 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of Her Majesty's loyal opposition. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, we're here to ask questions today in this House that no one ever wanted to ever have to ask or have to answer. I'm going to be straightforward in my questions, and I hope that the Premier will be straightforward and honest in his answers as well. Ontarians deserve this. The tragic situation inside long-term care homes has made it clearer than ever that that system in our province is broken. Will the Premier commit to a full public inquiry into long-term care with a mandate to review not only the tragedies of the last couple of weeks but for the last couple of decades? Premier? Through you, Mr. Speaker. We will make sure we review long-term care along with all sorts of different areas within the government. Our number one priority is protecting the health and safety of the most vulnerable members of our society. Mr. Speaker, my heart breaks for the people in long-term care. I know firsthand what people go through day in and day out standing outside the window, talking to their loved ones, trying to communicate. And in some cases, Mr. Speaker, the loved ones don't know what's happening. They don't know why their brother, sister, son, daughter isn't going into the long-term care. But I can promise you one thing, Mr. Speaker. We're going to review the system, a system that's been broken for decades. And I can promise you one thing. We are going to fix it. We're going to fix it collectively as a legislature, not just as a party, but everyone in this room. So thank you. A supplementary question. Speaker, families with loved ones in long-term care are demanding answers. And they deserve those answers. And they deserve a full public inquiry that is nonpartisan to give them those answers. On March 12th, before the legislature was suspended for the state of emergency, the government stated, and I quote, I can tell you as the minister of long-term care that we are on this. We are making sure our active screening is occurring in all our homes. This government has a plan and we're acting on it, end of quote. Since that time, COVID-19 outbreaks have occurred in 231 long-term care facilities. And over 1,200 seniors in care have died. Does the Premier not agree that people have a right to a full independent public inquiry so we know exactly what happened and where this plan fell short? These are lessons we simply must learn. Premier? Well, before I start, Mr. Speaker, I want to welcome the two new MPPs from Orleans and Vangie. Welcome to the legislature. We committed, Mr. Speaker, to putting an iron ring around our long-term care homes. We took quick action and we made sure we gave the homes and the operators the right tools to operate. We put two packages of emergency regulations in, two emergency orders, plus $243 million of increased emergency funding. Right now, we have 174 homes out of the 626. That's approximately 28%. In my opinion, that's 28% too many. Even though 72% aren't infected, again, 28% are too many. We shouldn't have one home that's been infected. Every single day, we're improving the system. 57 homes have had outbreaks resolved, but more needs to be done, Mr. Speaker. Response? We continue to call on the federal government to provide proper funding to help us and the rest of the provinces get through this long-term crisis that we're seeing, not just across the country, across the world. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The final supplementary. Speaker, court documents filed by grieving families and long-term care workers paint a picture of long-term care homes in which seniors were sharing rooms with infected patients and effective screening was not occurring. Even weeks after the Premier had declared, as he just mentioned, that there would be an iron ring around long-term care facilities, this was what was happening. As the Premier has admitted, the system is definitely broken. Will he put partisanship aside and commit to a full public inquiry, a full independent public inquiry so that we can learn what went wrong, but also how to fix this deeply broken system? Mr. Long-term Care, to reply on behalf of the government. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you for your concern to the member opposite. This is a tragedy, a global tragedy. And Ontario is affected by COVID-19, a virus never seen before. As the science and evidence has progressed, we've understood more and followed the directors of the Chief Medical Officer of Health to take every step possible, every measure possible, use every tool possible, every step of the way. We were early acting on the screening, early on declaring essential visitors only, early and taking steps every step of the way as science and evidence emerged. My heart goes out to everyone who has been affected by this. The loss is great, and we will make sure that we address the contributing factors to this, many of them pre-existing for decades. The neglect of long-term care has been substantial for decades, and that's one of the reasons I came to politics, is to address that. That's what we're going to do. There will be a review. The scope and the levels of detail are yet to be determined. We will get to the bottom of this. Thank you. Thank you very much. The next question will lead to the opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My next question is also to the Premier. You know, in the months leading up to the Ontario COVID-19 outbreak, frontline care providers had warned that a broken long-term care system was forcing them to work at more than one home, and experts were telling the government, they were being told by experts that this was a dangerous practice that could cost lives. Why did the Premier wait as long as he did before beginning to address this particular practice? To reply on behalf of the government, the Minister of Long-Term Care. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you again for the question. Our government created a dedicated ministry in the summer of 2019, and at that point it was absolutely clear that there was a staffing crisis in long-term care. We took Justice Scalia's report from the public inquiry. She said the system was under strain. And as we look forward, and with COVID, the system is broken, and you've heard the Premier say that. As we go forward, we must understand the incredible importance of the staffing crisis that was pre-existing to our crisis in COVID. We took every measure to shore up staffing and create staffing flexibility for our homes. Three emergency orders, two packages of amended amendments and regulation. We took measures every step of the way, including addressing how staffing was moving between homes. That has since stopped, but because of the staffing shortage, we needed to make sure that residents were hydrated, that residents got food, that residents got the care they need, and we had to shore up the staffing. It was a decision following the Chief Medical Officer of Health, and we have done that every step of the way. APPLAUSE A supplementary question. Well, Speaker, in