Here are today’s new developments:
Most of Ontario will move to Stage 3 of the province's economic reopening Friday, with businesses including bars, restaurants, movie theatres and gyms opening up. Toronto, York and Peel regions, Durham, Windsor-Essex, Haldimand-Norfolk and Lambton regions will remain in Stage Two.
Andrea Horwath said the move to Stage Three should include support from the Ford government to help fund the costs of businesses' reopening. We also called for more resources to public health. Horwath said problems with testing, contact tracing and isolation are holding some regions back – and failing to fix these issues could cause Ontario to take one step forward and two steps back.
Ontario reported 116 new cases of COVID-19 today, as the province prepares to ease further restrictions.
Solutions we’re pushing for:
Andrea Horwath visited local businesses and officials in Kingsville, Leamington and Essex this weekend, calling for the Ford government to adopt the Save Main Street plan.
During question period today, Horwath urged Doug Ford and Stephen Lecce to make classes smaller — so all students can return to school five days per week this fall — by hiring more teachers and educator workers, and funding extra spaces for children to learn.
Taras Natyshak criticized the Ford government for handing over COVID-19 testing in hotspots in Windsor-Essex to a private corporation with deep Conservative Party ties, making the testing approach less coordinated in the region.
MPPs from Northern Ontario said Ford must stop excluding Northern schools from reopening plans.
MPP Monique Taylor called on Ford to put an end to excessive wait times for COVID-19, urging him to fix the broken testing system.