Bar none
The Ontario Medical Association issued a statement Friday calling on the provincial government to "rethink" opening indoor bars.
Bars opened in some parts of Ontario that entered stage three of the province's economic reopening plan — the Greater Toronto Area and Windsor are among the places that remain in stage two, but the premier has spoken about his optimism in those areas joining stage three soon.
“The evidence from other jurisdictions is that the reopening of bars carries significant risk,” said OMA President Dr. Samantha Hill. “When people consume alcohol, inhibitions are lowered, making them much less likely to practise physical distancing, proper masking behaviours and good hand hygiene. Indoor locations with decreased air ventilation present a particularly high risk of transmission.”
The OMA cited outbreaks tied to bars in other jurisdictions, including Montreal, and said they occurred even when establishments were following public health guidelines.
The doctors' association said that reopening the economy is important — and bars might lead to the need for another full lockdown.
The OMA's call echoes that of some epidemiologists who have warned about the risk of bars and said it could jeopardize the full reopening of schools, which would be safer if case counts remain low across the province.
Metrolinx makes masks mandatory
Metrolinx will now be checking more than just tickets.
The provincial transit authority, which operates GO trains, buses and the UP Express, will make wearing masks mandatory as of Tuesday, July 21.
"This is about your health and the health of those fellow customers around you," Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster said in a video message addressing riders that was posted on the agency's website.
Metrolinx employees have had to wear face coverings for the past few months, and while some passengers have chosen to as well, the transit agency had not made it mandatory. There will be exemptions for people who cannot wear face coverings due to pre-existing conditions.
The move comes over two weeks after the Toronto and Peel Region passed bylaws making wearing masks indoors mandatory, and about three weeks after the TTC had made masks mandatory on its transit network.
The TTC has so far reported that about 89 per cent of riders have complied with the rule.
The decision from Metrolinx comes as the agency says more people are returning to transit, and as the GTHA looks to enter stage three later this month as coronavirus case numbers continue to decline.
Payday loans
The government touted a schedule in its omnibus legislation Bill 197 that would create new restrictions on interest for payday loans.
The legislation, which is expected to be passed by the PC majority government next week, would cap interest rates on defaulted loans to payday lenders at 2.5 per cent per month.
"Our government remains committed to protecting Ontarians during these unprecedented times, now and in the future," stated Government and Consumer Services Minister Lisa Thompson.
The bill would also cap fees on bounced cheques to $25. "Throughout COVID-19, and beyond, our primary objective has been to ensure the people of Ontario have what they need to provide and care for their families and loved ones without additional stressors," Thompson added.
NDP finance critic Sandy Shaw told QP Briefing that the provisions do not go far enough to protect Ontarians. "This is a good news story only in that this government finally recognizes how pernicious payday lending is," the Hamilton MPP said, adding that an upcoming private member's bill from her will propose tougher restrictions on payday lending terms.
"It really is such a small, timid step," she added, saying that the legislation only covers the back end of the problem when a borrower winds up in default, and doesn't address borrowers getting there in the first place, as payday loan companies can loan money at close to 400 per cent annual interest by law.
She connected the premier's comments about price gouging on items like Lysol wipes to payday lending, saying that they should be viewed in the same light. "There's going to be people who are possibly looking at payday lending for the first time in their life" during the pandemic, she said, pointing out that several of the large companies are advertising how customers can apply for and use CERB.
Betcha can't just do one road trip stop
Premier Doug Ford is all about the salt-and-vinegar of the earth people too.
The premier made his third pit stop in Southwestern Ontario this week, taking the Ford travelling caravan to another city with swing ridings, this time speaking from Kitchener.
There, he praised Intellijoint Surgical, which produces "navigation solutions for total joint replacements," and he also touted the high-skilled tech sector in the Kitchener-Waterloo region as a whole.
The opposition has criticized the premier for electioneering rather than focusing on tackling issues like long-term care and an improved back-to-school plan at Queen's Park, but the premier's office has said that he is reaching out and connecting with salt-of-the-earth Ontarians outside the Toronto bubble.
But perhaps no company knows salt better than Lay's Canada. And so if any opposition members were still feeling salty about the premier's outreach, then their wounds would not have been soothed by the premier's latest Twitter video, which features a .GIF of him almost eating a chip.
The visit to Lay's Canada may coincide with the premier's push to highlight "made-in-Ontario" labels on packaging.
On my way to @LaysCanada! pic.twitter.com/VoZCdu0jkx
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) July 17, 2020
Intellectual property
Ford announced a "made-in-Ontario Intellectual Property Action Plan" on Friday that he says will prevent Ontario IP from being bought up by foreign companies.
"So today, I'm proud to announce our government's intellectual property action plan, our plan will ensure our researchers and innovators and the people they employ benefit from the valuable intellectual property they're creating," said Ford. "But most importantly, we want to keep the value of all our home-growing ideas in the province for the benefit of all Ontarians. Because too often, the priceless intellectual property developed here in Ontario gets bought up by the big U.S. or international firms — it's exported to other countries."
"We want that intellectual property and its value to stay right here in Ontario, because our province, we have the best and the brightest minds anywhere in the world, right here."
Special Implementation Team on Intellectual Property (SITIP), which will be comprised of the IP experts who previously served on Ontario's Expert Panel on Intellectual Property, chaired by Jim Balsillie, retired chairman and co-CEO of Research In Motion. That team will now provide advice on the implementation of the action plan, which will respond to the report the panel created.
-With files from Jessica Smith Cross
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