The surging COVID-19 caseload has Ontario ``on its heels,'' prompting the urgent need for tougher measures to regain control of the deteriorating situation.
And with that dire warning Premier Doug Ford announced a raft of new restrictions Friday that went into effect first thing Saturday morning.
The province's stay-at-home order is being extended an extra two weeks, outdoor gatherings are now restricted to members of the same household, though people who live alone can join another household, and all recreational facilities such as sports fields, playgrounds and golf courses are now closed.
Essential retailers must lower capacity limits to 25 per cent, indoor religious services are limited to 10 people, and non-essential construction has to shut down.
To enforce the measures, police and bylaw officers can now stop motorists and pedestrians to ask them where they live and why they're not at home.
That new provision drew immediate condemnation from civil liberties activists who warned it could result in a rash of racial profiling.