The third wave is raging in Quebec’s neighbour to the west.
On Friday, Ontario, Canada’s pandemic epicentre, reported a record 4,812 cases.
And the situation may get worse before it gets better. New projections published Friday indicate daily infections could approach 20,000 if strong measures aren’t imposed.
Soon after the grim forecast was released, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who has been criticized for not doing enough to stem the rise of infections, announced a series of new measures.
Among them: starting Monday, Ontario will be “limiting access to border crossings” between Ontario and the provinces of Quebec and Manitoba, Ford announced
Exceptions will be made for people travelling for work, medical care or the transportation of goods.
Ford called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to tighten international borders and keep foreign travellers out of Ontario.
Ontario is also limiting outdoor gatherings to people from the same household, restricting the number of people allowed at places of worship and closing non-essential construction sites.
Ford says his province is “losing the battle between the variants and the vaccines.” He complained his province is not receiving enough vaccine doses needed to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
