Ontario confirms 375 new COVID-19 cases, as long-term care homes grapple with more deaths

LATEST COVID-19 UPDATES IN ONTARIO:

• Ontario residents receive emergency alert Saturday to stay home to slow COVID-19 spread
• St Clair O'Connor retirement home in Toronto reports four patient deaths 
• Pinecrest Nursing Home reporting two more deaths of residents in a COVID-19 outbreak bringing the total to 22.  
• Ontario has had 3,630 confirmed cases and 110 deaths related to COVID-19, according to CBC tallies.
• So far 1,219 people have recovered from the virus in Ontario.
• Toronto mayor says province should ban evictions of small businesses 
• Watch live here: Ontario's chief medical officer of health will provide an update at 3 P.M. on Saturday.
• More non-essential businesses will have to close tonight at 11:59 p.m. New shutdowns include cannabis stores and some construction sites.
• Ontario government launching web portal to connect workers with food and agriculture jobs
• Doug Ford says U.S. has 'cut out' part of family by blocking 3M mask orders to Canada
• Health experts say COVID-19 could kill 3,000 to 15,000 people in Ontario over course of pandemic.
• Strain of COVID-19 is costing Toronto $65 million a week.

As Ontario suffers 11 new deaths and 375 more COVID-19 cases, residents received another emergency alert on their phones Saturday afternoon telling them to stay home to stop the spread.

The province is reporting 375 new COVID-19 cases Saturday, bringing the provincial total to 3,630. Ontario has 11 more deaths, according to CBC tallies, meaning a total of 110 people have died.

Meanwhile, 196 more people have recovered from the virus, the province said, for a total of 1,219 recoveries.

COVID-19 outbreaks and more deaths at long-term care homes

Speaking at a news conference Saturday afternoon, Dr. Barbara Yaffe, associate chief medical officer of health for the province, said there are COVID-19 outbreaks at dozens of long-term care homes.

"We are aware of at least 36 outbreaks in long-term care facilities with 54 deaths related to those outbreaks," Yaffe said.

Province breaks down COVID-19 numbers from Saturday, April 4

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Dr. David Williams, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, helps break down trends in new COVID-19 case numbers provided by the province on Saturday.

Also speaking at this afternoon's news conference, Ontario's chief medical officer of health Dr. David Williams said they are looking at ways to limit the movement of workers between multiple long-term care facilities.

"We have made that point that if there are staff who are working at multiple sites, they are to inform their employer," Williams said.

"If there is an outbreak and you are involved as a worker in that facility that has the outbreak, then the direction is that you really are going to have to step back if you're in quarantine ... and you're not allowed to work at those other sites.

"While you are waiting for your testing and to be affirmed, whether you are positive or not, you don't want to go and spread to those other institutions," Williams added.

CBC News has learned of four deaths at a Toronto retirement home of residents in their 80s and 90s. 

Mary Hoare, CEO of St Clair O'Connor retirement home, reported the deaths on Saturday. She said 14 other residents are displaying symptoms and awaiting test results. 

Hoare also said seven staff members have tested positive.

Meanwhile, Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon is reporting two more deaths of residents in a COVID-19 outbreak, bringing their total to 22.

The local health unit believes the outbreak at Pinecrest is the largest in the province, with at least 24 staff members also infected.

It is unclear if these deaths are included in the province's total as of April 4. 

On Saturday afternoon, the City of Hamilton said it will partner with Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton to facilitate the transition of seven residents out of the Cardinal Retirement Home into hospitals.  

The move comes after Hamilton Public Health declared an outbreak of COVID-19 at the home on Thursday.

"The facility is struggling with related staffing issues and PPE supply and has now reached a point where steps need to be taken to transition some residents who are ill out of the home," said Kelly Anderson, a spokesperson for the city.  

Anderson said the city is facilitating the transportation of residents via ambulance.

U.S. 'cut out' part of the family, Ford wants 40% of federal PPE order

At a press conference, Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his disappointment that President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. company 3M to stop exporting N95 masks to customers in Canada and Latin America.

"When the cards are down you see who your friends are," said Ford, calling the move "unacceptable" from a close ally. 

