The City of Toronto continues to respond to COVID-19. Today, Mayor John Tory, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa and Fire Chief and General Manager of the Office of Emergency Management Matthew Pegg provided an update on the City’s measures to combat the resurgence of the virus in Toronto.
Today marks the one-year anniversary of the city’s first confirmed COVID-19 – the first confirmed instance of the virus in Toronto, Ontario and all of Canada. Since the start of the pandemic there have now been a total of 82,790 cases of COVID-19 in the city, an increase of 767 new cases today. There are 508 people hospitalized. In total, 72,635 people have recovered from COVID-19. To date, there have been 2,324 COVID-19 deaths in Toronto. Case status data can be found on the City’s reporting platform.
The past year has required tremendous sacrifice by all people in the city. Mayor Tory acknowledged that fighting COVID-19 has been a marathon, not a sprint. Today also brings a sense of hope as many long-term care home residents receive their second dose of vaccine. The Mayor, Dr. de Villa and Chief Pegg recognized the ongoing professionalism and incredible hard work of first responders, public health workers and frontline and essential workers in keeping Torontonians safe and moving the city closer to recovery.
It remains imperative that all people in the city respect COVID-19 orders and stay home as much as possible to save lives by reducing opportunities for COVID-19 to spread. Please review the City’s simple “Dos” and “Don’ts” guide for recommended and mandatory public health measures. The guide communicates some of what is and what is not, permitted under the provincial Lockdown Regulation that remains in effect and the new stay-at-home order to help stop the spread of COVID-19. The guide can be found at toronto.ca/lockdownguide.
Quotes:
“Throughout this crisis we have been focused on making sure we do everything we can to save lives and stop the spread of COVID-19 in our city. It has required tremendous sacrifice of all our residents and so many of our businesses. It has been a year of hardship and, sadly for many families, there has been tragedy. At this critical juncture, we need to all remain committed to doing everything we can to fight the virus. For many of you, that means staying home and stopping the spread of COVID-19. For the City and Toronto Public Health, it means continuing to do everything possible to help with vaccine rollout, continuing to support provincial testing efforts and continuing to support our most vulnerable residents.”
– Mayor John Tory
“A year ago today we reported the first COVID-19 case in Toronto. Today is an anniversary that most of us wouldn’t want to mark as we remember the 2,324 friends, colleagues and loved ones who have lost their lives in our community to COVID-19. A lot has happened over this past year that has been one of the most challenging ones our city has faced. Despite these challenges, I remain incredibly proud and grateful for the many ways residents have stepped up to meet and overcome these challenges together and the resilience that our community continues to demonstrate. I would also like to extend my deepest thanks and appreciation to my team at Toronto Public Health and colleagues throughout the health system for all they continue to do to keep our city healthy and safe. Hope is on the horizon, but we are not out of the woods yet, so please continue to stay home as much as you can and please continue to take care of each other.”
– Dr. Eileen de Villa, Medical Officer of Health
Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City’s website or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.