Premier Doug Ford says that each ministry in the provincial government is putting together an action plan in response to COVID-19.

“One area I am concerned about is our economy with COVID-19,” the premier said during a fireside chat at Communitech in Kitchener on Monday morning.

“I am going to tell you what our government is doing along with a lot of other governments,” he told the audience.

“Each ministry is putting an emergency plan in … to be prepared,” Ford explained.

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He said the provincial health ministers have held joint meetings to discuss the rapidly-spreading disease and he said he is in constant contact with federal Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland.

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The Province of Ontario is no stranger to coronaviruses as it was at the epicentre of the SARS epidemic in 2003.

Ford says that experience has helped the province to deal with the current outbreak.

“We are so much further ahead than we were with SARS,” the premier said. “We learned a lot when it came to SARS, the only difference is SARS was more regional, now this is worldwide.”

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Ford joked about people trying to figure out how to they should make contact during introductions but stressed the need to keep your hands clean.

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“The worst thing to do is put a scare out there,” he said. “Everyone starts panicking and events. Even today half of us didn’t know if we were shaking hands or fist-pumping or headbutting or whatever it might be, but we have to be cautious.

“Sounds a little crazy but washing your hands is absolutely critical,” he warned while also telling people not to use cheap hand sanitizer as “it doesn’t work.”