Doug Ford Is Getting Heat For Spending $2.5M On Bracelets That Beep

It seems that there are mixed reactions to Doug Ford's $2.5 million investment in contract-tracing bracelets that beep.

Both the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association and the Ontario Parent Action Network have taken aim at his government for the decision.

Editor's Choice: Sears Canada Is Giving Some Customers Their Money Back Over 3 Years After Closing

During Monday's press conference, the premier was grilled about the decision by reporters, who pointed out that he's also denied personal support workers a pay raise and paid sick days.

"Frankly, a lot of people are calling this a complete waste of money," the CityNews reporter said.

Ford defended it, however, calling it a "good investment" that will create new jobs in "software, firmware and hardware engineers and machine learning."

"You have to look at the long-term investment and we felt like it was a good investment, so we moved forward on it," he said.

The TraceSCAN bracelets, made by a company called FaceDrive in partnership with the University of Waterloo, are designed to beep or vibrate when users are within six feet of one another.

If COVID-19 cases are reported, health officials can check an online dashboard to see who may be at risk of exposure. Those who are at risk will then receive a notification, similar to Canada's COVID-19 Alert app. 

The bracelets are intended to be used by airlines, schools, construction sites, and long-term care homes.

They will not be made mandatory, says the government, and are now undergoing pilot tests.