Ontario health minister defends province’s approach amid worsening measles outbreak | Globalnews.ca

Health Minister Sylvia Jones is defending the province’s record against measles as new infections rise sharply.

The latest public health data released last week shows 223 new infections across Ontario in the previous week.

That brings the total number of people in the province who have fallen ill from the virus to 1,243 since October. That includes 84 people who have been hospitalized, 63 of them children.

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Jones says Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore has been helping local public health units where the outbreaks are occurring.

She says Moore directed health units to focus on vaccinating children more than a year ago.

Opposition parties and some health officials have slammed Ontario’s approach to the growing outbreak.