Horwath calls on Ford to avoid the same re-opening mistakes

QUEEN’S PARK — NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said she’s deeply concerned that the Doug Ford government may start to re-open the province too fast, without taking additional steps to make the re-opening safe — possibly dooming Ontario to repeat the cycle of sickness and lockdowns.

“Don’t just re-open things — make it safe to re-open,” said Horwath. “When health experts say it’s time to reopen, let’s make sure we’re opening up for good this time by investing in public health measures that stop the spread.

“We’re all paying the price because Doug Ford keeps making the same mistakes. He didn’t want to invest in long-term care, so the second wave claimed more lives than the first. He didn’t invest in more testing, tracing and public health protections, so businesses have opened only to be forced to shut down again. He didn’t invest in safer schools, so they reopened only to have to close again. He keeps refusing to give people paid sick days, only for experts to reveal again and again that workplaces are driving the spread.”

Ontario’s State of Emergency will expire on Tuesday, Feb. 9. It cannot be extended on that day because the legislature is not sitting, despite proposals from the NDP to bring the MPPs back to implement more help for workers, seniors, schools and businesses to get through the pandemic.

“The second wave didn’t have to be so devastating. But Doug Ford keeps choosing money over public health,” said Horwath. “Let’s stop Ford from repeating that mistake, so we can stop repeating the cycle of sickness and lockdowns.”