TORONTO – One step forward and one step back. The provincial government led by Doug Ford continues in recent days to send signals of great instability and insecurity, precisely at a time when – given the seriousness of the situation in Ontario – an executive capable of dealing with the problems with determination and timeliness would be needed. But let’s take a step back. On Friday, as had been widely announced, the premier decided to adopt a long list of new restrictions in an attempt to curb the covid-19 race, which now seems out of control in the province.
There are three new measures, a ban on inter-provincial travel with police on the borders with Manitoba and Quebec, a reduction in the capacity of some shops, the possibility for the police to stop anyone to ask if there is an obligation to stay at home, the closure of all playgrounds, basketball and football fields, and the limitation of the sales hours of some shops.
Then, the government line begins to have its first cracks. After a few hours, the Toronto police say that they will not implement what the government has requested, but that on the contrary, they will only continue to intervene when there is a legitimate suspicion that people are participating in a gathering outside or indoors. At the same time, many virologists and doctors harshly criticize some aspects of the new squeeze desired by the provincial government: Covid-19 – this is the basic thesis of criticism – is much more transmissible in enclosed places, while outside the coronavirus makes it more difficult to infect people. Consequently, closing playgrounds for children and other activities outside would be nonsense.
The premier cashes in on the criticism and on Saturday decides to go back on his steps: the new measures eliminate the decision to close the playgrounds, as well as the request made to the police to carry out checks on the street.
Within 24 hours, in essence, Ford is forced to overturn what had just been decided, approved and announced. A bit of what had happened for the schools, with Minister Stephen Lecce having ensured that the opening was maintained after the spring break only to be contradicted by the premier’s decision a few hours later.
