Ontario’s top doctor says lockdown measures can’t be lifted without a big drop in daily COVID-19 infections.

In a Monday afternoon update, Dr. David Williams says daily case numbers must fall below 1,000 infections per day before lifting some restrictions.

He called the goal “achievable” and said the last time the province saw similar daily case counts was late October.

Williams says he’d also like to see the number of intensive care patients in Ontario hospitals drop to 150, down from Monday’s 395.

Ontario reports 2,578 COVID-19 cases, 24 deaths

Williams says the province’s daily case rates appear to have plateaued and may have begun to drop.

He attributes the change to a province-wide lockdown which came into effect on Boxing Day.

His comments come less than a week after the government imposed a stay-at-home order and invoked the province’s second state of emergency during the pandemic.