Anti-COVID enforcers coming to workplaces

Premier Doug Ford announced plans Thursday for a series of workplace education and enforcement campaigns in communities across the province, including Ottawa, to try to ensure businesses are doing what they're supposed to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Ford shared a warning for “any bad actors out there,” saying that “anyone who knowingly and deliberately breaks the rules” would be fined and shut down.

The campaigns will involve more than 200 provincial offences officers from a number of ministries and are being planned for seven communities, including Ottawa, Eastern Ontario, Toronto and York Region.

Three previous campaigns visited nearly 1,000 workplaces, the province said, and no tickets were issued.

Ford thanked business owners who are doing their part to stop the spread. “The good news is, the vast majority of businesses we visited, they're following the rules, they're taking the situation seriously.”

Ontario reported 1,210 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, including 361 in Peel, 346 in Toronto and 143 in York Region. Ottawa accounted for 37 new cases, according to provincial reporting.

This was the lowest provincewide daily new case total since Nov. 7. Twenty-eight more COVID-19 deaths were also reported Thursday.

“We do not want to forget that all these numbers represent human beings, who have people who love them and care for them,” Dr. Barbara Yaffe, associate chief medical officer of health, said Thursday.

There were 396 active cases of COVID-19 among Ottawa residents, with hospitalizations stable at 43 patients, including four in intensive care units. No new deaths were recorded in the last reporting period.

The city also saw the opening of a new drive-thru COVID-19 testing centre Thursday in the National Arts Centre parking garage.

It replaced an outdoor testing site on Coventry Road that closed earlier this week because of poor weather, and it will operate daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The downtown core is slated to get another testing site next week with the planned opening of an assessment centre at McNabb Recreation Centre on Percy Street.

An appointment is required before testing.