York Centre MPP Roman Baber sent a letter to the premier, then released it to the public, calling for an end to lockdowns.
“The data speaks for itself - the Lockdown is deadlier than Covid. While Hospital Capacity is better than in the last four years, we need to build additional capacity and focus our attention on Long Term Care homes. Ending the Lockdowns is the best thing we can do for the health of Ontarians,” said MPP Baber in his letter.
This morning, the premier acted quickly in tossing Baber from caucus. Here's his statement:
“Effective immediately, Mr. Baber will no longer be sitting as a member of the PC Caucus and will not be permitted to seek re-election as a PC member.
I am the first to recognize that COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on people. However, as Premier, my number one priority is the health and safety of all Ontarians. We must respect the advice and recommendations of public health officials and the Chief Medical Officer of Health.
Mr. Baber’s comments are irresponsible. By spreading misinformation he is undermining the tireless efforts of our frontline health care workers at this critical time, and he is putting people at risk. I will not jeopardize a single Ontarian’s life by ignoring public health advice.
There is no room for political ideology in our fight against COVID-19–rather, our response has been and will always be driven by evidence and data. Furthermore, Mr. Baber has put himself ahead of his PC Caucus team, who have worked around the clock for months to support and protect the people of Ontario through this public health crisis.
I continue to urge all Ontarians to stay home to stop the spread of COVID-19. We have bent the curve before and, working together, we will do it again.”
Baber cited the extraordinary mental health toll on people experiencing isolation, and the fact that typically people over the age of 70 are the ones who die from the infection.