 Is now time for question period and I recognize the leader of Her Majesty's loyal opposition. Thank you so much speaker Speaker my first question this morning is to the Premier in a statement yesterday frontline healthcare workers told the Premier that Thousands of Ontarians from across the province have been saying for weeks About the conservative government's refusal to call a public inquiry and I'm going to quote It is clear to us that this commission can be neither truly independent nor effective If it is not structured as a full public inquiry Delaying a public inquiry puts lives at risk and of quote Families workers and long-term care residents deserve the transparency and accountability That can only be provided by a fully independent public inquiry. Why is the Premier refusing to listen to them? Through you mr. Speaker, I've been in the trenches with our team For close to 70 days now working around the clock Saturday Sundays 24 7 I'm at the hospitals. I talked to the nurses. I talked to the docs. I'm at long-term care and What I'm hearing is continue doing what you're doing. You're being honest. You're being transparent As soon as we found out about any of the outbreaks First of all might my heart breaks for the people that have been affected But we took quick action through our great leadership of our minister of long-term care minister of health Again working around the clock We put two packages of regulations together put two emergency orders together when creased funding by 243 million dollars made sure that the PPE were in the locations And if someone needed it all they'd had had to do is call would get it there in 24 hours, but we're doing everything response and mr. Speaker to make sure we resolve the cases in the long-term care Speaker with all due respect PSW's nurses and other frontline workers have been in the trenches of long-term care a Broken system that has been in crisis for decades speaker for decades not 70 days decades The premier says his review is going to be open and transparent But a government commission won't have the same powers to subpoena witnesses such as himself and his ministers and conduct a truly independent inquiry in which frontline staff and Families can say what they've been seeing and what they know is happening in long-term care a full independent inquiry Can provide timely interim reports that can be acted on and there is nothing at all Preventing this government from starting to fix the problems that exist in long-term care right now Why is this government hiding behind a bogus delay argument and ignoring the experts families and frontline workers? Telling them to call an independent public inquiry Premier Through you you mr. Speaker the Commission that we're putting together will have witnesses will have nurses show up We'll have psw's we want to fix the problem. We've had this problem in Ontario for decades It didn't just all of a sudden appear over the last six months We're doing everything we can by making sure everything that I know or my ministers know the public knows immediately There's no hiding it. We have a health panel made up of some of the best doctors in the entire world Not just to mention the country that are part of the process. They're moving forward and we're fixing issues on a daily Basis not not not waiting for for an inquiry three years down the road to fix it. We're fixing it and I'm so proud that That the team the health team and everyone working on it We're the first jurisdiction in North America and North America to call for a transparent Commission to get the answers to fix the problems that have been broken for the last 20 years The final supplement Well speaker these Nurses apparently and others that the Premier's planning to handpick for his commission haven't heard from him yet He didn't talk to any health care workers that we know of about his plan for a government controlled Commission And he certainly definitely didn't talk to everyday Ontario families from family councils at long-term care homes to the Royal Canadian Legion who continue to call for a full Independent public inquiry who did the Premier consult with speaker when deciding that a government-controlled commission would be better than an independent public inquiry Minister of long-term care. Thank you speaker and thank you to the member opposite for the question We're looking across the board at the the pandemic issue in Ontario Understanding that their issues were long-standing, but added to by COVID-19 The public inquiry act includes commissions and public inquiries The the Commission will have public input It will have public hearings and there will be a public report as the Premier has said as I have said There needs to be transparency Ontarians have questions and those questions deserve to be answered, but we must not lose Scope of the importance of the solutions that we already know exist and in finding solutions to what has happened As impacted by COVID-19 the work is already response. We will add to that work Ontarians deserve that and questions that Ontarians have will be answered My next question is also for the Premier Well, we know who the Premier didn't consult with before deciding his commission was good enough for Ontarians But who the Premier is consulting with is just as concerning speaker shortly after the first COVID outbreaks in Ontario That happened in nursing homes in March around March 24th Private long-term care operators began to register to lobby the government Including prominent conservative campaign operatives and former staff to the Premier Can the Premier tell us what conversations he and or his ministers have had with lobbyists or other interests representing for-profit long-term care homes Ministered long-term care Thank you, Speaker and thank you once again Ontario has been tragically impacted by COVID-19 the efforts that were underway after Decades of neglect of this system have been looking towards finding the solutions for the issues in long-term care Adding to that are all the measures that our government has taken over the process of this this horrible unprecedented Pandemic eye. It's a tragedy Public Inquiry Act includes Commissions and public inquiries The Commission will be independent. It will be non-partisan. It will have public hearings It will include public reporting the public will have input. That is the desired Transparent effort that we know Ontarians deserve. That is what we will do its membership is to be determined There will be a thoughtful response. The leadership will be a thoughtful process We must be thoughtful and non-partisan in this and I hope that the opposition understands that Well speaker long-term care has tragically been impacted by profit-taking over care giving the families who've lost loved ones and the staff working the front lines deserve to know who the government is getting their advice from Over the last month Rivera homes where 164 residents have died hired the Premier's former director