TORONTO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th June, 2020) The Canadian province of Ontario has extended a number of emergency measures until July 15, the provincial government said in a statement on Wednesday.
"In consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Ontario government has extended the provincial Declaration of Emergency under s.7.0.7 of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to July 15, 2020," the statement said.
The renewed order will allow the government to continue strategically placing frontline healthcare workers to any novel coronavirus hotspots that may emerge and extending temporary guidelines for long-term care homes.
"We are hopeful that another extension of the Declaration of Emergency will not be needed as we see improvements in the public health trends and as people and businesses continue to act responsibly and adapt to the new environment," Ontario Premier Doug Ford said.
As of Wednesday, 33 of the province's regions are in the second phase of the three-step reopening plan.
Only the Windsor-Essex area, beset by continuing outbreaks of the novel coronavirus among temporary foreign workers on farms and other agricultural facilities, remain in the first stage.
According to data from Ontario's public health agency, the province of has reported 34,016 novel coronavirus cases and 2,631 virus-related fatalities as of Wednesday.
