Toronto city councillor Michael Ford says he has recovered from COVID-19

Toronto city councillor Michael Ford says he has recovered from COVID-19 and is feeling much better.

In a tweet on Sunday, Ford said he tested negative for the virus after he went into isolation for 14 days. Ford represents Ward 1, Etobicoke North, and is the nephew of Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

Michael Ford thanked Toronto Public Health for the “extraordinary care” it provided to him in the last two weeks. He is the first Toronto councillor to state publicly that he contracted the disease, but not the first politician in Toronto to go into isolation.

“Today, my 2 week isolation period with Covid-19 has officially come to an end. I am feeling much better & have tested negative for the virus,” Ford said in the tweet.

Mayor John Tory said in an email on Sunday night that he is “very relieved” to hear that Ford has recovered from COVID-19. Tory said he has been in contact with Ford throughout his isolation and that Ford continued to work hard despite having the virus. That included participating in a recent Toronto Police Services board meeting.

“His diagnosis is a reminder that COVID-19 can infect anyone at any age. He has demonstrated the importance of following public health advice once diagnosed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and recover as quickly as possible,” Tory said.

Ford tested positive in early June

On June 9, Ford confirmed in a statement that he had tested positive for the virus. The premier’s office said at the time that Doug Ford had not had any contact with his nephew for the previous two weeks.

Two days later, on June 11, Michael Ford’s office said he had been hospitalized for additional testing. Nicolas Di Marco, a spokesperson for the councillor, said Ford had been experiencing symptoms “consistent with COVID-19.”

Then, on June 12, Ford himself confirmed he had been discharged from Humber River Hospital and he thanked the staff there for their care.

“I have always admired our frontline health care workers, but now even more than ever after this first-hand experience. You are true heroes and I thank you,” Ford wrote.

Lecce tested negative for COVID-19, but went into isolation for two weeks anyway out of an abundance of caution.

On June 11, the premier’s office confirmed that the premier and the health minister had tested negative as well.

Coun. Josh Matlow also went into isolation for 2 weeks

Coun. Josh Matlow, for his part, went into isolation for two weeks in March after he found out he had come into contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19. Matlow represents Ward 12, Toronto-St. Paul’s.

Matlow said in an interview with CBC Toronto that he spent the period of isolation in his basement.

The pandemic continues in Toronto, but the city has said it is making progress in its fight against COVID-19, with the number of new daily cases and hospitalizations beginning to decline.

The city reported on Sunday that a total of 11,817 people have recovered from COVID-19 in Toronto as of Saturday at 3 p.m.

A total of 1,039 people have died of COVID-19. There are 251 people in hospital, with 59 in intensive care units and 47 on ventilators.

Toronto has had a cumulative total of 13,856 cases of the novel coronavirus.

CBC