Ontario Medical Association slams Ford government’s COVID-19 colour-coded framework
Posted November 12, 2020 11:43 am.
Last Updated November 12, 2020 11:58 am.
The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) is speaking out against the Ford government’s colour-coded COVID-19 framework, saying it isn’t enough to help control the spread of the virus.
OMA’s criticism comes following a scathing piece from the Toronto Star that advice from Public Health Ontario executives on the criteria was ignored.
“Doctors are worried. It is clear the new tiered framework is not enough to control the virus, which is spreading among more and more people,” Dr. Samantha Hill, president of the Ontario Medical Association, said in a statement.
“We must do more to protect the people of Ontario, especially those weaker than ourselves. That is why we are advising our partners in care, Premier Ford and Ontario mayors, to fix this framework and put more resources into testing and contact tracing in the meantime. You have the support of doctors to do it.”
Hill said the group also recommends stopping all non-essential services – including all public events – to gain control of the spread in Toronto, Peel, and Ottawa.
RELATED: Brampton continues troubling trajectory as Peel Region reports over 400 new COVID-19 cases
The new framework, unveiled by the government on Nov. 3, places each of Ontario’s public health units in a green, yellow, orange, red or lockdown category based on a series of trends such as how many people are testing positive or being hospitalized.
Peel Region is the only COVID-19 hotspot currently in the red category but health officials in Peel rejected the designation saying it was far too lenient, later enforcing additional restrictions on the advice of top doctor Lawrence Loh.
“Ontario’s doctors recommend those trends, or thresholds at which regions move from tier to tier, should be much lower, in some cases 50 percent lower. We strongly recommend locations in the “restrict” (yellow) and “control’ (red) categories should close bars and indoor dining altogether,” Smith said.
OMA says they applaud the local medical officers of health in Toronto and Peel Region for ‘doing the right thing’ and increasing local measures beyond what the framework requires.
OMA represents Ontario’s 43,000-plus physicians, medical students and retired physicians, advocating for and supporting doctors while strengthening the leadership role of doctors in caring for patients.
