Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie said she hopes the current lockdown measures in Ontario are the last ones, as restrictions begin to loosen on Jan. 31 in Ontario.

In a press conference, Crombie cited that small business owners in this Greater Toronto region cannot afford to keep closing and reopening, but said she believes in a gradual loosening of some restrictions.

"We have to ensure that this reopening sticks," said Crombie. "Our small business owners simply cannot afford another lockdown - we have to keep moving forward."

In-person public areas will be set at 50 per cent in Stage 2 of reopening.

To avoid potential future lockdowns or reversals on the reopening strategy, she supports keeping the 50 per cent restrictions in place for as long as needed.

Further, Crombie is asking all Mississauga and Peel Region residents to get vaccinated, especially second and third booster doses for those who are eligible.

"As we more forward with the reopenings, the single most important thing you can do to ensure our businesses and city facilities say open is getting your vaccine," she said.

One of the upcoming events is the return of the Doses After Dark event, which hosts vaccine appointments until midnight. The event is catered towards individuals that cannot book appointments during the day due to work hours or have difficulty finding childcare.

So far, two Doses After Dark clinics are scheduled for early February.

Mississauga and the surrounding Peel Region have experienced spikes by the two COVID-19 variants, Delta and OMICRON, throughout the pandemic.   This western region of the Greater Toronto Area has seen a disproportionate number of cases since 2020, compared to the city average.

The city is averaging close to 800 COVID-19 cases per day, according to the Peel Region website.

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