shutdown

Thursday April 8, 2021

 

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday April 8, 2021

Ford government pandemic spin is wearing very thin

If you had the pleasure of watching Wednesday afternoon’s media briefing, in which the Ontario government announced its latest stay-at-home-order to fight the spread of COVID-19, you might have noticed two competing narratives.

May 29, 2020

The first came courtesy of Premier Doug Ford and Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams, along with Health Minister Christine Elliott. It goes like this: Even though the province has been listening to health experts from the outset, and has acted accordingly, the COVID variants are proving even more contagious and deadly than originally predicted. So in spite of everything the government has done, more is necessary, hence the one-month stay-at-home-order with new restrictions and clear directions to Ontarians; Stay home except for food and pharmacy needs, health-care appointments and outdoor exercise. 

From Ford and Elliott in particular, you would have heard the word “decisive” used repeatedly along with “nimble” several times. In short, the government has done all the right things, but the darned variants are more nasty than anyone predicted, so this one big last push is needed. 

November 12, 2020

The competing narrative came from journalists questioning the three. One asked what took so long when health experts were saying even before Ford pulled the emergency brake six days ago that a hard lockdown is essential to even put a dent in spread. Modelling weeks ago predicted the hospital admission and ICU overload we are now seeing. Local medical officers of health and public health experts including the government’s own science table have pushed for another stay-at-home lockdown, the kind we had after Christmas through until February.

There is a mountain of advice from health experts, all of it unanimous that the half measures imposed by Ford and his advisers a week ago wouldn’t be enough to slow the spread.

April 3, 2021

Yet it didn’t move aggressively to vaccinate vulnerable essential workers, it didn’t adequately lock down retail, leaving big box stores open with reduced capacity. It chose not to close schools, leaving the difficult call to local medical officers of health resulting in a patchwork of open and closed schools across the province. The government saw the frightening hospital admission and ICU capacity numbers, and the accompanying dire predictions.

March 1, 2012

Now, six days after it pulled the half-baked emergency brake, Ontario is under a stay-at-home order for the next month. And there is no guarantee that won’t be extended. Some form of lockdown is predicted for hot zones until the end of June.

You can make your own judgment on which of the two narratives is closest to the truth. But this has to be said: Had the government done what it was being advised to do much sooner, we would not be in this position. But it didn’t and here we are.

Somewhat lost in Wednesday’s news cycle was one of the most stark, potentially terrifying, developments to date in the pandemic. Government sources say the provincial cabinet will soon have to pass an order indemnifying intensive care doctors from liability for making decisions about which critically ill patients get treatment, and which do not. As they did in Italy at the height of the first wave, and in New York state. 

The question came up in the briefing, and Elliott was quick to minimize it, saying that if Ontarians do the right things, those terrible measures won’t be needed. But the fact that the government recognizes the need for such protection is a brutal indicator of just how bad things have become.

Let’s hope critical care doctors don’t need to employ that protection. (Hamilton Spectator Editorial) 

 

Wednesday April 7, 2021

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday April 7, 2021

So tired of the Pandemic

November 27, 2020

Folks, just because you’re legally allowed to go into malls doesn’t mean that you should go into malls — especially not for the purpose of “doing a little wander around” and leaving without shopping bags.

I mean, if you’re going to literally risk your life by entering the jam-packed Yorkdale Shopping Centre or Eaton Centre amid a pandemic, you should at the very least stimulate the economy while you’re at it.

This is just common sense, or so it appears to be in the eyes of Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who on Tuesday went off on the many people who flocked to malls in and around Toronto this past weekend, as they were fully permitted to do under existing lockdown rules.

As many on Twitter are now pointing out in the wake of Ford’s comments, consumers weren’t necessarily being irresponsible on purpose by going to malls this weekend: Current shutdown rules still permit shopping centres to operate at 25 per cent capacity. (blogTO)  

April 1, 2021

Meanwhile, more than 30,000 people attended the Texas Rangers home opener Monday against the Toronto Blue Jays, in the first major, full-capacity sporting event in the U.S. in more than a year.