of marketing and the Attorney General's former chief of staff to lobby on their behalf Extended care who is now relying on military support in a home They managed hired the Premier's campaign spokesperson to lobby on their behalf Will the Premier table today? Details of any meetings that he and his team have had with these conservative Insiders now lobbying for for-profit private long-term care providers Ministered long-term care Thank you speaker and thank you again for the question The issues in long-term care have been stagnating for decades We are taking action to address the issues in long-term care. It requires many solutions It requires the collaboration of many sectors and as a minister of long-term care I can tell you that we have reached out to a myriad of a variety a tremendous Variation of groups to understand what the issues are it behooves us all to understand what the problems are So that we can find the solutions there is there is no smoking gun here If there is a smoking gun it is COVID-19 there are Many people that want to be involved in providing input in something so tragic as what has happened with COVID-19 And as minister of long-term care I value that input our government values that input It's going to take everything we've got to address this issue and we must be collaborative in this process I hope that you can do that Speaker this is nothing short of absolutely scandalous Families with loved ones in these long-term care homes and staff Struggling to this very day to access protective equipment to protect their patients and themselves have been fighting to be heard Amongst this crisis the government still denies that people are not getting the PPE that they need on the front lines They can't afford to hire lobbyist speaker, but their voices matter In fact their voices matter the most the premier's plan for a government controlled Commission is going to make it even harder for everyday Ontarians to get answers Why does the premier think that this crisis that's been fueled by privatization can be fixed by for-profit lobbyists? Thank you speaker and thank you again for the question Long-term care is a priority for our government the safety and well-being of Staff and residents in long-term care has been and will be the priority for this government Looking at what has transpired with COVID-19 in long-term care homes. There are certain elements that have become clear Our government has put up 1.75 billion dollars to redevelop long-term care to reform long-term care to build the capacity That is so badly needed. It is clear when we look at the data that ward rooms played a part in this I have said that yesterday. We are transparent about that and we have work underway to redevelop To private or two people rooms. We know that war ward rooms are a problem Let us advance the reform of long-term care the work that is already And is so important for our loved ones in long-term care and those who will come after them Understand the urgency. We need to move forward with a commission Thank you the next question Thank you speaker my next questions for the premier It's sad that the minister didn't acknowledge and the government refuses to acknowledge the clear facts that for-profit homes Have had a much higher rate of deaths than not for-profit and municipally run homes That's something that this government needs to get its head around even in the midst of this crisis though Privately owned and operated care homes have still been turning a profit last week extended care in sienna Both unveiled reports showing hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue during the COVID-19 crisis Even as serious questions are being asked about care in the homes that they own and operate What assurances can the premier offer to families and frontline workers who can't afford to hire? Conservative insiders that he is finally prepared to put care ahead of profits. The last government wouldn't do it We'll keep Long-term care thank you speaker and thank you for the question now I said yesterday in my remarks to this chamber About the need for caring and compassion as a society That is the essence of how we care for our most vulnerable people and that is how we will be judged When we look at what has happened in long-term care There is no particular group whether it's for-profit not for-profit or for-profit That stands out if you look at all the issues you cannot look in a tiny lens order You cannot look in a tiny lens that does not take into consideration All the different factors if we are to be thoughtful in this process If we are to come up with a solution for what is lacking in long-term care Then we must be thoughtful and consider all the variables not just what is politically advantageous to the opposition We need solutions. It's going to take many solutions and we need to be open-minded and thoughtful about that process Well speaker, I think this minister's report. I think this minister's response clearly shows why a full Independent public inquiry is necessary in the province of Ontario That response clearly shows it the COVID-19 crisis has devastated our long-term care homes for nearly three months Thousands of families are losing loved ones in care and our healthcare heroes are giving their lives on the front lines of this fight They see behind the scenes privately owned and operated care homes have still been turning massive profits Caring for our most vulnerable should not be a business. It should not be a profiteering business So will the premier tell us is he ready to reconsider the role of for-profit homes in Ontario's long-term care system? Thank you speaker and thank you for the question Out of respect to all the frontline workers our psw's our nurses our our housekeepers our cooks our Administration in long-term care. We do a disservice to them When we denigrate the sector that they work in whether that is whether that is for-profit not for-profit We ought to be looking at finding a lot physician come to order We need to be looking at the solutions the Commission an independent commission That will allow for public input public hearings and making sure that there is a report that is public We need to find solutions. That's exactly what we're doing. We've put dollars behind it We've made commitments. We've looked at infection and prevention control. We've looked at making sure public health is involved More inherently respond testing We've looked at making sure across the board that we've taken swift and decisive action And we will continue to take swift and decisive action Next question the member for Northumberland Peter Burrow south Thank You mr. Speaker mr. Speaker my question is to the premier Speaker yesterday the premier and the minister of education Announced a very difficult decision to keep our schools closed for the remainder of the school year as well as setting the possible timeline for the reopening of Childcare centers and summer camps for many parents and students alike We