Wednesday cases at 510 as officials warn of long road ahead

The Ministry of Health Wednesday reports 510 new cases of COVID-19 and 37 new deaths. This number is down somewhat from recent daily reports. It comes as provincial health officials say Ontario will have to see the number of new cases confirmed each day go down to 200 or fewer before steps can be taken reopen the economy. “We can’t wait till we get no cases for two weeks,” Associate Medical Officer of Health Dr. Barbara Yaffe said. “We may be in our current state for a very long time if we do that, but we do need to have a very good system of active surveillance and identifying cases.” There are now 12,245 confirmed cases in Ontario, including 6,221 recoveries and 659 deaths.

Retailers face end of business as virus lockdown continues

A City-wide survey of retailers has found that close to two-thirds of them may have to end business for good within three months as they remain closed because of COVID-19. Some 17 percent said they may be forced to shut down in a month. As reported by CP24, the survey was done among businesses within 54 BIAs across Toronto under the auspices of the Broadview Danforth BIA.

BIA interactive map shows status of businesses on Bayview

The Bayview Leaside BIA has published a Google interactive map showing businesses in the association with designations for take-out service, online or fully open. It seems like a handy reference. BIA map

Dutch woman recalls RCMP friend as a childhood heroine

Amid the grief and anger sweeping Nova Scotia following the mindless killing of 23 people Sunday, a Dutch woman, Mara Wienke, is recalling her life-long admiration of RCMP Constable Heidi Stevenson, one of the victims.

Sirens down University salute our masked healthcare heroes

Police, fire and paramedic staff rolled down University Ave. Sunday with a siren salute to doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers on the front line of the COVID-19 war. Doubtlessly, there was similar applause in homes across the City.

Hope seen in Ontario as deaths peak earlier than expected

Experts say the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have peaked in Ontario, a month ahead of earlier forecasts and hospitals have largely escaped the feared surge in critically sick patients, health officials said Monday. “While earlier models predicted a peak in cases in May, public health interventions, including widespread adherence to physical distancing, have accelerated the peak to now,” reads new modelling data released Monday. “The sacrifices people are making to stay home and wash their hands are making a difference.”

The total cases for the span of the outbreak are now likely less than 20,000, starkly lower than the worst-case scenario of 300,000. But the news comes with a grim reminder that deaths continue to grow in nursing and retirement homes. The CBC video shows Adalsteinn Brown, dean of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, saying that Ontario is now expecting a much lower number of COVID-19 cases this month than earlier models anticipated.

SERRA Spring letter of reader interest west of Bayview Ave

The South Eglinton Ratepayers and Residents Association Spring newsletter was sent in an email Monday. SERRA Newsletter

Ontario daily COVID-19 case high as 606 reported Monday

The Ministry of Health has confirmed another 606 new cases of COVID-19, making Monday the second straight day in which a record has been hit. The 606 new cases surpass the 568 that were reported on Sunday. Those numbers, however, were believed to have been inflated due to the belated addition of data from Toronto Public Health that was not uploaded to the provincial database the previous day. Gov’t website

Terrible death toll at Davisville Avenue retirement home

There have now been 18 deaths attributed to COVID-19 at the Meighen Retirement Residence at 84 Davisville Ave. The Salvation Army home has said that some 50 residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 at the facility and 14 staff members. There are 168 beds at the facility, so the positive cases represent nearly one-third of all residents. All infected staff members are isolating at home and have not returned to work since receiving their diagnoses.

$880 fine for visiting cottage is a rights crisis in the making

The Star is among many sources telling of huge fines being levied against social-distance and stay-in-place violators as governments try to beat back COVID-19. An area resident tells of a neighbor who received an $880 fine for “going to the cottage.” Star writer Francine Kopun chronicles a $750 fine given to an Oakville man for doing chin-ups on some play equipment. Francine Kopun

Longo’s Leaside employee has tested positive for COVID-19

Longo’s president Anthony Longo has emailed customers to say that an employee of the Leaside store has tested positive for COVID-19. FB

As a family business, the wellbeing of our Team Members and Guests is our number one priority, which is why we are reaching out to you. One of our Team Members at our Leaside location has tested positive for COVID-19. The Team Member’s last shift was on April 19th. We remain in contact with our Team Member and wish them a full recovery.

We are emailing you in an abundance of caution because our records show that you shopped at this location within 14 days of the Team Member’s last shift. We want to assure you that our stores and Team Members have been operating under heightened preventive measures and in accordance with direction from public health to protect against the spread of COVID-19.

At this time, we are taking immediate actions in the best interests of our Team Members and Guests. We are executing additional deep cleaning in-store, above and beyond our already elevated sanitation and cleaning protocols. All Team Members that have had close personal contact with this Team Member have been asked to stay home and self-monitor their health. They will be paid in full during this time.

This issue has our full attention and we are moving forward with the health and safety of every Team Member and Guest in mind. We are committed to being open and transparent on developments as they happen. Please check our dedicated webpage on longos.com for additional updates and information.

Let’s all work together to keep everyone safe.

Sincerely,
Anthony Longo
President & CEO

COVID-19 cases creep to a new daily high of 568 Sunday

The Ministry of Health Sunday reported 568 new cases of COVID-19 in the preceding in 24-hours. The slowly increasing numbers, while worrisome, may be seen as more hopeful than an explosion of infections like those seen elsewhere. As reported by CP24 the number, which exceeds the previous high of 564 on Friday, is likely to have been somewhat inflated after Toronto Public Health was unable to add its new cases to the provincial database on Friday following a technical change in its tracking platform. Website

Fire death in two-alarm call to Victoria St. high-rise Friday

A person has died in a fire in a highrise unit at 220 Victoria St. late Friday. The circumstances are unclear but the blaze appears to have been confined to one unit.