{"id":1291337,"date":"2022-02-11T11:52:54","date_gmt":"2022-02-11T16:52:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1291337"},"modified":"2022-02-11T11:53:07","modified_gmt":"2022-02-11T16:53:07","slug":"ontario-imposes-state-of-emergency-hours-after-report-it-considered-dropping-mandates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ontario-imposes-state-of-emergency-hours-after-report-it-considered-dropping-mandates\/","title":{"rendered":"Ontario Imposes &#039;State of Emergency&#039; Hours After Report It Considered Dropping Mandates"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fontario-imposes-state-of-emergency-hours-after-report-it-considered-dropping-mandates%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1291337&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/GettyImages-1238363215-640x335-1.jpeg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" alt=\"image\" \/><\/div>\n<p class=\"subheading\"><span>Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced on Friday that he would impose a \u201cstate of emergency\u201d in response to the two-week-old \u201cFreedom Convoy\u201d protests that would, he hoped, end blockades in major cities and on international border crossings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Ford also reportedly <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EvanLSolomon\/status\/1492164218258444288?s=20&amp;t=r31K7WkxddLW_mdRSJY7kg\">told<\/a> journalists that he would soon entirely do away with the vaccine mandate system, a core demand of the protesters, and \u201call restrictions on businesses.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p><span>Ford\u2019s announcement followed a report by Canada\u2019s Rebel News on Thursday claiming that Ford was preparing to abandon the province\u2019s vaccine mandate, which had initially prompted the trucker-led protest. In addition to the large, flagship protest in Ottawa, truckers had moved to blockade Ambassador Bridge, the largest crossing between Canada and America, this week.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Ford&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/canoe.com\/news\/provincial\/ford-declares-state-of-emergency-over-blockades\/wcm\/a89f97ff-7834-43e6-9449-ce1783ec1ab7?utm_medium=Social&amp;utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1644595582-1\">announced<\/a> that truckers who did not comply and open the bridge would face prison time and fines of up to $100,000, according to the Canadian Press.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Canada\u2019s Rebel News, which has extensively and sympathetically covered the Freedom Convoy trucker protests, on Thursday claimed that it obtained a recording of a phone call from Ontario Premier Doug Ford to his supporters informing them he would abandon the province\u2019s vaccine passport.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud83d\udea8TRUCKER TRIUMPH: Embattled Ontario Premier deluged by phone calls, caves in to demands to drop vaccine passports. <\/p>\n<p>In this phone call, recorded by a supporter, he says he&#8217;ll make the announcement tomorrow. Full story here: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/MxhEMDGtv7\">https:\/\/t.co\/MxhEMDGtv7<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/6JXn1kKYgj\">pic.twitter.com\/6JXn1kKYgj<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Ezra Levant \ud83c\udf41\ud83d\ude9b (@ezralevant) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ezralevant\/status\/1491996221325688835?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 11, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rebelnews.com\/secret_recording_ontario_ending_passports\"><span>Rebel News<\/span><\/a><span> said the recording of Ford\u2019s phone call was supplied by one of the supporters who received it. In the call, the voice alleged to be Ford\u2019s says he decided to rescind the vaccine passport mandate after receiving \u201cabout 250\u201d messages on Thursday morning asking him to cave in.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWe\u2019re pulling these passports. We\u2019re going to get back to normal. I can\u2019t get you the exact date, but it\u2019s going to be very soon. I\u2019ll be speaking over the next few days. Friday I\u2019m going to put out a statement. Monday I\u2019ll be giving some dates. And we\u2019re going to move forward,\u201d Ford said in the call, assuming it is authentic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Most Canadian media coverage of Ontario on Wednesday indicated the vaccine mandate would not be lifted any time soon. Health Minister Christine Elliott said as much at a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/8606565\/ontario-covid-vaccine-passports-masking\/\"><span>news conference<\/span><\/a><span> on Wednesday in which she announced free rapid coronavirus testing for Ontario residents at grocery stores and pharmacies.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Ontario health minister Christine Elliott says the province has no plans to drop its vaccine passport system or mask mandate. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ughnFsHOOZ\">pic.twitter.com\/ughnFsHOOZ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 True North (@TrueNorthCentre) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TrueNorthCentre\/status\/1491464573874061316?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 9, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p><span>\u201cWe have no plans currently to drop the passport vaccination situation or masking. We believe that masking is going to be important for some time to come,\u201d Elliott <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nationalpost.com\/news\/canada\/ontario-expands-rapid-test-access-with-distribution-at-grocery-stores-pharmacies\"><span>stated<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWe still need to be very careful,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are not telling the people of Ontario that this is going to remain in place forever. No. But we are not in the clear, just yet, and so we need to continue to protect Ontarians, protect each other with the passports and with the masks at this point.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/torontosun.com\/opinion\/columnists\/furey-ford-government-still-wont-budge-on-vaccine-passport-mask-rules\"><i><span>Toronto Sun<\/span><\/i><\/a> <span>reported on Wednesday that Ford\u2019s administration was stubbornly \u201cdigging in their heels\u201d and refusing to follow advice from local medical experts that it was time to begin easing up:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span>Dr. Matt Strauss, medical officer for Ontario\u2019s Haldimand-Norfolk region, took to social media on Tuesday to announce that \u201cit\u2019s time to end vaccine mandates.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>On the same day, Dr. Sumon Chakrabarti, an infectious diseases physician who treats COVID patients in the GTA, appeared on CBC to say it\u2019s time Ontario followed the lead of other provinces and places around the world. This perspective adds more adherents by the day,<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>So what\u2019s the hold-up? You\u2019ve got to wonder what Ford and his advisors are thinking right now.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span>The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/canada\/article-ontario-reviewing-all-covid-19-measures-including-masks-and-vaccine\/\"><i><span>Globe and Mail<\/span><\/i><\/a> <span>on Thursday quoted Ontario Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kieran Moore taking a more conciliatory tone and saying \u201ca review of all timelines is absolutely appropriate in the face of the improving data in Ontario, in removal of all public-health measures.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWe want to be transparent to businesses, transparent to Ontarians, on what can be expected in terms of the timelines,\u201d Moore said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Moore <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ottawacitizen.com\/news\/covid-19-no-minimum-purchase-for-free-tests-says-ford\"><span>said<\/span><\/a><span> no final decisions about revised timelines had been made yet, but he expected the review process to begin next week. He warned Ontario would take a more \u201ccautious\u201d approach than other provinces that have begun lifting restrictions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-55 Component-p-0-2-46\"><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-detroit-ontario-6e6dcbfaa6717b0aa0f079251663290f\">AP reports<\/a>: \u201cOn Friday, amid signs that authorities might be prepared to get tough, police in Windsor and Ottawa awaited reinforcements from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the federal police force. Ottawa\u2019s mayor has asked for 1,800 additional police officers, nearly doubling the manpower available to the the city\u2019s police force, which has 2,100 officers and civilian members.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced on Friday that he would impose a \u201cstate of emergency\u201d in response to the two-week-old \u201cFreedom Convoy\u201d protests that would, he hoped, end blockades in &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1291337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1291337","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1291337"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1291337\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1291337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1291337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1291337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}