On May 8, 2020, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Finance Rod Phillips reacted to the Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey data released today. Premier Ford and Minister Phillips also re-announced that a number of Ontario businesses will be permitted to reopen in the coming days, meaning thousands of Ontarians will be able to resume working.
Premier Ford and Minister Phillips were joined by Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Christine Elliott.
Following this afternoon’s announcement, Premier Ford and Minister Elliott responded to questions from media regarding interprovincial travel restrictions and COVID-19 case numbers in Ontario.
Further Details
Preparing for the Next Stages of Reopening Ontario’s Economy
This afternoon, Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Finance Rod Phillips reacted to the Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey data released today, which demonstrates that 689,000 jobs were lost in Ontario in the month of April.
Premier Ford acknowledged the “devastating impact” of COVID-19 on the lives of Ontarians but expressed optimism that thousands will soon be able to return to work at garden centres, hardware stores and retail outlets. Today, garden centres and nurseries were permitted to open for in-store payment and purchases. Tomorrow, hardware and safety supply stores will be permitted to reopen. On Monday, May 11, all non-essential retail stores with a street entrance may open for curbside pickup and delivery.
Following Premier Ford’s remarks, Minister Phillips announced that he is confident the Ontario Jobs and Recovery Committee will soon be able to provide further clarity and notice for employers to prepare to reopen.
Questions from Media – Interprovincial Travel Restrictions and Ontario Case Numbers
Following this afternoon’s announcement, Premier Ford and Minister Elliott responded to questions from media regarding interprovincial travel restrictions and COVID-19 case numbers in Ontario.
When asked whether he was concerned about Quebec’s removal of most checkpoints at the Ontario border, Premier Ford reiterated that Canadians should refrain from interprovincial travel. He emphasized that he remains opposed to reopening the Canada-U.S. border to non-essential travel at this time.
In response to questions about today’s slight increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases in Ontario, Minister Elliott explained that slight case increases are to be expected on certain days. The most important consideration for provincial health officials remains a gradual downward trend in new case numbers.
Minister Elliott added that while the majority of new cases in Ontario are occurring in long-term care and other congregate settings, there is still evidence of community spread. The Minister said that Ontario is working to increase its testing capacity, particularly as the economy begins to reopen.