Toronto Continues Battle Against COVID-19

TORONTO – COVID-19 – Toronto has received updated COVID-19 regulations from the Province of Ontario and has modified City services and operations to align with the orders and direction from Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health. Strengthened public health measures are needed to reduce new cases of COVID-19 in Toronto, alleviate the strain on the healthcare system and save lives.

Toronto remains in the Shutdown Zone of the Province’s COVID-19 response framework and subject to a provincial Stay-at-Home order that has been extended until Wednesday, May 5. Everyone in the city should be staying home except for essential reasons such as going out for groceries or exercise and stay as close to home as possible on essential outings. The City is working to update the COVID-19: Guide for Residents with information on what is and is not permitted under provincial regulations: https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-reopening-recovery-rebuild/covid-19-guide-for-toronto-residents/. The guide and the City’s COVID-19: Changes to City Services webpage are being reviewed to ensure alignment with provincial regulations: https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-latest-city-of-toronto-news/affected-city-services/. Anyone with questions about City services can also call 311.

Indoor and outdoor gatherings are now limited to the members of a single household. A person living alone is permitted to socialize in-person with one other household.

Indoor and outdoor religious services, rites, wedding and funeral ceremonies are limited to 10 people or fewer.

Beginning today, as legally required under the new provincial Shutdown Zone provisions, City staff are closing affected park and outdoor recreation amenities. It will take about a week to complete this work.

Signage indicating guidelines for use will be posted at playgrounds and other amenities that remain open. All people who are not from the same household must maintain a physical distance of two metres. A person living alone is permitted to socialize in-person with one other household. The use of masks or face coverings outdoors is strongly recommended when using amenities that remain open or in situations where physical distancing is difficult. Masks must be worn while using washroom facilities and while waiting in lines.

Open amenities:

• Parks and beaches

• Playgrounds

• Washrooms

• Dog off-leash areas

• Benches in parks or recreational areas

• Community and allotment gardens

All other outdoor recreational amenities not listed above, are closed under provincial regulations, including:

• Picnic tables and shelters

• Golf courses

• Disk golf courses

• Sports courts and fields (i.e. basketball and tennis courts, soccer fields, baseball diamonds, lawn bowling greens)

• BMX and skate parks

• Outdoor fitness equipment

• Dry pads

There are more than 1,500 parks across Toronto. At this time, parking lots at popular destination parks and beaches remain open. The City is monitoring crowding at these locations. All people are urged to only visit neighbourhood parks and must socialize in-person only, even outside, with members from their own household and/or with one other person who lives alone.

The City’s coordinated enforcement team is continuing to speak to individuals and businesses about COVID-19 regulations by attending parks and the waterfront, conducting proactive inspections, and responding to complaints and will take enforcement action when appropriate and required.

Collection of garbage, Blue Bin (recycling), Green Bin (organics) and yard waste is continuing as scheduled. Any impacts to other Solid Waste Management Services programs and services are still being assessed. Changes to services are updated on the COVID-19: Changes to City Services webpage: https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-latest-city-of-toronto-news/affected-city-services/.

Planned and emergency City construction is permitted under provincial regulations and is continuing. This includes making repairs to Toronto’s major and local roads, sidewalks and cycling infrastructure, improving public transit infrastructure, replacing and rehabilitating watermains and sewers and building and improving major water infrastructure.

St. Lawrence Market continues to operate with the extensive COVID-19 precautions in place, including capacity and entrance management, enhanced sanitization, mandatory masks or face coverings and physical distancing. In-person shopping limited to 25 per cent capacity is available for essential food retail and non-essential businesses are permitted to operate for curbside pickup and delivery only. More information is on the St. Lawrence Market website: http://www.stlawrencemarket.com/.