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NDP: Rx Birth Control To Be Covered By OHIP If Elected In June

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Another party platform outlined by the Andrea Horwath and the provincial NDP.

Party leader, Andrea Horwath, outlined that if elected to lead the province in June she would make changes within weeks that would allow OHIP to cover all prescription birth control.

In a written release, Horwath said “the change will remove any cost barriers that limit people’s ability to make free choices about their reproductive health…,”. Types of contraceptives that would be included are the emergency Plan B pill, oral contraceptives, patches, injection/shots, IUD’s (intrauterine devices), rings and implants.

Currently tubal ligations (getting tubes tied), vasectomies and some forms of prescription birth control are available through the province’s health care system, and are only for those 25 and under. There are some exceptions for those outside of that age limit.

The provincial election is scheduled for June 2nd.

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Ontario NDP Release Northern Business Plan

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The Ontario NDP say they have a plan to help struggling small businesses in northwestern Ontario.

The Official Opposition are updating their “Save Main Street” plan, which was first announced in April.

It includes a utility freeze for businesses, a 75% commercial rent subsidy up to $10,000 per month for three months, and a fund to help businesses work remotely.

The plan also calls for a dedicated fund to re-train people, help them get new jobs, more paid sick days and a ban on evictions.

Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa says he heard “day in and day out” over the summer from businesses that were suffering and didn’t qualify for provincial or federal help.

He adds they’ll be raising awareness about these issues at Queens Park.

Mamakwa says “Whether it’s Sioux Lookout. Whether it’s Red Lake. Whether it’s Kenora. Whether it’s Thunder Bay. We need to be able to work together and come up with a common goal, common voice, on how we can work with small business.”

The NDP also want to focus on a “she-covery, a program helping women who tend to face barriers in getting jobs while also being responsible for childcare amidst the pandemic.

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Ontario Launches Recovery Program For Northern Businesses

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Ontario has launched a recovery program for Northern businesses impacted by COVID-19.A new Northern Ontario Economic Recovery program has been unveiled to support small and medium sized businesses impacted by COVID-19.

Minister of Northern Development Greg Rickford says the program is the result of extensive consultations with those hit hard by the pandemic.

Rickford says $20-million in grants are being made available and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation will be administering the program.

“An opportunity for your business to apply for up to $25,000 in grants. So not a loan component to this. To help you run and make your business better as we face what is still, especially with the second wave, an uncertain future.”

Money can be used for building renovations, new constructions, marketing, equipment purchases, including personal protective equipment, business restructuring and customer and employee safety installations.

Rickford provided some examples while rolling out the program early Monday morning.

“Construction of new space for increased social distancing measures. New patio construction for outdoor services. If that’s an opportunity for your business, this will qualify. We will be very generous in our efforts to make sure we are supporting our businesses.”

He adds “Redesigning current space to allow for increased social distancing and customer flows. This could be your dining room at a tourist camp or a dock that now have to have much bigger because of social distancing as parties stay separate.”

Applications will be accepted starting on Thursday and last until the end of December.

The Kenora-Rainy River MPP says the government wants to put business owners in a better place now and in the future.

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Ontario Premier Questions Throne Speech

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The Premier is disappointed with a federal pledge to move ahead with a national, universal pharmacare program.

The government stated in Wednesday’s Throne Speech that it will accelerate steps with the provinces to achieve the system

Doug Ford says “We speak from one voice. All the Premiers. We don’t believe the federal government should be in that provincial jurisdiction. We need their support. But no one understands health care better than each province. We all have different needs.”

Ford stresses “If the federal government takes over health care, I think it will be an absolute disaster. Every Premier feels the same way that they should not be stepping into the jurisdiction of the provinces.”

He adds they need federal support but they don’t their support with conditions and them taking over health care.

Ford says the past five governments have not increased health care spending, noting the burden of 78% to 80% of spending falls on the back of the province.

The Premier also has questions and concerns surrounding the Throne Speech.

Doug Ford says he was disappointed not to see any increase with the Canadian health transfers that are in desperate need.

He also wants answers on infrastructure and other commitments from the feds.

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Changes To Provincial COVID-19 Testing Guidelines

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The provincial government is changing its cornavirus testing guidelines.

The goal is to prioritize those who are at the greatest risk, while shifting away from untargeted asymptomatic testing.

Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Barbara Yaffe says Ontarians should only seek testing at assessment centres if they are:

1. Showing COVD-19 symptoms
2. Have been exposed to a confirmed case of the virus, as informed by your public health unit or exposure notification through the COVID Alert app
3. A resident or work in a setting that has an outbreak, as informed by your public health unit
4. A resident or work in an at-risk setting such as long-term care homes, shelters and health care.

Dr. Yaffe says these people are the ones they need to make sure are getting tested as quickly as possible in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.

She adds doing this will help support access to testing for those who need it and help us to prevent and control the spread of the virus in Ontario.

