The Ontario government will shutter most non-essential businesses, including gyms and personal care services, and will prohibit sit-down service in restaurants in two of the province’s COVID-19 hot spots as they grapple with a rise in infections.

Iran Press/America: Toronto and Peel Region have been placed in a lockdown, which is the province’s final category of the COVID-19 tiered framework that guides restrictions.

According to local Canadian news outlets, Ontario Premier Doug Ford made the announcement late Friday afternoon on the same day the province’s total number of lab-confirmed COVID-19 infections surpassed 100,000.

More than 1,400 new coronavirus cases were reported in Ontario on Friday, taking the province's total case since the start of the pandemic beyond 100,000. The region has been battling a rapidly-rising rate of infections, with Toronto particularly badly hit; the city broke its record for new infections on Tuesday and has reported several hundred new cases each day this week

Officials have said that regions will remain in their zone for a minimum of 28 days. This means that Toronto and Peel will be under lockdown until at least Dec. 21.