fact, it took the government several weeks to issue an order preventing staff from working in multiple facilities, and staff from temporary agencies are still, to this very day, allowed to move from home to home. Will the government shut this practice down entirely? Mr. Long-Term Care. Thank you, Speaker, and once again, thank you for the question. I go back to the start of our Long-Term Care Ministry and understanding the pre-existing crisis in Long-Term Care in terms of staffing. The agency health care staff that work in Long-Term Care make up only about 2% of the overall staffing. It was determined that this was a critical piece to make sure that our homes had adequate staffing and to support our frontline providers that have been working so valiantly to care for our loved ones in Long-Term Care. We were taking every measure, every tool, everything we could possibly do to shore up the staffing problems that had been existing for years and years under previous governments. We were taking action. We took it seriously and looking at every measure following the directives of the Chief Medical Officer of Health. My heart goes out to everyone who has been affected. We are all touched by COVID-19. The final supplementary. Well, Speaker, it only takes one person to spread COVID-19. So 2% is not something that I feel very confident with. One of the key lessons from SARS, in fact, was that healthcare workers forced to move from place to place would pose a risk to themselves and their families, the people they cared for, and public health. In British Columbia, the government took decisive action back in March and effectively took over the running of Long-Term Care homes and made it a key priority to ensure staff could only work in one location and be paid decently. Why has the Ontario government to this day still refuse to do the same? Minister of Long-Term Care. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you again for the question. The pre-existing staffing crisis that was in our Long-Term Care homes necessitated understanding how we were going to make sure that our residents got the care that they need. We issued recommendations from the Chief Medical Officer of Health and directives, and we were consistent starting back in February, giving guidelines involving prevention and containment of COVID-19 in our Long-Term Care homes. And we took action in terms of aggressive, active screening in our Long-Term Care homes, essential visitors only in our Long-Term Care homes. We've added $243 million to prevent spread of infection and support staffing. These issues were pre-existing. The staffing crisis was there, and we've allowed our homes to be flexible in terms of addressing the needs of our residents and supporting our front-line staff following the directives of our Chief Medical Officer of Health every step of the way. Our residents in Long-Term Care deserve respect and dignity and our support. Thank you very much. The next question, the leader of the opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My next question is to the Premier, and I would just suggest that I don't disagree that the system was in bad, bad shape for many, many years of pre-existing circumstances, as the minister has said. That's why the public inquiry needs to happen, Speaker, and why it needs to go back a number of years. But look, the Premier's repeatedly claimed that front-line workers will have the personal protective equipment that they need to safely do their jobs. Today, we've learned that the government is now encouraging staff in residential facilities like care homes for people with disabilities to downgrade to non-medical cloth masks, even where there's an active COVID-19 outbreak. Other workers have had to go to court to obtain access to the PPE they need. If PPE is available, why are workers being forced to fight so hard to get access to it? Premier to reply. Through you, Mr. Speaker, front-line workers are sacrificing every single day they walk into work. They're saving other lives and putting their own in jeopardy for what they do will always, always be grateful. We're making sure the resources are at the long-term care homes when needed. We will have those resources there in 24 hours and at the latest, 48 hours, Mr. Speaker. We have been calling around the world. I'm on PPE along with our procurement team, along with everyone else in the province and in the world going after the same products. But as I've said, Mr. Speaker, as long as I'm Premier, we're going to rely on foreign countries. We're going to rely on foreign governments when there's a crisis to shut the borders down and say you aren't getting any more N95 masks. We put a call, though, to businesses around Ontario and did they ever step up, Mr. Speaker? They stepped up. They're making N95 masks. They're making face shields now. We're making gowns right here in Ontario, so we'll never have to rely on another foreign government again. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A supplementary question. Mr. Speaker, I would agree that front-line workers on the front lines of the health care system in long-term care and, in fact, all essential workers are sacrificing a great deal for all of us at this time. Since the outbreak of this pandemic, thousands of health care and personal support workers have been diagnosed with COVID-19. And Christine Mendegarian, Arlene Reed, and Sharon Roberts have died. They all, they and all front-line health care workers, deserved and were told that they would have the protective equipment that they needed. Yet too often, their employers failed to provide it. Does the Premier have a new plan to ensure PSWs and front-line workers have the protective equipment that they have been repeatedly promised? Premier DePly. Through you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, I want to give my condolences, my prayers and thoughts to the families that have lost a loved one. Mr. Speaker, we have great companies in Ontario, great ingenuity, great manufacturing might, and we're putting that to use now. No matter if it's Linnamar connecting with O2 to build 10,000 ventilators that they're rolling off the assembly right now, or if it's Woodbridge that is making N95 masks that are producing hundreds of thousands of masks every single day, or it's the spirits companies across this province that switched over from spirits and beer over to hand sanitizer, that's the true Ontario spirit, and that's what we're capable of doing in a great province like Ontario. We're going to continue doing that, continue making supplies right here in Ontario, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Kitchener, Conestoga. