As the number of measles cases in Ontario jumps again, the Ford government is facing calls to do more to tackle the growing outbreak and step up its vaccination efforts.
On Thursday, Public Health Ontario reported a total of 470 measles cases, up by 120 cases compared to the week before. Thirty-four people were in hospital and two in intensive care.
Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, released a statement urging people to get vaccinated last week, confirming current numbers are the highest the province has seen in at least a decade.
“Vaccination is the most effective way to limit the spread of measles and protect yourself and your loved ones,” Moore said in his March 14 statement.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles said Moore should be asked by the government to speak publicly about the outbreak and the province’s plan to get numbers down.
“We need to hear from the chief medical officer of health,” she said. “We need a commitment from the provincial government for adequate funding for our public health unit so they can actually do the work that’s necessary to improve education and vaccination rates.”
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Global News has made several requests to the Ministry of Health to speak to Moore in the past week, also asking whether he will hold a public briefing on the measles outbreak. Those requests have been ignored or declined.
On Wednesday, Moore was at the swearing-in ceremony for Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s new cabinet. There he turned down a request to be interviewed, saying he would wait until the health minister was sworn in.
Moore held regular briefings during the COVID-19 pandemic, as did his predecessor Dr. David Williams. Since then, he has not made many public appearances and has rarely been made available to answer questions or take part in interviews about Ontario’s public health policy.
Robin Lennox, the new NDP MPP for Hamilton Centre and a physician, said the growing number of cases was worrying.
“We haven’t seen this number of cases in a very long time and the thing that’s very tragic about it is we know that it’s going to impact children the most,” she said.
“We also know we have something to prevent this significant illness and death.”
She called on the province to improve public health funding to deliver vaccines. The Liberals echoed the call to increase the money sent to local public health units.
The Ontario Liberals also said the government was failing to address the measles outbreak effectively, pointing to other public information bullets released this week instead of a measles briefing.
“In the midst of this resurgence of measles, it is inexplicable that the Ford conservatives would be more preoccupied with sending emails today about ‘bear awareness’ than showing leadership and providing updates about the response to measles in Ontario,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
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