Two of four Ontario party leaders sick with COVID-19
As Ontario's election date approaches, two of the province’s four main political party leaders have tested positive for COVID-19.
Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner announced Wednesday night in a news release that he received a positive result from a rapid test following close contact with a staff member.
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
“I’m feeling fine. Developed a bit of a slight cough this morning. But I’m self-isolating, I’m following all public health guidelines and we’ll be campaigning from home until it’s safe to not do so,” Schreiner told CP24 Thursday morning.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath delivered similar news in a press release Thursday morning and will not attend her previously planned in-person campaign stops in northern Ontario remotely.
"I am really regretful that that's been turned around," Horwath said over Zoom on Thursday morning.
The NDP Leader said she feels like she has a “bit of a bug” but that she is “certainly not 100 per cent."
All four party leaders were in close proximity with one another Monday night for the one-and-only televised debate of the 2022 election campaign.
A spokesperson for Steven Del Duca said the Liberal leader tested negative following the news of Schreiner and Horwath’s positive test results.
During a campaign stop in Mississauga, Del Duca wished Horwath and Schreiner speedy recoveries and underscored COVID-19’s ongoing threat.
"I think this is a good reminder that though we all want to be on the other side of this pandemic, that there are still risks, and that so many here in Mississauga and across Ontario, are still struggling," he said.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the PC Party responded to an email from CTV News Toronto inquiring about leader Doug Ford’s status saying, “He’s not experiencing any symptoms."
Ivana Yelich said, because “it’s been more than 48 hours” since the debate, “he’s not considered a close contact.”
Yelich added he has also tested negative.
Speaking from the campaign trail, Ford encouraged Ontarians to continue following what’s left of COVID-19 safety protocols.
"(If) you have symptoms, please get tested," he said
Speaking to CP24 Thursday morning, University Health Network’s Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control Dr. Susy Hota said the positive cases among party leaders should serve as a reminder that COVID-19 is still being transmitted throughout Ontario.
Ontario Progressive Conservative Party Leader Doug Ford, left to right, Ontario New Democratic Party Leader Andrea Horwath, Ontario Liberal Party Leader Steven Del Duca and Green Party of Ontario Leader Mike Schreiner debate during the Ontario party leaders' debate, in Toronto, Monday, May 16, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
"There are a lot of social interactions amongst the party leaders and member of the public,” Hota said.
“It is a cautionary reminder there is still quite a bit of COVID-19 out there right now."
Hospitalizations related to COVID-19 in Ontario, which have served as an indicator of transmission in the absence of widely-available PCR testing, have been gradually trending downward in recent weeks.
However, the limited number of tests reported on a daily basis suggest that COVID-19 is still circulating in the province with positivity rates stubbornly resting above 10 per cent.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
TSB concludes investigation into cause of London, Ont. freight train fire
More than two weeks after a freight train with several railcars ablaze rolled through the heart of the Forest City, the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has concluded its investigation.