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Doug Ford to detail reopening plans in “a few days” Ontario hits peak COVID-19 community cases early

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4:10 pm Supervised-injection site The Works has reopened

The supervised-injection site known as The Works reopened on Saturday, Toronto’s general manager of emergency management Matthew Pegg said today.

The city closed the facility in March – the same month Toronto recorded the highest number of suspected opioid overdose deaths in any month since March 2019 – for health and safety reasons.

Pegg said the site construction on Victoria Street and construction fencing required the city to develop an operational plan to keep staff and clients safe.

The Works now operates by appointment only. There are two private booths that can be booked in 30-minute increments.

The hours of operation are 1:30 pm to 8 pm, Monday to Saturday and 11am to 5 pm on Sunday.


3:57 pm Toronto is flattening the curve: De Villa

Toronto’s medical officer of health Eileen De Villa echoed provincial public health officials in reporting that the pandemic is slowing in the broader community in the city.

“We are currently in the peak period for our reported cases,” she said during the city’s press briefing. “The COVID-19 case doubling rate… has slowed over the past two weeks. This tells us that pandemic activity is slowing down and this is good news.”

Like the province, Toronto is now experiencing two distinct outbreaks: one in the community and one in congregate settings, such as shelters, and long-term care homes. De Villa said this trend is leading to different outcomes in the two settings.

COVID-19-related deaths are being driven by outbreaks in long-term care homes, while hospitalizations are being driven by people in the broader community, she said. “The number of new hospitalizations has started to decrease,” she added.

“We are seeing our curve flattening because you are washing your hands, you are staying home, and you are keeping a safe distance from your friends, your families and other loved ones as difficult as I know this is,” she said. “I do need to stress that the only way we will continue to be successful is if we continue to keep these measures in place for more time. And for everyone to continue to do their part by staying at home.”

In terms of new cases, there are 3,682 cases of COVID-19 in Toronto as of 12:30 pm today. That number includes 3,343 confirmed cases and 339 probable cases. There are 262 cases hospitalized and 99 in intensive care units. In total, 181 people have died of COVID-19 in the city.


2:05 pm Doug Ford: Ontario to detail reopening plan in a “few days”

The province is working on a framework for a phased reopening of the economy, but details are a “few days” away, Premier Doug Ford said today.

After public health officials presented modelling numbers that showed the province is trending toward a best-case scenario in terms of community spread and mortality rate, much of the questioning at the premier’s daily press briefing focused on when exactly the economy will reopen.

Ford said he is not yet ready to share details on how the plan might roll out and that it still too early to say when the province will reopen. He insisted he that decision-making will based on data and advice from public health officials.

“It would be premature to throw out industries or areas that we feel will go first. That will come,” Ford said. “We’re doing our own review along with municipalities, along with sectors throughout this province.

“We’re still a few days away to roll this [plan] out,” he added. “Nothing is going to change until we see the curve continue to flatten or go down. I’m not going to budge until we see that… Over a few weeks of people getting antsy – I apologize to those people – but we’ll be better off in the long run.”

Ford said the plan will involve criteria and benchmarks that must be met before an easing of physical distancing guidelines can begin. Once that happens, the reopening will be “gradual, measured and safe,” he said.

“The province has avoided a significant surge in cases. The rate of growth over day over day has stabilized,” said health minister Christine Elliott, who said Ontarians should continue to stay home and resist going out to enjoy nice weather or because other countries are starting to ease measures.

“The realist in us must also understand that there are still hundreds of cases being reported in our province as we’ve expanded the significance and scope of our testing,” she said. “Please continue to stay at home. Please resist the temptation to break from that advice.”

Provincial modellers said the province can now expect under 20,000 infections over “this wave” of the pandemic. While cases are peaking in the community, infections are ramping up in long-term care home and congregate settings.


12:40 pm  Hospitals are not being overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases

The provincial government said in a statement today that “hospitals across the province have not been overwhelmed by the COVID-19 outbreak as a result of capacity planning and the public health measures currently in place. The rate of growth day-over-day is declining.”

Ontario Health CEO Matt Anderson said during the press briefing on Ontario’s latest projection modelling numbers that public health measures are working and hospitals are now looking at conducting elective surgeries again.



12:23 pm Ontario headed to best-case scenario as COVID-19 community cases peak

The province is headed toward a best-case scenario in the fight against the spread of COVID-19, public health officials said during a presentation of new projection modelling numbers today.

Thanks to physical distancing and other measures such as hand-washing, government officials expect cases to start to decrease in the community. However, the ramp up of cases in long-term care homes makes it difficult to predict a mortality rate.