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Many weeks ago, Ontario put out a call to businesses and manufacturing sectors to secure crucial PPE that our province needed to support our frontline workers. Since the call went out, I know that many businesses across the province have stepped up to answer that call. Some companies have completely retooled their manufacturing lines to build these crucial products. This truly is the Ontario spirit, Mr. Speaker. Premier, can you tell us more about what these businesses are doing to help support frontline workers? Premier? Through you, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the great member from Kitchener, Conestoga. He's been truly outstanding in his community and a great representative for the Waterloo region. Ontario businesses have truly stepped up, Mr. Speaker. We have Ink Smith from Kitchener, right in the members' own backyard, who've adjusted their production lines to make plastic face shields. We have All or Nothing Brewhouse in Oshawa, who are producing hand sanitizer for their local hospital, Mr. Speaker, or all the way, Powassan near North Bay, where they were the original bug shirt company have switched over to make face masks. We're hearing this right across the province that people are switching their lines, and that just goes to show the world the talent we have, the innovative people right here in Ontario that are stepping up and providing the critical PPE that we need. Response? Thank you. Thank you very much. The supplementary question. Thank you, Premier. It is clear that Ontario has been a remarkable example of how business and the manufacturing sector can step up when needed most. Across the province, each and every one of us has a role to play in the fight against COVID-19. That means, as a government, we need to make it easy, as easy as possible for our innovators and entrepreneurs to work with us. By removing barriers, our business partners can offer made-in-Ontario products and a made-in-Ontario solution to help fight COVID-19. Premier, can you tell us more about what the government has done to support these businesses to create a made-in-Ontario solution? Premier? I want to thank the member from Kitchener, Conestoga. Since the onset of COVID-19, Mr. Speaker, Ontario businesses have offered their assistance and support to help protect health and the well-being of people across our great province. So we, as a government, took action to support them. We unveiled a $50 million fund specifically designed to help businesses provide innovative solutions to retool their operations in order to manufacture essential medical supplies and equipment. And there was a handy wipe company that were in desperate need of hand sanitizer and handy wipes. Well, they were one of the recipients, not too long ago, but a week ago, to help them increase their production line, to make sure not only do they supply Ontario, but they can supply all of Canada. We're all in this together, Mr. Speaker, and we saw and we're very, very grateful response to the face mask that Alberta loaned us or gave us. And that is absolute incredible. That is the Canadian spirit. But I want to thank our friends from Alberta, and we're going to reciprocate with the supplies that we have as well. Thank you. Thanks. The next question, once again, the leader of the opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My next question is also for the Premier. You know, the government has said there was no playbook for dealing with a pandemic like COVID-19, but experts disagree. After the SARS crisis, numerous reports and pandemic plans were developed, including plans to have adequate PPE on hand. When did the Premier learn that the protective equipment stockpiled after SARS had expired or been destroyed? Look to the Minister of Health to reply on behalf of the government. Thank you very much, Speaker, and thank you for the question. There were pandemic plans, of course, that were written after SARS. We learned a lot of lessons from SARS that we brought forward in dealing with COVID-19. There had been some supplies that had expired, but we quickly started to order new supplies, and as the Premier has indicated through Ontario Together, Ontario companies have stepped forward to produce N95 face masks, to produce gowns, to produce hand sanitizer, to produce ventilators. So we quickly stepped up. We have supplies now, and we have avoided the situation that's happened in many other parts of the world, Italy and Spain, for example, where they ran out of hospital space and they ran out of equipment, and they had thousands of people who died. We have been fortunate in Ontario in the sense that we had the capacity, we have the supplies. Through the efforts of the 14.5 million Ontarians, people self-isolated, practice physical distancing, and now we're in a situation where we are flattening the curve and we're prepared to move on with opening up our economy. Thank you very much. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. Ontario should never have been in a place where personal support workers are forced to make due with protective equipment that they bought from places like Dollarama. That's tragically what the case was for Leonard Rodriguez, a personal support worker who died last week. Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. On Friday, the Premier once again insisted that personal protective equipment was available for frontline staff like personal support workers. Yet even as he was saying that, those same frontline staff were sounding the alarm about government plans to water down access to protective equipment. Now the Minister has just said that we have the supplies now. So will the Premier make public the exact type and amounts of supplies of PPE that are available? Minister of Health. Well, of course, our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Mr. Rodriguez, as well as any of the other frontline workers who have passed away during the COVID outbreak. However, the appropriate personal protective equipment has always been available. We support the use of the appropriate equipment. We've had conversations with the employee organizations. They understand exactly what we have in store. They understand exactly what we're shipping. We are shipping PPE to hospitals, long-term care homes, retirement homes, places of congregate living on a daily basis. We have a system where they let us know what their inventory is. They let us know what they're going to need two or three days, hence based on past usage. And we ship it to them on a daily basis. So there's never a situation where they are without the appropriate PPE. If an N95 mask needs to be worn, it is available. Response. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Ottawa South. