This is when the lockdown in Ontario could end

"When will Ontario lockdown end?" has been the big question on everyone's mind for weeks now, with the entire province now in its fourth week of the most stringent of health measures, and people in the hotspots of Toronto and Peel not having been able to enjoy anything remotely close to normal life in more than eight weeks.

Try living in Ontario. Complete lockdown till ...forever!

— Build Back Better...get rid of Liberalism. (@sadforcanada) January 19, 2021

The province's top health official this week finally provided a "ballpark" figure of where new daily cases would have to be for the province to consider loosening current restrictions — which are about as prohibitive as they can get.

Ontario Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Williams gave the figures at a press briefing on Monday, telling the public that "if you get to less than 150 COVID patients in ICU beds, that starts to get you back down to where all the hospitals can start to do their other elective procedures."

And as for daily case counts? Somewhere "around or even below a thousand new cases a day."

The province unfortunately hasn't seen these types of numbers since the end of October and beginning of November.

My family in other parts of Ontario: How’s lockdown for you? I wish I could get my haircut. I’m so bored. When will this end?

Me in Toronto: pic.twitter.com/DTY2nzIxhK

— Lauren Marinigh (@MarinighPR) January 19, 2021

In fact, aside from the latest data from Jan. 17, we have seen around or more than 3,000 new infections per day since the beginning of 2021. Per cent positivity — the proportion of those tested who indeed test positive — is 6.6 per cent.

And as for the number of novel coronavirus patients admitted to the ICU, that currently sits at 394.

But, this is among a population of 14.5 million people — places like Florida, now considered to be the wild west of the communicable disease, have had as many as 19,378 new patients in one day in the New Year among a moderately larger population of 21.5 million.

This is madness. This man wants us locked down until May /June. This is irresponsible.....

— Nadine Doe (@doe_nadine) January 18, 2021

Williams did add a bit of hopeful news, saying that based on the latest modelling projections, we're on a far better track than we were expected to be if our case growth rate had stayed where it was a week ago. Mind you, the provincial COVID-19 panel's modelling projections have generally overestimated future case counts and painted a more dire picture than what ended up happening.

There has been a ton of pushback to forced closures and other governmental health measures from everyone ranging from business owners to politicians to everyday citizens.

Retailers and hair salons proved with numbers that their settings contribute very little to virus transmission, while some health professionals are questioning the over-sensitivity of the COVID-19 test, the qualification of a COVID-19 death, and the health risk to the general public (versus the risks of lockdown) given that most deaths are in elderly patients with pre-existing conditions.

Basically let's stay locked till as least 2022! :( Sad

— מילה זו מילה (@Milah_Zu_Milah) January 18, 2021

In Ontario, only 228 people under the age of 60 have died as a result of the virus; 69 per cent of deaths have been in people over 80, while 59 per cent have been among residents of long-term care.