By Judi McLeod ——Bio and Archives--April 19, 2021
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“Some of their statements echoed a tweet posted by Peel police spokesperson Akhil Mooken, saying officers will instead focus on engaging, explaining, educating and as a last resort, enforcing COVID-19 protocols.
Let’s try this again...
— Cst. Akhil Mooken (@AkhilMooken) April 17, 2021
We have no plans to randomly stop vehicles or persons to make sure they’re in compliance with the EMCPA.
Instead, we will continue to focus on Engaging, Explaining, Educating & as a last resort, Enforce.
Let’s work together to stop COVID-19.
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Ford had only been Ontario Premier a little more than six months when he met with Whitmer in Michigan. Ford, who forced stay-at-home orders on a population of some 14.5 million Ontarians effective midnight Saturday, said that Ontario could see more than 10,000 coronavirus cases per day by the end of May. His warning seems to be based on Revised modelling that suggests Ontario could see more than 10,000 cases per day by the end of May with the current measures in place and 100,000 vaccinations per day.Thank you Gov. @GretchenWhitmer for joining me to discuss jobs and opportunities on both sides of our border. Michigan is Ontario’s top trade partner and together we anchor the Great Lakes auto cluster. I look forward to working together to grow collaboration in our auto sectors. pic.twitter.com/eAi40yFPMT
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) January 15, 2019
“A six-week stay-at-home order with an average of 100,000 vaccinations per day "is the only way to flatten the curve," the modelling shows. (CBC) “Ford, along with Solicitor General Sylvia Jones, told reporters the stricter measures are necessary because of a lack of vaccine supply. However, health experts have repeatedly said vaccines alone cannot stop the surge of the virus.”
“Speaking at a twice-delayed news conference on Friday, Premier Doug Ford announced the stay-at-home order first instituted on April 8 for four weeks will now be extended until May 20. “Effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday, outdoor gatherings will be prohibited except for members of the same household or one other person from outside that household who lives alone. “Police will have the authority to ask anyone outside their residence to indicate their purpose for leaving home and provide their address. That includes stopping vehicles and potentially issuing tickets of approximately $750. “Non-essential construction will be shut down and outdoor amenities like golf and playgrounds will be restricted. Retail capacity will be limited to 25 per cent in all settings where in-store shopping is still permitted. “Inspectors will also visit law offices, accounting firms and other such locations to confirm that only essential workers are in the building. “Effective 12:01 a.m. Monday, religious gatherings, weddings and funerals will be limited to 10 people, whether indoors or outdoors. Also beginning Monday, Ford said, there will be checkpoints at provincial borders with Quebec and Manitoba with exceptions for essential travel.”
“During previous surges in Michigan, a resolute Gov. Gretchen Whitmer shut down businesses and schools as she saw fit — over the din of both praise and protests. But this time, Ms. Whitmer has stopped far short of the sweeping shutdowns that made her a lightning rod. “Policy change alone won’t change the tide,” Ms. Whitmer said on Friday, as she asked — but did not order — that the public take a two-week break from indoor dining, in-person high school and youth sports. “We need everyone to step up and to take personal responsibility here.” “Her approach, calling for individual responsibility over statewide restrictions, might have been lifted from the playbook of a Republican elected official, and on Friday she seemed to try to shift attention to the Biden administration for turning down her request to send extra vaccine doses to her beleaguered state.” “There is also re-election looming in the background. Michigan is a closely divided state, Ms. Whitmer’s office will be on the ballot next year and Republicans sense an opportunity. “This is the biggest thing in 100 years,” Jack O’Malley, a Republican member of the Michigan House, said of the pandemic. “I would say it’s got to be 80 percent of why somebody’s going to vote or not vote for her.”In Ontario, Ford must face a coronavirus-weary electorate in 2022. But if Ford meant what he said on Friday: "We're losing the battle between the variants and vaccines ... We're on our heels”, shouldn’t he step down? Meanwhile, the Government of Ontario should be more like its police forces whose motto is “to serve and protect”.
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