Here are today’s new developments:
Seven additional regions in Ontario will proceed to Stage three of the province's reopening this week, with Toronto, Peel and Windsor-Essex regions remaining in Stage two. The province saw an uptick of new cases over the weekend, the bulk of them coming from Peel, Windsor-Essex and Toronto.
At his daily press conference, Doug Ford dismissed the need for an independent preparedness review to ensure the province is ready to handle a potential second wave of COVID-19 - an initiative proposed by Andrea Horwath.
Toronto Mayor John Tory has urged the Ford government to implement stricter measures on bars and restaurants, which can resume indoor service once a region hits Stage three. At his press conference today, Ford indicated that he won't be implementing these measures .
Despite claiming his government would launch a commission into Ontario's long-term care sector in July, Doug Ford has yet to announce any details - we have taken issue with the the Conservatives' proposed government-controlled commission, calling instead for a fully independent, find-and-fix judicial inquiry.
As the Ontario Medical Association warns that reopening bars indoors could be a risky move, there have been reports of a surge of cases among younger people in various parts of Canada.
Solutions we’re pushing for:
Andrea Horwath is calling on the government to assess Ontario's readiness for a second wave, rather than undertaking his eight-week vanity tour of the province.
In the wake of Ford announcing his government won't keep its promise to build 15,000 long-term care beds - itself a fraction of what's needed - we emphasized that the Ford Conservatives have built a paltry 34 long-term care beds.
Lisa Gretzky, tabled a motion in the Legislature today urging the Ford government to implement a COVID-19 Essential Caregiver Strategy, which would recognize essential caregivers as more than visitors.
We have issued a 'fact check' to a claim Ford made during today's question period, regarding a segment on CNN and Canada's response to the pandemic.