What you need to know about coronavirus closures in York Region

Forest tracts, court services, textile collection, tick testing and sexual health clinics closed. VIVA/YRT schedule changes. And where to report social gatherings.

Yorkregion.com
April 7, 2020

York Region has declared a state of emergency due to coronavirus. A number of facilities are closed to the public and social service programs temporarily suspended.

For a complete list of closures in each York Region municipality, click here.

Here’s a breakdown of shutdowns by the Region of York, from children's services to courts, emergency services to waste depots and public health to housing services:

Children’s Services:

• All licensed child care centres are closed;

• EarlyON programs are closed across the region;

• Child Care Fee subsidy intake and reviews will be conducted by phone;

• Neonatal followup clinics have been discontinued;

• After-school programs in social housing complexes are closed.

Court Services:

• Provincial offences courts will be closed until May 29;

• All matters scheduled in the York Region Provincial Offences courts between March 16 and May 29 will be rescheduled to later in the year;

• Time periods for applications have been extended;

• Applications such as time exemptions, reopening trial requests and disclosure requests are not being accepted until further notice;

• Parking and other tickets can still be paid at paytickets.ca.

Forests:

• York Regional Forests, including all 21 forest tracts, are closed to the public until further notice;

• Bookings and programs at the Bill Fisch Forest Stewardship and Education Centre are cancelled until further notice.

Housing York Inc.:

• All Housing York Inc. offices are closed to the public;

• Residents can still call 1-877-464-9675 x72735 or email housingyorkfeedback@york.ca Housing York Inc. during regular business hours;

• Tenants are encouraged to use the drop boxes located outside York Housing Inc. buildings to submit maintenance requests, rent cheques and information about rent renewal;

• Housing applications have been suspended.

Police and Paramedic services:

• Paramedic Services headquarters is closed except for essential staff;

• York Regional Police stations and headquarters are closed to the public. To report a crime, visit yrp.ca/reportit;

• YRP is responsible for taking reports and responding to calls related to the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. Call the YRP non-emergency line 1-866-876-5423 to report non-essential businesses that are open, residents using recreational amenities and those not abiding by the strict social gathering restrictions;

• Applications for police record checks can be made online yrp.ca/onlinechecks.

Public Health:

• Sexual Health Clinics are closed;

• Preventive and non-urgent screening appointments are cancelled up to April 30. The program continues to screen clients with urgent dental needs. Senior dental appointments are cancelled until June 1 and will be rescheduled. To speak with a registered hygienist, call 1-877-464-9675;

• The following prenatal and postnatal programs are cancelled: Transition to Parenting; Healthy Babies, Healthy Children; Breastfeeding support and All Babies Count. Connect with a public health nurse by phone at 1-800-361-5653 or online at york.ca/nursechat;

• Immunization clinics and school immunization programs have been cancelled;

• Tuberculosis home visits are cancelled;

• Private well water samples for testing can be dropped off at in Georgina, 24262 Woodbine Ave., and in Newmarket, Tannery Building, 465 Davis Dr., on the second floor;

• Ticks are no longer being accepted for test.

Regional Roads:

• Transportation and Works Operation Centre at 90 Bales Dr. in East Gwillimbury is closed.

Social Services:

• Early intervention, social assistance, employment services, Children’s Treatment network and the social services branch in Markham Stouffville Hospital are closed to the public;

• Face-to-face meetings through the Violence Against Women Emergency Housing Shelter, Homemakers and Nursing Services and Housing with Support Facilities are cancelled;

• Drop-in programs at 360Kids, Belinda’s Place and Sutton Youth Services are closed.

York Regional Transit/VIVA:

• YRT is reducing services including temporarily suspending routes, revising routes and adjusting schedules on a number of YRT/Viva routes.

• The following VIVA routes are operating on a revised schedule: Viva Blue, Viva Purple, Viva Orange, Viva Yellow;

• The Following VIVA routes are temporarily suspended: Viva Blue A, Viva Pink, Viva Green;

• The Following YRT routes are temporarily suspended: 22-King City, with a revised schedule; 42-Berczy; 45-Mingay; 81-Inspiration; 82-Valleymede; 301-Markham Express; 302-Unionville Express; 304-Mount Joy express; and 760-Vaughan Mills/Wonderland.

Waste Facilities:

• York Region’s public waste depots are only accepting garbage and hazardous waste until further notice;

• Waste depots are not accepting cash;
• Textile collection has been suspended until further notice.