COVID-19: Latest developments in the Greater Toronto Area on April 5

Here are the latest developments on the COVID-19 pandemic in the Greater Toronto Area for Monday.

The medical officer of health for Peel Region is invoking powers under Ontario law to order all local schools closed for in-person instruction due to COVID-19.

Dr. Lawrence Loh, who oversees the public health department in Peel Region, issued a Section 22 order under the Health Protection and Promotion Act on Monday to order schools closed as of Tuesday. April Break spring camps were also cancelled.

2:56 COVID-19: Schools in Peel Region shut down for 2 weeks

Toronto Public Health recommended the temporary closure of 22 schools in the city Monday due to COVID-19 investigations.

Eleven of the schools are part of the Toronto District School Board, nine are a part of the Toronto Catholic District School Board, one is a French school and another is listed as being independent.

The medical officers of health for Toronto, Peel Region, and Ottawa have sent a letter to Ontario’s chief medical officer requesting that the provincial government implement a provincewide stay-at-home order and consider additional restrictions amid the third wave of COVID-19.

Global News obtained a copy of the letter sent to Dr. David Williams on Sunday.

In the letter, Dr. Eileen de Villa, the medical officer of health for Toronto, Dr. Lawrence Loh of Peel Region, and Dr. Vera Etches of Ottawa said “stronger measures will be required to reverse the surge our health units (among others) currently face.”

2:45 Ontario education minister’s office reiterates ‘schools remain safe’

The mayor of Toronto says the city is working on a plan to give people in high-risk workplaces the COVID-19 vaccine at their job site.

John Tory says the city is currently developing the details of the plan, which will involve mobile vaccination units that are already being used in some hot spot neighbourhoods.

2:09 COVID-19: Calls to vaccinate Ontario’s essential workers increase

The City-run mass immunization clinic at The Hangar in North York opened on Monday, joining the other five clinics already in use.

The clinic will be open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. At full capacity, the City said it could administer up to 1,800 per day, pending supply.

The City of Toronto said 52,556 more people booked their vaccine appointments since the eligibility was expanded to those born 1961 and earlier on Saturday.

To date, 133,147 people have booked their vaccine appointments at a City-run immunization clinics.

Those looking to book an appointment at a City-run clinic can do so here.

Ontario reported 5,979 COVID-19 cases over the past two days, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 364,537.

On Sunday, 3,041 cases were reported and on Monday 2,938 were reported.

The province didn’t provide updated COVID-19 figures on Easter Sunday with it being a holiday.

There were 906 new cases in Toronto, 533 in Peel Region, 391 in York Region, 230 in Ottawa and 140 in Durham, Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott tweeted Monday.

Ontario reported 2,938 new coronavirus cases on Monday.

Of those:

• 906 were in Toronto
• 533 were in Peel Region
• 391 were in York Region
• 140 were in Durham Region
• 61 were in Halton Region

Ontario reported 121,577 more vaccine doses administered since the province’s last update on Saturday; 69,125 shots were administered ahead of Sunday’s report and 52,452 ahead of Monday’s report.

The province reported two days’ work of COVID-19 figures on Monday after a break on Easter Sunday.

A total of 2,545,640 doses have now been administered in the province and 322,197 people are considered to be fully vaccinated.

—With files from The Canadian Press