Peel Region mayors call for move to COVID-19 red-control zone after being placed under grey-lockdown

CBC.ca
March 12, 2021

Mayors in Peel Region are asking the province to further loosen restrictions in their communities days after a stay-at home order was lifted.

Peel Region --made up of Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon --was moved into the strictest grey lockdown category of the province's pandemic framework on Monday, following nearly two months under the stay-at-home order.

That meant non-essential retailers could reopen with capacity limits, although gyms, personal care services and indoor restaurant dining remain closed.

Mayor Bonnie Crombie of Mississauga is calling for her city to now be moved to the second-strictest red category of the framework, with or without the other communities in Peel.

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown also says Peel should be placed into the red zone and councillors in his city voted to ask the province to make that move as soon as possible.

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Being in the red zone would allow gyms to reopen with capacity limits and indoor restaurant dining and personal care services to also resume with restrictions.

Peel's top doctor, Dr. Lawrence Loh had called for the region to be placed in the grey zone, saying it would preserve the progress made in the fight against the virus.

At that time, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie said she would have preferred a move to the red level but understood the region being placed in the grey zone.

Loh says his public health unit is monitoring COVID-19 data closely and will soon be making a recommendation to the province on where the community should be in the pandemic framework.

Caledon, Ont., Mayor Allan Thomspon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.