TORONTO – Steven Del Duca, Leader of the Ontario Liberals, made the following statement:
“Doug Ford has lost control. Ontario is now in a full-fledged Wave II and still this Premier and his Cabinet refuse to invest in the safety of Ontarians, even as they sit on billions of dollars in unspent federal funding.”
“Ford has blatantly failed to listen to the experts and take action to slow the spread of COVID-19. His negligence in August and September has left Ontarians grappling with a fierce second wave, without any leadership to guide them through it.”
“That’s why today, I am calling on Ford to follow the advice of Toronto Public Health, The Ontario Hospital Association and the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario – three organizations who represent tens of thousands of front line health care workers in this province – to immediately suspend indoor dining at restaurants and bars and close gyms for 28 days in COVID-19 hotspots, and to provide immediate support to businesses affected by the closures.”
“Toronto Public Health alone has said that over 40 per cent of recent outbreaks in Toronto have been related to indoor dining, and our hospitals have warned that they are reaching capacity. Ontario is out of time and Doug Ford must act now to save lives and livelihoods.”
“Taking action now will provide protection in the long run, and unfortunately this means Ontario needs to impose restrictions on COVID-19 hotspots. However, small business owners cannot afford closures without immediate and direct support from the government. It is crucial the provincial government steps up and uses a service industry recovery fund to help businesses cover rent and lost income during closures.”
“This is not the time for Ford to hoard cash: we are in the middle of a pandemic. Spend the money, do whatever it takes, and keep people safe and businesses alive – there are no second chances.”
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