TORONTO -- Ontario says Toronto, Peel Region and the North Bay area will remain under a stay-at-home order for at least two more weeks.

Health Minister Christine Elliott says it was a difficult but necessary decision to keep the areas under tight public health measures.

Top health officials in Toronto and Peel had called for the order to stay in place, saying loosening measures too soon would lead to more illness and death.

The province says a stay-home order will lift for York Region as it moves to the second-strictest category of Ontario's tiered pandemic restrictions framework next week.

The stay-home order was lifted for the majority of the province earlier this week as the government moved ahead with an economic reopening despite warnings it could set off a third wave of infections.

More to come.