COVID-19 cases continue to rise amid province-wide shutdown

Written By ALYSSA PARKHILL

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

Though the Province remains in lockdown, the numbers of COVID-19 cases continue to rise.

Ontario reported 3,128 new cases on January 5, with 2,015 resolved and 52 resulting in death. The province has a new total of 197,360 cases with 166,790 resolved and 4,730 deaths.

As the holiday break comes to an end, the numbers refuse to slowdown, especially in the hot spot areas. 

Peel Region is showing 614 new cases, along with 778 new cases in Toronto and 213 in York Region. 

The province-wide lockdown, which began on December 26, remains in effect for 27 public health unit regions in Southern Ontario until January 23, which, of course, includes Peel Region.

Since the lockdown began, the province has continued to organize a framework in order to ensure proper distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. 

On December 30, the Ontario Government released an Ethical Framework in partnership with the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force to help with vaccine prioritization and distribution. 

“This ethical framework is a clear demonstration of our commitment to Ontarians to be transparent,” said General Rick Hillier, Chair of the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force. “We know that people are eager to get vaccinated and this framework helps ensure that we do it in an ethical, effective and compassionate way.”

Phase One of the vaccine distribution plan began on December 15 where 90,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was provided to 19 hospital sites. 

Shortly thereafter, Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine was approved by Health Canada on December 23, which will provide an additional 50,000 doses.

The Ethical Framework includes specific principles in order to properly guide the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines, which includes minimizing harms and maximizing benefits, equity, fairness, transparency, legitimacy and public trust. 

Premier Doug Ford stated on social media on Monday that several frontline workers are receiving their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

“This is great news for our province,” he Tweeted. “This vaccine is critical to helping us safely reopen the province.”

Over 50,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered so far, with 117 individuals having received the complete two-dose vaccination. 26,000 have been administered to health cares workers in long-term care homes, 20,000 to health care workers, and roughly 1,000 vaccines have been given to residents.

Additionally, Ontario has announced the first field hospital has been built and open for patients, located in Burlington at Joseph Brant Hospital. The field hospital is equipped with 73 beds and a team of staff to handle COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms. 

Overall, 44 vaccine sites have been established across the province.

By January 21, Ontario is aiming for residents, health care workers and essential workers in Toronto, Peel, York and Windsor-Essex will have received the COVID-19 vaccine. 

“Ontario continues to make important progress in quickly and safely vaccinating our frontline health care workers, our most vulnerable and those at greatest risk, and we continue to administer doses to thousands of Ontarians across the province,” said Health Minister Christine Elliott.