The mayors of Mississauga and Brampton say it has been a tough day for many businesses following the province's announcement that along with Toronto and Ottawa, Peel Region will be in a modified Stage 2.

The soaring COVID-19 infections in those three hot spots prompted the Ontario government to close gyms, movie theatres, casinos and indoor dining at restaurants for 28 days, beginning on Saturday.

While Premier Doug Ford said during a news conference on Friday that it was a difficult and painful decision, the actions taken were necessary because all the trends are going in the wrong direction.

Ford said if he did not introduce these restrictions, he'd be negligent.

"I know what this will do for businesses that are already struggling," Ford said. "I want to talk directly to business owners and workers who'll be affected by this. I've been fighting for you since day one. And I'll continue to fight for you."

[FULL LIST: Businesses and services impacted by new restrictions]

Mayor Bonnie Crombie said she is disappointed that the region got "swept up into these measures."

Crombie said she's been fielding calls from business owners who felt penalized even though they've been following all the guidelines.

"I don't have any incidents of transmission occurring in my businesses, not in my restaurants, my bars, my lounges, pubs, or even the banquet halls," Crombie said in an interview with CP24.

"So, it's very disappointing that we're getting caught in this catchment."

She said that COVID-19 cases in Mississauga are coming from household gatherings and backyard parties. On Thursday, Crombie insisted at a news conference that she did not believe further restrictions were needed in Mississauga.

At the same time, the Mississauga mayor said she understands the concern of the province's chief medical officer of health about the spillover from Toronto coming to her city.

"If it can mean the betterment and the faster recovery of the province, we'll get behind it and be supportive," Crombie said.

She added that these measures should be imposed GTHA-wide because the spillover could also happen in Vaughan, Markham, Oakville and other nearby municipalities.

"We understand it's for the greater good. We're going to get this done in four weeks," Crombie said.

"And hopefully, as a result, we'll be better off, and the numbers will decline."

[Facilities and services in Mississauga affected by new COVID-restrictions]

Mayor Patrick Brown said he also has questions and concerns about the move.

Compared with the previous changes, Brown said the measures were not something they had asked.

"We haven't seen spread forward spread of the COVID-19 in our restaurants in Peel Region. And so, my heart goes out to them because I thought they were doing a really good job of being responsible, making sure people are wearing masks and maintaining physical distance," he said.

Like Crombie, Brown wonders why the measures were not applied to York and Durham regions, which are also neighbours of Toronto.

"it's tough enough that this is a very difficult health pandemic, but it is economically challenging as well."

However, Brown did say that it's better to have these sacrifices now than during Christmas and the holiday season.

"I just hope that this 28-day period makes a difference because it's a tough pill to swallow for a lot of small businesses that have already gone through a lot this year," he said.

"I understand we're being preventative. We understand that these provisions have worked in other countries. And it's my hope that the recommendation of Dr. Williams will be in the best interest of Ontario."

[Brampton facilities and programs impacted by new COVID-19 measures]

Peel Region's medical officer of health, Dr. Lawrence Loh, said he is supportive of the new measures introduced by the province.

"I think there was a recognition that if you differentially imposed that restriction in Toronto, but not in Peel, you would certainly see a shift in activity from Toronto to Peel," Loh said during an interview with CP24.

"The concern that activity might shift from Toronto over to Peel played some role into I think my support of that decision out of an abundance of caution."

Loh said the region is seeing a slight bump in hospitalizations but not reporting any major rise in intensive care unit admissions.

Peel Region Public Health reported 100 new cases on Friday, bringing the total in the region to 10,726. Of those cases, 58 per cent are in Brampton, and 39 per cent come from Mississauga.

"While our picture in Peel has remained high and consistent, one false move could set off a broader wave of community spread," he said.

"And so that's why I certainly welcome the recommendations that have come into place today."