Ford responds to City’s top doctor, stands firm on keepings bars & restaurants open

The Premier still isn’t convinced shutting down indoor dining in Toronto is the right thing to do.

Doug Ford is not on side with the request by the City’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, even though public health reports 44 per cent of the recent outbreaks have been linked to restaurants, bars and entertainment venues.

“So, based on 20 businesses, there’s 7,600 small restaurant owners. Am I going to destroy 7,600 businesses over 20 people we’re going to target that are bad actors out there?,” Ford said on Wednesday.

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“We’re going to make sure the Minister of Labour is putting down some pretty heavy fines and we have put in the protocols to keep these places open,” he added.

 

RELATED: Ford says there isn’t enough evidence to shut down bars, restaurants

 

Dr. de Villa wants indoor service suspended for a period of four weeks which would represent an interruption of two incubation periods for the virus.

She says take out, delivery and pick-up would still be allowed.

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She’s also pushing for a pause on indoor group fitness classes and indoor recreation and team sports.

Echoing the same opinion shared by Ontario officials, Mayor John Tory Tory also urged people to celebrate Thanksgiving with only members of their own household.