The two provinces hit hardest by COVID-19 are weighing stricter restrictions amid surging case counts, as health officials and politicians urge Canadians to stay home over the upcoming Easter holiday.
The premiers of Ontario and Quebec have raised concerns about the rising number of active infections in the pandemic’s third wave, and suggested tighter measures could be imposed.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is slated to make an announcement this afternoon, a day after issuing a warning to five regions where he said residents have been flouting pandemic rules.
The five regions under scrutiny, which include Quebec City and the Outaouais area across the river from Ottawa, had recently seen restrictions loosen.
In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford is poised to announce Thursday whether any new measures will be put in place to rein in the spread of the virus.
Ford and several other officials, including Canada’s top public health doctor Theresa Tam, have called on residents to refrain from gathering for Easter.