Doug Ford criticized for taking selfie with big crowd of nurses at Pearson Airport
Doug Ford visited Toronto's Pearson International Airport today to get an update on the province's new mandatory testing program, and, as he often does, the premier posed for multiple photo ops while he was there.
Ford posted several pictures of his excursion to his Twitter profile Wednesday afternoon, and they show him speaking to police officers, nurses and airport staff from a relatively safe distance.
"International travel is how COVID-19 arrived in Ontario last year," he wrote in the post. "We know the UK and South African variants are here and they also arrived through international travel."
Today, I was at @TorontoPearson to get an update on the mandatory testing program.
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) February 3, 2021
International travel is how COVID-19 arrived in Ontario last year. We know the UK and South African variants are here and they also arrived through international travel.
One case is one too many. pic.twitter.com/LMa96RZKgt
But another photo, shared on social media by photographer Frank Gunn, is garnering much more reaction than the posed shots shared by the premier, and it shows him taking a selfie with a crowd of roughly seven nurses with no social distancing in effect.
Ontario Premier @fordnation is surrounded by selfie seeking nurses at the COVID19 testing centre in Terminal 3 at Pearson Airport in #toronto #covid19 pic.twitter.com/oACjEqzYST
— Frank Gunn (@frankgunnphoto) February 3, 2021
The photo has prompted plenty of reaction from Ontario residents who are understandbly sick of seeing politicians holding themselves to a different standard than the rest of the public, including more than 100 replies on Twitter as of Wednesday afternoon at 3:45 p.m.
What fresh hell is going on here?? You have go to be kidding me. At this point in a pandemic and we are doing this shit??
— How Tedious does this Need to Be? (@jerbooth) February 3, 2021
Some of the replies include questions from residents about why this photo op isn't subject to the province's own ban on indoor gatherings.
Is this not an indoor gathering?
— GatorGum (@gator_gum) February 3, 2021
And others are pointing out how unfair it is that businesses have to stay shuttered when the premier is out breaking his own rules in public.
So this is ok but shopping in a store is unsafe 🤔
— Chris Campbell 🇨🇦 (@chriscampbell74) February 3, 2021
Some are also wondering why Ford continues to go to the airport instead of visiting long-term care homes.
This is why Ontario is in the crisis we are in. Notice he doesn’t go to the LTC’s , doesn’t sit and chat with a senior who is lonely in lock down. It’s always about a photo op .... and donating to his needs.
— Katherine (@ItZmeKatherine) February 3, 2021
Lots of unnecessary risk happening here.
Tyler Watt, a registered nurse and a candidate for an Ontario Liberal nomination in Ottawa, meanwhile managed to sum up the sentiment expressed by many on social media this afternoon.
"I am very disappointed in everyone here, including Premier @fordnation, getting in close contact like this for an unnecessary selfie," he wrote. "Not appropriate or professional. Do better, Premier. #onpoli."
