THUNDER BAY – Premier Doug Ford says he’s considering moving Ontario to Step 2 of the province’s reopening plan a little earlier than scheduled.
The medical officer of health at the Thunder Bay District Health Unit doesn’t have a problem with that – as long as the public remembers the province is still in the midst of a pandemic.
Dr. Janet DeMille said the way the Ontario plan was laid out, in three stages, seemed reasonable, particularly starting with an increase in outdoor activities, where COVID-19 is less likely to spread.
Indoor activities are riskier, she said.
“Increasingly what we’re seeing are our numbers drop,” DeMille said. “They’re dropping here and in the province, but also in the country and that’s very reassuring. At the same time, our immunization rate is going up, so that’s providing not only individual protection, but community-level protection.
“So I’m increasingly more comfortable with the reopening and in fact I’m supportive of it, especially with Step 1 and the ability to do things outside.”
DeMille said any decisions must be evidence based.
As of Thursday, there were 33 active COVID-19 cases in the Thunder Bay District, which also had a seven-day, per-100,000 rate of 16.67 cases. Ontario-wide, the province reported 384 cases on Thursday and a rolling seven-day average of 474, which was 32.5 per cent lower than the previous week's 703.
DeMille added careful attention must be paid to variants of concern, in particular the Delta variant. There have been 178 VOC cases in the District of Thunder Bay, but just seven this week.
“I think it’s feasible and I would be comfortable if we were to open up sooner into Step 2, based on how we’re doing right now, but I think it’s important to look at the data and the evidence.”
Ford on Thursday told reporters he would consult with both the science table and Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s outgoing chief medical officer of health, before making any decisions. Williams was later quoted he would not be in favour of an earlier opening, other than possibly advancing it a day or two.
"There's an end to the journey in sight," Williams said at a media briefing at Queen’s Park.
"Let's make sure we get there safely, rather than doing something careless or reckless along the way. We want to make sure we’re careful as we go forward."
The earliest Ontario could currently enter Step 2 under current parameters is July 2.
