Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones has tested positive for COVID-19, the government confirmed, amid increasing pressure for her to testify in the Emergencies Act inquiry.
Government sources told Global News that Jones, who also serves as deputy premier, began feeling unwell and skipped the first two days of the provincial legislative session at Queen’s Park.
Jones tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, the government confirmed.
The province’s current pandemic guidelines say those who are sick should stay home.
People are advised to isolate until symptoms have been improving for at least 24 hours, their fever has ended and if they do not develop any new symptoms.
The province’s five-day isolation rules were scrapped toward the end of the summer.
The news comes the day after provincial lawyers filed documents with a federal court to stop Premier Doug Ford and Jones from testifying at the Emergencies Act inquiry.
While she is scheduled to testify in Ottawa on Nov. 10, the appeal seeks to overrule the summons on the grounds that Jones has parliamentary privilege.
She was previously the province’s solicitor general.
Jones, according to Ottawa city officials, was “disingenuous” when she claimed that 1,500 OPP officers had responded to the occupation — when the true number was closer to 50 to 100 officers.
The minister has yet to publicly address questions about her response to the trucker convoy.
Jones replaced former minister of health Christine Elliott, who did not run for re-election in June.