Toronto reports 86 new cases of COVID-19 as TTC approves plan to make face masks mandatory

Toronto reported 86 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday as the Toronto Transit Commission board approved a policy that makes face masks mandatory for riders starting next month.

Toronto Mayor John Tory told a city hall news conference that he applauds the TTC's new mandatory policy.

"This decision, which I fully support, is based on public health advice to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in our city. While this rule doesn't come into effect until July 2, I encourage everyone using the TTC to make sure they are wearing a face covering now to help protect and respect their fellow riders," Tory said.

The TTC said exemptions will be made for children under two years of age and for those who have medical considerations or are unable to put on or take off a face covering.

A statement from the TTC said it doesn't believe that strict enforcement will be necessary, but compliance rates will be monitored.

"We're not going to be strictly enforcing this. This is about getting people into the habit," TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said on Wednesday. "No one will be refused a ride."

The TTC said it's taking other measures to slow the spread of COVID-19, including conducting several vehicle and station cleanings each day and equipping subway stations with hand-sanitizer dispensers.

It said it has also installed barriers and signs to remind customers to keep their distance from operators.

The board said TTC employees who work behind a physical shield or in areas not accessible to the public are also exempt.

TTC to hand out 1M non-surgical masks starting June 29

The TTC said it will hand out one million non-surgical, non-reusable masks starting on June 29 at a cost of $1.2 million. Half of the masks will be distributed at subway stations, while the other half will given to riders on bus and streetcar routes in neighbourhood improvement areas.

Green said the TTC said it is working with the city's poverty reduction office to determine which areas in particular to distribute the masks.

Some buses in northeast and northwest Toronto continue to be heavily used and the TTC will be handing masks to riders on those routes, he said.

Green said the TTC is already seeing about 60 per cent of riders wearing masks but would like the percentage to be much higher.

998 people have died of COVID-19 in Toronto

Dr. Eileen de Villa, the city's medical officer of health, told the news conference that data shows the city is seeing fewer new cases daily and fewer hospitalizations due to COVID-19.

A total of 11,397 people have recovered, an increase of 202 since Monday. A total of 998 people have died of COVID-19.

There are 284 people in hospital, with 75 in intensive care units and 54 on ventilators.

According to Toronto Public Health's COVID-19 monitoring dashboard, the city is still in the yellow zone. 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.

"Today's updated dashboard continues to show that while our status remains yellow, we continue to move in the right direction. Of particular note, our new case counts and new hospitalizations are decreasing each day," de Villa said.

"The steady decrease in new COVID-19 cases is a result of your continued efforts. Together we have made a lot of progress through your commitment to our public health measures," she added.

"These protective measures and restrictions have saved lives, but we also know that the public health benefit has come at some expense, including the economic, social and personal well-being of many of our residents." 

Public Health providing guidance documents for businesses

De Villa said Toronto Public Health has prepared a number of guidance documents to help businesses in Toronto when the city is allowed to move into Stage 2 of the province's reopening plan.

"All businesses and organizations need to adjust how they operate to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Whether you are a business owner or operator, an employee, or a customer, it is important to stay informed to understand what our new normal will look like in the months ahead," she said.

The documents, available online, are tailored to different types of businesses.

For example, restaurant owners will be allowed to offer dine-in services only on patios when the city moves into Stage 2.

De Villa said patios must be open to the air with umbrellas available to provide shade. Owners will have to ensure there is physical distancing, that staff and customers wear masks when they cannot distance physically, and that staff and customers are screened for COVID-19.

As for hair salons, barber shops and nail salons, De Villa said the documents encourage owners to clean and disinfect before opening and after each client, ensure physical distancing, reduce the number of people inside, screen staff and clients for symptoms and ensure customers are wearing cloth masks.

Police services board to consider anti-racism report Friday

On Friday, the Toronto police services board will consider a report with recommendations on how the Toronto police can begin to increase its efforts to confront anti-Black racism.

"We're at a tremendous moment in our history where people around the world, and here in our own city, while facing this unprecedented pandemic, are also totally engaged in confronting anti-Black racism and anti-Indigenous racism in our society, including in policing," Tory told reporters.

"We must not miss the opportunity to take advantage of an unprecedented consensus on this. We have responded well and together to a sudden pandemic called COVID-19. Now it is time to put the same determination, the same creativity and commitment to work going after a centuries-old pandemic called racism."

The mayor said he is meeting with people every day on how the city can do better and he is working with members of the police services board, councillors and community leaders to make sure that the city is doing everything it can to stop anti-Black racism and dismantle systemic racism in Toronto.

"This is a moment, not just to do better, but to do right," Tory said.

The report recommends that the Toronto police make changes on how it responds to people experiencing mental health crises and how additional training could help to rebuild trust in the community, Tory said.

"I have been directly engaged in the initiation of these first steps and they are first steps," Tory said. 

The mayor added that the issue of body-worn cameras is to be discussed at the police services board's July meeting and he hopes the devices will receive final approval then.

Thousands enjoy roads as part of ActiveTO, data shows

As for ActiveTO, Tory said data shows that the program's road closures are enabling thousands of Toronto residents to be physically active on weekends while practising physical distancing.

City staff collected and verified data from Saturday, May 23 and Sunday, May 24, the first weekend that the closures were put in place. 

"The data confirmed that the routes are a very popular option for people walking, running and on bikes who need space along Toronto's busiest trails," the city said in a news release on Wednesday.

The peak counts from Saturday, May 23 are below. The numbers for Lake Shore Boulevard West and East include people on the roadway and the nearby Martin Goodman Trail and boardwalk:

• 21,000 people on bikes and 4,400 pedestrians on Lake Shore Boulevard West at Ontario Drive.
• 5,000 people on bikes and 5,400 pedestrians on Lake Shore Boulevard East, east of Coxwell Avenue.
• 4,700 people on bikes and 1,000 pedestrians on Bayview Avenue, north of River Street. 
• 3,400 people on bikes and 750 pedestrians on the adjacent Don Valley Trail.

The counts were completed over an eight-hour period on Saturday and Sunday. Counts on Sunday, May 24 were slightly lower and came in about 75 per cent of Saturday's numbers.

ActiveTO major road closures, from Saturday, June 20 at 6 a.m. to Sunday, June 21 at 11 p.m., include:

• Eastbound lanes of Lake Shore Boulevard West from Windermere Avenue to Stadium Road. As a result, the eastbound Gardiner Expressway off ramp to Lake Shore Boulevard West (exit number 146) will also be closed.
• Eastbound lanes of Lake Shore Boulevard East from Leslie Street to just south of Woodbine Avenue at Kew Beach Avenue.
• Bayview Avenue from Front Street East to Rosedale Valley Road.
• River Street from Gerrard Street East to Bayview Avenue.

Drivers should note that from 12:01 a.m. Saturday, June 20 to 5:59 a.m., Monday, June 22, there will also be a partial intersection closure of Lake Shore Boulevard East and Sherbourne Street to allow crews to remove and replace sections of the Gardiner Expressway above.

The construction is part of the work to rehabilitate the Gardiner Expressway from Jarvis Street to Cherry Street. 

There will be no access to northbound Sherbourne Street from eastbound Lake Shore Boulevard East or southbound Sherbourne Street from westbound Lake Shore Boulevard East.