City to triple vaccine efforts in Toronto's hotspots: Tory

Torontosun.com
April 22, 2021

Toronto Mayor John Tory unveiled a new mobile vaccination “sprint strategy” Wednesday which aims to triple the number of vaccine shots available in 13 of the city’s hotspot neighbourhoods during the next two weeks.

Last weekend, staff at mobile and pop-up clinics administered 3,700 doses in neighbourhoods with high numbers of COVID cases. That total will be boosted to 12,000 vaccinations a week, according to the city.

“Places where our public health officials say these vaccines are most needed and can make the biggest difference,” Tory said.

“This will bring vaccine doses for people 18 and older to where people live --in the neighbourhoods that are in the greatest need.”

Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto’s medical officer of health, sombrely reported Toronto had 1,302 new COVID-19 cases with 1,010 in hospital, 194 in the ICU, and 128 intubated. She added the hospital and ICU totals were “the highest recorded at any point in the pandemic so far.”

De Villa also issued an order to allow public health inspectors the discretion to close workplaces where at least five cases of COVID-19 have been identified in the past 14 days.

“As of today, for the whole of the pandemic in Toronto, (the number of deaths) is 2,970,” she said. “If the loss of life continues as it has, we can expect to pass a death toll of 3,000.”

When asked about rumblings the Ford government is considering implementing a paid sick-days program, Tory said the existing federal program is “not fast enough getting money into people’s hands,” and “it’s not enough money.

“How long it took to get here, or how we got here, these are valid debating points, but the important thing is the right thing is going to be done now it would appear,” said Tory.

Dr. Lawrence Loh, Peel Region's medical officer of health.
Toronto and Peel to shut down businesses with 5 or more COVID cases

On Wednesday, Tory also announced the city is getting closer to the one-million mark for administering vaccines with 948,697 people receiving their shot so far.

“We’ve just got to have a more intense effort,” said the civic leader, who added COVID claimed the lives of 93 Toronto residents last week. “That’s more than the number of homicides we had in the city during the entirety of last year.”