“We’re starting to see that bending of the curve,” said Adalsteinn Brown, dean of the University of Toronto’s public health department, adding that every region of the province is starting to experience this trend. “We’re not hoping to see a reduction in cases as we go along. Peaks are not a single day… they can be a little bit bumpy and they can prolong for a period of time. We’re in that peak period right now.”

On April 3, health officials predicted the virus’s spread to peak in May with 80,000 infections in April alone. Today, the province reported just over 11,000 cases and 584 deaths.

Now, provincial public health officials are forecasting less than 20,000 cases “in this wave of the pandemic,” Brown said.

While the province believes that community spread is starting to get under control, the situation is more serious in long-term care homes and congregate settings such as homeless shelters.

Brown added that there are now “two separate disease processes” – one in the community and one in care home and congregate settings.

“We’re at peak in the community but we’re still on that accelerating upswing in the curve in long-term care homes,” he said. “The wave of cases going through long-term care homes are affecting, not surprisingly, elderly people. That’s where the mortality rate is the highest.”


11:55 am Virtual vigil to be held for Nova Scotia mass shooting victims

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced today that a virtual vigil will be held on Friday at 7 pm for the victims of the mass shooting in Nova Scotia. During a 12-hour rampage that began on Saturday, a gunman dressed as a police officer killed at least 18 people.

It’s the worst mass shooting in Canadian history.

The vigil will be organized via the group Colchester Supporting Community, Trudeau said. “It will be an opportunity to celebrate the lives of these victims,” he said, adding that he will participate in the vigil “as much as possible.”

The prime minister also asked reporters to avoid mentioning the name of the shooter, who died in a standoff with police, or showing his photo. “Do not give him the gift of infamy,” Trudeau said.


11 am Ontario has more than 11,000 COVID-19 cases 

The number of COVID-19 cases in the province has passed the 11,000 mark. Public health officials report that, as of Sunday afternoon, there are 11,184 confirmed cases in Ontario, an increase of 606 – or 5.7 per cent – since the previous day’s report.

The number of cases that have been resolved is 5,515 and 584 people have died.

There are 802 people in hospital, with 247 in intensive care and 197 in intensive care on ventilators. In all, 12.1 per cent of the province’s cases are in hospital.

The GTA accounts for 58.3 per cent of provincial cases.

In terms of testing, 8,743 tests were carried out since the previous day. A total of 164,840 tests have been conducted in Ontario since the outbreak began.


10:42 am 18 residents dead at Salvation Army-run long-term care home

The Salvation Army has reported an outbreak at a long-term care home in midtown.

At Meighen Health Centre, 50 residents and 14 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 as of April 20. Another 18 residents have died from complications from the virus, the Salvation Army said in a statement to NOW.

“We are deeply saddened to share that 18 residents have recently passed away due to complications from the virus,” the organization said. “Our deepest sympathies, thoughts and prayers are with the family members who have lost their loved ones.

“Residents are isolating in their rooms and we have directly contacted the families of those impacted,” the statement adds.

Staff members that tested positive are in self-isolation at home and have not returned to work since receiving their diagnosis.

“We are continuing our partnership with Sunnybrook Hospital to expedite COVID-19 testing of all residents and staff within the home as a precaution. We will continue to be in contact with families directly should any residents test positive,” the organization said.

Meighen Health Centre is located near Yonge and Davisville.


9:14 am Ontario to release new coronavirus projections

Ontarians can expect some optimistic news when provincial public health officials share the latest coronavirus projection modelling around midday.

The province last released modelling on April 3 that projected 1,600 people could die in the province and there would be 80,000 infections if current measures remain in place. As of April 18, there are 10,578 known cases of COVID-19 in Ontario and 533 people have died.

On Friday, associate chief medical officer of health Dr. Barbara Yaffe told reporters that the outbreak is “generally looking better,” but was cautious, noting that focus has shifted to infections that are “still happening” in long-term care, retirement homes and congregate settings and “there are issues that need to be addressed.”

“Of course, we now see that our number of cases are going up and the number of deaths. So we are not out of the woods. We have to keep doing what we’re doing and monitoring,” she said. “We’ll have to see what the modellers come up with.”


9 am Canada has over 34,000 cases of COVID-19

There are 34,786 cases of COVID-19 in Canada and 1,580 people have died. 

The outbreak is a serious public health threat though most people who contract the virus have not been hospitalized. 

Symptoms include cough, fever, difficulty breathing and pneumonia in both lungs and may take up to 14 days to appear after exposure. People age 65 and over and people with compromised immune systems and/or underlying medical conditions have a higher risk of contracting a severe case.

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