Ontario health minister says premier has 'been around' after last public appearance three weeks ago
In the three weeks since Ontario unveiled its vaccine certificate program, Premier Doug Ford has been notably absent from the public eye, with the exception of videos posted to social media and a virtual address last week in Toronto.
Health Minister Christine Elliott was asked about the premier’s whereabouts during a news conference on Friday, to which she replied he has “been around.”
“Premier Ford is working every day to try and help limit the effects of COVID-19, trying to convince people to please go and get their vaccinations. That’s going to be the most important thing,” Elliott said.
“He’s also working right now on trying to revive our economy, getting people back to work, and bringing businesses to Ontario.”
The premier, who hosted daily news conferences at the beginning of the pandemic, last took questions from reporters on Sept. 1 when the province revealed the details of its vaccine certificate, a concept Ford had rebuffed saying such a program would create a “split society.”
In the face of Ontario’s fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and after British Columbia, Quebec and Manitoba introduced their own systems, the Progressive Conservative government announced the program would go into effect on Sept. 22, though Ford said its introduction was not something he wanted to do.
"This is a temporary tool that we won't use any longer than we have to but ... I know that this is what we have to do right now in the face of the fourth wave because these certificates are necessary to keep our hospitals safe and to avoid another lockdown," he said at the time.
The program was subject to some criticism in the days and weeks following its unveiling with many asking how the certificate would be enforced, how fraud would be prevented, and how potential loopholes may be exploited.
Elliott answered some of those questions earlier this week when additional details about the program were released.
Employees at non-essential businesses, like restaurants, movie theatres, and sport facilities will need to lean on local police forces if they feel threatened when asking for the certificate, though Elliott said she does not expect the demand for calls to 911 to be significant.
“If at any point they feel threatened, we want them to call 911 as soon as possible to make sure that our police officers can be there to assist,” Elliott said Tuesday.
Elliott went on to ask people to be “reasonable” when asked for the passport starting next week.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
What a U.S. farmworker’s case of bird flu tells us about tracking the infection
A U.S. farmworker who caught bird flu after working with dairy cattle in Texas appears to be the first known case of mammal-to-human transmission of the virus, a new study shows.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime reaches first Masters final in Madrid with another walkover
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to his first ATP Masters final, and he hasn't had to play all that much tennis to do it.