Toronto extends COVID-19 bylaws until the end of September
Torontonians will need to continue wearing masks in businesses until the fall after the city approved an extension of its COVID-19 bylaws today.
The city said the bylaws, which were set to expire today, have been extended until the end of council’s meeting on September 30 and October 1, based on a recommendation by Toronto Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa.
Wednesday’s decision means residents will need to keep physically distancing in city parks or public squares and will be required to continue wearing masks or face coverings in common areas of businesses, apartments and condominiums.
As well, apartment buildings in the city will need to keep non-essential common areas like gyms and pools closed while continuing to offer up hand hygiene stations and public health signage.
Food and drink establishments will also need to keep COVID-19 signage, capacity and table limits in place while also maintaining accurate customer logs.
“We continue to use the data to inform our decisions and today’s step is no different. COVID-19 numbers are decreasing, but it remains a significant concern and we need to continue our efforts to reduce and limit virus spread,” de Villa said in a news release.
According to the city, more than 72.3 per cent of the city’s adult population has received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and more than 10 percent have received both first and second shots.
However, the city said the impact of COVID-19 continues in Toronto with variants of concern increasing both the risk of transmission and serious illness or death.
Also approved Wednesday is a recommendation by de Villa to conduct a monthly assessment on the spread and impacts of COVID-19 should the bylaws need to end, be extended or amended.
The bylaws have now been in effect for more than a year and anyone caught breaking the rules could face a hefty fine upwards of $750.
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.