know that this will be disappointing news because it means they won't be able to see their friends mr. Speaker and Their teachers in person. I know for educators This means that they won't be able to have the person-to-person touch with their students I know that the premier and the minister took this decision seriously and prioritized the health and safety of our students Number one can the premier tell us more about why our government made this difficult decision and what supports families Like those in Northumberland Peterborough south will receive while schools remain closed. Thank you speaker Thank you speaker and I I want to thank the member from Northumberland Peterborough south for that important question The safety of our kids Will always be our top priority is to protect our kids I'm not prepared to chance it to send the kids back to school and another tough decision We made yesterday for a lot of the kids out there is overnight camps the the congregate situation And we just can't chance it to have 500 kids All all living together under the same roof per se mr. Speaker That's why we're doing everything we can to support students and their families yesterday We announced a seven-point summer learning plan and 34 partnerships with organizations and private businesses to support our students Our teachers and our families and I want to give a special shout out to all the teachers out there That have been going through this online learning along with the parents They're they're holding down a job and then coming home and helping the kids So I just want to thank those those two groups. Thanks mr. Speaker And the supplementary question Thank You speaker and thank you premier for that answer Speaker the health and safety of our young people must be the guiding principle for this government's decision making and speaker I know that the premier and minister of education also announced details about child care centers and camps For many families in Northumberland Peterborough south and across the province Childcare centers and camps play an important role supporting families and children alike We know that the safe and gradual Reopening of the economy needs to go hand in hand with the safe and gradual reopening of child care centers Speaker can the premier tell us about the government's decision on child care centers and camps. Thank you Premier Thank the member for that for that question Yesterday we announced that based on the expert advice from the chief medical officer of health and coved command table That child care centers will reopen in stage two mr. Speaker. We also announced that as long as the trends continue to improve Summer camps day camps with strict strict guidelines in July and August Will reopen mr. Speaker Families need certainty they want to know what they're doing throughout the summer Where they're going making plans with the family now we've given them certainty So they can move forward in a safe manner to protect their kids to protect the families And that's what we've been doing from day one number one priority My job is to protect the 14 and a half million people right here in Ontario and I'm going to continue doing that Next question the member for London West Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier Yesterday the Premier stated that he didn't want to delay urgent reforms desperately needed in long-term care Speaker he doesn't have to delay the personal support workers who care for our loved ones deserve better wages and not just during the Pandemic they deserve full-time jobs at one facility instead of cobbling together multiple part-time shifts Potentially spreading infection from one home to the next this was a recommendation of the SARS Commission And it's the right thing to do speaker will the government act right now to permanently increase PSW wages and mandate permanent one facility staffing placements in long-term care Mr. Long-term care to reply There we go So, thank you for the question looking at the elements of neglect over the last 15 years couple decades our government was actively working on finding those solutions Staffing was part of that when COVID hit we've taken even more measures Introducing the pandemic pay to which you refer Our intent is to a dress with our expert panel The staffing issues that have been long neglected and that we need to address on an urgent basis Their work is ongoing and I will value their their informed Input looking at the pandemic pay. We understand the the gaps that are Existing in long-term care and other sectors. We need to attract people to long-term care There are many there are many reasons why that gap exists and why there is a lack of staff and all of that will be addressed To the premier there are other reforms that the government could implement today One that is very close to my heart is a minimum standard of four hours of hands-on care It would make such a huge difference to the quality of care to our loved ones in long-term care The premier does not have to wait to enact this We are already willing and able today to work with the government to expedite and pass bill 13 The time-to-care act and make a minimum standard of four hours of hands-on care a reality today this afternoon We can let our long-term care hero know that we have their backs and that these needed change will be make permanent Will the premier work with the opposition? Pass bill 13 the time-to-care act Legislate a minimum standard of four hours of hands-on care and the employment standard for long-term care hero Premier we could do this today. Will you do this with us? Mr. Long-term care. Thank you speaker and thank you for your question Looking at the care in our long-term care homes as soon as we became a dedicated ministry in the summer of last year We looked at resident centered care. Our vision was for a 21st century long-term care system That was rehabilitated Modern design standards more care around the residents and this is something that we're addressing and have been addressing to make care More residents centered and that means looking at ways that care is provided in the home Looking at ways new models like the butterfly model can enhance the support for our residents and make the work for staff Meaningful and purposeful in a different way and so that work is already underway Looking at red tape reduction looking at the highly regulated sector that long-term care is and how we create the Responding whereby we can have staff more interacting with residents providing that direct care This is ongoing and we will continue to work on this The next question the member for Don Valley East. Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker my questions to the Minister of Health Minister in March the College of Physicians and Surgeons launched a program to issue short-term short-term licenses to allow some Foreign-trained doctors and domestic medical school graduates to practice under supervision But it's my understanding that by April of this year only 12 people applied In April the government announced that program to help former international health care providers and medical students Connect with institution to offer additional support through you mr. Speaker to the minister Can the minister update this house to whether the program has been successful and how many? International medical professionals have applied and being approved Questions to the Minister of Health. Well, I thank the member very much for the question And I would say that with the COVID pandemic we have been welcoming people from with health care backgrounds of all sorts We have asked for people to join as through a volunteer line We also have a connection panel that connected people organizations that were Looking for help with people who were ready to volunteer We had a many many nurses who came forward out of retirement who worked with the College of Nurses to be Resertified we had many internationally trained Medical graduates who came forward as well who have been very helpful in numerous areas including contact tracing Working at the assessment centers and elsewhere so while I have had a number of inquiries from them about Their ability to go immediately to the College of Physicians and Surgeons to be Certified we all know that there is a process that has to be followed But I'm sure that the experience locally is going to be of assistance to them But of course that's going to be up to the College of Physicians and Surgeons to make that final decision Thank you the supplementary question. Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker Minister 12 applications is simply not good enough in Ontario today We've got 13,000 foreign trained doctors 6,000 foreign trained nurses in Ontario today And we know that 10% of the COVID cases are health care professionals. The system is being pushed to the brink It is completely unacceptable to leave those professionals on the sideline and waste that talent minister Would you consider running some type of public awareness campaign to get the word out there? So we can increase those applicants and get people working. It is a waste of those resources Minister We agree with you that we don't want to waste any valuable health care resources that we have and I know that there are many Internationally trained graduates who are ready to work in Ontario. There are also a number of Students from Canada who've gone to do their residency in in the United States For example who want to come back to be able to work there are many many people that are in that situation So we certainly want to encourage them to apply to the College of Physicians and Surgeons And we're continuing our conversation with the college as well But ultimately they need to be qualified to practice in Ontario We need to have those standards met but there is more work to do Absolutely, because we don't want those resources to go to waste. So thank you for bringing a question for you Next we have the question from the member for Ottawa so thank you speaker my questions for the Premier Premier last week I asked you about ongoing testing and long-term care and the response that we received was That we were going to test every resident and staff by this week, and I think we all agree. That's a good thing It's just a snapshot COVID-19 is not going away anytime soon and long-term care Retirement and group homes are where we know we're the most vulnerable There needs to be a plan So for you speaker I'll ask the Premier again What is the plan for ongoing testing and surveillance in long-term care? Retirement and group homes. Thank you Minister of Health well, thank the member very much for this question This is a really important issue because we know that testing is a snapshot And it's not something to say that we've got all the residents of long-term care homes Tested and that's the end of it That's going to need to continue on an ongoing basis as well as the continued testing of staff members as well and as we contemplate At some stage for family members to be able to come into that introduces another element of concern and risk So we will need to have Heightened testing in those areas, but we have completed the testing on a first-case basis Through long-term care homes residents and staff We are moving now forward with retirement homes group homes Shelters and and other places of congregate living. That's very important And again that will have to continue to be monitored response testing will need to continue there But we know that the ongoing testing is also very important in the community as well as Certain elements of the economy open up. So we are concentrating on testing in that area as well complimentary question and I appreciate the answer minister and the commitment to ongoing testing, you know I think we need a plan because as we're opening up this economy We know the pressures that existed around community and testing going on in the community and not in long-term care We didn't use capacity when we had it and that's that's just a fact now. We know that in this pandemic that We're going to need more testing and more surveillance. That's what experts tell us That's what we're going to have to do as we open up the economy and Let's be frank. We're not there We're not there yet. We know that so I Just want to reiterate that we it needs to be a clear plan Because if we tilt too heavy on one side as we may have understandably, I'm not not criticizing that decision We should maybe look at that Well, let's make sure that we tilt the right way Because if we don't it's going to have really serious consequences for people living in long-term care question and group homes so minister There needs to be a clear plan and there is not one yet Thank you Minister of Health I can agree with you that there is a need for plan There is a need to have ongoing testing and there is a plan. We do have a plan We focused initially on making sure that the most vulnerable group was being protected That's our long-term care residents and staff We also know that another very vulnerable group is people in retirement homes and other congregate living places That's what we're focusing our attention on now with ongoing testing and long-term care homes We're doing the surveillance testing in the public and we've also changed the criteria, though For people who are symptomatic who do have symptoms that they believe might be COVID-19 They may go to assessment centers now and they will be tested Previously it was more up to the judgment of the clinician at the assessment center What we are saying now is we're opening up the economy is if you have symptoms of COVID-19 Please go to an assessment center and to be tested that is vitally important So that we can assess the community impact on public health response of the opening of the economy So we really urge people to go to the assessment centers for a test if they believe they have symptoms of COVID-19 The next question remember for Niagara