More Federal Support for Ontario against COVID-19

By: Laura Steiner

The federal government has announced more support for Ontario as it fights the third wave of COVID-19.  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled new measures earlier this afternoon.

“We are committed to taking a Team Canada approach to beating this virus and keeping Canadians safe, healthy, and supported,” Trudeau said.  The measures include theh following:

• The deployment of federal health care staff to Ontario hospitals
• Boosting rapid testing, and working with municipalities to deploy it into hot spots
• Investing $84.2 million to support voluntary safe isolation sites across the province
• A $46 million investment to expand virtual health services during the pandemic
• Reallocating an additional supply of tocilizumab (used to fight pneumonia in COVID-19 patients, as well as other drugs from other provinces/ territories

The federal government is also trying to get more supplies and healthcare workers deployed to the province. Mobile Health units deployed in Toronto, and Hamilton will remain in place until June 30, 2021.

The announcement today follows eventful few days for the Ford government.  Friday they announced a strengthened Stay-at-Home order, including additional closures such as parks, limits on funerals and wedding, as well as additional authority for police forces to randomly stop residents.  Saturday police forces across the province including Halton Region, Peel, and Toronto announced they will not be using the powers forcing the province to walk it back.  They also reopened municipal parks.

Ontario counted an additional 4,250 COVID-19 cases, 15 additional patients in Intensive Care Units, or ICU’s (741), while, an additional five are on ventilators (506).

Halton Region recorded an increase of 198 cases of COVID19, with 74 coming from Milton.  As of Friday, Halton’s ICU’s were 100% occupied, with 36 cases of COVID-19.