfews or travel restrictions. 
  
• All non-essential businesses must close, and essential businesses that remain open will have strict capacity limits in place. Hardware stores and pet stores will not be deemed essential under new measures and must switch to curbside pickup and delivery.
  
• Schools in southern Ontario will switch to remote learning when classes resume in the new year. Elementary schools will be closed for in-class learning until at least Jan. 11 while secondary schools will remain closed until Jan. 25.
  
• All public and private schools — both elementary and secondary — in Northern Ontario will be permitted to resume in-person learning on Jan. 11.
  
• Childcare centres will remain open for the duration of the provincewide lockdown.
  

So let me get this straight, AFTER the single biggest family visit event of the entire year, and after the single biggest shopping season of the year, THEN we get locked down. That's a bit like closing the barn doors after the horses have left?

This is a greedy government, they want their cake and eat it too, and we're all going to suffer for it...some much more than others...some much MUCH more than others.

Just to note - it’s not greed, it’s cowardice. 

BTW, safe to assume that “essential” businesses will again include Costco’s and Walmart’s, big box hardware stores, dollar stores, liquor stores, etc, etc?

Some in Ottawa (zero in ICUs at the moment) are agitating for a 14 day lockdown, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.

[tomh009]

So let me get this straight, AFTER the single biggest family visit event of the entire year, and after the single biggest shopping season of the year, THEN we get locked down. That's a bit like closing the barn doors after the horses have left?

This is a greedy government, they want their cake and eat it too, and we're all going to suffer for it...some much more than others...some much MUCH more than others.

Just to note - it’s not greed, it’s cowardice. 

BTW, safe to assume that “essential” businesses will again include Costco’s and Walmart’s, big box hardware stores, dollar stores, liquor stores, etc, etc?

Some in Ottawa (zero in ICUs at the moment) are agitating for a 14 day lockdown, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.

Agreed on the above.

As I understand it, grocery stores will be 50% of capacity, big box will be 25%. Hardware stores curbside only. Liquor stores, no info yet. (I don't see why they could not open just the grocery parts of the big box stores and fence off the rest.)

As for the Ottawa ICU, you might yet end up getting patients transferred from other public health regions.

[panamaniac]

Just to note - it’s not greed, it’s cowardice. 

BTW, safe to assume that “essential” businesses will again include Costco’s and Walmart’s, big box hardware stores, dollar stores, liquor stores, etc, etc?

Some in Ottawa (zero in ICUs at the moment) are agitating for a 14 day lockdown, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.

Agreed on the above.

As I understand it, grocery stores will be 50% of capacity, big box will be 25%. Hardware stores curbside only. Liquor stores, no info yet. (I don't see why they could not open just the grocery parts of the big box stores and fence off the rest.)

As for the Ottawa ICU, you might yet end up getting patients transferred from other public health regions.

 Re Ottawa ICUs, there have been rumours of possible transfers from more affected areas.

[ac3r]

I imagine liquor/beer stores will remain open. Last time, it seemed like the justification was that alcoholics wouldn't be able to be suddenly cut off without health risks.

[jamincan]

• Ontarians are advised to stay home "to the fullest extent possible."
  
• People should only leave home for essential trips such as work or groceries, however the lockdown doesn't include curfews or travel restrictions. 
  

Rules that leaves room for discretion aren't rules at all. A lockdown that allows you to travel isn't a lockdown.

If we're going to go through the pain of a lockdown, we should make damn sure it's worthwhile. Ford has been utterly cowardly in his governance from the start, and he remains so. It's infuriating to me that so many people remain blind to how utterly unfit he is to lead in this moment.

[tomh009]

• Ontarians are advised to stay home "to the fullest extent possible."
  
• People should only leave home for essential trips such as work or groceries, however the lockdown doesn't include curfews or travel restrictions. 
  

Rules that leaves room for discretion aren't rules at all. A lockdown that allows you to travel isn't a lockdown.

If we're going to go through the pain of a lockdown, we should make damn sure it's worthwhile. Ford has been utterly cowardly in his governance from the start, and he remains so. It's infuriating to me that so many people remain blind to how utterly unfit he is to lead in this moment.

Quite right. It's not really a lockdown. In the press conference they called it "shutdown", maybe that's closer to reality.