Toronto, Peel region have more than half of Ontario's new COVID-19 infections

Nearly half of Ontario's new COVID-19 infections announced on Monday were in the City of Toronto.

New provincial data shows there were 181 new COVID-19 cases. Of that number, 85 were in Toronto, while an additional 41 were in Peel Region.

On Monday afternoon, Toronto reported 90 new COVID-19 cases, bringing its cumulative total to 13,420.

There are 296 people in hospital, with 71 in intensive care units and 54 on ventilators.

Toronto's most suburban neighbourhoods continue to be hardest hit, though some dense downtown neighbourhoods also have higher levels of COVID-19.

Toronto's novel coronavirus death toll, meanwhile, is nearing 1,000. There have now been 985 deaths in the city as of Sunday at 3 p.m.

A total of 11,098 people have recovered, an increase of 117 since Saturday.

$14M needed to keep city's long-term care homes safe

A report by city staff says it will cost Toronto an additional $14 million to maintain changes that the city has made to its long-term care homes to ensure the safety of residents in the event of a second wave of COVID-19.

The report, by the city's Seniors Services and Long-Term Care Division, outlines the response by staff before the pandemic, its actions during the crisis, and 16 recommendations from staff on how the city can maintain safety at its 10 long-term care homes.

City staff were asked to look ahead in terms of preparedness for a second wave of COVID-19. The "new normal" will mean extra health and safety measures, based on guidance from Toronto Public Heath and the Ontario ministries of health and long-term care. These measures include:

• Maintaining active screening of staff, essential visitors and residents, with an estimated cost of about $3.5 million a year.
• Maintaining mandatory masking and full access to personal protective equipment with an estimated cost of about $7.5 million a year.
• Maintaining strong infection prevention and control practices and improving processes based on emerging scientific evidence and best practices with an estimated cost of about $2 million a year for additional supplies and staff.
• Continuing to focus on the full-time staffing complement to achieve a ratio of 70 per cent full-time to 30 per cent part-time staff with an estimated cost of $1.2 million a year.

The city said it took action before the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic to ensure that the more than 2,600 residents in its long-term care homes were safe.

"In an attempt to stop the virus from entering its homes, the city introduced enhanced active screening early, including taking and recording temperatures of all staff entering a city home. Masking protocols were enforced, and all non-essential visits were suspended," the city said in a news release. 

"Enhanced infection, prevention and control practices and procedures, including staff education, high-touch cleaning and disinfection, were all done to help prevent the spread of COVID-19."

Despite the city's efforts, the virus has been difficult to contain, the city said in the release.

"Mitigation efforts were enacted, including active surveillance and precautions, isolation, physical distancing, meals served on trays rather than in dining rooms, and use of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as masks, isolation gowns, gloves and eye protection when caring for residents, testing residents and testing staff," the city said.

At one point during the pandemic, all long-term care homes run by the city reported COVID-19 cases among residents or staff or both, the city said. 

A copy of the report can be found here.

COVID-19 dashboard shows progress

Dr. Eileen de Villa, the city's medical officer of health, said a COVID-19 monitoring dashboard released on Friday continues to show good news for Toronto. The dashboard tracks virus spread and containment, lab testing trends, health system capacity and public health system capacity.

To track these four categories, the city assigns a red, yellow, or green colour to reflect the current status of these four categories. Toronto's virus spread and containment, as well as laboratory testing, are in the yellow zone, the middle of the range, while health-system capacity and public health system capacity are in the green zone. 

"Our overall status continues to remain at yellow, demonstrating steady progress," de Villa told reporters.

"We have continued to achieve our goals and are staying below the threshold with both health-system capacity and public-health capacity. This means that we continue to protect our health-care resources and we are also making good progress to conduct timely follow up on our positive COVID-19 cases and their close contacts."

De Villa said the number of COVID-19 cases reported to Toronto Public Health continues to decline. 

Data suggests 'fewer severe infections,' medical officer says

"We are getting closer to our goal of 14 days of decrease but not quite there yet," she said. 

"While this indicator is progressing, we continue to keep a close eye on new hospitalizations and outbreaks, and I'm happy to report these indicators are improving and continue to trend in the right direction, suggesting fewer severe infections and less disease activity among our most vulnerable."

De Villa said she thinks it is reasonable for Toronto to remain in phase one of the province's reopening plan.

"At this time I cannot give you an exact date for us to move to the next stage of reopening," she said.

"However, I encourage you to not focus on the calendar. Rather, I recommend that you visit our COVID-19 monitoring dashboard to see how we our progressing as a city, and I encourage you to continue to help us to reduce virus spread in our city."

De Villa recommends that Toronto residents be prepared before leaving the house. She said people should pack disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, a face mask and a plastic bag in which to store it. They should also avoid crowds, maximize their time outdoors. If they need to go indoors and keep a distance, then keep wearing a mask, she said.

Online registration now underway for CaféTO

Mayor John Tory says Toronto restaurants and bars can now register for a proposed program called CaféTO, a plan that will allow the establishments to increase dining space outdoors safely once provincial restrictions are eased in the city.

A online registration form and guidebook for the program is available at toronto.ca/cafeTO.

Under provincial orders, restaurants and bars are allowed to offer takeout only, with dine-in service closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Restaurants that have patios can open them once these orders are lifted and as long as they follow public-health guidelines. 

Toronto city council's executive committee is expected to consider a city staff report on CaféTO on June 22. The report proposes that the city act quickly to allow restaurants and bars to expand patios. 

"If approved by Executive Committee, followed by Toronto City Council later this month, the CaféTO recommendations would make it easier for many restaurant and bar owners to open patios, expand them, and access additional space for physical distancing, in accordance with public health guidelines," the city said in a news release on Monday.

The report recommends city staff work with restaurants and bars that quality for the program to establish how they can expand within existing bylaws. The report also says certain bylaws would have to be paused temporarily for the 2020 patio season to ensure the following:

• Rapid installation of permitted cafés while maintaining public safety.
• Access to restaurant and bar services and facilities for those dining outdoors.
• Permit and application fees are waived for approved cafés.
• Accessibility and physical distancing requirements are met.

Tory said restaurants and bars can begin to register for the program now to gain a better understanding of the requirements and start planning. 

"Opening registration, including providing a new, straight-forward guidebook containing patio placement requirements for approved restaurant and bar operators, represents an important step in preparing for future direction by City Council," the city said in the release. 

"Staff continue to prepare now so the city can act quickly to help many qualifying restaurants and bars generate revenue this summer."

Tory added he hopes the first restaurant patios expanded under the program will be opened by the first week of July.