The City of Toronto continues to respond to COVID-19. Today, Mayor John Tory, Councillor Joe Cressy (Spadina-Fort York), Chair, Toronto Board of Health, 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.
There are 63,946 cases of COVID-19 in the city, an increase of 974 new cases today. There are 366 people hospitalized. In total, 55,123 people have recovered from COVID-19. To date, there have been 1,970 COVID-19 deaths in Toronto. Case status data can be found on the City’s reporting platform.
The City is making important progress in vaccinating staff and residents of City-operated long-term care homes. Last week, approximately 800 staff members and more than 20 essential caregivers attended hospital clinics and began to be vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Starting December 31, the Moderna vaccine began to be administered to long-term care home residents. Within the first three days, almost 600 residents were vaccinated on-site with the Moderna vaccine at Castleview Wychwood Towers, Bendale Acres and Fudger House. Vaccination of more residents and staff at these and additional sites continues this week.
The City’s Senior Services and Long-Term Care division has benefitted from excellent collaboration with University Health Network and Toronto Public Health to quickly respond to vaccine arrival. Recognizing the importance of vaccine availability, staff members have worked steadily, speaking with residents and substitute decision makers to obtain consent and answer questions related to COVID-19 vaccination.
To reduce and eliminate the transmission of COVID-19, protect the healthcare system and save lives, Toronto Public Health continues to strongly encourages everyone to only leave their home for essential reasons and observe the prohibition against indoor gatherings. Please review the City’s simple “Dos” and “Don’ts” guide for recommended and mandatory public health measures. The guide communicates what is, and what is not, permitted under the provincial Lockdown Regulation that remains in effect to help stop the spread of COVID-19: toronto.ca/lockdownguide.
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.