Mayor John Tory, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa, and Fire Chief and General Manager of the Office of Emergency Management Matthew Pegg, today, provided an update on the City’s continuing response to COVID-19.
Toronto Public Health is reporting there are now 2,543 cases of COVID-19 in Toronto. Of the cases, 2,257 cases are confirmed and 286 are probable, 223 are in hospital with 90 in ICU. In Toronto, there have been 115 deaths to-date. This data was extracted from the Integrated Public Health Information System. The numbers may differ from other sources as data are extracted at different times. The most up-to-date COVID-19 case status data can be found on the City’s reporting platform at https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/media-room/covid-19-status-of-cases-in-toronto/.
The City of Toronto is committed to ensuring our frontline staff, including emergency responders, those working with individuals experiencing homelessness, and staff in long-term care homes, have the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need to stay safe and protect their health and the health of the community. The PPE used most by City staff are surgical masks, N95 respirators, isolation gowns, face shields, and medical gloves. Respirators are used primarily by first responders, while other PPE is used largely in support of shelter and long-term care home operations.
Chief Pegg provided a detailed updated on the City’s PPE supply and projections for City PPE use. The City’s Emergency Operations Centre includes a PPE Task Force responsible for monitoring and allocating the City’s PPE, projecting PPE needs, implementing PPE conservation strategies, and investigating alternative PPE options and procurement strategies.
The City’s current PPE inventory is:
• N-95 respirators: 107 days at current consumption, 33 days at worst-case scenario consumption
• Surgical masks: 52 days at current consumption, 25 days at worst-case scenario consumption
• Isolation gowns: 51 days at current consumption, 18 days at worst-case scenario consumption
• Face shields: 26 days at current consumption, 8 days at worst-case scenario consumption
• Surgical gloves: constant inventory available
The availability of quality PPE continues to be a global challenge. The City is working with the Province to ensure our PPE needs continue to be met. Businesses or individuals that are able to contribute PPE to the City’s COVID-19 response are asked to reach out to donate@toronto.ca. Chief Pegg’s full remarks on PPE inventory are available at https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/media-room/covid-19-fire-chief-general-manager-of-emergency-management-statements/.
The City’s Enforcement Team continues to monitor popular parks around the city and issue tickets to individuals and groups using closed park amenities and not practising physical distancing. Yesterday, 311 received 324 complaints related to activity in parks and bylaw enforcement officers issued 26 tickets. More than 130 tickets were issued from Friday to Monday, 61 per cent of the 217 tickets issued since the start of enforcement on April 4. The team continues to observe problematic behaviour; many dogs off-leash at Woodbine Beach and Christie Pitts Parks and people continue to try to park vehicles at Humber Bay and Bluffer’s Parks. The team turned away more than 110 vehicles over the course of the day.
The City’s website is updated daily with the latest health advice and information about City services and social supports. Check https://www.toronto.ca/covid-19/ for answers to common questions before contacting the Toronto Public Health COVID-19 Hotline or 311.
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