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question's for the Premier. So we've seen how COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted our parents and grandparents living in Ontario's long-term care homes. And we also know that testing is critical to the management and containment of COVID-19. Our Chief Medical Officer of Health confirmed that amid March, Ontario was not utilizing its full testing capacity. This continued for about a month, thousands and thousands and thousands of tests. So through you, Speaker to the Premier, we knew who was most vulnerable. Why did we not utilize that excess capacity to test staff and residents? At least in those homes that we knew were most at risk. Thank you, Speaker. Premier? Thank you very much. I want to thank the opposition for the question. Mr. Speaker, I don't know anyone down here in the legislature that was screaming louder than I was about increasing the testing. I want to thank our public health right across this province. They have stepped it up tremendously. They're doing an incredible job. They're going out there testing every single day. We're just shy of about a half a million tests across the province. We're getting stronger. We're coming up with new apps when it comes to contact tracing and tracking. It's absolutely critical that that's part of it. But Mr. Speaker, the good news is by probably early next week and hopefully sooner, we will have tested every single patient and health care worker in long-term care right across this province. We're going to continue doing that, working to seniors' residents and continue working. We will never stop testing, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. I'd like to thank the Premier for his response and it does lead into my supplementary. It's clear that frontline workers working in multiple facilities have continued to spread the virus. So this week in New York, Andrew Cuomo said, every worker twice a week, not optional. So we haven't finished, it's almost mid-May, and we haven't finished our long-term care homes yet. We'll finish next week. And that's a good thing. That's just a start. We're going to be doing this for a while. So, Speaker, to the Premier, what is the government's plan going forward? And I realize we've got a bigger plan for the community. But what is the plan going forward to ensure that residents in long-term care and staff and in group homes as well will have a testing protocol that will protect them? Thank you. Premier. Through you, Mr. Speaker. Our first goal is to get through all the long-term care, get through all the senior residents, go through the group homes. And once we get through that, we re-evaluate, and if we need to go again, we're going again. We're going to continue staying on this. We're going to continue testing. We're going to continue contact tracing. And again, you've seen where we were a few weeks ago compared to where we are now. Our goal for public health right across this province is to make sure we hit 20,000 every single day. And they're getting better and better. They're doing a great job. They're working around the clock. And I want to congratulate everyone, part of the health team, part of public health right across this province. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Guelph. Thank you, Speaker. Good to see you and all my colleagues today. My question is for the Premier. For the past two months, I've called on the government to deliver a relief program. Without help, local businesses will not survive this crisis. So I was relieved when a joint federal, provincial commercial rent assistance program was announced, but the program is not working. Only 10% of businesses both qualify and think their landlord will participate in the program when it opens. Local businesses are running out of time. Landlords can lock out tenants on May 15th. So, Speaker, will the Premier stand up for small businesses by placing a temporary ban on commercial evictions to prevent our downtowns from becoming ghost towns? Mr. Finance to reply. Mr. Speaker, and I thank the member for Guelph for his question. And I thank all the members of this legislature for voting for the $17 billion program that this government brought forward and that was supported unanimously to support people and businesses. Included in that program, the member correctly points out was the $241 million that our government has put to support the emergency commercial rent assistance program. This program will provide landlords with 75% of the rent that they erode for the months of April, May, and June, and will also ensure that tenants who are eligible only are required to pay 25%. Mr. Speaker, as the member noted, the program has yet to become available. Myself and the other provincial finance minister were assured by the Federal Minister of Finance, who of course the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is administering this program, but were assured that this program would be opening in the days ahead. And I would ask that he and the rest of us wait to see the program open, look to see how the program has been modified to be supportive of tenants and landlords before we judge its success. Deploymentary question. Thank you, Speaker. I appreciate the minister's response, but it confirms exactly why I'm asking for a temporary ban on commercial rent evictions. May 15th is the day that landlords can lock out their commercial tenants. I've heard heartbreaking stories from small business owners who have put literally their life savings into their businesses and are worried they're gonna be locked out in three days on May 15th. It means not only that these businesses will be lost, but their employees will not have jobs to go back to. Many of these employees are in the service, hospitality, and retail sectors. It means that more women will lose their jobs than what people are calling a she-session. The vibrancy and our vitality of our communities are at stake by keeping our local businesses open. And so I ask the minister, if we can alleviate the anxiety of small businesses by bringing in a temporary ban on commercial rent evictions until the Joint Federal Provincial Program can be up and running. Thank you, Speaker. Again, the minister of finance to reply. Mr. Speaker, and again, I appreciate the question from the member. Mr. Speaker, again, this program of which there is over a billion dollars now dedicated to the province of Ontario and to tenants and landlords here. Mr. Speaker, this program has been modified to make sure that it addressed many of the concerns that have been raised through the conversations we've had, including with the CFIB, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. Those include making sure that the basis is gross rent, making sure that those landlords that have mortgages or don't have mortgages will be eligible. And Mr. Speaker, it's in addition to the supports that this government, again, through the support of the whole legislature has been able to provide. That includes $10 billion of deferrals. That includes $355 million in reductions in employer health tax this year. That includes $300 per month in reductions as a result of time of use pricing. So Mr. Speaker, again, I think it's important that the federal program be allowed to be initiated. We've been assured by the federal minister of finance that will happen in the days ahead. And then we will look to see the effectiveness of that program and if any additional actions are necessary. Thank you. Thank you. The next question, the member for Brampton Centre. