In an unprecedented rebuke of Ontario Public Health Premier Doug Ford declared. “The time for excuses is over, I want to see 13,000 tests starting tomorrow.” Ford was responding to media criticism that Ontario lags far behind every other province in the amount of testing for COVID19 that are taking place. Ford stepped up to the microphone after delivering his daily prepared remarks on the crisis, and said, “There’s some thing that has been on my mind.” Then he lit into Ontario Public Health declaring the lag in testing was “unacceptable.” “They have the reagents, they have the testing facilities, but the time for excuses is over.” People understand numbers, when they hear that south Korea flattened the curve by testing, testing testing. Same with Germany.”
Ford at one point identified an individual and said the person had apologized for the delay and promised to ramp up testing. Ford said the main reason for the delay in past was the lack of reagent, but now that problem has been solved. He told reporters that there are enough facilities and supplies to sustain the 13,000-a-day pace of testing. “Ill be watching those test numbers every day,” Ford vowed. I’m not a health expert at all, I rely on our health experts, but we are going to get after this.”
At his daily news conference, Dr David Williams, Ontario’s Chief Public Health officer, defended the department saying that while he shares the Premier’s urgency, there isn’t that much value in “just churning out numbers.” He indicated that the Premier will see a big uptick in testing.
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