“Stay home, stay informed, stay healthy and stay calm.” That was the message from Ontario’s medical officers of health, as the province declared a state of emergency on Tuesday in a bid to combat the spread of COVID-19 and prevent the novel coronavirus from overwhelming the health-care system.
Saying we must flatten the curve and slow down the spread of COVID-19, Ontario Premier Doug Ford declares a state of emergency. 9:51
“Stay home, stay informed, stay healthy and stay calm.”
That was the message from Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. David Williams, as the province declared a state of emergency on Tuesday in a bid to combat the spread of COVID-19 and prevent the novel coronavirus from overwhelming the health-care system.
The move came as Ontario recorded its first COVID-19-related death: a man in his 70s at Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie, about 100 kilometres north of Toronto. Officials say the man himself wasn’t a confirmed case before he died; rather, he was under investigation for the virus. COVID-19 was discovered after his death.
At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Ontario’s associate medical officer of health said the man had contracted the virus through close contact with another man with the virus, but it is not yet clear whether he died with the virus or because of it.
That remains under investigation, said Dr. Barbara Yaffe.
Of the 185 cases confirmed by the province Tuesday morning, officials say:
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75 per cent were travel-related.
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29 per cent involved travel to the U.S., with the most common states visited being New York, Nevada, California, Florida, Colorado and Massachusetts.
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25 per cent were contracted through contact with a case.
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Five have recovered.
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The majority are concentrated in the Greater Toronto Area.
Since then, three additional cases have been confirmed in Kingston, Ont. All three had recently returned to Canada from Europe or Barbados.
Updated figures on the state of COVID-19 in Ontario are expected to be updated again later, around 5:30 p.m. ET.
‘An unprecedented time’
With eight new confirmations, Tuesday saw a relative drop in new cases compared to previous days. However, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health said that does not indicate a downward trend.
“It would be nice to think that could happen that quickly,” said Williams.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford didn’t reference the death during his remarks Tuesday, but he did underscore the danger that the coronavirus poses.
“We’re facing an unprecedented time in our history. This is a decision that was not made lightly,” Ford said at a morning news conference at Queen’s Park. He was joined by Ontario Solicitor General Sylvia Jones, Health Minister Christine Elliott, Finance Minister Rod Phillips and Williams.
“COVID-19 constitutes a danger of major proportions,” he continued. “We must act decisively. We must not delay.”
As part of the declaration, the province will mandate the closure of restaurants and bars, though those that can offer takeout and delivery can