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BRAMPTON — NDP Deputy Leader Sara Singh released the following statement in response to Friday’s Science Table report, which showed a disproportionate number of COVID deaths are among low-income and racialized people, as well as essential workers:
“There is more Ontario can do to crush COVID once and for all in our province, and prevent more tragic loss of life. According to the Science Table, cases are on the rise, and there are more COVID-related deaths among lower-income folks, essential workers, and racialized Ontarians due to the lack of access to testing and isolation.
Families in our communities know their loved ones are being put at greater risk because they’re sticking it out in workplaces like grocery stores and pharmacies, and because of who they are — as Black, Indigenous or racialized Ontarians. We can and must change that, to stop the spread and save lives.
Let’s make testing readily available and easily accessible to all frontline workers. Let’s give essential workers enough paid sick days to stay home when they have symptoms or an exposure. Ford can and must make vaccine certificates mandatory in more places and close his loopholes. And he must make vaccines mandatory in all health care and education settings. These actions are all long overdue, and if we can convince the Ford government to do them now, we stand a better chance of stopping the deadly disparities and ending COVID-19’s days in Ontario.”
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