Doug Ford rejects regional approach to reopening Ontario’s economy

One size fits all.

That will be Ontario's mantra for reopening the economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, insists Premier Doug Ford.

Even though the Greater Toronto Area accounts for 65.6 per cent of Ontario's cases, leaving huge swaths of the province relatively unscathed, Ford is rejecting the regional approach of opening up as is being done in neighbouring Quebec, Manitoba and New York state.

I have to follow science and the medical advice. I always have, I always will," the premier said Thursday, emphasizing that provincial chief medical officer of health Dr. David Williams and other public health officials will make the call.

I'll take their advice and if Dr. Williams doesn't think it's the right thing to do, then I'm following his advice. I have from the beginning. I'll continue to follow it," he said.

Ford admitted he is under a lot of pressure to expedite the opening of the economy in regions beyond the GTA.

There are far fewer coronavirus cases in Kenora, Algoma, North Bay, Parry Sound, Sudbury, Kingston, Renfrew, Huron-Perth, Prince Edward County, and most of southwestern Ontario outside the Windsor city limits.

I hear it at cabinet, I hear it at caucus. I hear it all the time from our own members," the premier said.

Indeed, Progressive Conservative MPPs from outside the Golden Horseshoe privately confide that they are feeling heat from their constituents.

How am I supposed to keep telling businesses in my area to remain closed for what's essentially a Toronto problem?" said one rural Tory MPP, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to freely discuss internal caucus discussions.

At a certain point, we've got to reopen," added the MPP, who personally lobbied Ford against the universal reopening approach.

But the premier, who began the first phase of reopening the economy last week when stores with street-front entrances were allowed to welcome customers, said we just have to be cautious" to curb the spread of a virus that has killed 2,248 people in Ontario.

On a long weekend in the summer, there'll be half a million cottagers going up to the Muskokas, the Haliburtons, up to the cottage area - and they're coming, primarily, they're coming from the 905 and 416 area," he said.

In Quebec, where 4,228 people have died from COVID-19, Premier Francois Legault has pushed a phased regional approach to opening.

Outside of Montreal, the epicentre of the pandemic in that province, much of the economy will be up and running next week, including indoor shopping malls.

We have to continue to be careful because we cannot afford to have large increases in the next few days or weeks in the number of people in our hospitals in Montreal," Legault said earlier this week.

In Manitoba, where only seven people have died of COVID-19, Premier Brian Pallister announced Tuesday that most businesses - including restaurants, bars, and gyms - will be open next week.

Pallister stressed slow and careful movement in the direction of easing our restrictions is the right approach."

New York state has suffered 23,282 deaths - more than 10 times as many as Ontario despite a population of 19.5 million compared to the province's 14.5 million - but is pushing forward with phased regional reopening.

In New York, a region must meet seven different metrics before being allowed to move a broader stage of reopening, including a sustained decline in total hospitalizations over a three-day rolling average and a decline in deaths.

Each region must have at least 30 per cent of its intensive care unit beds and 30 per cent of all hospital beds open and must meet diagnostic testing and contact tracing capacity.

Western New York, across the Niagara River from Ontario, currently meets all seven requirements for reopening selected businesses and services.

Earlier this month, Gov. Andrew Cuomo defended his plan.

Close down everything, close down the economy, lock yourself in the home - you can do it for a short period of time, but you can't do it forever."

Robert Benzie is the Star's Queen's Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie