Ontario considering early move to Step 2, but at least one business won’t wait
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is signalling he’s ready to sit down with his health and science tables to talk about accelerating Step 2 of the province’s reopening plan.
“I just want to tell the people of Ontario, there’s no one who wants to open this economy more than I do. I just want to make sure we do it cautiously,” the Premier told reporters Thursday.
Ontario previously indicated that won’t happen until July 2, but positive trends in the fight against COVID-19 has the region’s medical officer of health on board with an earlier date.
“I think we are in a position that we can open up sooner than later,” says Dr. Wajid Ahmed of the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.
Dr. Ahmed says the decision is up to the province and he hasn’t been asked to weigh in, but noted some positive trends that put the community in a good place.
“Let’s say if the trend continues, if the province announced that maybe this weekend, or the next weekend we can move to the next step, I’ll be comfortable with that,” he says.
To enter this step, 70 per cent of adults need to be vaccinated with one dose and 20 per cent with two doses. Windsor-Essex County has achieved both of those standards, but the entire province still lags a bit behind on double doses at 18 per cent.
Step 2 allows for the reopening of personal care services like salons and hairdressers, indoor gatherings up to five people and outdoor gatherings of 25. It would also open the door to the resumption of live outdoor performances and sports leagues.
“Everyone’s pushing them, when it comes to the hair dressers,” says Ford, who wouldn’t commit to a date. “Folks, hang in there. We’re going to get there as soon as possible.”
It’s a wait at least one area salon wasn’t willing to endure.
“There’s only so much time you can go without earning any revenue, so we haven’t closed at all during this third lockdown,” says Sylvia Gounakis, the owner of Dry Parlour Inc. in Tecumseh.
She says she’s following health and safety protocols, including physical distancing and sanitizer — but couldn’t afford another lockdown.
“I’m more worried about the health of my business, to be quite honest,” Gounakis says.
She admits the business has faced repercussions for that decision, including multiple visits from bylaw officers. Gounakis tells CTV News she’s received tickets and has a summons to appear in court in July.
But the customers keep coming, which to her is a vote of confidence in what she’s doing.
Gounakis says personal care service providers feel bullied by the lockdown cycles and believes the province should listen to its medical experts.
“Just please, let us earn a living. Open us now. We have to,” she says.
“Everything is going to fall to pieces.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.