Things in Ontario have reached the point where Doug “I won’t hesitate” Ford has finally enacted a province-wide mockdown…but not before he hesitated even further by not putting it into force until Boxing Day. You know, so that everyone can still flood the malls and box stores, and feel like they’re justified in “cheating” for Christmas gatherings. And by mockdown, it’s not a real lockdown – it’s a few added restrictions but most workplaces are still up and running, in spite of mounting evidence of outbreaks in them, so good job there.

Wow. Please pretend that the lockdown IS starting today, says Dr Naveed Mohammed. The government can't do its job properly, so can you just act like it did?

— Sarmishta Subramanian (@Superhumian) December 21, 2020

Ford, meanwhile, was more than happy to blame the federal government for not properly closing borders, and insisted that they do more testing at airports…which they are. Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu had to counter that the rapid testing pilot at Pearson is ongoing – but that also doesn’t change the fact that only 1.3 percent of new cases can be traced to travel, which blows a hole in Ford’s narrative. Of course, that narrative is all about blame-shifting so that he doesn’t have to look like the bad guy in the “lockdowns,” never mind that these should have happened in September at the latest to have nipped the second wave in the bud, but they didn’t do that, because they tried the “Goldilocks approach,” and it failed. How many hundreds of people have died unnecessarily since?

IMO, the decisions we'll look back on with most disdain will be the Goldilocks plans where politicians decided we could manage a little bit of COVID-19. It's the decisions we made in summer and early fall, not the decisions right now that we'll look back on as the turning points.

— Andrew Leach (@andrew_leach) December 21, 2020

While we hear a lot now about what Jason Kenney didn't do in November or why Doug Ford's lockdown won't start for 5 days, the more important decision is the one they're both still making. That we can deal with a little bit of COVID-19.

— Andrew Leach (@andrew_leach) December 21, 2020

I think often about how having a vaccine in arms right now was an almost unfathomable best case scenario in June. That was the world we were in when these decisions were made. Imagine what today would feel like if there weren't a vaccine on the horizon. Weak hand to go all-in.

— Andrew Leach (@andrew_leach) December 21, 2020

Good reads:

• Moderna has submitted the final data necessary for authorization of their vaccine, and are setting up a Canadian division to help with distribution.
• Here’s a look at how we are grappling with who is deemed “essential” for the second tranche of vaccines, versus the debate in the United States.
• CBSA says they are asking additional screening questions on arriving travellers to ensure that nobody has skirted the UK travel ban, and they have fines and jail time.
• The government didn’t submit their date for when they would decide on Huawei’s participation in 5G like the Conservatives demanded, and won’t set a date.
• Marc Garneau has directed the Canadian Transportation Agency to draft regulations around airline refunds for mass cancellations, like with the UK travel ban.
• There are more COVID outbreaks in federal penitentiaries, and Correctional Services seems unwilling to do anything about it.
• The head of the RCMP Civilian Review and Complaints Commission wants the Mounties to table annual reports on how they are reforming their organisation.
• HMCS Corner Brook is going to be in dry dock for another year after a leak was discovered, continuing the streak of our sub fleet being largely hapless.
• The Neskantaga First Nation is returning home, but the boil water advisory is not yet lifted, as the new water treatment plant continues testing.
• Here is a reminder that whenever the next election happens, Trudeau will be the “old man” of the race.
• An Alberta judge has taken further steps to quash the claims being made by a legal conspiracy theorist, who has been threatening judges in the province.
• Kevin Carmichael’s conversation with Bank of Canada governor Tiff Maklem veers into a discussion about international cooperation and the need for the G20.

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