LONDON – Local MPPs Terence Kernaghan (London North Centre), Teresa Armstrong (London—Fanshawe) and Peggy Sattler (London West) are calling for the government to recall the Legislature immediately:
"Hundreds of people in our community have reached out to our office, unable to see their loved ones in long-term care because of testing delays. Londoners were hopeful when news of a vaccine arrived, but the government's inability to deliver a plan has resulted in people waiting and wondering when they will finally get access to the vaccine. We need needles in arms, now. It's time we return to the Legislature and get the necessary supports to the people of London,” said Kernaghan.
“Every day I get calls and emails from constituents who are worried sick about their loved ones who live and work in long-term care. We’re 10 months into this pandemic. By now there should be thousands of newly hired PSWs, IPAC specialists in each home, easy access to PPE and testing for staff and essential caregivers, and the elimination of ward rooms. Instead, while one in three long-term care homes in the province are currently in outbreak, [the government] chooses to stand by and sit on as much as $12-billion of unspent COVID-19 funds. [The government] needs to recall the legislature so we do the work we need to do to protect our most vulnerable. There is no excuse for stalling while urgent long-term care business, like legislating a minimum standard of care for residents, remains in limbo,” said Armstrong.
“With the Middlesex-London Health Unit reporting new records in COVID-19 case counts every day, Londoners are rightfully worried about the Ford government’s lack of a plan. Parents are stressed about their child’s return to school, workers fear not being able to pay the bills if they are sick, more and more tenants are facing eviction, and seniors are anxiously waiting to find out when they will get the vaccine. We need to get back to Queen’s Park immediately, to put a safety plan for schools in place, provide workers with access to paid sick leave, reinstate the moratorium on evictions, and mobilize all our resources to get vaccine doses into arms,” said Sattler.