The Ministry of Health reports an encouraging low of 203 new cases of COVID-19 for the 24-hour period ending 11.59 Wednesday. It is the fewest number of cases reported since March 28 and continues the descending trend of the infection. Also Thursday, the TTC board will be asked to make face coverings mandatory for all riders effective July 2, Mayor Tory has announced.
York Regional police have released a gripping video of how the public, aided by police, stopped an impaired driver. The woman at the wheel told a member of the public who followed her that she had consumed an hallucinogenic Shroom mushroom. Maybe, maybe not
The overnight storm caused heavy damage along the Lake Huron shore and much of southwestern Ontario. It was accompanied by hail and suspected tornadoes. Locally, there have been power outages across the GTA. Toronto Hydro said that 12,500 customers were without power in the early morning hours, however by early Thursday morning there were just 75 customers that remained in the dark. City News morning forecast
My dad just sent me this from Goderich. We have tree damage. #onstorm pic.twitter.com/AMjRAnNgEE
— Ryan Mykel (@RyanMykel) June 10, 2020
Daniela Tixi of Leaside posted this amusing comment on just what’s important and what’s not. FB
The ongoing fight to eliminate COVID-19 in Ontario is being focussed on places like Brampton in Peel Region where authorities say backyard party-goers and tail-gate revellers in parking lots continue to flout safety rules. Medical Officer of Health Dr. Lawrence Loh has warned that the town is becoming the epicentre of new COVID-19 infections in the region.
Bylaw officers disrespected
“COVID-19 has started to decline from a new plateau in our seven day moving average of 40 to 50 new cases per day,” Dr. Loh said. “But since early June it is also clear that most new cases in Region of Peel are from The City of Brampton.” CP24 says it has calculated that statistics indicate Brampton generated between a sixth to an eighth of all known novel coronavirus infections each day last week, despite being only one-twentieth of Ontario’s total population. In one backyard party, good-time residents “disrespected bylaw” officers and 19 people were charged as a result. There were also 18 tickets written for people playing team sports in public parks, or using playground equipment or other park amenities against orders.
Cases Wednesday remain below 300
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has counted 251 new cases of COVID across the province in the past 24 hours. It’s the third day that new cases have fallen below 300. “This is extremely important to see. We have only had a few days where we have been below 300 but let’s hope this continues,” infectious disease expert Dr. Isaac Bogoch said. “There has really been a full-court press. Everybody has been working hard on improving diagnostic capacity, improving contact tracing and getting public health messages out so I think things are headed in the right direction. I don’t want to rain on the parade but I just think it might be a little too early to say that we truly have a real trend here. We will see if this trend continues. Obviously everybody wants it to continue.” Daily summaries since March.
There are no doubt hard days ahead in the battle against the persisent COVID-19 infection but new cases have fallen again Tuesday in what appears to be a winning battle in Ontario. The Ministry of Health counts 230 cases reported in the preceding 24 hours. That’s down from 243 on Monday. The GTA had 67.4 percent of those 230 cases amongst a population of more than six million people.
Minister Elliott warns against complacency
CP24 quoted Health Minister Christine Elliott Monday saying she was happy with recent numbers but warning that people should not become complacent. “Today was a very good day. We were at 400 and 500 just a few weeks ago. This is the smallest increase we’ve had yet but we can’t expect that to happen every day.” All daily summaries since March
Toronto Wildlife Centre charity has pulled volunteers from the fox den at the Beaches boardwalk. It says in a long Facebook post that the four remaining cubs (or kits) have grown and are moving on from their birthplace under the popular wooden trail. But it also references all too familiar human behaviour in which the volunteers were threatened. Read about it at the TWC site.
Marie Bates, principal of Leaside’s CGS, has written a moving commentary on racial tensions seen in the US and here in recent days. Her full remarks are here.
I have struggled to know what to write to the CGS Community about what has been going on in the United States, and even in our city, this past week. I have struggled to share the right words, the right sentiments, the right advice, the right direction this should take and maybe I won’t get it quite right but saying nothing would be worse. Like many of you, I have watched in horror as a spotlight has shone brightly on the tremendous injustices in our society. The oppression and devaluation of Black lives is nothing new, but in this day of instant media, it has been brought into our living rooms as never before. I sincerely hope that it has been brought into our hearts and minds as never before too. We haven’t been able to hide from the elephant in the room this week, and as horrible as it is to watch, that can only be a good thing. CGS site
Police Chief Mark Saunders will resign his position on short notice, leaving effective July 31. Saunders, the City’s first black chief, has overseen five years of increasingly tumultuous times marked by gun crime, death and unexpectedly, increased criticism from black dissidents. Saunders oversaw responses to the North York van attack and the Danforth mass shooting. Speaking at a news conference Monday, Saunders said he made the decision in order to put family first. The decision comes at a time of demonstrations and unprecedented demands by some for police to be defunded and disarmed. News conference (begins at 20.21 on unedited TPS video)
Restaurants, hair salons, barbershops and nail salons will be permitted to reopen as early as Friday but not in the COVID-19 hotspot of the Greater Toronto area, according to the government. Residents of Toronto, Peel, York and Durham will have to wait until at least June 19 at the earliest. The province will also be announcing a ban on commercial evictions today, sources told CTV. More
