However, the plan is being published as the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals has started to rise again, with traces of the virus found in sewage also increasing. The number of people in Ontario hospitals with COVID-19 reached 790 on Tuesday, up from 639 a week earlier and the highest level since March 5. The government said it expected the numbers to increase after it lifted capacity limits and vaccine passport rules for restaurants this month, but said the health system could be managed. Just a week ago, masks became optional in schools and most public places. Ontario Treasury Secretary Prabmeet Sarkaria told reporters that Tuesday’s plan was to prepare for future emergencies and support the health care system, not to reintroduce restrictions on public health. “As we look at public health measures, we are very confident. We have some of the highest vaccination rates in all of Canada, we have a wall of immunity with over four million people in Ontario who had COVID-19 and recovered. “We have access to antiviral drugs,” said Mr Sarkaria. To help address hospital staff shortages, Tuesday’s plan includes $ 142 million to add to existing tuition programs for nursing students who agree to work for two years in northern or underprivileged communities. Another similar new program will be extended to occupations beyond nursing, starting in 2023. The plan also confirms the move previously announced by the government to offer nurses a $ 5,000 retention bonus. The plan also includes new legislation, introduced Tuesday, to make permanent the additional pay for the pandemic offered to personal support workers, which Mr Ford has repeatedly promised. The bill will also allow the government to offer similar wage increases in future crises. Another provision would make it easier for medical staff trained abroad to practice here, prohibiting their professional colleges from requiring Canadian work experience. However, critics say these moves do little to address the effects of the county bill 124, a pre-pandemic bill that cuts public sector wages and increases benefits by 1 percent a year. “This is the real killer of nursing stays,” said Doris Greenspoon, chief executive of the Ontario Registered Nurses Association. The government also says it will make permanent the 3,100 temporary hospital beds it has created for COVID-19 outbreaks, a move that Anthony Dale, CEO of the Ontario Hospital Association, called “the largest one-time increase in Ontario hospital capacity.” in the late 1990s. “ However, he said the system still needs to be further developed, noting the aging population and the same number of Ontario hospital beds in the pandemic as 20 years ago. The proposed legislation, introduced Tuesday, would also require the province to maintain a stockpile of masks and other critical equipment. At the start of the pandemic, it emerged that the province had allowed stocks of masks and other personal protective equipment to run out, leaving Ontario at the mercy of foreign suppliers. The plan would also threaten large fines for anyone who resells masks issued by the government or other PPE. The bill would also require the government to draw up an emergency preparedness plan, make it public and review it every five years. Peter Juni, scientific director of the Provincial COVID-19 Scientific Advisory Board, said increases in Ontario hospital admissions were slightly ahead of the latest forecast, which he believed was due to Ontarians increasing normal their activities more than expected as the restrictions are lifted. The increase is not as sharp as it was in December, but Dr June said the increase in virus footprints in sewage samples was now doubling every 10 days, indicating an estimated 30,000 to 35,000 new cases each day. Given the amount of immunity in the population, through vaccines and infections, Dr. Johnny said he did not expect a repeat of the last wave of floods in hospitals, which had stuck with 4,000 patients at the peak. However, he advises people to take the booster vaccines and be careful for the coming weeks. “I was hoping people would understand that this is not over,” said Dr June. “If you plan to meet other people in large groups, etc., why not postpone it until spring really comes? And if you go indoors and it’s crowded, why not wear a mask? “ NDP opposition leader Andrea Horvath has challenged the province’s plan, which comes with the spring election campaign on the horizon ahead of the June 2 vote. “This is a last-ditch effort to convince the people of Ontario that they have a plan, but I do not see a plan,” said Ms Horwath. Ontario Liberal MP John Fraser has endorsed the government’s plan not to include efforts to increase second-dose vaccinations in children. According to data from the county, 55 percent of children between the ages of 5 and 11 have at least one dose and only 33 percent are fully vaccinated. “The only important thing about reopening is not there,” Fraser said. “What we need right now is to encourage people to get vaccinated and there is nothing there.” The Morning and Afternoon Newsletters are compiled by Globe editors, giving you a brief overview of the day’s most important headlines. Register today.
