Days before the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to peak in Ontario, the province’s Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health is cautiously optimistic that things are improving.
“The epidemic curve usually is symmetrical, which means there will be cases (after the peak), but we’ll be on the downside,” Dr. Barbara Yaffe told reporters Monday. “That does give me a glimmer of hope, but with some caution built in.”
Ontario’s modelling released earlier this month anticipated a peak on April 18 with more than 1,200 COVID-19 patients in the ICU as a best-case scenario. 263 people were in the ICU with COVID-19 as of 4 p.m. Sunday.
Yaffe adds that the general trend in new daily cases of COVID-19 is downward.
But both Yaffe and the Premier are warning against easing restrictions around social distancing and limiting business operation too quickly.
“People are just getting restless, they’re getting squirrely staying inside the house. I know it’s difficult. But that’s why we see a little glimmer of hope,” Doug Ford said Monday.
“My biggest, biggest fear is all of a sudden we get another wave and it hits us. I just want to make sure we do it properly, cautiously, and not just jump into this and open up the floodgates. I think it would be irresponsible.”
Ford expects to see new modelling soon that will help guide decision-making.
Some MPPs will reconvene at Queen’s Park Tuesday to extend the province’s state of emergency another 28 days, to May 12.