State of Emergency declared; stay-at-home order issued
- par Thibaud Popelin
- dans Monde
- — Jan 14, 2021
Ford says eight new cases of the United Kingdom strain of the virus were identified today and still one third of Ontarians are ignoring published guidelines.
"Doug Ford cut Ontario's two measly paid sick days and now refuses to give Ontarians any paid sick days during COVID-19, because he doesn't want to spend more on everyday working folks", said West.
Doug Ford stressed that the measure means people should "use their best judgment" to determine if they need to leave their home as virus rates surge.
"It's very simple", he said.
The province has said there's no set definition for what is "essential", because everyone has their own unique circumstances and regional considerations.
Under the declaration of a provincial emergency, the province authorizes all enforcement and provincial offences officers, including the Ontario Provincial Police, local police forces, bylaw officers, and provincial workplace inspectors to issue tickets to individuals who do not comply with the stay-at-home-order, or those not wearing a mask or face covering indoors as well as retail operators and companies who do not enforce.
The regulation says attending school or dropping off a child at daycare is permitted. Obtaining food, beverages, or personal care items is allowed. Leaving home to seek mental health or addictions support is OK.
Travel to airports, train stations and bus stations for the goal of travelling to a destination outside of the province is also allowed.
Their complaint comes amid revelations that researchers, hospital staff on leave, and even a health-care PR executive, have been inoculated ahead of thousands of other health-care workers in COVID-19 wards and long-term care homes still waiting their turn.
The regulation does not apply to anyone who is homeless.
Grant also says there is similar confusion about the order that all but essential employees must work from home. The City has yet to receive the regulations and legalities from the province to respond to the orders and how they must be implemented.
"If people would just opt in default always, not just today when it's not yet clear, but tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that, to stay home. that will help deal with the COVID situation", he said.
"There will be choices about who will get the care they need and who will not", said Brown.
The protest was organized by the Decent Work and Health Network, and a recent report on paid sick days conducted by the network revealed that 58 per cent of workers across Canada do not have a single paid sick day; that number jumps to over 70 per cent for workers making $25,000 or less.
"For someone who needs to pay the bills, their work is essential", he said.
He said he wasn't blaming anyone, except the virus itself.
The Ford government cut two paid sick days offered in Ontario in 2018.
"It puts pressure on people to go to work right?" said Egidaio Masaro.
COVID-19 patients will shortly occupy around 500 of the province's ICU beds and, potentially by February, over 1,000 beds in "more severe, but realistic scenarios", modelers say.
Canada's second wave of Covid-19 is now more widespread and serious than the first, with a seven-day national average of 8,100 new cases per day, a pandemic high, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
