Here are the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic in the Greater Toronto Area for Monday.
Toronto COVID-19 vaccination clinic pausing after 5 days due to supply issues
Toronto’s first COVID-19 vaccination clinic in a community setting will be suspending operations after just five days due to supply issues, officials said Monday.
The clinic, located at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, was scheduled to operate as a pilot project for six to eight weeks.
“We were all disappointed to learn that the delivery of Pfizer vaccine to Canada is expected to be delayed as a result of manufacturing delays in Europe,” said Matthew Pegg, Toronto’s general manager of emergency management.
Brampton not closing outdoor rinks, tobogganing hills
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown says the city will not be closing outdoor skating rinks and tobogganing hills.
“We will NOT be closing these outdoor amenities regardless of what some municipalities have been doing on their own accord,” Brown said on Twitter Monday.
“We have actually opened four new outdoor artificial rinks!”
Brown said outdoor activities are low-risk and good for both physical and mental health.
Nearly 2,000 complaints received regarding masks in residential buildings
The City of Toronto has received nearly 2,000 complaints since early August regarding mask-wearing in residential buildings, a City spokesperson said Monday.
Since Aug. 5, which is when the apartment and condo mask bylaw came into effect, 311 has been contacted 1,950 times.
“Under the provincial regulation, there is no provision to charge an individual for not wearing a mask in a condo or apartment building,” the spokesperson added.
“When the City receives a complaint, the RentSafeTO team provides an advisement to the building owner as to the requirement of law including masking policy, proper signage, education.”
Toronto police lay 65 charges over 1st weekend of stay-at-home order
Toronto police say they laid 65 provincial and criminal charges over the first weekend of the new stay-at-home order issued by the Ford government, which came into effect Thursday.
Police said officers responded to “various large gatherings.”
“The message from the Toronto Police Service is to stay home and stay safe. This is no longer strictly a public health issue, it is a matter of public safety,” said Deputy Chief Myron Demkiw.
“We each have a personal responsibility to limit our travel to essential reasons only to slow the spread of COVID-19 and try to keep our families and communities safe and support our hospitals and health-care workers.”
Mackenzie Health assisting Villa Leonardo Gambin long-term care home in Woodbridge
A long-term care home in Woodbridge and a local hospital have agreed to a voluntary management contract.
Mackenzie Health in Richmond Hill will provide enhanced support to Villa Leonardo Gambin, according to the Ministry of Long-Term Care.
The voluntary management contract will be in effect for 90 days as the facility grapples with a COVID-19 outbreak.
New Vaughan hospital to initially be dedicated to alleviating COVID-19 pressures
Premier Doug Ford says a new hospital set to open in Vaughan will be used to relieve a capacity crunch because of rising COVID-19 rates.
Ford says some patients from overcrowded Greater Toronto Area hospitals will be transferred to Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital when it opens on Feb. 7.
Ontario must cut COVID-19 cases to 1,000 daily to lift lockdowns: Williams
Ontario’s top doctor says the province must cut its daily COVID-19 case counts to below 1,000 before lockdown measures can be lifted.
Dr. David Williams called the goal “achievable” and said the last time the province saw similar daily case counts was late October.
Williams says he would also like to see the number of COVID-19 patients in hospital intensive care units drop to 150.
Status of cases in the GTA
Ontario reported a total of 2,578 new cases on Monday
Of those:
- 815 were in Toronto
- 507 were in Peel Region
- 151 were in York Region
- 76 were in Durham Region
- 79 were in Halton Region
Ontario reports 2,578 new coronavirus cases, 24 more deaths
Ontario is reporting 2,578 new cases of the coronavirus on Monday, bringing the provincial total to 240,364.
Monday’s case count is a significant dip from Sunday’s which saw 3,422 new infections.
The death toll in the province has risen to 5,433 after 24 more deaths were reported.
Resolved cases increased by 2,826 from the previous day. The government said 40,301 tests were processed in the last 24 hours.
Ontario long-term care homes
According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there have been 3,150 deaths reported among residents and patients in long-term care homes across Ontario which is an increase of 27 deaths. Ten virus-related deaths in total have been reported among staff.
There are 248 current outbreaks in homes, an increase of two from the previous day.
The ministry also indicated there are currently 1,615 active cases among long-term care residents and 1,272 active cases among staff — down by seven cases and down by 41 cases, respectively, in the last day.
— With files from The Canadian Press
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