31 Toronto neighbourhoods mark zero COVID-19 cases, including some hot spots
Dozens of Toronto neighbourhoods are currently COVID-19 free for the first time in months, according to data released by the city.
The latest data covering roughly 140 Toronto neighbourhoods shows 31 of these communities are reporting zero cases of the novel coronavirus.
Some neighbourhoods that are reporting no new cases are official COVID-19 hot spots, including Scarborough Village, Morningside, Thorncliffe Park and several others.
Ahmed Hussein, the CEO of The Neighbourhood Organization in Thorncliffe, told CTV News Toronto that his community has worked very hard to get where they are today.
Many of the communities in Toronto hot spots once perceived as “vaccine hesitant,” including Thorncliffe Park, showed up in masses to vaccination centres and pop-ups with people waiting hours to get their shot.
“This is good news for the work that we have done,” Hussein told CTV News Toronto on Wednesday, adding that mobile testing, bringing vaccines to people and appointing community ambassadors have played a major part in the success.
“The ambassadors live in the community, the same buildings, speak the language of the community and know people who are able to talk to people and have that conversation [about vaccines],” Hussein said.
“We worked hard to reduce the numbers of cases and also increase the vaccine uptake. We worked toward a goal that we provide information to the community.”
Many people in hot spot communities are essential workers who disproportionately bear the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Working front-line jobs throughout the pandemic, coupled with a lack of support from governments, residents in these areas became more vulnerable to contracting the disease.
Since the pandemic started, COVID-19 rates in hot spots were striking. Thorncliffe Park logged 9,617 cases per 100,000 people, Scarborough Village logged 11,068 cases per 100,000 people and Morningside logged 8,445 cases per 100,000 people.
In comparison, in more wealthy neighbourhoods, which got a head start on vaccinations and where many people worked from home, the case counts were much lower.
Forest Hill, which currently has nine cases, saw 2,246 cases per 100,000 people over the course of the pandemic and Lawrence Park South, another wealthy Toronto neighbourhood, saw 2,075 cases per 100,000 people and currently has no new cases.
In response to the disparity, health officials and community members are continuing to target hot spot regions in Toronto to increase vaccination rates.
“It is enormously, enormously satisfying to be able to report figures like these to you,” Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa said.
“I’m also sure there are many people who want to get vaccinated but can barely get everything else done in a day, who struggle to get vaccines close to home”
Hussein said the neighbourhoods his organization is supporting are not giving up their fight.
“This is the time now that you really have to do it in small groups, mobile teams, because this final group is the hard to reach people,” he said. “We have been successful in doing that and we want to enhance that.
“We won’t stop till everyone who is eligible for vaccine gets one.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10,000 Zantac lawsuits in U.S.: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.