'We are on the right track:' Toronto formally ends municipal state of emergency after 777 days
Mayor John Tory has formally terminated a municipal state of emergency which had been in effect for a total of 777 days, calling it “just one more sign that the city is returning to a more normal state of existence.”
Tory made the announcement during a press conference outside Toronto City Hall on Monday morning.
He said that while COVID-19 is far from over, the removal of the emergency declaration does represent an “important juncture” in the more than two-year fight against the virus.
“We are on the right track but I think we have to remind ourselves every single day that this is not over. So we continue to do the work,” he said.
“But I think the sort of stress level and the acute nature of the pandemic has receded a bit and it allows us to have days like today where we can remove the state of emergency while still continuing with just as much effort on things like vaccination.”
Tory said that the formal declaration of an emergency back on March 23, 2020 gave the city added flexibility with regards to staffing, ultimately allowing more than 1,700 of its workers to be temporarily reassigned to help support vaccination efforts and maintain critical services.
However, all but 40 of those people have returned to their original jobs as the city transitions away from an emergency-oriented response to COVID-19.
As part of that transition, Toronto’s Board of Health will meet on May 16 to vote on a motion which would make its hyper-local vaccination campaign a permanent program, contingent on additional funding being provided by the province.
“The declaration signalled our intent to fight COVID-19 with everything we had and now two years, one month and 17 days later and more than seven doses of vaccine later there is no doubt that our collective efforts have been successful in getting us to a better place,” Tory said.
“I do want people to understand that by taking away our state of emergency in the city we are not ending our fight against COVID. We know that COVID-19 is still active in the city and the work that we have been undertaking will not stop.”
PUBLIC HEALTH INDICATORS IMPROVING
The municipal emergency declaration was first issued on March 23, 2020.
Back then there were only 304 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the city and most were associated with recent travel.
Since then, Toronto has reported more than 312,000 confirmed cases and that number is considered a significant undercount due to limited eligibility for PCR testing.
There have also been more than 4,200 residents who have died after contracting COVID-19.
Speaking with reporters on Monday, De Villa called COVID-19 a “once in a lifetime public health crisis” and said that she is “truly in awe at the resilience of Toronto residents” over the last two years.
She said that while all public health indicators are all now either “decreasing or holding stable,” residents should socialize outdoors as much as possible in the coming months and ensure that they are up to date with their vaccination.
She also warned that there is emerging research which points to an increase in reinfection rates due to the new Omicron subvariant.
“This isn’t a signal that we can let down our guard when it comes to COVID-19,” she said of the decision to terminate the municipal emergency. “Nor is it time to let go of efforts to get Torontonians their next dose of vaccine.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Defence attacks Stormy Daniels' credibility as she returns to the stand in Trump's hush money trial
Stormy Daniels will return to the witness stand Thursday in Donald Trump's hush money trial as the defence tries to undermine the credibility of the porn actor's salacious testimony about their alleged sexual encounter and the money she was paid to keep quiet.
With contactless screening tech, this Toronto startup hopes to catch breast cancer early — and save lives
Amid evidence of rising breast cancer rates among young women in Canada, one Toronto startup is offering a contactless and radiation-free device that can help doctors identify suspicious changes in breast tissue. The company, Linda Lifetech, says this can lead to earlier detection of breast cancer.
Tornadoes tear through southeastern U.S. as storms leave 3 dead
Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could wash over parts of the South early Thursday, a day after severe weather with damaging tornadoes and large hail killed at least three people in the region.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
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.