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Experts from around the world know that the best way to contain the spread of COVID-19 is to test, test, and test some more. The trouble is, Ontario's testing is behind the Canadian average and even its own public targets. On March 26, the Ontario Deputy Minister of Health said that Ontario would be testing 18,900 tests a day, Speaker. Not once, not once has Ontario met that target. Then on April 8th, the Premier revised that target to 16,000 tests a day. And we still struggle to meet that target consistently. Six weeks later, we're still lagging with over 160,000 tests behind. Has the Premier received any advice from Public Health Ontario on how many tests? Ontario must be consistently conducting on a daily basis in order for us to safely reopen this province. Premier. Well, I want to thank the opposition for the question. Mr. Speaker, it's a shame that the opposition is saying that public health hasn't tested more than that number. Actually, they did. They've tested over 19,000 a few days ago. 18,000 a couple of days before that. And by the way, they're actually leading the country now per capita if you want to look into it and get the actual facts. So I'm so proud of our public health team. Yes, was there a few bumps in the road? Absolutely, there was a few bumps. But they are going full steam ahead. They're going to continue testing. Our target's going to be 20,000 every single day. And they're doing an incredible, incredible job. These are the men and women out there going out there and testing people constantly every single day. So I'm proud of what they're doing. And yes, our goal will be 20,000, but we haven't met 19,000, 18,000, but we are leading the country. And thank you for that question. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. I think we all recognize the hard work of our public health officials in front line. Nurses and folks that are doing that testing. But the whole point of testing is to make sure we actually know where we are at as a province. But since we don't have widespread testing in place, we simply just don't know. We fully don't know where the virus is spreading or who is being infected. That makes it so much harder to plan things, like getting students back to schools or opening up our small businesses or even just hugging our loved ones, Speaker. Why has this Premier not scaled up testing to meet even his own targets? Minister of Health, to reply. Well, the member is absolutely right that we do need to have testing across the entire province, and we do. We have over 20 different organizations that are testing the samples that have been brought to them. We have paramedics that are helping with the assistance, public health officials that are helping. We have all hands on deck with this because we know as we try to open the economy, as we try to make sure that people in long-term care homes and other places of congregate living are kept safe and healthy, we know that we need to increase testing. That is absolutely vital, and I know that the people of Ontario generally want to know if they're looking at a return to work, that there's going to be ways that everyone can continue to be testing to make sure that we all remain safe. So that is a fundamental principle for us. We receive daily results of tests. We know exactly how many tests are being done and they are coming in from all parts of Ontario. We will continue to do that as we slowly and gradually start opening up our economy. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Ottawa, Van. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's with great pleasure that I am very happy to ask my first question here in this house, and it's the Minister of Long-Term Care. This week is Nursing Week in Ontario. Every day, they fight on the front lines against this virus. They're essential to our healthcare system, and we owe them to assure that they have the protective equipment that they need. We've heard a number of them from nurses and other frontline workers, such as PSWs, that they don't have access to protective equipment that includes N95 masks. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister, can she describe the measures that have been implemented to ensure that all nurses and all frontline healthcare workers in home care and long-term care have access to protective equipment? Well, I thank the member very much for the question. Welcome to Queen's Park, and we look forward to having conversations with you and questions from you in the future. But the question of personal protective equipment is very important because the people who are performing frontline care, whether it's in hospitals, long-term care homes, or in the community, they really are the heroes here. We owe it to them to provide them with the equipment that they need to properly care for their patients or residents to make sure that they stay safe and healthy themselves, as well as for their families, because every day they need to go home and make sure that they're not going to be transmitting COVID-19 to their family members. So that is fundamentally important to us that we do have the PPE that they need. That is why we have a system where they let us know the organizations what equipment they need. It's shipped to them on a daily basis, either from our regional reserves or from our pandemic reserves, and whatever equipment it is that they need at point of care if nurses require an N95 mask for whatever procedure it is that they're performing, if it's an aerosol-generating procedure, they will have that N95 mask. That is something that we have had many discussions with the employee representatives about over many conversations, and we have agreed with them that if a nurse requires an N95 mask, it will be available to him or her to use. Thank you very much. A supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for her answer. Unfortunately, that's not the experience I'm hearing on the ground. I wrote to the Minister of Long-Term Care last week about my concerns regarding three long-term care homes in my writing. Nurses and staff in these homes are reporting inconsistent PPE practice and sufficient supply, staff shortages and escalating tensions between colleagues. This is having, in effect, on the care and the quality of life of our most vulnerable, our moms and dads, our parents. So, Speaker, through you, to the Minister, what are you doing to ensure that nurses in long-term care have access to proper PPE and that PPE protocols are clearly articulated? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Minister Veldt. Well, the appropriate PPE is being supplied, as I indicated earlier, to every long-term care home, retirement homes in hospitals, of course, as well. We know that that is fundamental for the people on the front lines providing care. I would say, however, there have been some situations in some long-term care homes where it's been necessary because of a shortage of staff. Staff have become ill or just have not been coming back to work since there have been outbreaks in some of the homes, that it has been necessary for hospitals to go in. We have changed the order to allow for hospitals to see long-term care homes as work sites, and they have staff that are going in with PPE, and they are making sure that in those situations where they are providing care, in some cases, having to provide supervision, that there is PPE available and that is being used according to the appropriate protocols. So we're continuing to follow that. The next question, the member for Windsor-Tecumseh. