Elliott: Toronto’s soaring test positivity rate ‘concerning’

By Alex Bloomfield

Provincial Health Minister Christine Elliott calls the rate at which of COVID-19 tests are coming back positive in Toronto “concerning for all of us.”

Elliott made the comments following question period at Queen’s Park Thursday, saying the province is following the situation closely.

On Wednesday, Toronto Public Health said the percent positivity figure for the city was at 4.4% for the week of October 11.

That’s nearly double the province-wide number of 2.4%, and significantly above the “high alert” threshold for public health regions.

The Ford government has previously said that threshold is 2.5%. Last week, the province moved York Region into a modified Stage 2 after the positivity rate there reached just 2.8%.

Elliott added, “If we need to take further measures, of course, we will do so”.

Toronto, Ottawa, and Peel Region are about halfway through a 28-day period of tighter pandemic restrictions with little indication that the numbers are improving.

Speaking Thursday, Premier Ford says it’s still too early to assess what will happen at the end of the 4-week period.

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