Dozens call for Ottawa to go its own way with pandemic measures

Dozens ofresidents are calling on Ottawa Public Health to do more to protect certain essential workers unable to work from home andget themvaccinated sooner.

Members of the Ottawa Board of Health passed a motion at a Monday evening meeting to ask Premier Doug Ford to review businesses and services that are still open with employees who cannot work from home.

The letter will ask that anything beyond medical, pharmacy or grocery services should closeduring the province's stay-at-home order, including certain construction projects.

"We have had outbreaks in construction sites and not all construction is essential, so I think that's a clear example where we can probably pare back the type of work that is happening that's leading to exposures," said Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches at the meeting.

The board also wants more power for bylaw officers to be able to enter, investigate and close businesses that are not complying with COVID-19 safety measures.

Changes should be led by province: Etches

But public delegates, including Sam Hershof advocacy group Horizon Ottawa,said the cityshouldn't be relying on the Ford government to make these changes.

"It is become utterly clear that theprovincial government is completely incapable of managing this crisis and as a result, people are dying across our city and Ontario. It's incumbenton you to act," he said.

"To be honestIt seems you've not been doing enough."

UndertheHealth Protection and Promotion Act, medical officers of health have the authority to close businessesto prevent the spread of disease.

However, when it comes to defining exactly what is essential or not essential, Etches said that was not her area of expertise.

According toOPH's legal counsel, there are also "other legal issues, jurisdictional issues and everycase has to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis."

Etches said the province has already done extensive legwork on defining essential businesses and services, which is why she believes they should take the lead on implementing stricter measures.

"I think there's a good chance that they will act on this", Etches said, given the serious growth in COVID-19 caseseven since the shutdown was put in place early this month.

'Our strategy must change'

Dozens of public delegations alsocalledfor the vaccination of essential workers unable to work from home as another form of protection.

Emergency and protective services general managerAnthony Di Monte and Etches said in a statementearlier Monday younger essential workers who aren't in an eligible age groupwould likely get a first dose between mid-May and the end of June.

Etches said in the meeting the rollout in pharmacies is out of OPH's control, as the province targets its efforts on age. Ontariorecently made people as young as age 40 eligible for the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine in pharmacies.

However, Etches said there's a possibility for the city's vaccination task force to get to essential workers throughneighbourhood-based clinicswhich don't rely on the provincial registration system.

"We're at that point where we can now pivot and our strategy must change," said Di Monte, but he added"the challenge of vaccine supply continues tohaunt us."