Here is a roundup of the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic in the Greater Toronto Area for Thursday:
514 new coronavirus cases in Ontario, total rises to 8,961 with 423 deaths
Ontario reported 514 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Thursday and 38 additional deaths, bringing the provincial total to 8,961 cases.
The death toll has risen to 423.
Meanwhile, 4,194 people have recovered from the virus, which is 46.8 per cent of cases.
The province has tested 128,093 people so far for the virus. This is up 9,001 tests from the previous day.
The Ontario government said it expected to see 8,000 daily tests by mid-April, after being criticized for not testing enough. The government has said the province has a testing capacity of 13,000 tests daily.
Greater Toronto Area public health units account for 54.8 per cent of all cases in the province.
Status of COVID-19 cases in Toronto
Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto’s medical officer of health, said as of Thursday afternoon, there were 2,559 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 322 probable cases.
Of the confirmed and probable cases, she said 88 of the 230 hospitalized Toronto residents were in ICU beds.
To date, 147 Toronto residents have died from COVID-19.
De Villa said 41 long-term care homes in Toronto have at least one or more COVID-19 cases.
Personal support worker at Toronto’s Altamont Care Community dies of COVID-19
A personal support worker at an east-end Toronto nursing home has died of COVID-19, marking the first publicly-confirmed death of a Toronto long-term care worker since the coronavirus pandemic began.
The person who died worked at Altamont Care Community, near Port Union Road and Highway 401.
According to Toronto Public Health, there were eight deaths connected to the facility that are related to COVID-19 as of Wednesday. In total, 42 people were diagnosed with COVID-19.
READ MORE: Personal support worker at Toronto nursing home dies of COVID-19
Eatonville Care Centre reports more deaths, total rises to 31
Eatonville Care Centre in Etobicoke said in an update Thursday that another resident has passed away at the long-term care centre, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths to 31.
The confirmed number of positive cases increased to 79 residents and 80 test results are pending, the centre said in a press release.
“Through expanded testing, we will have a clearer picture of the scope of the outbreak within our home. We expect to get additional test results back over the coming days and, as always, we will personally call the families of any residents who are COVID-19 positive,” they said.
RBC Canadian Open in mid-June is cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic
The 2020 RBC Canadian Open, one of the jewels of the country’s sports calendar, has been cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The PGA Tour announced the cancellation of the tournament on Thursday as part of its revamped 2020 schedule. The four-day competition was scheduled to begin June 11 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto.
Golf Canada and its partners are now in negotiations to use the same venue for the 2021 edition of Canada’s men’s golf championship.
It’s the first time the tournament has been cancelled since 1944, when it missed a second straight year due to the Second World War. It was also scrapped from 1915-18 because of the First World War.
City of Toronto to continue yard waste collection for 2 more weeks until May 1
The City of Toronto says it will continue yard waste collection from April 20 to May 1 to accommodate residents.
The City said the start of seasonal yard waste collection was suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as it needed to ensure proper staffing levels to continue collecting main waste such as garbage, recycling and organics.
Yard waste collection was briefly resumed for a two-week trial period from April 6 to 17, and officials said they have determined the city can provide the service for another two weeks.
Approximately 5,700 tonnes of yard waste has been collected in the last nine days, according to the city.
Toronto Zoo looking for financial help to feed animals during COVID-19 closure
The Toronto Zoo is looking for funds to keep food on its animals plates while it remains closed due to COVID-19.
The zoo says that it relies on parking and admission fees to feed its 5,000 animals at a cost of roughly $1 million per year.
To make up for lost revenue, the zoo is fundraising with the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy.
It will be “reaching out to the public” to provide information about the animals’ “feeding needs.”
Canada Post workers drive by Toronto hospital in support of healthcare workers
A spokesperson for Canada Post said these “drive-bys” have been employee-driven in other cities as well, including Hamilton and Windsor.
“Our employees are also out working to stay safe while they provide an essential service and recognize the incredible efforts of our front-line health workers. We are also getting photos sent to us from delivery agents who see ‘thank you’ letters and drawings in windows, on home mailboxes and on community mailboxes.
“These kind gestures mean a lot to our employees, and these drive-bys are one way they return the gratitude.”
City of Toronto boosts program to help small business with e-commerce, web presence
The City of Toronto has expanded a program that helps small businesses build an online presence and start e-commerce as many stores remain temporarily closed due to COVID-19.
The digital main street program was created in 2016 after it was launched by the City and the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas.
“The program has helped small businesses with everything from websites and social media, to launching ecommerce platforms and using data to drive new business opportunities,” the City said in a statement on Thursday”
“Digital Main Street offers a range of ways for businesses to embrace digital transformation virtually, including online tools, connections to trusted digital vendors, structured online learning and a Digital Service Squad, who provide one-on-one assistance to help businesses grow and manage their operations.”
The statement said the City of Toronto will increase funding to the program by $585,000.
The program can be accessed by visiting https://digitalmainstreet.ca/toronto/.
Toronto Public Library introduces e-card
The Toronto Public Library announced the launch of an instant digital card on Thursday, which provides residents who do not have a library card, free and temporary access to its collection of ebooks and eaudio books.
The card is available to any Torontonian 13 years or older with a Toronto-area cell phone number that can receive texts.
“While all Toronto Public Library branches are closed to support efforts to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus, we’ve seen a tremendous increase in the use of our digital collections,” said librarian Vickery Bowles. “We’ve also heard from many residents who would like to borrow ebooks and eaudiobooks, but can’t because they don’t have a library card, and can’t come into our branches to get one.
“So we’re thrilled to be able to offer them a digital card that extends access to our largest collection of ebooks and eaudiobooks.”
More information can be found here.
— With files from The Canadian Press.
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