Ford grilled about ousted MPP as Ontario sees 165 new COVID-19 cases, mostly in people under 40

Ontario Premier Doug Ford faced multiple questions from reporters Wednesday about the PC party's move to oust Cambridge MPP Belinda Karahalios from its caucus after she voted against a COVID-19 emergency bill.

Bill 195, which has now received royal assent, allows the province to extend or amend some emergency orders a month at a time for up to two years without consulting the legislature.

At his daily news conference Wednesday, Ford said this is "critical" legislation to "protect the health and well-being" of Ontarians. "We can't wait three weeks to call back the legislature to move it forward," he said.

Ford also called Karahalios a "good person" and said he wished her all the best.

That stands in stark contrast to a statement from Karahalios, who said she voted against Bill 195 because it was an "unnecessary overreach on our parliamentary democracy.

"At its core, Bill 195 takes away the legislature's ability to vote on the use of extraordinary emergency powers on Ontarians for the next year," Karahalios said in the release.  

In an interview with CBC News, Karahalios later said that people can "never fully trust government.

"It was a fact that decisions could be made that affected everyone the province, by the premier or his designate, without a vote in the legislature," she said. 

"When you tell me I'm not able to vote on something, you've taken away the voices of all of those individuals who voted [for me to represent them]. And that's not democracy."

Ford struck a conciliatory tone at Wednesday's news conference, repeatedly saying that all parties had come together to pass the bill, alongside several others while MPPs were sitting during the pandemic. The legislature is now adjourned until September.

Gilles Bisson, the NDP's house header, said in a news release on Tuesday night that Ford has "abruptly" shut down the legislature for the summer.

"With Bill 195, Ford hands himself unprecedented and undemocratic powers to make rules in secret behind closed doors," Bisson said.

"The official opposition congratulates Ms. Karahalios on her principled stand."

165 new cases reported 

Meanwhile, Ontario reported an additional 165 cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, with just over 50 per cent of those in people who are under the age of 40, according to the Minister of Health. 

The cases are concentrated once again in Windsor-Essex, Ottawa and Peel. The three public health units reported 39, 33 and 25 newly confirmed cases, respectively. Toronto reported another 28. 

The developments come after a spike in new infections in people under 40 Tuesday, which prompted Ford to say that young people seem to be going "hog wild."

Twenty-eight of Ontario's public health units reported five or fewer additional cases today, and 18 of those 28 saw no new cases at all, Health Minister Christine Elliott noted in a series of tweets.

Ontario has seen a total of 38,107 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus since the outbreak began in late January. Of those, about 88.7 per cent are considered resolved, and there are now some 1,542 active cases provincewide.

The official COVID-19 death toll grew by two, and sits at 2,755. A CBC News count based on data provided directly by public health units — a method that avoids lag times in provincial reporting — puts the real toll at 2,785. 

About 65 per cent of deaths were residents of long-term care homes in the province, while eight health-care workers associated with the long-term care system have died. Public health officials are currently tracking active outbreaks in 37 facilities. 

Meanwhile, Ontario's network of about 30 community, commercial and hospital labs processed 23,990 test samples for the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours. Another 18,881 are in the queue waiting to be completed. 

After falling to 101 earlier this month, the number of patients in Ontario hospitals with confirmed cases of COVID-19 now stands at 128. Thirty-seven are being treated in intensive care units, while 19 are on ventilators.

Indoor visits at long-term care homes to resume

Many of Ontario's long-term care homes are also able to resume indoor visits today, months after closing their doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Facilities not currently experiencing an outbreak of the novel coronavirus have allowed outdoor visits since last month.

But as of today, they can permit residents' loved ones to come inside, so long as certain procedures are followed.

The Ministry of Long-Term Care says each resident can have two visitors at a time, so long as they confirm that they have had a negative test for COVID-19 in the previous two weeks.

They must also wear surgical or procedural masks while inside, which are to be provided by the long-term care homes.

Homes must also have procedures in place for visits to resume, and must create an information package for "infection prevention and control" that will be shared with visitors.