September 19th, 2020

Crisis-chasing is no replacement for a wave-two strategy

NDP Deputy Leader Sara Singh released the following statement in response to Premier Doug Ford’s announcement that reduced social gathering limits, on private gatherings only, will be extended province-wide:

“Hundreds more people are getting sick by the day. People, including seniors and feverish little ones, wait in testing line ups hour after hour. Students, staff and parents are anxious about crowded school busses and classrooms. Businesses are on pins and needles that another shut-down is coming.

The Ford government was not prepared for this spike in cases, and they should have been. They’ve been chasing crisis after crisis instead of being ready. From the months it took to ramp up testing — which now falls short again — to the tragic crisis they let fester in long-term care, to the migrant worker crisis, and the schools now scrambling.

Today Ford is correcting an announcement he made just a couple days ago. It’s still inconsistent, and doesn’t go far enough. In addition to a province wide rollback in social gathering limits we need to see a province wide rollback on class sizes. How could Doug Ford believe it’s not safe to have more than 10 people in a gathering, but that it’s save to have 30 kids in a classroom and 70 kids on a school bus?

To stop this second wave from getting worse, we need a 15-student cap on class sizes. We need a massive ramp up of testing through public health units, which have said they need more funding and more staff. We need action to staff up and protect nursing homes. The NDP will keep pushing for these things, which should all be part of a comprehensive second-wave plan that is now months late.”