Group Of Canadian Politicians Calls For End To Lockdowns

TORONTO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th April, 2021) A group of Canadian politicians on Thursday called for an end to the lockdowns across the country, saying the societal and financial impacts of further prolonged shutdowns ostensibly to protect the population from the novel coronavirus would be too much to bear.

"We need to open Canada up, slowly but safely, with respect for the vulnerable," parliamentarian Derek Sloan said during a press briefing.

Sloan explained that the on-and-off lockdowns that Canadians have endured for the past year contributing to a range of societal problems, including mental health and financial issues.

The independent parliamentarian for the riding of Hastings-Lennox and Addington urged the Federal government to pursue further studies of the benefits preventative medicine and therapeutics in combating the deadly virus.

Sloan also took the federal government to task for a number of alleged botches, including the reluctance to promptly close borders and a failure to protect senior citizens in the early days of the pandemic. Canadian health officials estimated that up to 80 percent of all of the country's fatalities were attributed to outbreaks in care facilities.

Independent provincial parliamentarian Randy Hillier from Ontario, and a fellow member of the End the Lockdowns caucus, spoke of the need for greater scrutiny and discussion concerning the coronavirus pandemic, while rallying against the vilification of those who oppose government-imposed restrictions.

Addressing the lack of broad-based political support for easing of restrictions in Canada, Sloan said that Canada's system of strict party discipline encourages a culture of conformity and has resulted in a "failure of courage."

The call follows a weekend of protests and unrest across Canada, during which demonstrators rallied against the government-imposed restrictive measures in place across much of the country.

In Montreal hundreds of demonstrators breached the province's 8 p.m. curfew as it went into effect, with the protest turning violent as the evening wore on. In Alberta, dozens of individuals attempted to dismantle police-erected barricades around a church that has repeatedly violated the province's public health orders.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and provincial leaders repeatedly said that Canada's restrictive measures are among the "toughest in the world" in defending a pandemic response that is becoming increasingly maligned, both domestically and internationally.