TORONTO – With the immunization campaign continuing to travel at full capacity, the provincial government is ready to loosen anti-Covid restrictions. According to the commission’s roadmap, the measures currently in force will remain so until 2 June. Now it remains to be understood what strategy Premier Doug Ford will want to adopt after that date. The scientific control room continues to call for prudence and caution: from next month there will be no provision for all restrictions, but instead a method of gradually reopening the provincial economy will have to be used. Certainly, the epidemiological curve data of the last two weeks certify a substantial improvement in the situation and yesterday’s numbers – with 1,616 new infections, the lowest since last March – represent further confirmation that we are heading in the right direction.

In parallel with this, positive data continue to arrive regarding the mass vaccination campaign, thanks mainly to the increase in the supply of doses destined for Ontario. As many as 2.2 million doses are on the way this week, and since yesterday all ontario adults, regardless of the area of residence, can book the appointment for their vaccination through the provincial portal.

Since yesterday, moreover, some temporary clinics have started to administer the Pfizer vaccine to children aged 12 to 17: adolescents can already receive the first dose at Don Bosco, John Polanyi Collegiate Institute and Oakridge Junior Public School. Starting from May 31st, however, all children of that age group will be able to book vaccination through the provincial portal.

The immunization campaign is proceeding quickly. According to the latest data from covid19tracker.ca,7,843,825 doses have been delivered in Ontario since last Januaryand 7,286,177 of them have been administered, with an efficiency rate of almost 93 percent. Yesterday in the province, 109,032 people received the first dose of the vaccine.

The executive will therefore have to make important decisions in the coming days: school, restaurants, opening of non-essential stores, gatherings, obligation to stay at home and so on. If the epidemiological curve data confirm the trend that has now been consolidated, the government can only give in to the pressures coming from many quarters for the necessary reopening and a draft return to normality.