Premier Doug Ford says he has "100 per cent confidence" in Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff after he came under fire for posing in a tight, maskless crowd.
It was this weekend that a picture was published to Sam Oosterhoff's Facebook-page, showing the conservative MPP posing maskless in a crowd of around 40 other people in a banquet hall, breaking Ontario's COVID-19 physical distancing directives.
The pictures spread quickly on social media, prompting the Ontario Hospital Association's president and CEO Anthony Dale to call for Oosterhoff's resignation as parliamentary assistant to Stephen Lecce, the provincial Minister of Education.
In all honesty @samoosterhoff should resign as PA to @Sflecce. How many health care workers gathered this weekend for a party with 40 other people indoors? “MPP Oosterhoff says he's sorry and should have been wearing a mask” https://t.co/LoxpzT9IjB #onhealth #onpoli
— Anthony Dale (@AnthonyDaleOHA) October 26, 2020
Oosterhoff has since deleted the pictures from his Facebook page and said that the pictures were taken in a banquet hall during an event that followed physical distancing guidelines.
It was not immediately clear what event Oosterhoff attended when the picture was taken.
During his daily media briefing on Monday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he accepted Oosterhoff's apology.
"He made a mistake at the end of the night," Ford said.
"Hey guys, everyone makes mistakes. He is a great representative and will continue to be the PA to Stephen Lecce."
