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Stakes are too high to end the COVID-19 lockdown now: Region of York

Mayors, regional councillors express empathy for families struggling, but say U.K. variant too risky to open businesses

Yorkregion.com
Feb. 5, 2021
Kim Zarzour

It’s too soon to argue for an end to the lockdown in York Region.

That was the opinion of a majority of York Region councillors Feb. 4 after hearing the latest details about the spread of U.K. variants from the local medical officer of health.

Dr. Karim Kurji, mayors and members of council said they had expected to speak in favour of a motion urging the province to lift restrictions in the region at today's council meeting.

But news of the dangerous new mutation, B.1.1.7 from the U.K -- which is spreading despite careful precautions -- led most of them to change their minds and to bide their time.

Instead, council agreed to meet again in a week or two to reassess the situation.

Regional council heard from six deputants and 35 written submissions arguing against the lockdown.

Ariana Scarcello, owner of a tattoo parlour in Woodbridge, said that with extensive training in infection prevention, there has not been one case of COVID-19 in her sector in York Region.

Robert Amado, owner of a hair salon in Vaughan, said no one has caught the virus in his sector, either, thanks to strict and sanitized environments, and yet because of the lockdown, owners have found themselves in deep debt with no government relief.

Naturopathic doctor Gudrun Welder described the anxiety and suicidal ideation she has witnessed.

But Dr. Kurji warned the stakes are too high to ease up now. The variant has been spreading even when people were masked and keeping distances, he said.

Removing restrictions without clear data on the variants’ spread, allowing it to become the dominant strain, as it has elsewhere, before vaccines are rolled out, could be “rather catastrophic.”

Kurji said he would support reopening to the Red Zone Plus if data shows in seven to 10 days, that current measures -- tighter restrictions at international borders, stay-at-home orders and aggressively following up close contact cases to ensure they self-isolate -- have helped “burn out” the variant and control its spread.

Richmond Hill Regional Councillor Carmine Perrelli presented a motion calling on the province not to extend the grey zone and stay-at-home order.

“We need to send a strong message to the premier letting him know that we, as the spokespeople for 1.2 million people in York Region, believe the lockdowns must end and not come back,” Perrelli said.

While all members of council agreed that small businesses are feeling the brunt of the lockdown, and all sympathized with families who are suffering, they did not agree this is the time to reopen.

Perrelli’s motion was defeated in a vote of 14 to 7 in favour of waiting for updated data.

“I have been a great proponent of ensuring that businesses do not close unnecessarily,” Kurji said. “This is in keeping with the fact that the social determinants of health also include unemployment, income, social isolation and mental health …. But I think we need to be cautious for the next few days to make sure we have the data that supports opening business safely.

“We had better get this right, as a province. If we make wrong decisions here, we’ll be paying for it.”

Even appointment-only shopping, as was suggested by Newmarket Mayor John Taylor, could be risky, Kurji said, “given that these variants are spreading in situations where I would not expect them to have spread."

“To any businesses who are listening,” regional chairperson Wayne Emmerson said, “York Region is on your side.”