Falls. Thank you, mr. Speaker my questions to the premier There's nothing more important than a worker going to work and feeling safe That was true before this pandemic and it's true more Now than ever but in Ontario This is not happening. Mr. Speaker 17% of Ontario confirmed cases are healthcare workers a 10% jump from cases in early April nurses doctors lab technicians PSW's therapists custodians and many more among our frontline heroes who are getting sick in Some cases they do everything right And they still not prevent this deadly virus, but in some cases they can Mr. Speaker We've heard it from the front lines They need more PPE and they need the right PPE When will these frontline heroes get the equipment they need to stay safe themselves? When they're keeping us safe, thank you Thank you very much to the member for this question It is vitally important that we have people who are bravely going to work each and every day They are frontline heroes our doctors our nurses our personal support workers cleaners kitchen staff Everyone that's working in health care They deserve to be protected with the right personal protective equipment and we have been working day and night The Premier has been working on this each and every day to make sure that we bring Personal protective equipment in through our regular supply sources, but also through Ontario together We have been able to work with Ontario companies to produce PPE so that we never have to be in a situation again We're deep we're dependent on imports from another country because there's been international demand for PPE So we are creating it there are companies now producing disinfectant and gowns and masks and face shields All of the equipment is vitally important to protect those heroes on the front line For themselves and for their family's health as well The supplementary question Minister I just want to say to you in my own writing I have PSW's Consolidants that are in ICUs on ventilators as we speak today because they weren't provided proper PPE I just want you to know that that's happening Mr. Speaker again to the Premier keep him workers safe must be a party of this government And one of the ways to do that is for people who feel unsafe be able to refuse unsafe work Early in this pandemic the Premier said and I will quote If you don't feel safe in the workplace your job will be protected you can leave the job site So my question is simple What has the government actually done to protect workers who are trusting their Premier and Taking his advice Well, I want to thank the member opposite for that question the health and safety of Workers in this province is the top priority for me as minister and for our government. Mr. Speaker I'm proud of the very first piece of legislation that we introduced in the house When the global COVID-19 pandemic broke out it was supported by every member in this house That was bill 186 that legislation told workers that if they are in self-isolation If they're in quarantine if you're a mom or a dad or an aunt or an uncle that has to stay home and look after a child because The education system is shut down that those jobs will be protected and mr. Speaker furthermore I want to give a shout out to every ministry of labor inspector who's on the ground every single day I'm proud to report that nearly 7,500 workplace investigations have been done Nearly 3,500 orders have been issued and mr. Speaker. We've had to shut down 20 job sites We will spend every resource necessary to protect every single worker in the province of internal Next question the member for well, thank you speaker my questions for the minister of environment conservation and parks Late last week the government quietly published a regulation that allows large polluters to be exempted from normal GHG reporting timeline requirements and since the government suspended the environmental oversight rules last month They were able to make this change without notice or public consultation Transparent GHG reporting rules allow us to hold government accountable and polluters accountable and it makes no sense to suspend pollution Reporting during a pandemic especially when experts now are drawing a link Between air pollution and vulnerability to cobit 19. So speaker. Why does the minister think that a global pandemic? During a health crisis is the right time to suspend transparent reporting requirements for climate pollution Minister the environment conservation and parks Thanks very much for the question for the member opposite and mr. Speaker early in the pandemic we move to Ensure that we were able to react and continue the supply chain within this government within this province during the pandemic and at that time We suspended the 30-day consultation period on the EBR In order to ensure that we can keep people supplied with food and keep people safe. Mr. Speaker In relation to the question member opposite to greenhouse gas Reporting obviously it wasn't hidden. It was posted on the EBR So it was public for everybody and what that whole idea was was to line up the reporting structure for industry in Ontario With the changes the federal government did because of the pandemic by extending it by one month One month to report that so we didn't want to overburden industry in this this province Which is having a hard time bringing in the people to do the reporting because And instead we made easily do one report that spits in line with the province in Canada I'm not sure if the member opposite really cares about businesses during this pandemic But we do and we're making sure that they can survive and make it through this day. Thank you Thank you speaker I'd like the minister to know that in the regulation it does not specify one month It says for an indeterminate period of time. I would say if anybody has been fighting for businesses in this pandemic It's been me calling for a ban on commercial renovations over and over again to stand up for our small businesses Speaker, I'm concerned that the government doesn't understand or hasn't considered How this change could affect our obligations under the Paris agreement And I've complimented the government and indeed all members of this house for quarantining Partizanship during this pandemic, but I'm concerned that the government could be using the COVID crisis to undermine environmental protections numerous Consumer groups have expressed concerns about this. So will the minister consider Bringing back the environmental bill of rights. So we have public oversight on essential. Thank you very much I'm sure the environment Thanks very much, mr. Speaker and in the member opposite knows that my door is open if he does have certain questions It's it's a month But anyways, he's mr. Speaker I I kind of see this member as he's growing in his in his role in the legislature He's becoming a politician in sheep's clothing. He comes across as this gentle person coming forward But the end of the day mr. Speaker He's playing politics. He's