Ontario will head back into Stage 2 lockdown based on concern that Omicron, mild though it is, will infect so many people that one percent of those who catch it will swamp hospital ICUs. It’s a decision based on “modelling” that calculates a worst-case world. Premier Ford told people to “brace for the impact” of Omicron.
You have been there before
Indoor dining will be banned and gyms will be forced to close and gatherings will be reduced once again from 10 people indoors to five people, from 25 people to 10 people outdoors, and capacity at retail stores and malls will be lowered to 50 percent. The new measures will go into effect on Wednesday at 12:01 a.m. and be in place for at least three weeks (until Jan. 26) before being reassessed. Restaurants and bars will be allowed to open for outdoor dining, takeout and delivery while personal care services will be reduced to 50 percent capacity (as reported by City News). Ontario moves school online, closes indoor dining and gyms as part of sweeping new COVID-19 measures
Twitter skeptics
There is a torrent of skepticism on Twitter about the government’s decision. The guesswork required by doctors and others to calculate a crushing overload of cases demands an enormous number of perhaps 250,000 Ontarians all sufficiently sick at the same time that one percent of them are in intensive care.
Oof, Ontario Health CEO confirms 8-10 thousand non-emergent surgeries will be postponed per week under new order. Non emergent includes heart, cancer surgeries. That will be devastating for many #onpoli
— Cynthia Mulligan (@CityCynthia) January 3, 2022
