Rarely without a word, Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford was almost overwhelmed with gratitude after learning of the Biden administration’s plan to send 1.5 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca Plc in Canada.
“God bless America, they will come to our rescue, thank God!” Ford exclaimed during a press conference Thursday, after a local journalist asked about a Bloomberg report on the vaccine plan. “President Biden, thank you.”
New cases of Covid-19 have been dragging into Canada’s most populous province, as a lack of supply has hampered vaccination efforts. The province has the capacity to administer more than 4.8 million shots a month, but in March it has only received enough from the federal government to make just over 1.6 million, Ford said.
“Clearly these maths don’t add up,” the prime minister said.
Ford had asked the federal government to “step up” before he was informed of Biden’s news. “I had heard rumors,” he said jubilantly during the press conference, before calling the U.S. “our best friend in the world.”
“If we have to get off and pick them up, I’ll drive there in my van,” Ford added. “Once I get them, I’ll call you champion, but first I have to get the delivery.”