Ontario COVID-19 Vaccination Distribution Task Force member resigns after busted travelling abroad

Linda Hasenfratz, a member of Ontario's COVID-19 Vaccination Distribution Task Force, has resigned from her position after it was discovered that she had travelled abroad during the pandemic, Toronto Sun reports.

Hasenfratz voluntarily stepped down from her position after Premier Doug Ford discovered she had travelled in December. Her resignation was accepted by Premier Ford.

She is not the first Ontario official charged with handling the coronavirus pandemic to resign due to travelling abroad. Dr. Tom Stewart, who advised the government on their response to the coronavirus pandemic, resigned after it was revealed that he travelled to the Dominican Republican.

Former Ontario Finance Minister Rod Philips also resigned late last year after it was discovered that he had travelled to St. Barts, also in the Caribbean.

"Thanks to the efforts of all Ontarians, we are starting to see early signs of progress in bending the curve," Ford's office said in a statement concerning Hasenfratz's departure. "Now is not the time to let up. We continue to urge everyone to stay home."

The Ford government has implemented highly restrictive measures to control the spread of coronavirus in the province, including stay-at-home orders across the province, with people only being allowed to leave their homes for "essential" purposes. While travelling abroad is not prohibited under coronavirus rules, government officials doing so has been frowned upon by the general public, who have seen such actions as insulting as they forego recreational activities during the pandemic.