WATCH: Doug Ford says he will announce ‘tough decision, but right decision’ to lock down Ontario for a third time

"I'll make that announcement at 1:30, but I wouldn't call it a lockdown, a shutdown, but yes," said an audibly tired Doug Ford. "We'll talk about that at 1:30, we're just working on the details."

Ford, who was sighing throughout his brief statement, said that the decision was made in a late-night cabinet meeting which lasted as long as nine hours.

"We'll make the tough decision, but it's the right decision. 1000 percent it's the right decision."

Reports of the Ford government implementing a third lockdown in Ontario surfaced on Wednesday as cases of coronavirus continue to climb across the province.

While medical professionals have largely argued for the necessity of lockdowns in order to protect the health of the province and avoid the overflow of hospitals, critics have questioned their efficacy in reducing cases and have suggested the long-term economic effects of the measures may be more harmful than the lockdowns are beneficial.