Action Alert: Tell the premier to suffocate COVID-19 NOW!

Nurses call on Premier Doug Ford to act swiftly to suffocate community spread of COVID-19 – now more than ever – given the rapidly spreading new strains. While RNAO whole heartedly supports the government’s announcement to expedite vaccination of LTC residents, rampant community transmission threatens to completely overwhelm hospital intensive care units and has forced the cancellation of surgeries and procedures. As with the vaccines, delay in taking bold action to support vulnerable populations that can’t afford to self-isolate is costing lives and putting our health system and its health-care workers at undue burden – physically and emotionally.  

As we outlined in our media release, to help suffocate the virus Premier Ford must:

1. Provide working people with 10 paid days of sick leave. Workplaces have become a major source of transmission for COVID-19 yet nearly 60 per cent of Canadians aren’t entitled to a single paid sick day. When workers cannot afford to protect themselves, then they cannot protect their families, their co-workers and the rest of us.
2. Invoke a moratorium on evictions, not only a short-term pause on eviction enforcement. As this pandemic rages on, Ontario’s Landlord Tenant Board continues to conduct eviction hearings that do not allow for adequate counsel and representation.
3. Provide accommodation for people awaiting test results and recovering from COVID-19 to self-isolate. COVID-19 has ravaged low-income communities living in overcrowded housing. Everyone needs the ability to self-isolate while awaiting testing or recovering from COVID-19.

Sign our Action Alert and make your voice heard!