Some context here: 22 of Ontario's 34 public health units are already in grey zone (Lockdown) or red zone (Control) level of restrictions, and they're the places where the spread of #COVID19 is the worst. #COVID19Ontariodatawrapper.dwcdn.net/KTYuD/35/
As far as I can tell, based on the info from our @CBCNews sources, there is virtually no difference between the restrictions to be imposed from Saturday and the current restrictions in grey-lockdown zones as laid out here covid-19.ontario.ca/zones-and-rest…#COVID19Ontario
Our sources say 'emergency brake' means...
OPEN:
Essential retail, at 50% max capacity
Non-essential retail, at 25% capacity
Construction
Religious services, with capacity limits
Golf
CLOSED:
Indoor dining at restaurants
Personal care services
Indoor fitness
Although @CBCNews sources say schools will *not* be closed by the lockdown order, the director of @YCDSB sent this letter to parents saying “it appears the Ministry of Education will announce a four-week shut down of schools across Ontario.” #COVID19Ontario
UPDATE: Education Minister @Sflecce says letter (in thread) from @YCDSB is false (& therefore my original sources were correct).
Schools will *NOT* be closed as part of the government's move to impose a "shutdown" across Ontario. #onted
Official statement from minister's office:
The context: I tweeted a thread about Ontario’s premier using the platform of an official government news conference to take softball questions from a partisan, a newspaper owner who ran for the federal Conservatives.
The person who got picked to ask Premier Doug Ford questions at a government news conference today is Jagdish Grewal, *owner* of the Canadian Punjabi Post, a former federal Conservative candidate. He’s holding mic, with Ford & PC MPPs @ninatangri & @sandhuamarjot1
He’s not what you would describe as politically neutral toward the premier. #onpoli
NEW: A developer who wants to build the biggest retail warehouse in Canada is poised to get permission today to destroy a protected wetland for the project. The Ford government ordered the Toronto Region Conservation Authority to grant the permit. #onpoli cbc.ca/1.5945991
The developer calls the warehouse plan Project Lonestar. My sources say the prospective tenant is @amazonca. A source within Amazon says the company has not signed a commitment to the wetland site but is actively considering it, along with multiple other properties in the area.
The permit to be issued today would allow the developer to dump any material on the site and to remove any part of the wetland.
It's unclear exactly when the wetland destruction would begin, but a statement by the company's lawyer suggests it could happen quickly.
BREAKING: Premier Doug Ford accuses Indigenous NDP MPP @solmamakwa of vaccine queue-jumping.
"The member flew in to get his vaccine. Kind of jumping the line. I talked to a few chiefs that were pretty upset about that, flying into the community that he doesn't belong."
@solmamakwa I'm told that MPP Sol Mamakwa will respond to Ford's allegation shortly, but for now NDP officials say he is a priority candidate for vaccination as he is an Indigenous adult and was asked to get vaccinated to discourage hesitancy in the community. #COVID19Ontario
Mamakwa tweeted a few days ago about getting vaccinated