UPDATE:Below
KAWARTHA LAKES-Ontario Premier Doug Ford flip flopped on the closure of outdoor playgrounds on Saturday.
Late Friday the Premier announced all outdoor playgrounds, soccer fields, basketball courts, skate parks and more were to close almost immediately.
After a lot of backlash on Twitter from epidemiologists, journalists and the public the Premier appears to have had a change of heart.
Dr David Fishman of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health tweeted: “Ford owns this Disaster. He has repeatedly refused to do what he needs to do. Elect a clown, expect a circus.”
Robyn Urback, a columnist with The Globe and Mail tweeted: “A year into the pandemic, Ontario is closing outdoor playgrounds. Absolutely clownish, incompetent government.”
Colin D’Mello with CTV News said “Tremendous anger inside the Ontario PC Caucus from some who vehemently oppose some of the new measures that will be announced today.”
After the backlash there were reports Ford and fellow MPP’s were meeting to discuss changes to the new measure.
Ford took to twitter this afternoon saying: “Our regulations will be amended to allow playgrounds but gatherings will still be enforced. Play outside safely.”
Round one to the kids!
The public also expressed anger and outrage over new powers granted to police after the government announced police would be able to arbitrarily stop vehicles and pedestrians to ask why they were out of their house.
UPDATE: Saturday evening Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said in a written statement that f officers will no longer have the right to stop any pedestrian or driver to ask why they’re out or request their home address.
She said instead , police will only be able to stop people who they have reason to believe are participating in an “organized public event or social gathering.”
