Ontario Premier Doug Ford teases COVID-19 lockdown announcement, days after pointing fingers at young people and federal government
With daily COVID-19 cases in Ontario spiking over 2,000 again, Premier Doug Ford teased a restrictions announcement, but was unwilling to pull the trigger on any news Wednesday afternoon. The move to announce something that would be later announced came as a puzzling communication tactic from Ford, even more so than his tangent on Tim Hortons' real egg breakfast sandwiches.
“Stay tuned,” said Ford in responding to a question on what Ontario’s plan was to handle the third wave of COVID-19.
The comments come just a couple days after the premier took a shot at his federal counterparts in Ottawa insisting they were to blame for Ontario falling short of its vaccination targets. He called the procurement and delivery process, which Ottawa is in charge of a “joke” last week. Federal Procurement Minister Anita Anand responded to Ford’s claims on Tuesday, saying she was “surprised by those remarks” insisting that deliveries were going as intended and information was being provided to provinces. Anand added that by the end of April, Canada would begin to receive the single-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine, too.
"I'm actually surprised by those remarks," says @AnitaOakville.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the province does not have steady supply to vaccines but @AnitaOakville takes issue with his comment. What does she have to say? Watch more at https://t.co/YQe50FHb6K.#ctvpp #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/jlccnDed7q— CTV Power Play (@CTV_PowerPlay) March 30, 2021
But, vaccines are far from the only thing on Ford’s mind, as serious cases of COVID-19 begin to rise in the province, with far younger people also ending up in the intensive care unit.
“421 patients now in ICU with COVID related critical illness on a total census of 1,822. 32 new admissions yesterday. This is the highest number of COVID patients in critical care at one time since the pandemic began,” wrote Anthony Dale, President and CEO of the Ontario Hospital Association on Twitter.
With cases and serious infections on the rise, Ford said that “everything is on the table,” but over the past week, he’s taken to pointing the finger at millennials for driving the latest surge of COVID cases. Since January 15, people ages 39 and under have made up 50.9% of all cases.
"I've got a message to the young folks: guys, this party's not over," Ford said during his daily press briefing on Monday.
Ford’s focus on young people comes despite Ontario’s Science Table providing data back in February indicating that if Ontario loosened restrictions, cases would rise. The province also went step further and allowed for indoor dining in some areas, which was considered a fairly risky venture given how the COVID-19 variants of concern are more transmissible indoors. Younger age groups are not taking getting blamed lightly, citing that they’re often in positions, such as minimum wage jobs and professions that require them to be at work.
Before you give in to the urge to villainize my generation, pls remember that for every dumb hipster kid throwing a maskless bday party there are many young ppl living in crowded housing situations or working in harm's way, teaching your kids how to read or bagging your groceries
— Alexandra Posadzki (@alexposadzki) March 31, 2021
Ford blaming young people for the rise in cases as if we aren't the working class, front line, essential etc. But we get the vaccine last.
— The Impatient Tourist (@ImpatienTourist) March 29, 2021
Young people: Will you pay me to stay home from work so I don’t starve?
Doug Ford: No.
Young people: Can I have a vaccine then?
Doug Ford: Also no. https://t.co/ZCuFX8n36z— I’m Tired (Monica) (@monicarooney) March 29, 2021
i literally feel like im stuck in a time loop where ontario eases restrictions, those eased restricitons cause an uptick in cases and doug ford blames "young people partying" to avoid taking any responsibility get me outta here!!!!
— fiona stone (@fionapebble) March 31, 2021
Doug Ford is playing games, and doing all he can to distract from the tire fire that is Ontario right now. He’s blaming feds, young people, and praying that local medical officers will make the decision to lock things down for him.
We truly have a crisis of leadership.— Lefty Gardiner (@GardinerLefty) March 30, 2021
While it remains unclear what announcement Ontarians are waiting for, many are predicting a lockdown is likely in order, but it’s unsure if it will begin before or after Easter weekend.