Ford reacts to Trump's order to halt N95 mask exports to Canada

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford says Canada and the U.S. are 'stronger together' than they are separated.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is due to receive a shipment of "millions of masks" in the coming days.

Ford said he expected 40 per cent of the Canadian government's PPE order, because Ontario has 40 per cent of the population.

Relief funding to support vulnerable populations

As part of efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, the province announced Saturday that it is investing up to $40 million to support organizations that provide residential services for children and youth, people with developmental disabilities and emergency shelters for women and families fleeing domestic violence.

The COVID-19 Residential Relief Fund will cover costs such as additional staffing, residential respite for caregivers, personal protective equipment and supplies, initiatives to support physical distancing and transportation to minimize client exposure.

"Our government is doing everything it can to help Ontario's most vulnerable get through this difficult and challenging time," said Todd Smith, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services 

"I want to personally thank all the staff and managers who are working on the front lines of the developmental services sector for keeping our most vulnerable citizens safe during this unprecedented time. You exemplify the true Ontario spirit each and every day."

Ontario is also taking action to help ensure that staffing and resources are available to help care for and protect people with developmental disabilities and the frontline workers who support them.

New Ontario portal to help people find food and agriculture jobs

The Ontario government announced on Saturday it is launching a new web portal to connect workers with jobs in food and agriculture.

"Right now, there are important jobs that need to be filled across the food supply chain," said Agriculture Minister Ernie Hardeman in a statement Saturday.

Ban evictions of small businesses, urges Toronto mayor

Meanwhile, Toronto Mayor John Tory is asking landlords to "work something out" with their small business tenants, like shops and restaurants.

"Maybe no rent now and spread a payment or two out over the period after the crisis," Tory said in a statement Saturday.

Tory said the province should ban evictions of small businesses until the crisis is over, just as they did for residential tenants. The federal government could also "look at backstopping landlords who help," Tory said.

"The idea here is to make sure those shops and restaurants can open again when this nightmare is over," he said in a video message.

The city has deferred payment of commercial taxes and utilities for 60 days to allow time to work some of this out, Tory said.

More businesses, construction sites closing Saturday night

Several more businesses and construction sites will have to close tonight at 11:59 p.m. to halt the spread of COVID-19.

Earlier this week, Ford shortened the list of essential businesses that are allowed to stay open in Ontario. Cannabis stores and some construction sites are among those forced to shut down on Saturday night.

Enforcement blitz in Mississauga, Toronto

After grim projections about potential COVID-19 deaths in Ontario unveiled on Friday, officers in Toronto and Mississauga are out this weekend enforcing new city bylaws and provincial orders to curb the spread of the virus.

The City of Mississauga is doing a bylaw enforcement blitz in 10 "favourite hotspots" where people gather, said Mayor Bonnie Crombie.

Staff will try to educate people first, but could fine people $750 if they're "being obstinate and don't care," she said.

House party was fined $100,000, mayor says

Crombie said Peel police fined young people having a large house party $100,000 last week when they refused to break it up.

"Those actions were irresponsible and unsafe and extremely selfish," said Crombie, adding they could pass on the virus to vulnerable people in the community. 

Crombie is also issuing robocalls to Mississauga residents, asking them to stay home, out of parks and two metres apart.

160 Toronto police officers patrolling for physical distancing

In Toronto, people who violate a new physical distancing city bylaw could be fined up to $1,000 — although education is the "preferred method of enforcement," said Meaghan Gray, spokesperson for the Toronto Police Service. There will be 160 police officers on the lookout, she said.

Any two people who don't live together and who fail to keep two metres apart in a park or public square could be ticketed. 

People who park in parking lots of parks that have been closed can also face tickets of $100 and be towed.

York region closing forests

Meanwhile, York Region says it is closing 21 tracts of forest in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tracts cover 2,300 hectares of land throughout the region north of Toronto. A total of 18 properties with more than 120 kilometres of trail are affected.

According to the Ontario health ministry, there are 3,630 cases of COVID-19 in the province and 94 people have died from the virus.

*CBC has gathered death and hospitalization rates in Ontario directly from Public Health Units across the province. The numbers reported by the Ontario government will sometimes appear lower, due to a lag in the provincial reporting system.