Ontario closing schools, restricting indoor dining

The province of Ontario in Canada is closing schools and will end indoor dining in restaurants due to a record surge of COVID-19 infections, The Associated Press reported. 

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced the new rules, which will also close local gyms and cinemas and pause non-urgent surgeries in hospitals, on Monday.

The new measures, which will go into effect on Wednesday, will put a 50 percent capacity ceiling on retail stores and cap indoor social gatherings at five people.

The province, Canada’s most populous, has seen a record rise of new virus infections, causing concerns about hospital capacity. 

“I know online learning is not ideal,” Ford said in the announcement. “The fact is omicron spreads like wildfire.”

Ford also said he’s expecting a “tsunami” of cases, noting 1 percent of 100,00 new virus cases daily can overwhelm hospitals, the AP reported. 

“The math isn’t on our side,” Ford said.

The opening of schools in Ontario will be delayed until Jan. 17.