TORONTO -- The Ontario government has announced that it’s moving forward with “ground-breaking” research projects to fight COVID-19, including clinical trials investigating vaccines and treatments.
Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Colleges and Universities Ross Romano made the announcement at a news conference Thursday, saying that the government is funding research to "test, detect and treat" the disease.
"My friends, any of these are ground-breaking projects. They have the potential to be a game changer - not just for Ontario, but for Canada and the entire world,” the premier told reporters.
"I want that vaccine to be discovered right here in Ontario. I want us to be the global leaders in this fight and I know we will be."
The province said it is moving forward with funding for 15 “high-quality and promising proposals” to fight COVID-19, as well as the 22 clinical trials investigating COVID-19 vaccines and treatments.
The proposals were submitted in response to a recent call under Ontario’s $20 million COVID-19 Rapid Research Fund.
"Our incredible scientific research and post-secondary community has stepped up in a big way,” Ford said.
“They have put up their hands, we've received proposals from every corner of this province and today I am proud to announce that we are moving forward with 15 of the most promising proposals as part of the first phase."
