As York Region’s daily new COVID-19 cases continue to plummet and the percentage of vaccinated adults steadily rises, local politicians are urging the province to permit a step one reopening on May 31.
The resolution, which supports a reopening before the June 14 date initially targeted by the province, was supported by the majority of regional councillors at their meeting this morning.
Under the provincial framework announced last week, the metrics for the stage one reopening include a first dose vaccination rate of 60 per cent for all of Ontario, as well as declining daily cases and improved critical care capacity at hospitals.
York Region’s vaccination rate for adults aged 18 and older with at least one dose is more than 70 per cent, while Ontario’s rate has now exceeded 65 per cent, according to the motion put forward by Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas and Whitchurch-Stouffville Mayor Iain Lovatt.
The province’s stay-at-home order is set to expire on June 2.
The resolution is supported by York Region medical officer of health Dr. Karim Kurji, who emphasized that independent modelling by Scarsin indicates a fourth wave won’t occur in York Region if it reopens by May 31.
Scarsin forecast an incidence rate of 70 cases per 100,000 population by that date, however, the rate has already dropped to 70 this week, Kurji said.
The seven-day average for daily new cases could drop to about 30, he added.
Today’s daily new cases have plunged to 65 in York Region, and nine in Newmarket.
Because ICU patients are being sent to hospitals across the GTA and province based on available capacity, York Region’s hospitals “are not as stressed as they used to be,” Kurji said, adding that the CEOs are now acknowledging the need for relaxed public health restrictions.
The number of hospitalized York Region residents has declined, he added.
Critical care capacity has dropped to 61 per cent as of today, according to Southlake Regional Health Centre's website.
Thirty of 49 ICU beds are occupied, of which five are COVID-19 patients.
About 13 COVID-19 patients from Manitoba have been hospitalized in GTA hospitals, and one in a York Region hospital, Kurji said.
Under the province’s reopening plan, “unfortunately” the step one restrictions are more stringent than those in the previous grey/lockown zone, Kurji said.
And step two has additional restrictions compared with those in the former red/control zone, which he had favoured for reopening the region, Kurji said.
“It’s going to be quite a challenge to manage the underground economy, plus the expectations of people when you only have case counts of 10 or 20 a day for the bulk of the summer because, according to the current plan, it is not likely restaurants would be allowed to open, I think, well into July, and there would many other areas that would be curtailed until then,” Kurji said.
Personal services, with some limitations, aren’t permitted until step two, he added.
He said he remains in favour of a regional approach to reopening.
“You cannot apply the same rules everywhere … We have such great disparity in our different communities and we cannot compare ourselves with Peel or Toronto, for that matter, so I would have preferred us to have a regional approach to the reopening. But the provincial decision at this point is that it’s going to be a provincial direction, and so I think we’re going to get the short end of the stick as a result.”
Georgina Mayor Margaret Quirk put forward an amendment to the motion that would have removed the date of May 31 and instead referenced “in advance of June 14.”
“I think May 31 is still too soon. I think there (are) still issues with ICU capacity… Have (the province) reached 65 per cent for vaccinations?” Quirk said.
Aurora Mayor Tom Mrkas responded, “We do need to send a strong message to the province… they listen to what we say… We all know they are looking at possibly, maybe, opening up at step one before that 14th date, but if we don’t put a date, well then it doesn’t really give them a clear direction of where we stand and what we would like to see.”
With the restrictions in step one, and the support of the region’s medical officer of health for a May 31 reopening, Mrakas said a “balanced and measured” reopening can safely occur.
Newmarket Mayor John Taylor supported the motion for the amendment, however, it was defeated by a vote of 15 to 6.
Taylor voted in favour of the unamended motion, which was passsed with 18 in favour, two against.
The motion is being sent to Premier Doug Ford, local MPP and Health Minister Christine Elliott, chief medical officer Dr. David Williams, all Ontario MPPs and heads of council.
