With COVID-19 vaccinations picking up in Ontario, and the weather warming up, people are beginning to wonder what the province?s second pandemic summer could look like. On Thursday, the government extended its stay-at-home order to June 2, with the possibility of reopening schools and a summer filled with outdoor gatherings up in the air. The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) held a virtual panel on Wednesday on why Ontario isn?t yet ready to reopen. Dr. Samantha Hill, cardiac surgeon at St. Michael?s Hospital and Sunnybrook Health Services in Toronto and president of the OMA, moderated the panel of three doctors through the following questions:
Should Ontario end the stay-at-home order"
The OMA, which represents Ontario?s 43,000 physicians, says the province is not ready to lift the stay-at-home order. With more than 2,000 people testing positive for COVID-19 every day, and 1,800 people needing hospital care for the novel coronavirus, doctors recommend that the government extend the lockdown?but ease restrictions on outdoor recreation where it?s safe to do so. ?We want the third wave to be the last wave,? says Hill. ?Extending the stay-at-home order significantly increases the likelihood that Ontarians can enjoy more freedom this summer.? What could this ?one-dose summer? look like?and what is considered a safe outdoor activity"
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Tuesday that there will be enough COVID-19 vaccines for every eligible Canadian to get thei...