Mayor Tory demands Torontonians cancel their own Christmas

Amid continuing lockdown orders ahead of the holiday season, Toronto Mayor John Tory has insisted that "Christmas isn't cancelled" but everyone's "in-person Christmas party has to be."

"Christmas isn't cancelled," Tory tweeted Friday evening. "But your in-person Christmas party has to be."

On Wednesday, Tory called for more pandemic-related lockdown restrictions over Christmas as coronavirus cases continue to rise in his jurisdiction.

"We've got to find a way to get people to stay home, and I think part of that might well be just giving them fewer places to go by making sure that the lockdown, you know, is broader in nature," Tory alleged at the time.

Arguing that "this is a good time to do it" as one of the "quieter time[s] of the year," Tory maintained that the move would "do less damage to business."

Tory contended that action is warranted because of "unacceptable" coronavirus numbers, positioning his argument on the basis that "the hospital situation is getting worse."

Ontario Premier Doug Ford also announced on Friday that the GTA will remain in lockdown, although such policies were set to expire on Monday.

Ford is slated to meet with the CEOs of all hospitals in Ontario over the weekend. "I want to listen to what's happening on the ground, within the hospitals, within ICU units," Ford stated.

"We're going to continue on with the lockdowns within those regions and we'll have additional information on Monday," Ford concluded.