Mayor Brown says focus still on ‘wrong areas’ ahead of Ford’s COVID-19 lockdown announcement
Published November 20, 2020 at 2:28 pm
Today (Nov. 20), Mayor Patrick Brown chatted with Khaled Iwamura from inbrampton.com about what he foresees for the Region of Peel ahead of Premier Doug Ford’s anticipated lockdown announcement later this afternoon.
When asked about the potential lockdown, Brown said that rumours indicate that the region will see a retail shut down similar to what was experienced back at the beginning of the pandemic.
“From my perspective, this is sort of tinkering around the edges. We really need to focus on where the transmissions are coming from and that’s in industrial settings, and right now they’re not being shut down,” said Brown.
“My worry is that it’s focused on the wrong areas. We spent all this time talking about restaurants and gyms and I have zero transmissions from restaurants and gyms.”
According to Brown, they’ve had a total of 116 workplace outbreaks and have had truck drivers “consistently” contracting COVID-19 in the U.S.
“We have major challenges in industrial settings and rather than tinkering around the edges about restaurants, how about give us help when it comes to an isolation centre for essential workers?” said Brown.
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“How about for the outbreaks we’ve had in places like Maple Lodge Farms or Amazon that are considered essential workers? How about that support?”
Brown concluded by emphasizing the need for more testing and sick benefits for essential workers in Brampton.
“How about more testing? How about sick benefits for people who don’t have to feel pressured to go into work when they’re working in a factory, living paycheck to paycheck and don’t want to miss putting food on the table or being able to make their rent payment?”
“That’s the type of conversations we need to have,” concluded Brown.
Premier Ford is scheduled to make his announcement this afternoon at 3:30 pm.
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