For the better part of a week, the City of Toronto has asked the province to allow them to end indoor dining and limit indoor gymnasium activity in a bid to curb rising levels of COVID-19.
The Premier replied that his government would need "hard, hard evidence" before doing so due to the impact on business, not acknowledging that up to 44 per cent of recent outbreaks in Toronto have been tied to restaurants, bars or entertainment venues in recent weeks.
But Tory said Wednesday it is the public health experts, not the politicians who disagree about the measure.
"It's the experts not the politicians that are trying to bring together a consensus."
He said "very constructive, very intensive" discussions are underway with the province to seek a path forward, but everyone involved is aware of what closing indoor dining might do to restaurant and bar owners.
"It's a real agonizing decision we have to make based on that advice and on those recommendations based on the impact it would have on business," Tory said.
He said no agreement had been reached, but something may emerge before the weekend.
"Something will emerge out of this in the next day or two simply because time marches on," he said.