playing partisanship when I first suspended the EBR He was on Twitter saying, you know, there's no ill will behind it good for him Order special interest groups get a hold of them all of a sudden. It's bad, mr. Speaker We have allowed through this this process to make sure farmers continue food supply with a nutrient management would have been suspended If we didn't act mr. Speaker, we have GHG reporting Which is online for people to read at mr. Speaker because of COVID-19 We have an amendment to the ESA act with forestry, but we are allowing a 30-day consultation period mr. Speaker We are being pragmatic to ensure Ontarians are safe. Our supply chain is ongoing I wish the member opposite would join on board and support this government work with us to have us defeat this pandemic and get the economy up and running again Next question the member for Toronto Center Thank you speaker my questions for the Premier Yesterday the Minister of Health continued to claim that Ontario is a global leader in COVID-19 testing But here are the facts Ontario's per capita testing for COVID-19 19 ranks fifth in Canada behind Quebec Nova Scotia Alberta and the Northwest Territories Ontario is also behind a wide swath of countries including even the United States Ontario has consistently missed its own testing targets including by 5,000 or more tests on 21 separate occasions since mid-April and today once again We've just received a report that Ontario has only completed 7,300 tests yesterday That's 10,000 fewer tests than the daily target. Why does this government continue to claim that this is a success? Mr. Tell Because it is a success when we started out the only testing that was being done order being done through public health Ontario We've since expanded that to over 20 sites Including hospital labs labs in other private labs that are doing some of the testing University labs as well. We've created a connected system of labs where one did not exist before Unlike for example in Alberta that got out early But we did that and because we have now been able to do up to 20,000 tests per day. Does that ebb and flow a bit? Yes, it does. Let's look at what just happened We just had a long weekend that just went by where people were not it some went to assessment centres But not as many as have been going to assessment centres We also had a situation where we finished our testing and long-term care homes and we're transitioning now to do testing in Retirement homes other places of congregate living and more testing in the public That's what's really important is to do that testing and to make sure if people have symptoms of COVID-19 Please go to an assessment centre and you will be Thank you Thank you speaker and respectfully. I think I have a different definition for the word success than the minister The importance of testing cannot be overstated Epidemiologists have said that the best testing strategy is to test test and test some more It helps our scientists and health care heroes contain the virus by tracking where it is in the last two days Ontario has completed less than 15,000 tests in the last week, Ontario averaged under 14,000 tests a day That's a far cry from the 20,000 that the Premier and the Minister said we would be completing We've only reached capacity for the lab system once one time once since April 15th What can Ontario's themselves? What can Ontarians every day Ontarians do to help this government get more tests completed so that we can tackle this virus together? Minister Well, one thing I could agree with the member on that testing is very important, especially as we're opening our economy We need to understand what the effect is on public health But what I don't just don't agree with is the testing strategy and where Ontario stands vis-a-vis the rest of Canada We continue to remain the province that has the highest testing per 100,000 people across this entire country Despite starting off at a situation that was less than ideal compared to some of the other provinces So we are still doing that. Do we hit those targets every single day? No, there is an ebb and flow to this but we are increasing our capacity on a daily basis The last couple of days have been slower than usual But we are continuing to increase the lab testing capability part of it is that the same number of people did not come to the assessment Centres over the weekend. We want people to come in. We are going to obviously people are going to do that willingly So what we are doing now is encouraging people to come in if they have symptoms of COVID-19 we want them to come into assessment centres to be tested That is vitally important for us to determine when we can enter the next stage of opening our economy. If we don't have that Thank you Thank you the next question Next question the member for Kitchener Center Thank You mr. Speaker. My question is to the premier in 2014 researchers found that racialized and black Ontarians were more at risk of acquiring h1n1 Despite knowing this the liberal government did next to nothing tangible to address health inequities as of last week government data collected on COVID-19 infections among Ontario health care workers excluded personal support workers from the categories being tracked the vast majority of PSWs are black Brown and racialized women that data simply did not matter to this government the premier said he didn't believe in race-based data But now after intense public pressure says that race-based data can be voluntarily collected during the pandemic He has shared no plan on how this data will be used to keep black brown indigenous and other racialized people safe Both during and after the pandemic Speaker my question is simple. What is the plan? Minister of Health Well, I thank the member very much for the question It is an important one and as the current situation evolves We are committed to ensuring that we have the important health information and data that we need To ensure the health and safety of all Ontarians And this is something that has evolved since the beginning of this pandemic The ministry does not routinely collect data on income or race And lab data or in ifus or COVID-19 But we want to understand the issues of inequity that have been brought forward to us by a number of groups We know that they Understanding how the corona pandemic is spread who it's affecting what needs to be done as a result of that Requires us to collect this data So we are going to do it because we want to make sure that we can keep all Ontarians healthy and safe So has this been a change in the beginning? Yes, it has certain things have evolved as a course of this pandemic And this is now something we are committed to collecting and and using to improve everyone's health outcomes Thank you for supplementary question Thank you. Mr. Speaker and back to the premier Mr. Speaker health inequities existed before COVID-19 and they will exist after Data collection with no plan for how to use the information