Premier Doug Ford speaks at Queens Park about COVID-19 restrictions.
More tough times are coming to small businesses in the community.
Reports are swirling that Premier Doug Ford is poised to impose on December 21 a province-wide lockdown to fight COVID-19 starting on Thursday, which is Christmas Eve.
Most small businesses say they are hurting and another round of lockdowns will take its toll on some local companies and services.
As part of the plans, elementary-age school children would not return to classes as scheduled after the holidays but would spend the first week of school in the new year at home doing virtual learning and then return on Jan. 11.
In-class learning in high schools would remain closed for the entire 28-day period, though virtual learning would occur.
This comes as the province logs more than 2,000 new cases of the virus for the sixth consecutive day.
Ontario reported 2,316 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, marking the sixth day that the figure has been above 2,000. Twenty-five additional deaths were also reported.
Ford, who was in an emergency meeting December 20, is expected to announce a public health package on Monday.
Lockdown orders in Toronto and Peel Region that were set to expire this week are being extended until January 4, the government said on Friday.
Restrictions that currently exist on some big-box retailers in the hardest-hit areas in the Greater Toronto Area are expected to be extended to the rest of the province.
In areas currently under lockdown, essential big-box retailers are subject to 50 per cent capacity limits and customers must be spaced out by two metres in lineups.
Salons, hair dressers, spas, massage parlours and others are also closed. The Ontario government has announced that Hamilton will also go into a lockdown on Monday.
Under the grey-lockdown level of the province’s coronavirus response framework, restrictions include a ban on indoor social gatherings with anyone outside of your household, the closure of non-essential retail businesses and most fitness facilities, and limiting restaurants and bars to take-out service only.