TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford is declaring a state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Not a provincial shutdown.

More coming :

Measures are aimed at preventing hospitals from becoming overwhelmed.

Premier Ford declares prohibition or cancelling any gathering of 50 or more people to help stop the spread of COVID-19, until March 31, 2020.

This includes daycares, restaurants, bars, private schools, churches and places of worship.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams is recommending bars and restaurants to limit themselves to take-out and delivery. Toronto Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa also encouraged similar steps to be taken.

Bars, clubs, concert halls and most other recreational sites in Ontario have been ordered to close, under new measures announced today to limit the spread of COVID-19.

In Ontario Premier Ford’s tweet: Our government is taking the necessary action to protect Ontarians and combat COVID-19 by declaring a State of Emergency up until March 31, 2020. We are taking this extraordinary measure to ensure the health sector has every power possible to fight the spread of this virus.

— FWH staff