responsibly is actually not what people are asking for People are asking this government to create a plan to address the health inequities that so many of us is black racialized and indigenous people experience whenever we interact with the health care system From having to convince someone that symptoms are real to finding culturally responsive mental health services to being misdiagnosed And having our pain left unaddressed through you, mr. Speaker I'll ask again Will this government make an informed plan to address health inequities in our health care system? Even when the pandemic is over and will they commit today to sharing that plan publicly? Well, I certainly can agree with the member that there are inequities in other areas of health care as well It's one of the things that we took a look at in developing our mental health plan Recognizing that not everyone's needs were being met and that they need to Expand the system and consider the perspectives of everyone in Ontario That is something that we hope to do with respect to the work that we're doing on COVID-19 as well And the anti racism directorate is supporting the implementation of a framework to collect race-based data And to make sure that it is collected that it's protected And used in a standardized way across certain sectors of government because that also is going to be very important Not just to collect the data, but to make sure that it is Protected for privacy reasons and used appropriately So we are working with the directorate to do that and the directorate is developing culturally appropriate training resources to support regulated Child welfare justice and education sectors with the implementation of race-based data collection So there's a lot of work that's ongoing. Thank you Thank you The next question the member for Scarborough gildew Thank you speaker. My question is to the minister of health This week the government officially moved into their first stage of reopening Allowing retail stores and public spaces to reopen in some instances But this week the spread of COVID-19 continues to increase The people of Ontario have taken dramatic steps and cooperated with emergency ordered on an historic level They do not want to squander their hard-won progress on a second wave of infections and closures Speaker through you to the minister to prevent a second wave We need to be more data-driven. We currently do not have all public health units collecting workplace data of infected persons Without a more robust data collection system in place our response to a second wave Will look more like playing a game of whack-a-mo blindfolded Will the government invest more in local public health units across the province So that we can track COVID-19 and contain spread The minister of health Well, thank you. I thank the member very much for that question. It is something that is very important. We have already put 75 million dollars into public health units to help them to do more testing and to Do the contact tracing and all of the other work that needs to be done But you're absolutely right as we open up the economy We want to make sure that we understand what the effect is on public health I can tell you that I that's something that's being followed very closely by our chief medical officer of health Who was the one that ultimately? looked at the plan that we had developed and put certain standards in place and was Was fine with the opening of this stage one yesterday That said we need to follow very carefully to see what happens in the next several weeks That's why this has to be done in very careful measured stages to make sure that we can follow what's happening If there's some suggestion that public health is being affected in a negative way Then we need to pause analyze the data and make changes to it The supplementary question Speaker I thank the minister for her response and I do have a suggestion We know that asymptomatic spread is an ongoing concern And many sectors rely on public health measures involving symptomatic screening And advising folks to stay home if they feel sick But when we're reopening this isn't good enough to give people the confidence that they need Experts have warned that our asymptomatic spread will be a blind spot if we do not broaden our testing capability Weeks will pass and then new infections will be found Mr. Speaker to get our economy back We need that confidence to be in place to prevent a second wave of spread Will the minister commit to investing more in broad-based rigorous testing and contact tracing in areas of possible risk for instance Bus drivers limo drivers taxi drivers grocery store clerks child care workers and not just in areas already in outbreak So we give people Thank you The minister of health to reply Thank you very much. Well, you're absolutely right. We do need to do more broad-based screening That's why we're inviting people to please if you have any symptoms of COVID-19 Go and be assessed, but we need to have surveillance testing done as well So we're looking at expanding that because we are working with businesses the jobs and recovery committee That is being chaired by the minister of finance is taking a look at it Figuring out with businesses. How are they going to bring employees back? For the next stage as we get to that point. How are they going to Let people come back to work because people are nervous about this Well, they want to go back to work. They're concerned about it. They're concerned about their own health their Their group the people that they work with so we're working with businesses to determine How they are going to do their own testing and how that will continue with the work that we're doing as well So it is a complicated process. We are working on that Because we do want to get to stage two At the next point in time, but it needs to be safe for all Ontarians. So we're working with businesses And some of the broader sector organizations to allow that. Thank you The next question the member for hamilton west and castor dundas my question this morning is to the premier The owners of roslyn retirement incorporated in hamilton have a spotty history to say the least They have a license that was revoked because of substandard care a bankruptcy and a hamilton spectator investigation Showing that the health ministry provided more than 500 million dollars to the company leading up to the bankruptcy Yet they're now running at least eight retirement homes in hamilton and dundas Including the roslyn home that was evacuated on friday They had every resident evacuated to the hospital because of a horrific code COVID-19 outbreak and unbelievably One resident was left behind in the empty home forgotten This is truly a nightmare. So my question to the premier is simple Why doesn't he take action when private for-profit corporations take advantage and hurt our seniors? Thank you speaker, and I thank the member for the question. We have been diligently monitoring and taking Decisive