Premier Ford returning from isolation, renews calls for border restrictions
Posted May 5, 2021 6:07 am.
Premier Doug Ford is once again focused on tightening border restrictions as he makes his return to Queen’s Park following a two week isolation.
Ford took to twitter on Tuesday night renewing calls for the federal government to tighten border restrictions.
The premier posting:
“In the last two weeks, we have sent the federal government 3 urgent letters requesting immediate action on the borders. more can and must be done. we cannot sit back and watch the fourth wave of COVID-19 walk across our border.”
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair responded to the calls from Ford and other Conservatives, saying in order to “win the fight against COVID-19, we need to stop community spread.”
He says the Ontario’s pandemic problems have largely come from community transmission which has led to outbreaks in workplaces and shared living spaces.
Blair says the federal government has continued to heed advice from public health experts to ensure proper measures are in place.
Ford is expected to return to question period on Wednesday for the first time since he was deemed to be a close contact of a staffer who had tested positive for COVID-19.
The Premier will likely face questions about his government’s handling of the long-term care sector after a scathing report from the province’s long-term care COVID-19 commission was released last week.
The report found the Ford government ignored warnings when the pandemic hit and did not act in a quick or decisive manner.
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Ontario wrote formally to Ottawa on last week, asking the federal government to impose mandatory three-day quarantines in hotels for travellers entering Canada at some of the busiest land crossings.
Travellers landing at Canada’s international airports already have to stay in a federally approved hotel for three days while awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test done on arrival. The hotel stay is part of a 14-day quarantine that can be completed at their destination if they test negative.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday that importation of COVID-19 through the borders is “extremely low” and not a major vector for spread. He said provinces could impose their own measures at land crossings if desired.
“We also know that at the borders there are a series of tests, there is a mandatory enforced two-week quarantine that has been effective in controlling the importation of cases,” the prime minister said.
Ontario is also looking to suspend the arrival of international students. Trudeau revealed Friday that Ford had made the request and was the only premier to do so.
During his regular COVID briefing on Tuesday, Trudeau suggested Canadians could begin travelling outside the country again by summer, and that Canada will align with other countries on any documents needed with some form of certification to prove vaccinations against COVID-19.
With files from the Canadian Press
