York Region reports highest single-day COVID-19 case count since avoiding lockdown

251 confirmed cases as of 5 p.m. Nov. 29

Yorkregion.com
Nov. 30
Heidi Riedner

Despite extra COVID-19 restrictions being put in place in York Region, the public health unit reported its highest single-day COVID-19 case count since avoiding lockdown earlier this month.

York Region officials decided strong enforcement would curb the spread of the virus and help keep the region out of a threatened lockdown under the province's COVID-19 tiered framework for restrictions.

Mayors and regional councillors took advice from York's medical officer of health, Dr. Karim Kurji, and sent a letter to Queen's Park Nov. 19 asking to be exempt from ramped-up restrictions announced for Peel and Toronto.

The fact that all three local hospitals were coping with their COVID-19 workload and public health was contacting virtually 100 per cent of the cases within 24 hours were factors that played into that decision.

Kurji also said it would take 10 to 12 days from York being put in the red control zone Nov. 16 to see the effects of extra health protocols put in place.

Almost two weeks in to that and six days since new restrictions were put in place Nov. 23, however, cases are going up.

There were 251 new cases of the virus confirmed on Sunday, Nov. 29 compared with 183 the day before.

Of the region's total 10,880 cases, 1,197 were confirmed in the past seven days.

Results of safety blitzes conducted between Nov. 27 to 29 by the newly created COVID-19 task force to enforce public health protocols, as well as capacity and gathering restrictions where there are issues of overcrowding and lack of distancing-- including malls, big box outlets, grocery stores and banquet halls -- resulted in 32 charges being laid. Roughly half were laid against small businesses and restaurants.

Some area residents criticized the $880 fines as not much of an incentive for big box stores to follow the rules in the face of overwhelming sales, and crowds, on Black Friday weekend.

While new cases of COVID-19 had "plateaued" Kurji told reporters after 11 cases of the virus confirmed late Saturday, Nov. 28 were traced to an indoor soccer facility in Vaughan, he added an expected decline in cases hasn't materialized as of yet.

"We haven't actually seen the reduction that I was hoping for," he said, but added York should be seeing those reductions "anytime now".