Brampton, Caledon, Mississauga’s Return To Eased COVID-19 Rules ‘Too Soon’ With Schools Reopening, Says Peel’s Top Doctor

Dr. Lawrence Loh, Peel’s medical officer of health, said at a recent press conference that the province moving the region to adjusted lockdown measures on Feb. 22 is against advice he gave “to make one big change, reopen schools, and then observe the effects.”

“I must be clear as decisions around reopening are taken, that rapidly reopening is not a formula for success,” he said at the Feb. 10 press conference. “It’s a formula for a third wave.”

The province announced Feb. 12 that 27 regions would be returning to Ontario’s reopening framework Feb. 16, ending weeks under stay-at-home orders that shutdown many indoor retail sales among other services.

Peel was among four areas that would continue the stay-at-home orders until moving to revised lockdown rules Feb. 22.

Peel schools return to in-person classrooms Feb. 16 and under the revised lockdown measures more retailers in Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga can open for restricted in-person sales.

Loh said he supported reopening schools based on the recommendation that other public health restrictions remain in place.

Peel businesses that have been deemed non-essential have been limited to curbside pick-up or been closed altogether as part of public health measures since last November.

COVID-19 variants have been increasingly present in Peel, including five confirmed cases of the B.1.351 strain, first discovered in South Africa, at a Mississauga condo building.

Peel Health deployed a mobile-testing team to the site Feb. 15, aiming to test the building “floor by floor,” according to a statement from the region.

Peel to test all residents of Mississauga condo building after outbreak of B.1.351 variant

With more contagious variants in the community on top of schools reopening, Loh is advising residents to continue to stay home as much as possible and limit interactions regardless of what’s open on Feb. 22.

“What we do with these next few weeks as schools reopen could mean the difference between months more of agony versus a successful vaccination ramp up, economic reopening with confidence and an exit from this nightmare,” he said.