April 28 - Update

Dear Friends and Neighbours, 

The Weston Lions Club has donated $10,000 to Weston Area Emergency Support, our local food bank! The hockey season may have been cut short at Weston Lions Arena, but thanks in part to the hockey community’s support of the Snack Bar, the Weston Lions Club was able to make this donation. Read their full statement here. Thank you, Weston Lions Club! 

Toronto Police Service is warning residents about an increase in scams associated with COVID-19. These Include text messages, phone calls, emails, websites and door-to-door scams requesting banking info for grocery services and/or products related to COVID-19. Read the full news release to find out more about the scams as well as how you can help protect yourself from them.

Chatting to Wellness has launched free Chatting Sessions for seniors to combat loneliness and isolation. Local university students are available by phone Mon-Fri from 6-9 PM to chat with seniors as part of this new volunteer-run phone-call program. The conversations, led by the senior, are entirely free and last 45 minutes. Seniors can either sign up directly, or have a family member sign up for a call on their behalf by clicking here. 

The City will be doing overnight work on Rectory Road on April 29 and April 30.The work being done is to complete a repair to a sanitary line and to install a water service valve at the intersection of Rectory Rd and Holley Ave.Work is expected to take place from midnight-6 AM on both nights. For more information on the planned work, what to expect during construction and contact info for the project, please click here.

With everyone spending so much more time at home, many of us have noticed an increase in household recycling. If you have excess recycling that won’t fit in your Blue Bin, please place it in a large clear bag and set it out beside your bin for pickup. Excess cardboard should be flattened, cut into small pieces, and bundled with string or twine. If you’re not sure about the proper way to do this, check out this example.

I stand behind ATU Local 311's call for emergency funding for transit workers from the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario.The reduction of ridership on the TTC due to COVID-19 has lead to the layoffs of 1200 transit employees. Our TTC employees have been on the frontlines throughout this pandemic, putting their health at risk for all of us, and they should not face layoffs. My full statement is available here. 

Sincerely,

Frances Nunziata 

Good to know:

City and partners help connect vulnerable populations with internet access during COVID-19 pandemic

The City has partnered with technology and telecommunications companies to provide free temporary internet access for many vulnerable Torontonians. These partnerships will provide free access for residents in lower-income neighbourhoods, seniors in long-term care homes and clients in many City-operated shelters. These initiatives will allow more people to connect online to social supports and vital services while still complying with directives to stay at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information about this important initiative, please read the news release.

Shelter, Support and Housing Administration: Three-tier response to COVID-19

Shelter, Support and Housing Administration has implemented a three tier strategy focused on prevention, mitigation, and recovery to respond to COVID-19. We have implemented this significant response because we know that many people experiencing homelessness have underlying chronic medical conditions that increase their risk from COVID-19 and this is a particularly vulnerable population. This is why the City has taken swift and decisive action to mobilize an unprecedented response to protect people who are homeless.

The strategy is built on a foundation of strong communication and partnerships. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration has been working closely with Toronto Public Health, other City Divisions, provincial and federal governments and the community non-profit sector on strategies and solutions to protect our homeless population as quickly and effectively as possible.

The attached infographic highlights key metrics and actions undertaken to implement our three-tier response and will be updated regularly to keep the public informed of our progress in implementing this strategy. The infographic includes the following key metrics:

• Funding: Amount of funding provided to shelters, 24-hour respites and drop-ins for Infection Prevention and Control, Personal Protective Equipment and wage increases.

• Sites/Spaces Opened: Number of sites and spaces opened for isolation and to increase physical distancing in the shelter system.

• Hotel Rooms: Number of hotel rooms activated

• Moves for Physical Distancing: Number of people moved for physical distancing

• Isolation: Number of clients provided space for isolation while waiting for test results

• Recovery: Number of COVID-19 positive clients provided with isolation spaces to recover

• Moves to Permanent Housing: Number of people moved into permanent housing through the Rapid Housing Initiative

Non-essential services: Landscaping

Landscaping and grass-cutting businesses remain non-essential businesses under the Province’s amended Emergency Order andlist of essential workplaces. Paragraph 20 of the amended list of essential businesses applies to maintenance businesses that are strictly necessary to manage and maintain the safety, security, sanitation and essential operation of residential and institutional, commercial, and industrial properties. Grass cutting and landscaping businesses do not qualify as essential businesses.

City of Toronto updates total COVID-19 cases

As of this afternoon, there are 5,128 cases of COVID-19 in Toronto. Cases include 4,647 confirmed cases and 481 probable cases. There are 319 cases hospitalized, with 109 in intensive care units. We continue to see COVID-19 deaths; to date, 305 people in Toronto have died from COVID-19. Case status data can be found on the City’s reporting platform. The advice from Toronto’s public health officials has been clear and consistent: To stop the community spread of this deadly virus, we must reduce all contact with others as much as possible. Stay home, except for essential outings.

Update on enforcement activity

Enforcement of the City's physical distancing bylaw and the Province’s Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act orders is ongoing. Yesterday, the City received 441 complaints involving people using outdoor amenities or not practising physical distancing in parks. Bylaw and police officers issued 16 tickets – bringing the total number of tickets issued since April 3 to 555. Bylaw and police officers have spoken to almost 12,000 people in City parks about the closures and public health measures. The City also received 41 complaints yesterday related to non-essential businesses remaining open. Since March 24, Municipal Licensing & Standards and Toronto Public Health have issued 76 tickets and 159 notices to non-essential businesses. Residents can report non-compliance online though the City’s website.

How to dispute a ticket

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, new legislation and bylaws have been put in place which have not existed in the past. If you feel that you were wrongly ticketed, you have the option of requesting an early resolution meeting with a prosecutor and challenging it in court. You can do this by requesting early resolution meeting, or requesting a trial. For more information is available on the City's website.

Today: Day of Mourning in Toronto

Mayor Tory proclaimed today as a Day of Mourning in the City of Toronto. This year, we recognize the frontline workers confronting COVID-19, and mourn the workers who have lost their lives as they fought to protect the health of our community and save lives. You can read the proclamation here.

For the latest updates from the City of Toronto, please clickhere.

For the latest updates from the Federal Government, please click here. 

For the latest updates from the Province of Ontario, please click here.