Niagara will likely be moving into the 'Red' level of the province's colour-coded COVID-19 restriction system after 136 new cases were confirmed this weekend.
Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Mustafa Hirji says our baseline level of cases has been going up over the last couple of weeks.
"Even before we had the numbers from this weekend, we were at the point where our average number of cases per week was high enough that the province was likely going to be looking at putting us into the Red level. I think that becomes an even more foregone conclusion after this weekend."
Hirji says a decision from the province will likely come on Friday, but he notes he doesn't know how the province will choose to operate so it could come earlier.
Of this weekend's cases, one-third are being tied to household spread and socialization, one-third is attributed to ongoing local outbreaks, and the remaining third are still being investigated.