Doug Ford says he's feeling pressure to open Ontario, even from nephew

The Ontario Premier Doug Ford has been receiving increasing pressure to open the economy, particularly so from his 12-year-old nephew.

Ford said he had been taking numerous calls from Ontarians across the province, asking him when Ontario will lift it's lockdown and open the economy.

Speaking at his daily press conference in Queen's Park, Ford said "I’m getting lobbied hard by so many different groups and organizations. I just beg people to be patient."

Showing his human side, Ford said that his nephew was holding him to account, asking him when he would be able to go outside and enjoy the incoming summer weather.

"I even got a call from Rob’s son, saying, ‘Uncle Doug, am I going to camp or not?’" said the premier. "I told him, ‘You know I can’t answer that,’ He goes, ‘Well find out and get back to me right away,’ and I thought, really? I’m getting lobbied by 12-year-old nephew, too."

Despite Ford's caution, the premier has been looking at methods of slowly opening Ontario up again, just as Quebec's premier Francois Legault has. The Premier has said that he will release a framework which details his plans for a post-virus Ontario.

Speaking on this issue, Ford said that he'll "be rolling this out over the next few days, but [he will look for] certain areas that you don’t have to worry about working side-by-side on a line that you can’t practice social distancing."

"Maybe outdoor activities we can look at. But again, that will be rolled out over the next few days and we are going to be consulting again with municipalities and sectors," he continued.

Since the world began to be consumed by coronavirus, Ontario has been one of the worst hit areas in the country. On Tuesday, for instance, the province saw 551 new cases.

The total deaths relating to coronavirus has now reached 622 people in Ontario.