Ford plays a nasty Halloween trick on kids in COVID hot spots
Traditional Halloween outings not recommended in province’s hot spots, says Ontario’s premier
TORONTO — Children in Ontario’s four COVID-19 hot spots should not go trick-ortreating this Halloween, Premier Doug Ford said Monday, stressing that the extent to which that advice is followed could affect the upcoming holiday season.
Ford said the recommendation for residents of Toronto, Ottawa, Peel Region and York Region was based on the advice of the province’s top doctor as infections in those area continue to climb.
“I’m not cancelling Halloween ... just don’t go door-to-door in the hot spots,” the premier said. “It just isn’t safe.”
The advice came as Ontario reported 704 new cases of COVID-19 and four new deaths due to the virus. The largest daily gains came in the four hot spots, with 244 cases in Toronto, 168 in Peel Region, 103 in York Region and 51 in Ottawa.
What the province does now could have an impact on how Ontarians can celebrate in December, Ford said, adding that he didn’t want to be the “bad guy” and was making the recommendation to protect public safety.
“COVID sucks. What can I say, it’s terrible,” he said. “We need to work together this Halloween to protect Christmas.”
Ontario’s chief medical officer, Dr. David Williams, said families in the four hot spots should find alternative ways to mark Halloween, adding that it was also important they not travel outside their neighbourhoods to celebrate.
Williams also recommended that children in other regions of the province only go trick-or-treating with members of their household.
“I would also like to remind everyone that we are in a second wave of COVID-19,” he said.
The mayors and chairpersons of municipalities in the Greater Toronto Area released a joint statement praising the Halloween recommendations.
“We asked the province and health officials for clear and simple advice on Halloween and today they’ve provided that advice,” they said.