FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Oct. 1, 2020-10-01
QUEEN’S PARK – Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett played a role in highlighting the province’s Fall Preparedness Plan during Question Period in the Ontario Legislature today.
“Premier, as you indicated, the trends we’re seeing are deeply concerning, with cases doubling over the past two weeks. By mid-October, Ontario could see 1,000 new cases a day,” Barrett said. “Speaker, can the Premier please share with the Legislature our Fall Preparedness Plan?”
“This is a plan informed by the best medical minds in the entire country, informed by the chief medical officer and the health table,” Premier Ford responded. “As I was saying earlier, we’re investing over $2.8 billion in our COVID-19 Fall Preparedness Plan.
“These hours are staggering. We’re adding 484,000 hours of nursing and therapy visits—these are staggering numbers—and 1.4 million hours for personal support workers.” The Premier announced later in the day that 3,700 health care workers were being added.
Reiterating the seriousness of the second wave, Barrett stressed, “The actions are simple, as we know, to control the spread: physical distancing, wear a mask, stay home if you’re sick, get a flu shot and look after our elderly and our vulnerable.
Highlighting efforts already done to secure a supply of PPE, Barrett asked for an update on the supply levels for the province going into the fall.
Premier Ford outlined some of the plants he had toured, mentioning one supplier alone had 39 million pieces of PPE in stock. He talked to employees working tremendous amounts of overtime.
“They were so proud of the job they were doing, the contribution they were doing,” Ford said. “It was a 1.1 million square-foot building. And this building was just for the schools, the 72 school boards that we’re supplying, and they were shipping around the clock. They’re working seven days a week, 24 hours a day.”
Ford lauded the efforts from all the manufacturers to pitch in and fill the need.
“We have more PPE to support not only Ontario but the rest of the country,” he said.
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For more information, contact MPP Toby Barrett at 519-428-0446
ONTARIO LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
DRAFT HANSARD
Oct. 1, 2020
Mr. Toby Barrett: My question is to the Premier. Premier, as you indicated, the trends we’re seeing are deeply concerning, with cases doubling over the past two weeks. By mid-October, Ontario could see 1,000 new cases a day. We’re starting to see a rise in case numbers across all age groups, not just among young people. If these numbers keep rising, we’ll see 200 or 300 patients in ICU a day. Premier, you and the Minister of Health said it best: We have to work together and turn the tide in this fight.
When it comes to this pandemic, our government is committed to providing transparency and openness when it comes to providing information as soon as we get it. Speaker, can the Premier please share with this Legislature our fall preparedness plan?
Hon. Doug Ford: I want to thank the great member from Haldimand–Norfolk. I know the people love him up there.
This is a plan informed by the best medical minds in the entire country. Informed by the chief medical officer and the health table. As I was saying earlier, we’re investing over $2.8 billion in our COVID-19 fall preparedness plan.
Mr. Speaker, we are actually including these hours. These hours are staggering. We’re adding …
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(Hon. Doug Ford)
… plan.
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Mr. Speaker, we are actually including these hours. These hours are staggering. We’re adding 484,000 hours of nursing and therapy visits—these are staggering numbers—and 1.4 million hours for personal support workers. And by the way, speaking of the PSWs, they’re going to get some great news today. The only government that’s actually going to appreciate what they’ve done, recognize what they’ve done.
Mr. Speaker, we are ready, we’re all over this, and again, we’re hiring 3,700 more health care workers for the fall preparedness plan.
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question.
Mr. Toby Barrett: My supplemental question is to the Premier.
I want to reiterate that our top doctors indicated just yesterday how bad the second wave is, and how far it spreads is up to all of us. The actions are simple, as we know, to control the spread: physical distancing, wear a mask, stay home if you’re sick, get a flu shot and look after our elderly and our vulnerable.
Premier, I know that the supply of PPE has been a topic very close to your heart and an area that you’ve taken personal leadership ensuring and overseeing, really, that people in Ontario have enough supply. So in preparation for this potential second wave, Speaker, I would ask the Premier: Please update this House on the current levels of PPE that are stockpiled across the province.
Hon. Doug Ford: Thank you very much to the member. I had an opportunity to go to DVS. That was out in Milton. These folks out there are absolutely incredible. I spoke to one person who’s a picker on the floor, and he worked 92 hours. The manager worked 98 hours. They were so proud of the job they were doing, the contribution they were doing. It was a 1.1 million square-foot building. And this building was just for the schools, the 72 school boards that we’re supplying, and they were shipping around the clock. They’re working seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
I’ve got to give a shout-out again to all the manufacturers out there. I saw first-hand millions and millions of N95 masks, surgical masks, gloves. They’re doing an incredible job. As a matter of fact, in that location alone, there were 39 million pieces of PPE.
We have more PPE to support not only Ontario but the rest of the country. As I said a few months ago, when 26,000 people went on our portal and said, “We’re willing to help out.” that’s what I call the—
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. The next question.