Here are the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic in the Greater Toronto Area for Thursday:
‘Please stay home,’ Toronto Mayor John Tory says
Mayor John Tory asked all Toronto residents to stay home except for essential reasons.
Tory said putting aside all of the colours, stages, and list of restrictions that governments have been describing in recent weeks, residents should remember that they should just stay home when possible.
“If you have to go to work or school, please go directly there and back, keep your distance, and wear a mask,” Tory said.
“If you can work or study from home, please do.”
Officials said they will be enforcing restrictions in Toronto, including “proactive inspection and enforcement, as well as complaint-based response and enforcement.”
Ujiri hopes Raptors can play in Toronto as COVID-19 cases spike
Raptors president Masai Ujiri says he hopes his team will play the next NBA season at Scotiabank Arena, despite rising COVID-19 cases both in Toronto and in the United States.
Ujiri said he was “sensitive” to the pandemic and understood the difficulties of playing the upcoming season in Toronto. The international border with the United States remains closed to non-essential travel, and a mandatory 14-day quarantine is in effect for those entering Canada.
Ujiri, however, spoke of Toronto’s “passion” for the Raptors, and said his team playing in the community could be “therapeutic.”
Over 6,000 cases per day possible by mid-December, new Ontario modelling shows
Ontario health officials unveiled the latest COVID-19 modelling numbers on Thursday, which highlighted the province could be headed towards daily numbers upwards of 6,000 cases by mid-December.
The modelling warns that Ontario could hit 2,500 cases per day at a three per cent growth and around 6,500 a day at a five per cent growth rate by mid-December, according to government documents.
Status of cases in the GTA
Ontario reported a total of 1,575 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday.
Of those:
- 472 were in Toronto
- 448 were in Peel Region
- 155 were in York Region
- 61 were in Durham Region
- 54 were in Halton Region
Ontario reports 1,575 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, 18 more deaths
Ontario reported 1,575 new cases of coronavirus on Thursday, which is yet another new single-day record for the third day in a row, bringing the provincial total to 89,784.
Thursday’s case count beats Wednesday’s which saw 1,426 — the previous single-day high. On Tuesday, 1,388 cases were reported and 1,242 on Monday.
The death toll in the province has risen to 3,293 as 18 more deaths were reported
More than 39,500 tests were processed in the last 24 hours. Resolved cases increased by 917.
Ontario long-term care homes
According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there have been 2,048 deaths reported among residents and patients in long-term care homes across Ontario which is an increase of seven deaths.
There are 94 current outbreaks in homes, an increase of one.
Ontario child care centres and schools
Government figures show there have been a total of 3,166 school-related COVID-19 cases in Ontario — 1,794 among students and 397 among staff (975 individuals were not identified). This is an increase of 103 more cases from the previous day.
There have been a total of 557 confirmed cases within child care centres and homes — an increase of 10 (five child cases and five staff cases.)
—With files from The Canadian Press
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