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Good morning, Premier. Speaker, today's new testing numbers show that we have completed 12,000 tests, far short of the national per capita average and far short of the Premier's target. Alberta has a network of public labs and universities to do their testing. As a result, Alberta is consistently outperforming Ontario with more than 33% of the samples tested there than here. In fact, Alberta announced just last week more money to increase their testing capacity. Speaker, why is Alberta able to test so many more people for COVID than Ontario? Minister of Health. Well, thank you very much for the question, but in actual fact, Ontario is now the leader in testing in Canada. We have surpassed every other province, but it is important to continue with the testing and to make sure it comes in on a timely basis. The situation that the member is referring to, Mr. Speaker, happens on a weekly basis because of the fact that there is a delay over the weekend with the transportation of some of the swabs to the labs. So later on in the week, we will see the numbers come back, but this is something that happens on a weekly basis. There are no surprises here. It is just due to the transportation issues involved over the weekend, but we know that we need to continue to test. We have significantly increased our lab testing capability from the public health units to hospitals, to universities, to other companies that have come forward to assist us with the lab testing. So we are going to continue to increase our numbers. We have a plan to do that. That is something that is happening as we speak. We're increasing the numbers, but Ontario is leading the rest of the country right now in terms of lab testing. The supplementary question. Speaker, the Premier said over a month ago that the testing rate was unacceptable. A month later, it's the same old problem. Without a massive jump in the number of test results, we just don't know what's going on with this pandemic. Every day that goes by, we're missing those targets. Is one more day lost when we could have gotten things back on track quicker for Ontarians? Why is this government not prioritized testing for COVID-19 in this time of absolute crisis? The Premier to reply. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The fact is we've tested 447,964 tests, and that's probably a day or so old. We've tested 73% of all the long-term care patients. And I said early next week, but hopefully by this weekend, we'll have every single patient tested. And if we need to go over again, we'll continue doing this until we get through this pandemic. And we'll continue testing and we'll get better at testing. And public health will get better at testing. And as the apps come out, we'll have better contact tracing. It's absolutely essential. And as I mentioned to the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and all the premiers, we want to lead the way when it comes to contact tracing and tracking. It's absolutely critical, but we will continue to be the leader. Not only are we the leader here, we are now not only the leader in Canada, but testing per capita rank among the top globally in the world. And we will never stop testing. We're just going to ramp the testing up. And again, I want to thank the people from public health for doing a great job. The next question, the member for Davenport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I would just like to say, I think, you know, with due respect to the Minister of Health and the Premier today, Mr. Speaker, what you're saying is happening in terms of the provision of personal protective equipment and testing and so on is not what's translating into what we're seeing on the ground and hearing from constituents. The uncontrolled spread of COVID-19, and Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Premier, the uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 in long-term care homes is heartbreaking. But what's even worse is that we know that many of these outbreaks would have been preventable if only the staff and the residents had been given the personal protective equipment they were desperately calling for. My constituents' 95-year-old father contracted COVID-19 at Mengxiang home for the aged after that home tried and failed to get needed protective equipment. PSWs, those healthcare heroes we talk about all the time, Mr. Speaker, in my community are telling me they are afraid to go to work because they don't have the equipment they need despite this Premier's assurances. Mr. Speaker, when is the government going to address these continuing issues in long-term care and protect our vulnerable seniors? The Minister of Health. Well, I thank the member very much for the question, but the fact is that we do have the inventory and the inventory is being shipped on a daily basis to whatever organization needs it, whether it's a long-term care home or whether it is a hospital or whether it's for home care. We do have the supplies. They were being sent on a daily basis. There is no concern with that. And we have been very frank in our discussions with the employee organizations. We developed a directive with them that if there is a need, if a nurse or whatever worker on the front line requires an N95 mask because those are the masks that have been most in discussion. If they needed one for a procedure, they had the ability to choose one and to use it. That is what was agreed with the employee organizations. That is what the hospitals know. That is what the long-term care homes know. That is a procedure we have followed from the beginning. And a supplementary question for Trauma St. Paul's. Mr. Speaker, me and Manor long-term care, we need help and we need help now. My question is to the Premier. 42 people have died, 61 residents are positive, and 45 staff are also positive. I've heard from families, our families at me and Manor, that their loved ones are lying in beds and they're starving. They cannot reach their food. They're thirsty for hours. They cannot reach their water. Residents are falling out of beds in the dark and are on the floor for hours. And what struck me most is one family member I spoke to. She actually had to sit with her mother's dead body overnight at me and Manor because there were not enough staff to come support her. And we all know that our staff at me and Manor are doing their absolute best, Premier. They're doing their best, but they cannot do their best for themselves or their residents. If they're having to wear the same PPE moving from a negative room to a positive room, from a positive room to a negative room. And this is current information. Question? Mr. Premier, what will you do? What will your government do for me and Manor? How will you help us now? I have written to you and I have the letters and I will give you the letters today in your hand. What is this government going to do for me and Manor now? Thank you. Minister of Long-Term Care and Report. