NEW: In the wake of the Hamilton public school board passing a motion to continue masking past March 21, Education Minister @Sflecce issues directive that all school boards are to follow the provincial plan to lift masking on that date in schools. #onpoli
BREAKING: Ontario lowering maximum gathering size to 5 and bringing in penalties of up to $100,000 fines and a year in jail for individuals caught price gouging #COVID19#onpoli
BREAKING: In another sign of crisis enveloping Ford gov’t,@AndreaHorwath issues statement saying it has approached NDP seeking to suspend legislature later this week. Says NDP won’t agree unless paid sick days legislated. #onpoli
NEW: Ontario Health Minister @celliottability says can't resume non-emergency, non-urgent surgeries until early-mid Feb if hospital ICU numbers fall from current levels. Premier Ford is asked why restaurants, gyms can reopen before those surgeries. #onpoli
Asked why Ontario won't make #COVID19 vaccines mandatory for school attendance (along with other shots), chief medical officer Moore says because it's a new vaccine. "We want more experience with it before we mandate it." #onpoli
The premier’s nephew Michael Ford is sworn in as citizenship and multiculturalism minister, a choice that is raising eyebrows for a few reasons. #onpoli
BREAKING: The science table advising Ford gov’t releases brief saying only truly essential workplaces should remain open, pushes paid sick days, argues against outdoor activity restrictions, urges people to stay close to home. #onpoli
NEW: Remember a year ago when just about everything was closed and the streets were pretty much devoid of traffic? “We need to go back to that,” says associate Ontario medical officer Dr Barbara Yaffe. #onpoli#COVID19
Liberal ldr @StevenDelDuca slams PC rival Doug Ford for “engaging in a pity party for himself” in the debate by saying how hard he worked in pandemic. “That’s the job we’re running for,” Del Duca says, it’s “not all sunshine and smiles.” #onpoli
The Ontario Health Coalition is calling for a return to widespread free PCR testing for #COVID19 (not just for select groups). This comes with cases up 18.4% and hospitalizations up 24% in the last week. PCR testing has been limited since Omicron swamped Ont. late Dec. #onpoli
Long-Term Care Minister @DrFullertonMPP is now blaming NDP Leader @AndreaHorwath -- who has never been in power and used to ride the previous Liberal govt hard on not doing enough for nursing homes -- for the debacle with #COVID19 in nursing homes. #onpoli
