Ontario’s Health Minister finally emerged today, after accusations she and the Premier have been missing in action during a health crisis that has led to emergency room closures for hours or even days at a time.

Sylvia Jones told reporters the province is looking at how to get more internationally trained nurses working here, as a way to address staffing shortages and says the government will introduce additional measures to boost capacity.

She pointed out the backlog of internationally trained health workers waiting for certifications. “I’m speaking with the Ontario Nurses’ College to see how we as a province can ensure that those internationally trained individuals can be not fast tracked, but can be processed as quickly as possible,” said Jones.

Opposition parties have criticized Jones for not holding a news conference to publicly address the staffing crisis. She says her role the past few weeks has been to meet with  individuals in the sector.