Home /Province-wide, four-week ’emergency brake’ begins Saturday
COVID-191 April 2021
By Sue Tiffin
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A day after Ontario saw the highest number of people with COVID-19 related critical illness admitted to intensive care units [ICUs] of the pandemic, and a day before the Easter holiday began, the provincial government announced on April 1 they were pulling their so-called “emergency brake,” calling for a four-week shutdown in the province beginning April 3, though critics questioned if it was enough to prevent a further healthcare crisis.
“We are facing a very serious situation and drastic measures are required the contain the rapid spread of the virus, especially the new variants of concern,” said Premier Doug Ford in a statement released on the afternoon of April 1. “I know pulling the emergency brake will be difficult on many people across the province, but we must try and prevent more people from getting infected and overwhel