Ontario extends stay-at-home order in Toronto, Peel, North Bay

"I want to assure the people of this great province that we are ready to get vaccines into as many arms as possible, we simply need the supply", said Ford.

York Region will move to the colour-tiered framework as of Monday, Feb. 22.

"While the health indicators have improved enough to allow us to return an additional region to the Framework, we are not yet at the point where we can safely transition back the remainder of the province".

"These are hard but necessary decisions, in order to protect against COVID-19 variants and maintain the progress we have all made together", Health Minister Christine Elliott said in a statement.

Top doctors for Toronto and Peel have asked for that to be delayed until at least March 9 because of the presence of variant strains of the virus in their communities.

The province also said on Friday that it was moving the region covered by the Lambton public health unit to the red category of its restrictions framework due to worsening trends in the area.

The Progressive Conservative government has been loosening health measures across the province this month despite predictions that doing so could set off a third wave of infections.

Even in the strictest level of the province's reopening framework, some businesses would be allowed to reopen with capacity limits.

Toronto officials asked the provincial government this week to extend the lockdown after Toronto's medical officer of health said she has never been more anxious about the future because of new coronavirus variants.

Western Quebec has recorded 19 new cases.

The province continues to expand capacity and ramp up efforts for Phase Two of its vaccination rollout, expected to begin in April 2021.

Doses of the Moderna vaccine for next week will be lower than expected, at 47,400, but supply is expected to increase in March.

The supply increase will coincide with an expected expansion of Ontario's vaccine rollout to target the 80 and older group, seniors in congregate care, and all Indigenous adults. The province has so far been focusing on the highest-priority groups, which include long-term care residents and some health-care staff.

60%: The percentage of Ottawa retirement home residents who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Western Quebec's health authority is reporting 19 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, and no more deaths.