Reacting to news that the province is slowly re-opening over the next three weeks, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health says now is not the time to be lifting restrictions in the city and is warning new variants could lead to a new pandemic.

“We are in a position of great uncertainly with respect to variants but what we know is alarming,” said Dr. Eileen de Villa moments after Premier Doug Ford announced Ontario is moving back to colour coded framework for reopening. “I understand the value of preparing for the time we can lift restrictions, and from a public health perspective in Toronto, that time is not now.”

Dr. de Villa confirmed the city’s first cases of the Brazil and South Africa variants while there have already been other cases of the variant first discovered in the U.K.