'This unveiling is a statement of unity:' Pink bandage added to Toronto sign
The Toronto sign at Nathan Phillips Square has gotten an updated look as the city turns to some novel approaches to get more of its residents vaccinated.
A new illuminated pink bandage, matching the one in most of the promotional materials used by the city during the vaccine rollout, has been added to the final ‘O’ in the iconic sign.
The hope, according to city officials, is that the bandage will both commemorate the success of Toronto’s vaccination rollout to date while also helping to encourage unvaccinated residents, particularly school-aged children who only recently became eligible, to roll up their sleeves.
“This unveiling is a statement of unity,” Board of Health Chair Joe Cressy told reporters at Nathan Phillips Square on Tuesday afternoon, immediately prior to unveiling the updated sign. “This vaccination effort has involved all of us coming together and getting a vaccine. It's more than just protecting yourself. It's about protecting each other. It's about protecting your family members, your colleagues, your peers at school, and your entire city.”
To date nearly 89 per cent of eligible Toronto residents have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, including approximately 26 per cent of children aged five to 11 who only became eligible to be vaccinated two weeks ago.
The city’s goal is to eventually have 90 per cent of residents fully vaccinated but Mayor John Tory told reporters on Tuesday that the work won’t stop there, especially amid concerns about the Omicron variant.
“We're just going to keep going and get as many people as we possibly can vaccinated because it's good for them,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.