Covid-19 and the Ontario pandemic mismanagement

  Covid-19 and the Ontario pandemic mismanagement
     by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC,
FEC, CET, P. Eng.
Former Member of Parliament
Pickering-Scarborough East

It is well known that crisis of any kind breeds uncertainty and it is important for leaders to make sound decisions and not half measures based on the advice of network teams and area experts.
To exercise true leadership, a leader must learn to pause, think and assess before acting, be transparent, demonstrate empathy to the human tragedy and be on top of the action.
In the case of Ontario, the results thus far are not encouraging. The province is the most locked-down entity in all North America. How did we arrive at this deplorable state of affairs?  Frankly, it is by the lack of sound leadership.
Now in the third wave of the pandemic, Ontario finds itself in a precarious situation. Testing and vaccinations are being applied chaotically, and there is no coherent, long term plan. Of course, some of the blame can be made on the Federal Government responsible for the procurement of vaccines and testing materials.
However, the administration of the vaccine and testing to the population is fully the responsibility of the province. It seems that in this regard Ontario has not performed at all well. In justifying their poor performance, the Premier and the rest of the politicians in power tried to shift the entire blame onto the Federal Government. It is a poor defence based on poor performance.
As the political leadership has failed in its duty, so have the provincial health experts. Otherwise how can we explain the sore state of Ontario, which looks to be the worst in North America?
Premier Ford has tweeted, "From day one, I said I will always listen to our health care professionals. It's very simple; they are the experts when it comes to health care. I want COVID-19 to end as much as you do. Until then, I will rely on our health & science experts to keep Ontarians safe."
Unfortunately, Premier Ford, you were elected leader, so the ultimate decision and responsibility is yours. And you have failed!
Stay at home orders implemented, lifted and implemented again are half way measures and not a solution. The solution is to test and to vaccinate. Once you do that the pandemic is under control, at least. This is an elementary action and the province has failed royally.
It is well known by now that in Israel and the U.K. the vaccine has ensured that you only suffer mild symptoms of the illness if you get exposed to Covid-19, and will be protected from getting a serious and life-threatening infection.
The European Union countries as well as the United States are opening again for business. Here in Canada, where the province of Ontario should be at the forefront of economic recovery, we are in deep lockdown. Fear and fear mongering are not the solution to beating the pandemic. Good leadership is.
Ontarians are looking to Premier Ford to manage this crisis better with the path he now chooses. This is his last chance to prove to us that even though he might not be superhero material, he can at least be the sidekick we need.
On the other hand, our political leaders have leaned too heavily on a message of fear rather than hope, and it is high time to change their tune on the subject of reopening the Canadian economy.
While other countries offer specific details around reopening, the federal and provincial governments risk falling behind and stifling the post-pandemic economic recovery.
Ottawa and other levels of government, need to be much more hopeful, much more optimistic, in order to encourage people to get vaccinated and abide by common sense rules.
Positive reinforcement by political leaders might help ensure that Canada's health measures aren't undermined just as the majority of the public is about to be vaccinated.
There's no shortage of anger, frustration and fear among the public, we see it with each passing day.  Day in and day out. What we need is to give people hope, and to say to them that if we all do the right thing, if we get our shots, if we take proper measures to protect ourselves and others, we can reopen safely and more quickly.
Enforcement by police and health police enforcers will only generate more frustration and anger, because the Canadian people still believe in democracy, not autocracy.
Meanwhile, Canadian Western allies have provided hard timelines for recovery. In February, the U.K. laid out its roadmap out of lockdown, a four-point plan that detailed a gradual reopening over a series of specific dates and according to certain thresholds like vaccinations and COVID-19 case counts. The European Union is also working toward harmonized guidelines for reopening, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has outlined specific rules for vaccinated Americans, like not forced on wearing masks in public.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is the only provincial leader to provide his own detailed plan on reopening, and laid out specific thresholds last week for when certain activities like public gatherings would be allowed in the province. The Saskatchewan leader said he wouldn't wait on the federal government to reopen, saying his province's vaccine campaign has long remained ahead of schedule.
"The fact of the matter is we're not going to have a Trudeau summer here in Saskatchewan," Moe said last week.
So where is your plan and leadership Premier Ford?
Canada's federal health agency recently updated guidelines that provide some general information on the pandemic, like how Indigenous people can access COVID-19 health services or suggested safety protocols for truck drivers. However, industry groups warn that the documents do nothing to provide clarity to the public and to major corporations around the measures by which a reopening would be permitted.  These guidelines are typical of public service bureaucrats, working in a dream world out of touch with reality.
Recommendations that fully vaccinated international travellers need to be exempted from Canada's mandatory 14-day quarantine, as in other countries, is still far from the mind of sanitary bureaucrats and politicians.
A lack of clarity around reopening could also complicate supply chains, which could become a costly shortfall if it happens, seriously jeopardizing economic recovery.
Industries like tourism and hotels will continue to bleed cash in the absence of a plan to reopen. Canada, and Ontario in particular, is likely to lose its tourist season this summer. The United States will still have one. And we're seeing what's happening in other jurisdictions as vaccination rates go up, and infection rates come down.
There is now a proof that Canadian officials have been passive and not keen on engaging with the U.S. on reopening the border, as American officials have been calling for an easing of the restrictions.
So wake up, Premier Ford.  Stop hiding and blaming the feds. Do your job and give people a real plan for their lives and livelihood!