Canada's most populous province announces partial shutdown to fight coronavirus

Ontario, Canada's most populous province, on Monday announced a partial shutdown of some businesses starting Dec. 26 and banned most indoor gatherings as part of a campaign to control a second wave of COVID-19. The partial shutdown will apply to the entire province until Jan. 9 and then to major cities and surrounding regions until Jan. 23.

Ontario, Canada's most populous province, on Monday announced a partial shutdown of some businesses starting Dec. 26 and banned most indoor gatherings as part of a campaign to control a second wave of COVID-19. Essential retailers, such as those selling food, will have to impose strict capacity limits while many other stores will only be allowed curbside pick-ups. Indoor dining is to be banned.

"The number of daily cases continues to rise, putting our hospitals and long-term care homes at risk. We need to stop the spread of this deadly virus," Ontario Premier Doug Ford said in a news release. The partial shutdown will apply to the entire province until Jan. 9 and then to major cities and surrounding regions until Jan. 23. The measures appear to fall short of the four-to-six-week "hard lockdown" that Ontario's own expert medical panel had called for earlier in the day.