OHA calls for 4-week lockdown in hot zone areas to help halt virus spread

By Michael Ranger and News staff

Provincial associations representing hospitals and doctors are calling for immediate action to avoid what one group calls a “devastating surge in COVID-19 patients.”

The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) said Thursday all public health units in the province that have 40 cases or more per 100,000 people should be placed in a four-week lockdown.

“A growing number of hospitals are grappling with outbreaks, and many have already had to cancel scheduled surgeries and other activity,” the OHA said in release.

“As they keep up with current needs, hospitals are also working diligently to catch up on approximately 150,000 scheduled surgeries cancelled in the first wave of the pandemic. Evidence is mounting that the hidden toll on human health from this disruption in scheduled services will be heavy.”

The Ontario Medical Association has also called for a lockdown of the entire GTHA until after the New Year while also calling on the premier to extend the winter school break.

“We’re seeing a lot of transmission across regions. Some of it is because essential workers must go to their jobs in the health-care, transportation and food production industries. Unfortunately, some of it is also people crossing into areas with looser restrictions for non-essential reasons such as shopping, hair cuts and social visits,” said OMA president Dr. Samantha Hill.

The OMA adds that while keeping children in schools is important for mental health and social development, testing in high-risk schools has found high levels of the virus.

“While many children may be asymptomatic, they are spreading the virus to others in the community who are getting sick, sometimes critically,” read the OMA release.

The update from the OHA came around an hour before provincial health officials reported a record number of cases on Thursday, as infections topped 2,000 for the third straight day.

The province said there were 2,432 new cases, an increase on the 2,139 that were reported the previous day. The previous high was 2,275 cases on Tuesday.

The seven-day average for new cases has now also reached a record 2,026.

Ford said he is concerned about surging case rates, but provided few specifics about the measures being considered other than to say imposing a curfew was not one of them.

“There’s a wide variety of items (and) discussions going on over the last couple days, matter of fact, they’re going on constantly,” he told a news conference. “But there’s a lot of things to consider. The worst thing we could do is rush out there and make a snap decision in a heartbeat.”

The statement from the OHA also said that potential gathering over the holidays could be enough to create dire situations in the province’s health systems.

“We are now in the holiday season and if members of the public choose to ignore public health measures and gather outside their households, the consequences risk overwhelming Ontario’s hospitals.”

The OHA is also recommending that ‘Grey-Lockdown’ zones of the province’s framework be re-evaluated by health experts to determine if additional or stricter restrictions are necessary.

Ford said he is aware of the serious capacity issues faced by hospitals and how they are now resulting in cancelled surgeries.

“We just can’t keep going on the way we’re going because the ICU beds are being taken up by COVID patients,” he said. “So there’s a lot of stuff to consider and it’s all hands on deck right now.”

Ford said his government needs to weigh how further lockdowns could affect a number of sectors before any new restrictions are implemented, but pledged further supports for small business.

He also said if new lockdowns are imposed, the province will need to give people time to prepare.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said the government did not prepare for the second wave of the pandemic and should now consider the hospital association’s plan.

“Doug Ford chose not to invest in stronger public health measures,” she said in statement. “And now we’re facing a longer, deeper and darker lockdown as a result.”

Green party Leader Mike Schreiner said Ford should take a variety of actions to address the pandemic including introducing paid sick days and implement further supports of up to $15,000 per small business in lockdown areas.

“Doug Ford has said repeatedly that he will spare no expense,” he said in a statement. “So I’m calling on him now to put action behind his words. Now is the time to work across party lines to save lives and livelihoods while reducing stress on our health-care system.”


RELATED: Ontario hospitals told to prepare to clear beds for COVID-19 patients


The OHA called an emergency meeting of its board of directors for Wednesday, to determine how to cope with the surging second wave.

Ontario Health sent out a memo on Tuesday, warning every hospital CEO in the province to prepare to activate their emergency plans within 48 hours if needed.

The memo requested all hospitals in ‘Grey-Lockdown’ and ‘Red-Control’ zones make up to 15 per cent of their beds available for COVID-19 patients.

It also asked that hospitals in the rest of the province make preparations so they could potentially prepare for a surge in patients.

Files from The Canadian Press were used in this report

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