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

Here are the latest developments on the COVID-19 pandemic in the Greater Toronto Area for Wednesday:

Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie has announced that all residents aged 18 years and older in Peel Region will be able to book their COVID-19 vaccine appointment beginning Thursday at 8 a.m.

The move comes just days after Ontario expanded eligibility in the provincial booking system to 18 years and older for residents living in designated hot spots.

Crombie said the expansion in eligibility applies to all Peel residents, regardless of whether or not they live in a designated hot spot.

2:12 COVID-19 vaccines to be offered to everyone 18+ in Peel Region

Ontario is on track to administer first COVID-19 vaccine doses to 65 per cent of residents aged 18 and older by the end of May, officials say.

Officials provided an update on the province’s vaccine rollout Wednesday, and said 43 per cent of all adults have already received at least one shot.

“The light at the end of the tunnel grows brighter with every vaccine administered and together we can stop the spread of COVID-19,” Health Minister Christine Elliott said, adding that until most are fully vaccinated, health measures must continue to be followed.

The province is slated to receive more than 780,000 Pfizer doses each week in May, with that increasing to more than 930,000 the week of May 31.

On Thursday, Ontario is set to receive 388,100 Moderna doses.

0:54 Ontario further expanding COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to individuals 50+: Minister Elliott

• Ontario further expanding COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to individuals 50+: Minister Elliott
• Ontario to accelerate COVID-19 vaccine rollout for teachers, students

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A claim that alleges Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout discriminated against the vulnerable raises important issues, Divisional Court said on Wednesday as it nevertheless tossed the case.

In its decision, the court declined to declare the rollout unconstitutional on the grounds that it had no jurisdiction to do so and not because the application was without merit.

Police say they have charged a man at Toronto Pearson International Airport after he allegedly used a fraudulent COVID-19 document.

International travellers arriving in Canada by air must provide health officials with a negative COVID-19 test result from the past three days.

Ontario reported 2,941 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday.

Of those:

• 924 were in Toronto
• 565 were in Peel Region
• 254 were in York Region
• 171 were in Durham Region
• 114 were in Halton Region

1:52 Toronto opening block of 60K vaccine appointments to coincide with new eligibility in Ontario

Ontario is reporting 2,941 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. The provincial total now stands at 479,633.

The death toll in the province has risen to 8,187 as 44 more deaths were recorded.

Resolved cases increased by 4,361 from the previous day.  The government said 45,767 tests were processed in the last 24 hours.

As of 8 p.m. on Tuesday, a total of 5,599,723 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the province. That marks an increase of 132,603 vaccines in the last day. There are 381,123 people fully vaccinated with two doses.

Officials have listed breakdown data for the new VOCs (variants of concern) detected so far in the province which include the B.1.1.7 (first detected in the United Kingdom), B.1.351 (first detected in South Africa), and P.1 (first detected in Brazil).

The B.1.1.7 VOC is currently the dominating strain at 80,511 confirmed cases, which is up by 2,862 since the previous day. There have been 317 confirmed B.1.351 variant cases, which is up by eight, and 1,001 P.1 variant cases, which is up by 30.

According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there have been 3,761 deaths reported among residents and patients in long-term care homes across Ontario, which is up by one. Eleven virus-related deaths in total have been reported among staff.

There are 52 current outbreaks in homes, which is up by two from the previous day.

The ministry also indicated there are currently 60 active cases among long-term care residents and 180 active cases among staff — unchanged and up by five, respectively, in the last day.

— With files from The Canadian Press