Toronto Mayor Tory ‘not a big fan’ of curfew to curb pandemic

Mayor Tory said whether or not the circulating rumors were true, that "I am not a big fan of it mostly because I think the enforcement question becomes something that is one that has to make you think as to how effective it will be."

"If you really enforce it then you are into a way of life that most of us don't think is consistent with how we live here… if you don't enforce it, well then what's the point?" Mayor Tory added.

Mayor Tory pointed to restrictions based on activities during the day, when people are much more likely to be out and in contact with the general public.

"In a way, the restrictions that we need, I think to to have people focus on, are ones about their own activities during the day, not at night," said Mayor Tory.

Mayor Tory said to address the daytime activity levels, employers and employees need to sit down and address what is seriously essential in-person work, and rein in non-essential trips to the store.

"It looks to me that the general level of activity is still too high out there. I mean there are still too many people," said Mayor Tory. "If you just look at your own traffic cameras that we look at each day... how could those people possibly all be essential workers going to work."

"I think there are still employers who are not discouraging employees from coming to work… I'm not talking here about essential workers. I am talking about people who really, when you boil it down, don't have to be at work in order for the functioning of their job to continue. They could work from home," said Tory.

"I think we are still talking about too much activity on the part of people who are going out and not getting the essentials. They are getting things that are clearly not essential," Mayor Tory continued.

On Thursday, Premier Doug Ford's cabinet discussed possibilities of new restrictions in the province. A source told CP24 and CTV that non-critical construction projects would be shut down, limits on manufacturing and warehouse businesses, and fines for non-essential businesses that continue to work in-person were all possibilities being considered.

Sources confirmed that also on the table is the prohibiting of indoor gatherings such funerals, weddings, and religious services.

One source told CP24 that a curfew would likely not be introduced, despite circulating rumors.