Discussions continue about when to loosen COVID-19 restrictions regionally.
Thunder Bay’s medical officer of health, Dr. Janet DeMille, said in an interview, the provincial government is talking to health professionals around Ontario about how each situation looks.
“Significant concern, of course, is the variants of concern, and also health system capacity, so the ICU numbers, the hospitalization numbers… being quite challenged across the province,” admits DeMille.
However, the medical officer cannot say for now how close this region may be to reopening.
This as Ontario health officials keep analyzing data in the battle to keep the number of COVID-19 cases low.
“Things can change quickly. And now that we have variants of concern which are more infectious, and therefore spread more easily, those have precipitated very significant situations.”
The medical officer understands the situation can seem precarious at times as they look for a balance.
Meanwhile, Canada is to receive another 2-million Pfizer vaccine doses this week.
