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
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
NEW High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.