COVID-19 Atlantic bubble awaits as NL, PEI withdraw; Toronto, Peel in lockdown

Two provinces are temporarily withdrawing from the Atlantic bubble in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, as stricter restrictions – including short-term lockdowns – come into effect today in parts of Ontario.

Anyone traveling to Newfoundland and Labrador from the Atlantic region will have to isolate themselves for 14 days starting Wednesday, just like visitors from other parts of the country.

Prince Edward Island, meanwhile, excludes all non-essential travel to the province for two weeks.

The two provinces, along with Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, were part of the so-called Atlantic bubble which allowed residents of the Atlantic to travel freely within its borders without isolating themselves.

Stricter limits on social gatherings are also taking effect in the Halifax region and a neighboring county.

Meanwhile, two of Ontario’s major urban centers, where COVID-19 cases have increased, have entered the lockdown phase of the province’s pandemic protection plan and will remain there for at least 28 days.

As a result, all non-essential retailers in Toronto and the Peel region are reduced to curbside pickup only, and restaurants are limited to takeout and delivery orders. Personal services such as hairdressers are also closed, but schools and kindergartens remain open.

Other areas of Ontario, which reported 1,589 new COVID-19 cases and 19 new deaths on Monday, are also seeing stricter restrictions as they move to higher alert levels under the province’s color-coded plan.

Quebec, another province hit hard by the pandemic, reported 1,164 new cases of COVID-19 and 13 more deaths on Monday.

Over the weekend, four provinces – Ontario, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and Alberta – reported new records of daily infections.

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