The City of Toronto continues to respond to COVID-19. Today, 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 provided an update on the City’s measures to prevent the spread of the virus and vaccinate Torontonians in accordance with the Province of Ontario’s vaccine rollout.
The City is working with the Province and the Chief Medical Officer of Health to explore ways to open additional businesses and amenities in a modified Grey zone, while not fully moving into the Red – Control Zone of the provincial Lockdown Regulation. As COVID-19 case counts continue to increase in Toronto and across Ontario with a rate of reproduction exceeding 1:1 and cases involving variants of concern are on the rise, Dr. de Villa said the science at this time does not support the kind of reopening that would be provided for under the Red Zone designation. As Mayor Tory and Dr. de Villa explained, with warmer weather approaching and vaccination progress while looking at the situation in surrounding regions, there is the opportunity for a data-led response that has led to discussions around outdoor dining, outdoor fitness and exercise and other areas.
The City is working with the Province to arrive at a public health policy solution within the Grey Zone that balances fighting the spread of COVID-19 with listening to the needs of residents and businesses. No decisions have been made at this time. A decision from the Province is expected by Friday.
Since the start of the pandemic there have been a total of 103,878 cases of COVID-19 in the city, an increase of 576 new cases today. There are 290 people hospitalized. To date, there have been 2,731 COVID-19 deaths in Toronto. In total, 96,549 people have recovered. Case status data can be found on the Toronto Public Health’s reporting dashboard.
This week, the Toronto Public Health reporting dashboard was updated to include information on vaccine rollout. The reporting enhancements include:
This important new data will be update twice per week, on Mondays and Thursdays by 3 p.m.
As Toronto awaits the rollout of mass immunization, to reduce and eliminate the transmission of COVID-19, protect the healthcare system and save lives, the City continues to urge all residents to stay home as much as possible to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Please review the City’s simple “Dos” and “Don’ts” guide for recommended and mandatory public health measures under provincial regulations and City bylaws.
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.