Coronavirus: Latest developments in the Greater Toronto Area on Sept. 28

Here are the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic in the Greater Toronto Area for Monday:

Status of COVID-19 cases in Toronto

According to the most recent data on the Toronto Public Health (TPH) website Monday afternoon, there were 381 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 since the day before. There were 16,034 resolved cases of COVID-19 as of Monday. TPH also reported 1,178 people to date have died after contracting the virus.

The City said there are currently 54 residents in Toronto hospitals.

Toronto school temporarily closes after COVID-19 outbreak

The Toronto District School Board says an elementary school in Scarborough is temporarily closed for one week after a coronavirus outbreak involving four people.

In a memo released Sunday, Mason Road JPS will be closed from Monday, Sept. 28, to Friday, Oct. 2.

The TDSB said three teachers and one student have so far tested positive for the virus.

Toronto medical officer of health to recommend lower restaurant and bar capacities, extended mask bylaw

Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto’s medical officer of health, says she will be recommending lower restaurant capacities and extending the City’s mask bylaw by another six months in response to the growing number of coronavirus cases.

With “sustained increases in infections,” de Villa said she will be making several recommendations to Toronto city council when it meets on Wednesday:

– Reducing the total number of patrons in restaurants and bars to 75 from 100
– Reducing the total number of patrons in restaurants and bars at each table to six from 10
– Lowering music and amplified noise volumes to the same volume as a regular conversation

As for the City of Toronto’s mandatory bylaw on face masks and coverings, it’s set to expire on Wednesday. De Villa said she will be recommending an extension of the existing bylaw into early 2021.

READ MORE: Toronto Public Health recommending lower restaurant capacities, extending mask bylaw

Worker at Toronto Petro-Canada tests positive for COVID-19

A worker at the Petro-Canada located at 117 Jarvis St. in Toronto has tested positive for COVID-19.

A statement from the company said the worker last worked Sept. 26 and has been isolating since receiving their results.

Ontario reports 700 new COVID-19 cases Monday

Ontario is reporting 700 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Monday, marking a new record for the most daily infections ever recorded in the province. More than 41,100 tests were processed in the last 24 hours.

The last highest case number was on April 24 when 640 cases were reported, however, only 12,295 tests were completed on that day.

According to Monday’s provincial report, 344 new cases were recorded in Toronto, 104 in Peel Region, 56 in York Region, 15 in Halton Region and seven in Durham Region.

The province has also surpassed 50,000 total cases since the start of the pandemic. The total now stands at 50,531 cases.

Ontario child care centres and schools

Meanwhile, government figures show there have been a total of 272 school-related COVID-19 cases in Ontario — 137 among students and 52 among staff (83 individuals were not identified). This is an increase of 36 more cases.

The COVID-19 cases are currently from 224 out of 4,828 schools in the province.

Affected schools with active cases are in Toronto, Oakville, Burlington, Halton Hills, Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon, Orangeville, Aurora, Milton, Tottenham, Waterloo, Cambridge, Kitchener, Brantford, Welland, Ancaster, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Niagara Falls, Barrie, Orillia, Huntsville, Smith Falls, Amherstburg, New Tecumseth, Woodbridge, Vaughan, Markham, London, Windsor, Woolwich, Whitewater Region, Peterborough, Scugog, Clarence-Rockland, Russell, North Grenville, Ottawa, Kingsville, Thunder Bay, Red Lake and Pembroke.

One school in Ontario is currently closed as a result of positive cases, the government indicated.

There have been a total of 115 confirmed cases within child care centres and homes — an increase of six more since the previous day.

Ontario Hospital Association says province should return to Stage 2

The Ontario Hospital Association says it is calling on the Ontario government to intensify public health measures in the Greater Toronto Area and Ottawa as infections continue to rise.

“At this rate hospitals are facing a direct threat to their ability to continue delivery high-quality care,” the OHA tweeted.

The OHA said a return to Stage 2 with restrictions on indoor dining, bars, places of worship, weddings, gyms, movie theatres and other non-essential businesses is needed to prevent more cases and to allow schools to remain open.

—With files from The Canadian Press