WATCH: Premier Ford accidentally referred to as ‘prime minister,’ says ‘not yet’

The confusion may have stemmed from the fact that the journalist who asked the question hails from Quebec. In French, the title for premier is "premier ministre," which translates directly to "prime minister."

Ford's quick response could potentially be a glimpse at the premier's psyche. In February, one pollster noted that Ford’s approval rating was down to 31 percent—mostly due to conflicts with teachers’ unions. Now, just a short time later, Ford’s approval rating has reached 74 percent.

Michelle McQuigge, a political commentator wrote that Ford “has been turning heads since it became clear that Canada would not be spared the spread of the novel coronavirus.” She made the comment on March 29 just under two weeks after a state of emergency was declared by Ford. “But many of those heads, once likely to be thrown back in dismay, are now bestowing nods of approval.”

Ford has received general praise for his ability to leave some of his politics at the door when it comes to fighting the novel virus, which has swept through Ontario and Ontario's nursing homes. Ford has been listening to advice from public health officials and giving straightforward and seemingly empathetic press briefings.

Ford had a recent misstep, being on the receiving end of backlash after visiting his cottage, after telling Ontarians to avoid doing so. Ford had specifically told Ontarians that visits should only be done if necessary.

While addressing the cottage incident, Ford said he was told by his team that he had Easter morning off for the first time in about two months. He added that a couple years ago, burst pipes at the cottage caused a large mess and thousands of dollars of damage and he went to check on it for this reason.