‘And when a neighbor needs help, we help,’ federal help on the way for pandemic ravaged hospitals in Ontario

Provinces across Canada will be sending healthcare workers to Ontario to assist with the third wave of the pandemic currently pushing healthcare services to their limits.

The government of Canada will be funding and organizing the efforts to send workers, and will also be sending federal healthcare workers and using military aircraft to get those workers where they are needed.

Minister LeBlanc said additionally that expanded rapid testing and deployment of testing, and $84.2 million in funding for voluntary self isolation centers in Ontario is included in federal help announced by Prime Minister Trudeau.

A bilateral agreement between the governments of Canada and Ontario will be signed to expand and enhance virtual healthcare services, with $46 million in funding going towards those efforts in Ontario.

"Now is not the time to give up," assured Minister LeBlanc.

"Vaccine shipments surpassed initial delivery schedules by over 50 percent for the first part of the year. Eight million Canadians have already received their first shot. We'll have over 48 million doses by the end of June, and more than 100 million by September," he continued.

Minister Leblanc urged residents to continue to follow local measures to fight the spread of COVID-19.

"We can do this by sticking together by continuing to follow local health measures, by checking in on family, friends, and neighbors via telephone or online. As I've often said to Premiere Ford and other first ministers "together we will get through this and beat COVID-19 and beat the third wave. And we stand ready to do whatever it takes to support the people and the province of Ontario," said Minister LeBlanc.