The South Bayview Bulldog

Man said to have poured gas on himself, set it alight/Google

The police review body has taken over the investigation of an incident Tuesday in which a man reportedly poured gasoline over himself and set it alight, according to police and witness information on Twitter. A number of tweets say the man was chased to a nearby Rabba. The closest Rabba to the call site is 256 Jarvis St. near Gerrard St. The police are no longer commenting as the matter is now in the hands of the review body known as the Special Investigations Unit (SIU). The first call came at 8.43 a.m. from the Esso station at Dundas and Church Sts.

Part of the scene at captured by witness Christine Young

Columnist Chris Selley ponders the prime minister’s brief journey from declaring that other countries were engaged in “knee jerk” reactions to COVID-19 (March 5) to slamming the border shut to all foreigners except US citizens (March 16). Canadians will have to reflect individually on how they felt about the knee-jerk stand. Did it make anyone uneasy at the time? Here is what Mr. Selley muses.  “All those anti-crisis measures other countries are pursuing, but we aren’t? They are overreacting. And when we wind up pursuing those same measures a few days later, and it’s very difficult to understand why it wouldn’t have been better to pursue them earlier? Ah, well, this is what the experts have advised. We are taking things “step by step,” as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday. Canadians do not take more than one step at once. That is for the hotter-blooded nations.” National Post

Ontario has confirmed eight new novel coronavirus cases in the province, bringing the total to 185. The newest cases are all from either Hamilton or London. All of the patients are in self-isolation. The province continues to investigate 1,500 possible cases. Five cases in total are considered resolved. The current challenge for medical and civil authorities is to keep the spread of the virus manageable and ultimately have it die off. Ontario special website containing case numbers

“State of Emergency” in Ontario

Premier Ford declared a state of emergency for Ontario, banning public events of over 50 people, including parades, events and services within places of worship until March 31. The province also ordered the closure of all facilities providing indoor recreation programs, all public libraries, all private schools, all licensed childcare centres, all theatres, cinemas and concert venues, and all bars and restaurants except to provide takeout food and delivery. Grocery stores, pharmacies and public transit continue to operate as do the LCBO and Beer Store.

Chart of new cases at Ontario site

Work north of Manor/Fleming on Tuesday

Bayview Ave. north of Manor and Fleming is heavily narrowed Tuesday by the work seen above. The street is quiet during these extraordinary times of COVID-19 concerns

Area residents dealing with being at home during the coronavirus disruption are keeping a sense of humor. A Facebook post Tuesday asks: “So how many days is it okay to stay in pyjamas. Not asking for a friend.” There are a number of excellent responses to the post including “All of them.” Scrolling down we find the video below of piglets circling a sow. Parents and kids, you know. FB

pyjamas

The Weather Network forecasts a wet seek for Toronto with possibly 5 mm on Wednesday and somewhere between 5 and 10 mm on Thursday.

Ontario has announced an additional 32 new cases of COVID-19 Monday. Eleven of the cases are in Toronto. The daily increase number is down from the 42 new cases that the province confirmed on Saturday which may offer a slim hope that the outbreak curve is being flattened. But the double-digit number still represents much larger increases than previously seen. There are now some 177 cases of COVID-19 infection reported in Ontario.

Foreign arrivals to be sent to Montreal, Toronto, Calgary or Vancouver

The government is apparently ready to announce flight restrictions that will see international flights rerouted to Montreal, Toronto, Calgary or Vancouver for dedicated enhanced screening. It was indicated on Friday that the number of Canadian airports these flights could come into would soon be limited.

Trucks will keep running say suppliers

Top federal public health officer Theresa Tam Sunday urged Canadians to act swiftly and firmly to combat the COVID-19 pandemic even as retailers and top politicians reassured the country that any restrictive measures would not result in shortages of food or other basics. Both the Retail Council of Canada and Prime Minister Trudeau said supplies of groceries and other basics would continue to flow even if the outbreak of the novel coronavirus triggered widespread store or border closures. But Ms Tam said collective action is needed immediately: “Our window to flatten the curve of the epidemic is narrow,” she said at a news conference. “We all need to act now. COVID-19 is a serious public health threat.”

No need for buying panic retailers, suppliers insist

The Retail Council of Canada said the current high demand for food, toilet paper and other staples is understandable as the number of positive cases continues to climb but it urged Canadians not to succumb to panic. Suppliers say that about 70 percent of commonly purchased items are produced domestically, ensuring their continued availability in Canadian stores. Fresh produce and other items being imported into the country at this time of year may see temporary sell-outs but retailers have suppliers in a variety of countries and have contingency plans in place.

One customer’s haul; at Metro. Family of 12?

Flattening the curve

The coronavirus threat is far from over but it is finally clear across South Bayview that people are gripped by new knowledge of the threat. The reaction ranges from thoughtful residents concerned about the elderly who may not be able to shop for themselves to supermarket alerts. Hugh Grant of the Bennington Heights Residents Association wrote to members on Saturday about one volunteer ready to shop for others. Sunday morning there is a post at Leaside Community heralding the arrival of toilet paper to the shelves of Loblaws at Eglinton and Dunfield. There’s a limit of two packs per person.  And another person has posted the picture above of the purchases of a customer at Metro Saturday. Her comment is: “Come on, people.” FB

Will travel restrictions leave some Canadians stranded?

The federal government urged Canadians abroad to return home while they still have a chance as countries around the world impose ever-tighter travel restrictions in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19. Word from Global Affairs Canada came on Saturday as Canadians travelling in Europe scrambled to book flights ahead of looming border closures in many European Union countries. “Airlines have cancelled flights. New restrictions may be imposed with little warning. Your travel plans may be severely disrupted and you may be forced to remain outside of Canada longer than expected,” the ministry said in a statement.

US extends travel ban to UK, Ireland

The US has now stopped all flights to and from Europe, including the UK and Ireland. The World Health Organization has declared that Europe is the new centre of the pandemic. Some estimates suggest there are 10,000 cases in Britain alone. ABC

Ontario confirmed 39 news cases of coronavirus infection Sunday bringing the provincial total to 142. There were 24 new cases reported Saturday and 19 on Friday. Fourteen of the new cases are in Toronto, five in Peel Region, three in York Region and two in Durham Region. There are three new cases in Hamilton. The government will announce a further update Sunday afternoon as testing continues.