Against the backdrop of a global pandemic, it’s definitely not politics as usual at Queen’s Park.

With COVID-19 dominating political discourse, elected officials are focused upon the virus — its health and economic effects — instead of the normal negative nattering.

Premier Doug Ford huddled with his cabinet Friday afternoon with some ministers teleconferencing from across the province to discuss next steps.

They include a “robust” public awareness campaign about the novel coronavirus that originated in China and spread to dozens of countries.

“We want to make sure that everyone knows what steps to take, how to look after themselves and their loved ones and help prevent further spread,” Ford said in a statement.

His Progressive Conservative government is listening closely to Dr. David Williams, the chief medical officer for health, as it determines future moves.

“We are prepared to do whatever it takes,” Ford said. “We are taking every step possible to protect our people.”

MPPs unanimously passed a motion late Thursday allowing the government to suspend the spring legislative session temporarily — without proroguing the house — as a health-protection measure should circumstances warrant.

The Tories are also determining whether to postpone the March 25 budget because the financial picture is shifting rapidly.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath emphasized Friday that the official opposition would not have a problem with that.

“It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me that in the midst of all this the government would simply go ahead with their budget process. It seems to me they need to have a rethink there,” said Horwath, who met with Ford and other party leaders Wednesday in his office to discuss the crisis.

“It certainly isn’t business as usual. This is uncharted territory,” she said, pointing out it would be imprudent to hold a budget lock-up to brief journalists and stakeholders on the spending plan at the Metro Convention Centre.

“How are we going to do a lock-up with hundreds of people in the situation that we have now? It’s time to step back and not pretend that it’s business as usual.”

In an example of the new unity of purpose at Queen’s Park, former Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne publicly defended Ford, who had been criticized Thursday for initially urging people to travel on March Break and “enjoy themselves.”

“In that moment when I heard him, I thought: ‘he’s not trying to do anything dangerous here, he just went beyond what the professionals have advised him to say,’” Wynne told Newstalk 1010’s Jerry Agar.

“He was doing it out of the goodness of his heart. I could hear it. He was trying to calm the waters,” she said of her political rival.

The former premier added that leaders can’t afford to “freelance” or muse aloud like that during such crises.

“You have to know what it is you can say and what you can’t say.”

At Queen’s Park, tours of the legislature have been cancelled until April 3 and March break public programming has been scrapped.

“This decision was made with the best interest of public health and safety,” the Legislative Assembly said.

The building will remain open for business while MPPs are away on March Break, Speaker Ted Arnott has directed operations move to an “essential services only” posture with reduced staff, according to an internal memo.

“All other staff are asked to remain at home and to avoid outside social contact during the March Break,” the memo says. “By remaining at home you will be minimizing the opportunities for spread of the virus, and protecting your own health and your ability to return to work when full normal operations resume.”

All staff will be paid their normal wages even if they are asked not to report to work.

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Meanwhile, the virus has now hit the provincial agency Infrastructure Ontario, where the main office at 1 Dundas Street in downtown Toronto has been closed after an unidentified employee tested positive for COVID-19.

The office is “closed immediately until further notice,” says an internal memo sent to staff, asking them to work from home.

“We are committed to taking all precautions necessary to ensure a safe workplace.”

Robert Benzie is the Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie

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