Starting Friday anyone can get tested at select pharmacies, however, the bad news for local residents is there are no participating pharmacies in all of northern Ontario.

A number of testing sites in Ontario, including Dryden, are experiencing a huge increase in the volume of calls and delays.

The Ontario government is also spending an additional $1.07 billion to expand testing and case and contact management and investing $30 million to prevent and manage outbreaks in priority sectors, including the province’s long-term care homes, retirement homes and schools.

Ontario is reporting 409 new cases of the coronavirus Thursday, bringing the provincial total to 48,496.

151 new cases were recorded in Toronto, 82 in Ottawa, 46 in Peel Region, 34 in York Region and 26 in Waterloo.

 

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Premier Blasts Health Canada

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A frustrated Doug Ford is calling out Health Canada.

Ontario’s Premier says they would like to do saliva tests for COVID-19, but haven’t heard anything from the federal agency.

“The fact is that Health Canada has been sitting on their hands,” says Ford, “It’s very simple. It’s a game-changer if we can get the approvals for the other tests.”

He says with the saliva tests, they can get the results within hours, rather than days.

Premier Ford explains the Province is handcuffed, and that Health Canada doesn’t seem like there’s any urgency to give their approval.

Ford adds that they have purchased saliva tests from British Columbia, and that three hospitals in the Toronto area have been given permission to start using them.

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Northern Economic Recovery Plan Being Drafted

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The provincial government is putting the finishing touches on a new Northern Ontario Economic Recovery program.

Northern Development Minister Greg Rickford says it will target small businesses that have been hit hard by COVID-19.

“There will be threshold evaluations on the economic impact to their businesses and when and where appropriate a grant format for them to carry on with some of the projects that they would have otherwise done had they not been hit by COVID.”

Rickford says the goal is to restart the local economy.

“This will be particularly important for some our tourist operators and our businesses that are in that supply chain but it will be available to all small businesses when I roll it out.”

The Kenora-Rainy River MPP says he hopes to announce specific details in the next couple of weeks.

Rickford notes the support will begin immediately when he announces specifics and will go through to the fall and early winter.

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Flu Shot Campaign Introduced By Province

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The Ford government says its starting up a $70 million flu immunization campaign, the largest of its kind in Ontario’s history.

Premier Doug Ford says the campaign is part of the province’s plan to prepare the health system for the second wave of COVID-19.

He says it will be more challenging because of the flu season and the because of the need to avoid cancelling hospital surgeries.

“We’ve been working through the summer to put in place a robust and comprehensive plan to tackle a potential, more challenging second wave of COVID-19,” said Premier Ford. “It’s important that we prepare for any scenario in order to protect all of our citizens, especially our seniors and most vulnerable. Our government is doing everything it can to defeat this deadly virus, including delivering an unprecedented flu shot campaign to maintain capacity in our hospitals.”

Up to 5 million flu shot vaccines have been ordered in the province with 1.3 million being a special high dose for seniors.

The Keeping Ontarians Safe plan will:

  • Maintain strong public health measures, including continued expansion of testing and case and contact management;
  • Quickly identify, manage and prevent COVID-19 outbreaks;
  • Accelerate efforts to reduce health service backlogs;
  • Prepare for surges in COVID-19 cases;
  • Recruit, retain, train and support health care workers, while also continuing to engage families and caregivers; and
  • Implement the largest flu immunization campaign in Ontario’s history.

The province will release details over the coming days.

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Ontario Energy Minister Still Against Carbon Tax

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Ontario’s Minister of Energy isn’t happy with an Ontario Court ruling related to the federal carbon tax.

Earlier this year the government started putting stickers on gas pumps across the province showing the true costs of the tax but that has now been deemed unconstitutional.

The government says no decision has been made on an appeal.

Greg Rickford believes the provincial action was warranted.

Rickford says “We respect the Court’s decision. We don’t agree with it. To the extent that we believe the people of Ontario need to understand where additional costs are coming. Especially at the point of purchase with respect to gasoline.

The Kenora-Rainy River MPP notes they have documentation showing the carbon tax has resulted in additional costs, especially for motorists in northern Ontario.

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Local MPP Demands Government To Respect Treaty Rights

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The MPP for Kiiwetinoong says the government can’t act alone in opening the north as part of COVID-19 recovery plans.

The Premier and other high profile Ministers have been vocal about the potential of the north and it’s importance to economic recovery.

Sol Mamakwa issued a stern warning in the Legislature this week.

“This government must learn to respect the Treaty relationships before it’s damaged beyond repair. I bring this up today because economic recovery from the effects of COVID-19 won’t happen at the expense of our Treaty rights and our lands.”

Mamakwa stresses this isn’t open season on their lands, adding the forest and the land means more to First Nations than the source of money.

The NDP Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Critic states First Nations have not been fully involved in consultations with the province.

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