Coronavirus: Ontario launches agency to centralize procurement | FULL

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced Monday a new agency that would centralize procurement, called “Supply Ontario,” which he said would streamline the government’s ability to buy personal protective equipment (PPE) or other items and ensure the province gets the best price for bulk orders.

The premier also announced measures to help small businesses with costs incurred as a result of the pandemic, including a grant of up to $1,000 for small businesses needing to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE), such as masks, gloves or physical barriers.

The government is also taking applications for a $300-million rebate program to help small businesses pay costs associated with property taxes and energy bills, he said.

Ford, additionally, faced tough questions about his government’s transparency when it comes to its response to the pandemic, with a reporter questioning who in the government decided on the threshold for Ontario’s colour-coded COVID-19 regions.

Ford said the chief medical officer of health Dr. David Williams signed off on the thresholds for each region, and called transparency in his administration “unprecedented.”

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