The Rangers announced a sellout crowd of 38,283 tickets sold for their 2021 home debut at Globe Life Field in Arlington, where Toronto scored a 6-2 victory.

Masks are mandated inside the new ballpark, though pictures from Monday’s game showed many spectators not wearing them.

One noted fan not in attendance Monday was Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who declined to throw the ceremonial first pitch because Major League Baseball moved its All-Star Game out of Atlanta in protest of Georgia’s move to restrict voter access.

The $1.2 billion Arlington stadium, which has a retractable roof and a listed capacity of 40,518, was the site of 30 Rangers homes games in 2020, a truncated campaign that did not allow fans inside. (NBC)  

July 18, 2020

Meanwhile, a Leamington restaurant is defying the provincial COVID-19 shutdown orders and remaining open for in-person dining.

Kristy Leathem, the owner of Family Kitchen at 73 Erie Street South, says her doors have been open for dine-in restaurant during regular business hours since February.

“If Walmart down the street can remain open at 50 per cent capacity why can’t I?” said Leathem.

Her establishment has a capacity for 100 people, but Tuesday morning she said she had about 50 customers.

She says she is not planning on exceeding capacity rules at 50 per cent, but wants a more even playing field when it comes to rules for the shutdown.

Ontario issued a province-wide emergency brake shutdown on Thursday. Under the new rules, restaurants are prohibited from in-person dining and are allowed to be open for takeout and delivery only. (CTV)  

March 11, 2021

Meanwhile, Ontario is reporting 3,065 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the provincial total to 367,602.

Tuesday’s case count is higher than Monday’s which saw 2,938 new infections. On Sunday, 3,041 new cases were recorded and 3,009 on Saturday.

According to Tuesday’s provincial report, 955 cases were recorded in Toronto, 561 in Peel Region, 320 in York Region, 165 in Ottawa, 132 in Niagara Region, 128 in Hamilton, 119 in Halton Region and 101 in Durham Region.

All other local public health units reported fewer than 100 new cases in the provincial report.

The death toll in the province has risen to 7,458 as eight more deaths were recorded. (Global) 

 

Saturday April 3, 2021

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday April 3, 2021

Ontario’s COVID-19 ’emergency brake’ shutdown takes effect on Saturday

January 13, 2021

An Ontariowide “shutdown” will be put in place to combat an “alarming” surge in COVID-19 infections, Premier Doug Ford said Thursday as intensive care admissions related to the virus surpassed those of the second wave of the pandemic.

Citing the need for drastic action, Ford said the change will take effect Saturday and continue for at least four weeks.

The government is asking Ontarians to limit trips outside the home to necessities such as food, medication and other essential services, but stopped short of imposing a stay-at-home order like it did in January.

Retail stores will see limits on capacity while restaurants will be restricted to takeout, delivery and drive-through service, the premier said.

April 11, 2020

The government has said schools will also remain open because they are crucial to students’ mental health.

“The decision was not made lightly,” Ford said in announcing the new measures. “I know the toll these restrictions continue to take on people’s mental health and well-being.”

The announcement came hours after the province’s science advisers said stay-at-home orders are needed to control the third wave driven by more contagious and deadly COVID-19 variants.

The Ontario Science Advisory Table said that otherwise, the province could see up to 6,000 new infection cases by mid-April. With the restrictions in place, the modelling data shows there will still be about 800 people in ICUs by the end of April.

December 1, 2007

“The decision was not made lightly,” Ford said in announcing the new measures. “I know the toll these restrictions continue to take on people’s mental health and well-being.”

The announcement came hours after the province’s science advisers said stay-at-home orders are needed to control the third wave driven by more contagious and deadly COVID-19 variants.

The Ontario Science Advisory Table said that otherwise, the province could see up to 6,000 new infection cases by mid-April. With the restrictions in place, the modelling data shows there will still be about 800 people in ICUs by the end of April. (Global News)

Every cartoon starts as a scrappy sketch