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you for the question. This is a heartbreaking situation. I want to reassure all Ontarians that measures are being taken for homes that are in distress and that our Ministry of Long-Term Care is every single hour mounting a response to support these homes. You know that it is widespread. You know that this is happening around the world. The situation in Ontario is a tragedy. But looking at how we're getting hospitals for me and Manor, there is another hospital, Sunnybrook Hospital, that's been actively involved in supporting me and Manor. The Salvation Army has brought in additional services for me and Manor. We are making sure that the staffing there is getting support so that they are not burning out and that this is absolutely critical to make sure that our residents get water, care, food, and hygiene that they need. We are looking at every measure possible. They are being supported. We are making sure that we are in touch and have our inspectors in there. There's been labor inspectors and long-term care inspectors into these homes. This is, we've called in the military in some instances, and other homes are managing. So this is something that we are addressing on the go. We are increasing our funding for our staff and looking at measures to make sure that the staff is supported. Thank you very much. Thank you. The next question, the member for Orléane. Mr. Speaker, Madonna Care Community in Orleans has suffered unimaginable challenges and tragedies as a result of COVID-19. With over 30 cases amongst the staff, the private operator of the home has struggled to maintain adequate staffing ratios. Family members report having difficulty getting timely information about their loved ones. And the media report describing a work environment that has haggard with dedicated staff lacking proper PPE, and at least one staff member working four consecutive 16-hour shifts. Mr. Speaker, it's clear that the amazing medical team at Madonna are doing all they can for their patients. What is also clear is that the iron ring around Madonna has crumbled. Mr. Speaker, when will the government step in and put in place a plan to get Madonna Community Care back on track? Minister Long-Term Care. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you for the question and welcome. Our government has been using every tool possible, taking every measure possible. In terms of the Madonna situation, I can tell you that we've had Ontario Health involved since May the 2nd. The Royal Ottawa Hospital, the Ottawa Hospital, the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario are all supporting Madonna, the staff, and the residents there. CHEO and the Royal Ottawa are currently staffing 100% of the home's requested needs, including environmental services, supervisor, and cleaners. And in total, 11 personal support workers, two culinary staff, have been deployed by CHEO and the Royal. An inspection team was on the ground on Friday. I want to assure you that we are taking every measure. We are in regular contact. The drastic situation is there is a shortage of staff across our homes in Ontario for many of them in outbreak. But we're actively working on that, making sure that they get the support they need, supporting our staff and supporting our residents, all our loved ones in long-term care. Thank you very much. The supplementary question. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the minister for her response and our communications over the last number of weeks. But Mr. Speaker, over this past weekend, I've heard from staff and family from Madonna describing an ongoing situation that does not seem to be getting better. One family member wrote in regards to PPE, and I quote, it doesn't just work to say there is enough and it's being used. Unfortunately, there needs to be more direct involvement and supervision of the staff and PPE continually. According to reports from the Ottawa citizen, one registered nurse was asked to leave because she raised concerns that the use of PPE was not safe and did not meet public health guidance. CUPI has filed a grievance because of the lax infection protection control and risk assessment reviews being done when staff from outside hospitals are deployed to support the nursing home. So my question, Mr. Speaker, when will the government demonstrate to the families and the community alike that the situation at Madonna community care is under control and there is a long-term plan to manage the COVID-19 crisis at Madonna now and over the coming months? Minister of Long-term Care. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you again for the question. This is an ongoing situation, not only with Madonna, but several other homes. We are aware and acknowledge the issues there in terms of staffing, and that's why we are using the hospitals, their SWAT teams, or the rapid response teams, their infection prevention and control teams, their staffing, and you can see that the hospitals are rallying around the homes that need the support. And the efforts to shore up the staffing will be ongoing. We know that Madonna is getting the support that they need. We are in regular contact, and homes in these sorts of situations are required to put forth a plan in terms of what they need so we can meet their needs. That communication is ongoing between the teams that are supporting the home, the home and the ministry, also Ontario Health, also the Ministry of Health and Public Health. All measures are being taken to support these homes. As you can understand, this is a trying time. It is a challenging time in long-term care, not only in our Ottawa homes in Ontario and across the globe, and everything is being done to support Madonna. Thank you. Thank you. The next question, the member for Waterloo. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Business owners like Steve Innocenti of Innocenti Brewing pour their heart and soul into their work, but now bills are piling up, and real relief is nowhere in sight. For Innocenti Brewing, profit was down 257% in March. And despite this, Steven, his team rallied, turning over $30,000 worth of beer into hand sanitizer to donate to frontline healthcare workers. Now their priority, like so many other businesses, is direct rent relief. In fact, this is key to our economic recovery as a province. We have called for rent relief subsidies, and this has been supported by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. For too many Ontario businesses, the current federal rent relief program is too complicated, it is reliant upon the buy-in of landlords, and it will not come in time to save these businesses. Will this government finally agree today for a made in Ontario strategy to support businesses by providing rent relief? They stepped up for us. We need to step up for them. Minister of Finance, to reply. Mr. Speaker, and I thank the member for the question. She is right, and I'll know that Ontario businesses are facing extreme pressures at this time. A global economic slowdown, which is underpinned by a global health crisis, is putting real pressure on Ontario businesses and entrepreneurs. That is why on the 25th of March, we brought forward a comprehensive program, $17 billion worth of support, including $10 billion worth of deferrals to support businesses. A reduction in the employer health tax that accounted for $355 million of support for 57,000 employers. That means 90% of employers, Mr. Speaker, who won't be paying that tax this year. Mr. Speaker, with regards to the rent situation, as I have said, the program that the federal government has brought forward, the program that this government has supported to the tune of almost $1.25 billion is a program designed to support those kinds of businesses, make sure that they and the landlords that they work with can continue their businesses through these difficult economic times. That's supplementary, the Member for York South-West. