Ontario's doctors support government orders, local public health measures

TORONTO, April 7, 2021 /CNW/ - Ontario's doctors today gave their support to new provincial measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 and to public health leaders making decisions to further protect their local communities.

The Ontario Medical Association supports the government stay-at-home order, and urges every Ontarian to do so as well, while still getting physically distanced outdoor exercise and paying attention to their mental health needs.

Doctors who have been on the front lines of the pandemic for more than a year also urge those who are able, to support their local restaurants and other small businesses by ordering food and other goods through delivery or curbside pickup.

"Doctors are worried. The current increased number of people contracting COVID-19, requiring hospitalization and/or intensive care is alarming. It's dramatically higher than anything Ontario has yet seen during this pandemic, and reminiscent of Britain's third wave, which carried a death rate greater than their first and second wave combined," said OMA President Dr. Samantha Hill. "We all want this pandemic to finally end. The good news is that we are not powerless. We all have a role to play to make that happen, and Ontarians have repeatedly proven themselves capable."

The OMA continues to advocate for paid sick leave for essential workers, whose workplaces are the source of many outbreaks, especially in the hotspots of Toronto and Peel Region. Most essential workers are paid only when they go to work and cannot afford to stay home and lose that income if they are sick or suspect they have been exposed to COVID.

The OMA also supports the immunization of all essential workers and disadvantaged workers, and residents of hotspots. Every Ontarian should take the first vaccine offered to them. Family doctors already vaccinating their patients in some regions of the provinces and ready and able to expand their role.

"We urge everyone to follow the advice of public health leaders and stay home if you are able," said OMA CEO Allan O'Dette. "We need to get COVID-19 under control while more of us get vaccinated so that we can reopen the economy for good."

About the OMA

The Ontario Medical Association represents Ontario's 43,000-plus physicians, medical students and retired physicians, advocating for and supporting doctors while strengthening the leadership role of doctors in caring for patients. Our vision is to be the trusted voice in transforming Ontario's health-care system.

SOURCE Ontario Medical Association