COVID-19: Latest developments in the Greater Toronto Area on May 10

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

Toronto police say 24 charges have been laid after officers responded to a large gathering at a commercial building downtown on Sunday.

Police said officers were originally called to a laneway near Dundas Street West and Huron Street, just east of Spadina Avenue, at around 1:27 a.m., for a dispute.

While officers were there they could hear loud music and people nearby, police said.

A dedicated COVID-19 enforcement team was called to assist the officers where about 150 people — who were not wearing masks — were found “partying” in a commercial building, police said. Investigators said $13,000 worth of alcohol was seized.

The Holiday Inn Toronto International Airport hotel has experienced a COVID-19 outbreak.

Figures from Toronto Public Health show the hotel has had seven confirmed cases reported on May 3, and the outbreak was declared over on May 4.

The Ontario government is looking to extend the provincewide stay-at-home order past its scheduled end date of May 20 and into June amid the third wave of COVID-19, sources tell Global News.

The Ford government cabinet is working to finalize the date, however, sources said the province is looking to extend the order until at least June 2.

The stay-at-home order was first implemented on April 8 in an effort to curb increasing case numbers as well as high hospitalization rates in the province.

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The Ontario government says starting on certain days this week, COVID-19 vaccine eligibility will be expanded to more people with at-risk health conditions, people who cannot work from home (Group 2) and people aged 40 and older in non-hot spot communities.

Starting Tuesday, May 11 at 8 a.m., people with at-risk health conditions such as dementia, diabetes and sickle cell disease will be able to book an appointment.

Also on Tuesday morning, people in Group 2 who cannot work from home, which includes grocery store, restaurant and transportation workers will also be eligible to get a shot.

Starting Thursday, May 13 at 8 a.m., people turning 40 in 2021 and older in non-hot spot areas will also be able to get a vaccine at a mass immunization clinic.

Certain high-risk health-care workers in Ontario will be eligible for their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine earlier than the expected fourth-month interval, the Ford government announced Monday.

Booking will begin for those eligible by the end of this week.

The province said the move is due to an increase in supply. Those included in the eligibility group includes high-risk health-care workers, dialysis patients and all First Nations, Inuit and Metis individuals.

Ontario’s fiscal watchdog says it will take the province approximately three and a half years to clear the surgical backlog from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Financial Accountability Office projects that the backlog of cancelled surgeries will reach 419,200 procedures by the end of September.

The FAO estimates it will cost the province $1.3 billion to clear the backlog, and notes the government has allocated $610 million in its latest budget to address the issue.

Ontario reported 2,716 new COVID-19 cases on Monday.

Of those:

• 807 were in Toronto
• 707 were in Peel Region
• 294 were in York Region
• 168 were in Durham Region
• 95 were in Halton Region

Ontario is reporting 2,716 new COVID-19 cases on Monday. The provincial total now stands at 495,019.

The death toll in the province has risen to 8,327 as 19 more deaths were recorded.

Resolved cases increased by 3,110 from the previous day. The government said 27,175 tests were processed in the last 24 hours, the fewest number of tests completed since the end of February.

A total of 6,238,778 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far. That marks an increase of 94,093 vaccines in the last day. There are 393,884 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 consist of 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 93,263 confirmed cases, which is up by 1,639 since the previous day. There have been 511 confirmed B.1.351 variant cases, which is up by 111, and 1,558 P.1 variant cases, which is up by 329.

According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there have been 3,762 deaths reported among residents and patients in long-term care homes across Ontario which is unchanged. Eleven virus-related deaths in total have been reported among staff.

There are 45 current outbreaks in homes, which is down by one from the previous day.

The ministry also indicated there are currently 67 active cases among long-term care residents and 155 active cases among staff — down by three and down by six, respectively, in the last day.

—With files from The Canadian Press

3:22 Burlington ICU nurse continues to answer the call to action