The Ontario government said the province has hit its peak of COVID-19 cases earlier than predicted and is expecting a lower number of cases this month than earlier models anticipated, yet the virus still remains a “clear and present danger,” according to Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
The announcement was made during a status update on COVID-19 given by Ford and Ontario’s ministers of health and long-term care, and the Chief Medical Officer of Health, on Monday afternoon.
New: Ontario has hit peak of COVID-19 cases, computer modelling suggests https://t.co/XvmCRnmp0O via @torontostar
— David Rider (@dmrider) April 20, 2020
In early April, the province projected there would be 80,000 cases and nearly 1,600 deaths by the end of April if the current measures were held in place. That number, the models predicted, would have jumped to 300,000 cases and 6,000 deaths by month’s end without government measures (i.e., social distancing).
As of Monday, there are a total of 11,184 COVID-19 cases in Ontario, 5,515 resolved cases, and 584 deaths. Provincial ministers today confirmed that the total number of cases for this wave has now decreased to “likely less than 20,000″—as long as emergency measures are kept in place.
“The updated modeling shows early unmistakable signs that our collective efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 are working,” said Minister of Health Christine Elliott, during the press conference. She noted that the province has avoided a significant surge in cases, and that the rate of growth, day-over-day has stabilized, with the outbreak of this virus having likely “peaked” in the community.
Ontario says they have hit the COVID peak now but it could go on for a while and the rules of isolation are extended to May 12. “Stay the course and stay strong to save lives” #cdnpoli
— Evan Solomon (@EvanLSolomon) April 20, 2020
“We are trending toward a best-case scenario, rather than a worst-case scenario,” she added. “But indeed these numbers are not an accident. They are the result of months of planning and collective action to stop the spread of COVID-19 and flatten the curve.”
The ministers noted that Ontarians need to remain vigilant in order for the curve to continue to flatten, by practicing safe social distancing and staying at home as much as possible.
“I am so proud, we should all be proud, that as a province we stepped up. We faced this enemy head on, we did not shy away from difficult decisions,” Ford said at the press conference, adding that the province is not out of the woods as yet, but we have avoided the devastation that faced other countries.
Ford said the province is working on a plan to gradually reopen the economy, including businesses that were shut down as part of the state of emergency.
“We put a framework together and we’re building on it as we talk,” Ford explained regarding reopening the economy. “But nothing’s going to move forward without the advice of our chief medical officer, with the advice of our COVID health team, making sure that we’re consulting with jurisdictions, all 444 municipalities across this province, as well as industry leaders within their industry.”
Ford said that they’ll have more to say about the framework in coming days.
“Thanks to the people of this province, this has been paying off in the public domain,” Ford said.