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is clear the government's new program won't help pay the rent and it won't stop businesses from being evicted. Osman is a small business owner in my community who does not qualify because his landlord does not carry a mortgage. Others like TDOT, tumblers, hair plus beauty supplies and R&I jewellery are losing their businesses because their landlords are refusing to participate. To the Premier, too many small businesses are falling through the cracks. We cannot let the dreams of these owners wither away. So I will ask again, will the government commit to direct financial support to businesses who say this is not working for them? Again, the Minister of Finance. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question. We have been in consultation with the CFIB, we have been in consultation with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and through our Minister, Sarkaria, who has hosted 28 roundtables with small businesses. So this is a government that's listening and reaching out to those concerns. Mr. Speaker, to the member's point, the program that he's discussing has been adjusted and adapted and I give the federal government credit for that to make sure that businesses that don't have a mortgage, businesses that finance their businesses in a different way are eligible. It's also been modified to make sure that the calculation is based on gross rent and not net rent. Again, feedback that we receive from both those organizations. Mr. Speaker, this is a government that the people in Ontario know is committed to businesses, committed to small business and is going to do everything in its power to make sure that they continue through this very difficult global economic challenge. Thank you. The next question, the member for Willowdale. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Only months ago, our province, thanks to the Premier's leadership and our policies in the government, we were able to turn Ontario's economy around. Our province was the job creation leader in 2019 with 76% of all jobs created in Canada originating right here in Ontario. Last Friday, Statistics Canada reported on the April employment numbers for our country and confirmed some difficult news for Ontarians. In April, Ontario was hit hard with an unemployment rate of 11.3%. COVID-19 has been a relentless enemy. It has taken hundreds of lives, mothers, fathers, neighbors and friends. It has forced our economy to a virtual standstill, shuttering businesses and throwing people out of work. Can the Premier share with this House the impact the pandemic has had and how we will address it moving forward? Premier. I want to thank the member from Willowdale and the job numbers that were just announced. It just hits you. It keeps you up at night. Let's go back before the pandemic when we're leading North America with job creation and per capita and economic development of 307,000 new jobs. I have the confidence of the businesses out there and the true entrepreneurs and the people, the 14.5 million people that we're going to get back on our feet. We're going to make sure to get the economy going by cutting the red tape, getting rid of the regulations, making an environment that companies can thrive and prosper as they did before this pandemic. Before this pandemic, we were reaching out to the federal government to ask for 250,000 more people to fill the jobs because we created that environment but it goes back to the people. The people have been outstanding. The ingenuity of these companies and the manufacturing might here in Ontario is second to none anywhere in North America and we will continue to be the engine of Canada once again and we ask for the opposition support to help that happen. Thank you. Thank you. It's a supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. And through you, Premier, you said it best. During these difficult times, there is no blue team. There is no red team, orange team or green team. There's only team Ontario and our province will be able to move forward together because we are an army of 14 and a half million people who've all been pulling in the same direction. As I said, COVID-19 has been a relentless enemy. People in my riding are struggling through no fault of their own. In the face of adversity, Speaker, we must stand together and support each other. We must keep fighting. We must keep going. Speaker, can the Premier elaborate on what measures our government is taking to restore economic confidence while ensuring that health and safety is never compromised? Premier. Thank you. Thank the member. Mr. Speaker, we've provided over $17 billion towards the fight against COVID-19. $10 billion of tax deferrals helping businesses with numerous, numerous programs. We have the right framework about reopening our economy. We have the guidelines to protect the workers. We have over 60 protocols in place or guidelines to make sure we have a safe working environment. We're opening up the economy in a trickle, making sure that not only customers are safe, employees are safe, Mr. Speaker, but the number one priority is making sure the health and the wellbeing of the people of this province are safe before we continue opening up and opening the economy wide open. I think so far the people of Ontario have done an incredible job working with this government and other governments. And it just goes to show you, when governments work together, no matter if it's a 444 municipalities in this province, or the phenomenal relationship we have with our federal government, liberal counterparts up in Ottawa, when we all work together, it's amazing how we can move this country and this province forward. And we look forward to continuing with the municipality cooperation along with the federal government. That concludes the time we have for question period. Understand the President's Treasury Board has a point of order. Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a message from the Honourable Elizabeth Bowdswell. Members will please rise. The Lieutenant Governor transmits estimates of certain sums required for the services of the province for the year ending 31st of March, 2021, and recommends them to the Legislative Assembly. So we now recess the House. This House stands in recess until 1 p.m.