Some say northern Ontario shouldn't shutdown as COVID surges in the south, others want province-wide approach

Northern Ontario leaders are pushing the province to spare the region if a second COVID-19 lockdown is brought in to deal with surging numbers in the south. 

There are over 8,000 active cases in southern Ontario, compared with about 30 in the north. 

Even with the smaller population factored in, northern Ontario has 15 times less COVID infections.

The provincial government has yet to commit to a regional approach if new restrictions come in during this second wave of the pandemic.

"A one-size-fits-all approach has never worked for northern Ontario," says Cora DeMarco, chair of the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce.

"Decisions need to be guided on data."

Last week, medical officers of health in Toronto and Ottawa asked for new restrictions to stop a surge of cases in those cities.

The province put tighter limits on gatherings in those hot spots, but also put a "pause on social circles" across Ontario and advised everyone to go back into their household bubbles people were confined to in the spring.

"When the premier comes and takes half of it, doesn't explain why, makes it province-wide, it sets us backwards, not forward on the way to get rid of this virus," says NDP health critic and Nickel Belt MPP France Gelinas.

She would like to see the local medical officers of health decide what's best for their districts based on local numbers.

At least one in northern Ontario, Timiskaming's Dr. Glenn Corneil, told CBC that province-wide restrictions "are essential and absolutely helped the north absorb wave one and that's certainly the goal for wave two."

Ontario Medical Association president Dr. Samantha Hill agrees that district health units across the province should be able to set different rules when it comes to stopping the spread of COVID-19, even though that can be "very confusing."

She does agree though that everyone in the province should be limiting contact with those outside their immediate household, even in the north where cases are currently low. 

"You're protected because there's less travel in and out and less mixing, but ultimately it does spread," says Hill. 

Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce CEO Rory Ring is lobbying the province to keep the north open if cases remain low this fall.

"It comes down to density and intensity," he says.

"Those are two things we do not have in northern Ontario. We have to be very cautious in terms of approach and we think a regional approach is best."

Ring says one place he's making that case is as a member of the advisory committee for the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines.

"I think it is being heard, but it is difficult to action, I guess, just because of the assumed potential risk," he says.

DeMarco says Sudbury businesses are very concerned about stepping back into stage two of stage one, especially the restaurant and hotel sectors that have still not recovered from the spring shutdown. 

"A second lockdown would be devastating to say it bluntly," she says.