Ontario will soon be entering a four week lockdown, say sources who leaked the news to multiple media outlets, as Premier Doug Ford enacts thenewly-tightened emergency brake mechanismof the province's reopening framework due to upward trends in COVID-19 case counts and variants of concern.

It's been confirmed that the provinceis making some sort of major announcementabout new restrictions on Thursday afternoon, just days after it was revealed thathair salons and other personal care services could resume operationsingrey zone regionsstarting April 12.

After calls from various unelected health expertsto implement stricter measuresto stop virus spread from escalating once more, it appears that instead of potentially pulling the brake just in problem regions such as Toronto or taking away新权限授予in grey zones, Ford and his team are locking down the entire province further.

Insiders have told outlets likethe CBC,GlobalandCTV Newsthat a blanket shutdown similar tothe one the province was placed under on Boxing Daywill start at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, April 3 and will remain in effect for four weeks or 28 days.

UPDATE - Patios will be forced to close, sources tell 680NEWS but restaurants can remain open for takeout and delivery.

— Richard Southern (@richard680news)April 1, 2021

Fortunately, it seems rules won't be quite as tight as the last time around — patio dining andoutdoor fitness activitieswill cease after just days of being allowed again in Toronto, and businesses offering personal care serviceswon't be permitted to open after all, but"non-essential" retail stores will remain openwith 25 per cent capacity limits.

Private indoor gatherings will still be banned across the province, as they already are in thesix regionsin the grey zone, and outdoor gatheringswill be limited to five people, down fromthe current grey cap of 10, with exceptions for larger groups who live together, or a person living alone who is joining another group.

A new zone now also been added tothe province's reopening framework: White-Shutdown.

In the shutdown, people are once again asked to only leave their homes for necessities. Religious services are limited to 15 per cent indoor capacity, food and drink establishments must close for all but takeout and delivery, and sports facilities must fully shutter.

Ski hills, gaming establishments, event spaces, and more will also close down, while and golf courses, schools and childcare centres remain open.

You can open. Now you’re closed. Open. Close. Open. Close. Open. Close. Lockdown. Open. Close. Altered open. Emergency brake. It’s apparent to me@fordnation正在努力保持头浮出水面。Putting Ontario into a tailspin.

— Jason Hoover (@Jasonhoover147)April 1, 2021

Residents are understandably frustrated with the constant flip flopping andconfusing changes in rules, especially while regions like Toronto and Peel have been in the most stringent form of lockdownsince the fall.

Businesses had been given the hope that they may be able to recoup some of the devastating losses they'd incurred over the past year, which forced many to close down for good.

And citizens, mental health on the brink, had gotten a taste of some semblance of normalcy after months of forced closures thathave lasted longer than almost anywhere in the worldand are getting unbearable to weather.

Many are nowwondering if lockdowns even workas we watch the rest of the world get vaccinated and safely reopen for the summer while our politicians bungle our inoculation program and our stringent restrictions worsen.

Ontario’s ‘emergency brake’ better be a cruel April Fools joke

— swiz (@matxbootyxkush)April 1, 2021

Ontario has been reporting more than 2,000 daily new cases of COVID-19 among a population of 14.5 million people for the last seven days, with a total of 421 COVID patients in ICUs across the province.

This latter figure, though seemingly low for the population, has sparked grave concern among health officials, being the highest number we've seen thus far over the course of the health crisis andcomprising younger, sicker patientsthan previously.