In what might be seen as an effort to bolster its independence from the government, Ontario's Science Table today published a full report on what it says are the best ways to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some of the solutions being suggested are not in line with Ontario government policy.
The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table is a group of scientific experts and health care leaders who evaluate and report on emerging evidence relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic to keep government leaders informed.
The Science Table provides weekly summaries using updated information from science organizations, universities, health agencies and the best available global evidence.
The table also reported that all its information is transparent, is public and not in any way influenced by the government.
In its latest report published on Tuesday, the Science Table wrote, "One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, Ontario is now facing the most challenging health crisis of our time. Our case counts are at an all-time high. Our hospitals are buckling. Younger people are getting sicker. The disease is ripping through whole families. The variants of concern that now dominate COVID-19 in Ontario are, in many ways, a new pandemic. And Ontario needs stronger measures to control the pandemic."
To that end, the Science Table report outlines the things that urgently need to be done — as well as things that should not be done — to bring the pandemic under control. Under the heading ‘What Will Work,’ The report said six things needed to be done.
1. Essential workplaces only:
"Some indoor workplaces have to remain open, but the list of what stays open must be as short as possible," said the report. It said safety measures and PPE must be strictly enforced.
2. Pay essential workers to stay home when they're sick, exposed or need to get a vaccine:
The group said too many workers still go to work if they're not well. "Workers who do this, often do so because they have no choice: they must feed their families and pay their rent." The Science Table said the federal sick benefit program is cumbersome and does not provide enough financial support. The table said Ontario needs a program that is easily accessible, pays more money and gives immediate payouts.
3. Accelerating the vaccination of essential workers and those who live in hot spots:
"Vaccines are essential in slowing the pandemic. This means immediately allocating as many doses as possible to hotspot neighbourhoods, vulnerable populations, and essential workers," said the group.
4. Limiting mobility: Restrict movement between regions of the province and restricting movement into the province. COVID-19 is not a single pandemic, because different regions of Ontario and Canada face distinct problems. Moving around the province risks creating new hotspots, especially because the variants of concern are so transmissible. Simply put, Ontarians need to stay in their local communities said the Science Table.
5. Focusing on public health guidance that works: This means Ontarians can’t gather indoors with people from outside their household (with the very limited exception of safe indoor work in essential workplaces). It means Ontarians can spend time with each other outdoors, distancing two metres, wearing masks, keeping hands clean.
6. Keeping people safely connected: Maintaining social connections and outdoor activity are important to our overall physical and mental health. Allow small groups of people from different households to meet outside with masking and two-metre distancing. Keep playgrounds open, and clearly encourage safe outdoor activities.
Item No. 2 appears to contradict Premier Doug Ford’s stance that paying for workers to be off is a federal responsibility.
Under the heading ‘What Won’t Work,’ the Science Table published a list of actions the members feel do not work. One of them, regarding outdoor activities, appears to criticize directly a provision put in place by the Ford government that took effect April 17, only to be walked back the same day.
- Policies that harm or neglect racialized, marginalized and other vulnerable populations will not be effective against a disease that already affects these groups disproportionately. For these reasons, pandemic policies should be examined through an equity lens to ensure that all communities benefit.
- Inconsistent policies with no clear link to scientific evidence are ineffective in fighting COVID-19. Policies that discourage safe outdoor activity will not control COVID-19 and will disproportionately harm children and those who do not have access to their own greenspace, especially those living in crowded conditions.
- There is no trade-off between economic, social and health priorities in the midst of a pandemic that is out of control. The fastest way back to work – and to all the other things that make life in Ontario great – is to get this disease under control as quickly as we can, together.
