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Ontario is reporting more than 2,000 new COVID-19 cases for a second day in a row as the province’s death toll from the virus topped 4,000 on Wednesday.

Provincial health officials logged 2,139 new cases of the novel coronavirus and 43 more deaths, a notable increase compared to the 20 fatalities recorded on Tuesday. The previous single-day high for deaths in the province during the second wave was on Dec. 10 when 45 people died from the virus.

Toronto Mayor John Tory said discussions are underway for greater restrictions across the GTA due to surging COVID-19 numbers.

TORONTO — Toronto Mayor John Tory says a stricter lockdown including more of the surrounding areas of the GTA is being discussed for the holidays as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations hit record levels.

Tory said he is in talks with the Ford government and surrounding area mayors about increasing restrictions in lockstep after Dec. 21, when the 28 day lockdown was scheduled to end.

“Going back to the good old days, as much as we’d want to is just not in the cards, in fact we should be doing more, not less,” Tory told CP24 on Wednesday.

Ontario hospitals warned to prepare surge capacity plans within 48 hours

TORONTO — The CEO of Ontario Health is calling on hospitals in the province to be ready to activate their surge capacity plans within 48 hours as a spike in COVID-19 cases threatens the health-care system’s ability to care for patients effectively.