Toronto can now officially start shutting down workplaces with COVID cases
Stay in the loop Sign up for our free email newsletter. Unsubscribe anytime or contact us for details.
Friday marks the day that health officials in Toronto and Peel can start shutting down any workplace which experiences five or more COVID-19 cases in yet another attempt to curb virus spread as case counts in the province remain high.
People have been calling for the late but much-needed measure for weeks after it was shown that essential settings such factories and construction sites are extremely ripe for transmission, and are behind a staggering 69 per cent of workplace outbreaks in Toronto.
iPolitics By iPolitics. Published on Apr 21, 2021 6:17pm Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (right) and U.S. President Joe Biden during their first bilateral meeting (Photo via Twitter/@JustinTrudeau)
Tonight’s evening brief is brought to you by Net Zero. Y
our daily industry brief on clean energy and Canadian-resource politics that keeps you on top of the latest policy developments. More here.
Good evening to you.
We begin with a shot in the arm, of sorts. With the AstraZeneca vaccine a hot commodity among GenXers who are now eligible to receive it, doses are quickly dwindling in pharmacies. On the heels of word on Tuesday there could be delays in Ontario’s next two shipments, there was good news Wednesday from south of the border. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was on the horn with President Joe Biden, who said there may be jabs to spare before long.
We got it wrong : Ford apologizes for widely criticized COVID measures ipolitics.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ipolitics.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
iPolitics By Iain Sherriff-Scott. Published on Apr 21, 2021 2:12pm Government house leader Paul Calandra (Steve Russell/Toronto Star)
Ontario is inching closer to implementing a paid sick leave program, more than a year into the pandemic.
On Wednesday, Progressive Conservative (PC) House leader Paul Calandra said the government will be introducing such a program “in the next number of days” to address what it now admits are “gaps” in the Canada Sickness Recovery Benefit (CSRB).
To qualify for the CSRB, an employee must be off work for several days, making it inaccessible to people who need to take one or two days off because they show mild symptoms only. The benefit also pays below Ontario’s minimum wage of $14.25 per hour.
by news staff, Lucas casaletto
Posted Apr 20, 2021 6:09 pm EDT
Last Updated Apr 21, 2021 at 4:12 pm EDT
A person representing factory and food processing plant workers is covered by a sheet as a group advocating for provincially mandated paid sick days for workers participates in a die-in rally outside Queens Park in Toronto, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston
Ontario says it will present a paid sick-leave program for essential workers in a matter of days, following repeated calls for it to act on the issue.
Public health experts, labour groups, and local officials have been calling for sick-leave support for much of the pandemic, arguing it would reduce COVID-19 spread in workplaces.