(Note: This post was originally a Twitter thread on April 1.) 

https://twitter.com/mohamadfakih8/status/1377740506298511361?s=21

A few thoughts on the Ford government’s latest attempt to get control of the third wave which is already worse than the first two despite what should have been learned over the last year. 

The primary objective of the government, and of us all, should be to minimize health risks from the pandemic for all Ontarians. I believe in imposing whatever precautionary measures are needed to keep people safe, as advised by health officials, informed by the science. 

But the Ford government remains incapable of getting it right, proven out by what we are seeing in the numbers. They never do enough to get control of the situation, and what they do put in place often makes no sense and is unfair. Toronto and Peel have been in months and months of a sort of lockdown, yet numbers keep rising, ICU’s are overwhelmed, and death rates increase. None of this is happening suddenly, or without warning from the province’s science table. 

Yet one of the only additional measures imposed today in Toronto and Peel is to restrict dining at restaurants, even outside on patios, as if that is the source of transmission when we know data show outbreaks are actually happening mostly in other workplaces. Restaurants spent lots of money to open patios. Set-up costs, staff rehiring, food, etc. All wasted now, with no word from the government of any additional financial assistance to offset yet another imposed, devastating cost that threatens the solvency of so many businesses.

 The Ford government never gets it right. Getting it wrong on a continual basis, and repeatedly extending measures that don’t work is thoughtless and irresponsible. It endangers people’s health as well as their ability to provide for their families. i think that all of us, whether business owners or not, would prefer the right restrictions be put in place now that get control of this wave, no matter how stringent, rather than watch as measures we all know don’t work get extended into May, June or beyond.

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Mohamad Fakih is the CEO of Paramount Fine Foods. He is a passionate Canadian entrepreneur, philanthropist and activist and currently serves on the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’ COVID-19 Recovery Leadership Council.