actions to stop the spread of COVID-19 And it is true that there were steps taken to evacuate the roslyn retirement home last week due to concerns about the The physical structure and that to keep people safe and healthy We are also aware That a resident was left behind in the house for 24 hours. That is not acceptable under any terms not acceptable at all And we are working with our partners to review the protocols to understand why this could have happened And to make sure that this never happens again But we the retirement regulatory homes authority has been working closely with the local lin and with the public health units To understand what has been happening and to make sure that as the people have been evacuated that they are going to be Safe and healthy in the in their new home for the time being But the other situation was totally unacceptable and Certainly should not have happened Thank you speaker my question is for the premier Premier last sunday a constituent of mine christine collins wrote to you on behalf of her brother peter Calling for a public inquiry into long-term care Peter lives at the carling view manner a for-profit long-term care home in ottawa where tragically 46 people have died and speaker Earlier in debate the minister responsible for this file said that when we question as an opposition some for proper Operating homes we're insulting the workers. I beg through you speaker for the minister to understand What's insulting is for ceo's in this industry to earn more in a year than workers do at more in a day Excuse me than workers do in an entire year Christine is terrified for her brother safety premier the staff in this place are overworked They've been going seven days a week for six weeks his medications. She worries are not being properly followed premier Christine wants a public inquiry So witnesses are compelled to testify and she gets the answers that her family urgently needs Will you please abide by christine and so many other wishes and call for a public independent inquiry? Yes or no Thank you speaker and thank you for the question Looking at the long-term care homes across ontario Our government has been doing everything to support them and carling view included We've worked across ministries. We've worked with a number of other groups Whether it's the uh ontario health, whether it's public health, whether it's the linds, whether it's the local hospitals Engaging support for these homes and carling view is one of the homes that has received that support And my heart goes out to all the family members who are suffering through this all the residents who are You know at the bearing the brunt of this there's it's it's fact Carling view manor has received help from the queen sway carlton hospital It's received help from the ontario health response team It is getting support and that matters most our government has made the priority A long-term care the residents the staff and that's exactly what we're doing in terms of a public inquiry I want to reiterate it will be public. There will be public hearings. There will be a public report There will be public input It is under the public inquiries act both public inquiries And this commission which will be independent and non-partisan. We must have transparency Our government wants transparency As a minister, I want transparency Ontarians have answers and those answers deserve those questions deserve to be answered Ontarians have questions The next question the member for markham unionville. Thank you, mr. Speaker My question is for the mr. Premier premier during this time Many of my constituents has to make sacrifice as we all adjust to the new normal This is something that all Ontarians we had to experience with changes to our regular routine impacting each individual's and spiritual and religious practices I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the importance that the religious organizations has played during this time churches synagogues temples mosques Are good virus all places of conditional fellowship that has been required to shut down to help fight this spread of this pandemic Speaker, can the premier please share this with the legislature about the new regulations that the government announced yesterday That will provide better clarification for places of worship in this province. Thank you, mr. Speaker Premier to reply Well, I want I want to thank the Member from markham unionville for for the question our government recognizes the importance ontarians place and participating In religious gatherings. It's absolutely critical that we've moved forward with this and we and we did That's why our government amended the regulations to allow Ontarians to attend religious gatherings in the following conditions Individuals must remain in a car Individuals may only be in a vehicle with others if they're part of the same household Cars must be at least two meters apart No materials can be passed between individuals during the service And persons conducting the gatherings must ensure buildings are close For for service so they can't open their buildings people can't be going in there and using the restrooms Our government and all members greatly appreciate the sacrifices made by all religious communities regarding social distancing measures While still serving their communities with compassion during this time And the supplementary question Premier, thank you for the answer in our our governance on song's announcement on greater clarity regarding public worship I know that my constituents as well as many people in this province greatly appreciate hearing this news and Continuous support that we are providing to religious organizations with measures like this premier religious Ritual religious and spiritual organization play a major role in lives of many Ontarians during this pandemic We have seen all major states demonstrate countless examples of leadership and personal sacrifice In order to help each other's speaker Can the premier shared with the legislature about the positive support that all religious communities in Ontario has demonstrated during this time Premier I want to thank the member for the question and one take an opportunity to acknowledge the work done by all religious communities across this province I experienced it Numerous times, but just a couple days ago. I was at a mosque handing out meals Thousands of meals as people were were driving through this includes examples of live stream servicing Services being provided during Ramadan pass over to sake or Easter allowing religious Members to stay connected in faith and fellowship while making sure they ensure That social distancing measures have been respected the actions, mr. Speaker of all religious communities truly demonstrate the Ontario spirit Of charity compassion and support those in need no matter who they are or what religion they come from This host stands adjourned until Tuesday may the 26th at 9 a.m Keep well stay safe and take care