The push for a Northern Ontario bubble has reached the ear of Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
Greater Sudbury’s Mayor says he spoke to Ford on Tuesday about creating a northern bubble to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and its variants.
Bigger says Ford told him he would be in contact with Minister Sylvia Jones, Ontario’s Solicitor General to explore what options there maybe when it comes to implementing road checks on Highway 69 toward Greater Sudbury.
The matter is receiving plenty of discussion on social media, but no concrete plan has been issued by the government.
Former Sudbury mayor Jim Gordon agrees adding more restrictions are needed to prevent any of the highly contagious variants from taking hold in the north.
Gordon points out it would not be hard to regulate non-essential traffic on the arteries like Highway 69 by setting up checkpoints.
However, not all mayors agree.
North Bay Mayor Al MacDonald says blocking highways into the region would be unworkable by creating a nightmare for the supply chain for essential goods, hindering travel of essential workers and blocking residents from travelling for things such as medical appointments.
The matter is receiving plenty of discussion on social media, but no concrete plan has been issued by the government.