A sombre Premier Doug Ford addressed media Monday to discuss the rise of COVID-19 cases in the province.
The Premier confirmed Ontario’s State of the Emergency declared two weeks ago is going to be renewed for another two weeks.
Ford said he toured a medical supply warehouse on the weekend to check the inventory levels.
The Premier says the government is working day and night to get more medical supplies from every source possible around the world, across Canada and here in Ontario.
“It will take time for new supplies to reach us and for local production to get underway, the reality is if there’s a massive surge of people coming into our hospitals over the next two weeks, our supply lines will be seriously challenged. Every week, day, an hour we can push back that surge, is another week, day, an hour that we have to prepare,” Ford said.
Media asked the Premier when he will take stricter actions against those people who aren’t following social distancing and self-isolation rules but first he needs to get advice from the province’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams and the federal government.
He warns the government will take more stringent measures if need be to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
“The more we can reduce the spread of this virus, the quicker we can get through this. We will get through this. It’s just a matter of time.
He adds “We can either go the route of Italy and Spain or we can go the route of South Korea and at times Germany as well. We want to make sure that we get the curve to bend and start going down. We are in a race right now. We are in a race for supplies. We are in a race against the virus.
The Premier stresses if you can stay home, if you’ve travelled self-isolate and if you have symptoms self-isolate and reach out to medical professionals.
Ford suggests anyone over the age of 70 self-isolate.
The Premier says a $243 million fund will create additional surge capacity in homes while supporting 24/7 screening, more staffing and supplies and equipment to help with the prevention and containment of the illness.
Another $10 million delivery coordination program for seniors living at home is in addition to the $20 million over two years the province has invested to protect seniors in retirement homes through increased infection control and active screening procedures
Ford is calling on us to create an “iron ring” around our senior population.
