Toronto sets January date for city workers to return to the office, amid rising COVID-19 cases, Omicron uncertainty
by Peter C. Goodman, The Washington Post
Updated:
Tue, Mar 27 2020, 4:11 AM ET
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Toronto has declared public health emergency for the city, banning gatherings in some neighbourhoods. In a measure seen as unprecedented in North America, the city is now banning all non-essential gatherings in Toronto. (Submitted)
The coronavirus pandemic is a defining moment in urban history, prompting a change in Toronto’s approach to public life.
To combat the risks posed by the illness, the downtown core is reopening for people and businesses as a public health emergency, the city announced Saturday.
Toronto declares public health emergency for city
“Toronto is going to reopen on Monday, and we’re going to reopen as soon as possible, when appropriate,” Mayor John Tory said in a news conference. “The risk of infection has significantly decreased… We’re taking this to a community-led, risk-based approach to reopen in a responsible way.”
For now, the focus remains on ensuring that people know how to avoid infection.
“We’re very committed to making sure that we don’t have any issues,” Dr. Barbara Yaffe, the city’s chief medical officer, said in an interview. “We have put a stop to all non-essential trips to grocery and other stores so we’ll be very vigilant to make sure that people don’t have any contact with anyone who has a respiratory illness or who has tested positive.”
For residents, the new system has two parts, the city said:
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Restrictions on gatherings in some areas, including:
The Financial District: no crowds in the area, including outside of stores and banks.
The Entertainment District: no crowds in the area, including outside of grocery stores and movie theatres.
The Corktown area: people must stay at home and practice social distancing.
The west end: people must stay at home and practice social dist