On Thursday, May 20, provincial health officials released Ontario’s latest COVID-19 modelling, which says that delaying reopening until mid-June could will set the province up for just 500 cases a day by July.
The data compared two scenarios — a June 2 and June 16 reopening date — based on Ontario’s continued rate of 100,000 to 150,000 vaccinations a day.
If the province continues with its plan to lift the stay-at-home order on June 2, there will reportedly be around 1,000 COVID-19 cases per day into July. However, if the province pushes its reopening plans to June 16, that number will drop to 500 a day.
Officials recommend a partial reopening come mid-June, which might include retail, schools, and outdoor amenities. Ford is set to announce Ontario’s reopening plan at 3 p.m. on Thursday and it is reportedly set to begin mid-June, according to CP24.
The province is apparently stepping away from the previous colour-coded framework and replacing it with a new strategy based on various sectors.