The City of Toronto is reminding all residents to follow all provincial regulations, City bylaws and public health advice this weekend to help protect against the spread of COVID-19. All people in Toronto should limit gatherings, wear a mask, maintain physical distancing by staying two metres apart from anyone they do not live with and get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible.
There are 220 new cases of COVID-19 in Toronto today. Since the start of the pandemic there have been a total of 167,836 cases of COVID-19. There are 753 people hospitalized. To date, there have been 3,407 COVID-19 deaths in Toronto. In total, 161,272 people have recovered. Case status data can be found on Toronto Public Health’s reporting dashboard: www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/c
There are more than 1,500 parks, as well as beaches in Toronto. With warm weather forecasted for the weekend, the City is working to ensure parks and beaches remain open and accessible for Toronto residents who are respecting COVID-19 regulations and want to safely enjoy outdoor spaces.
The City will officially open its supervised beach program at all 10 of Toronto’s swimming beaches tomorrow. Lifeguards will be on-duty at these beaches and will supervise designated swim areas seven days a week, from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
All people are asked to do their part to limit outdoor gatherings to five or fewer people from different households, practise physical distancing and wear a mask when distancing is not possible. If a beach or park are full when people arrive, it is recommended that they return at another time to avoid over-crowding.
Residents are also reminded to properly dispose of waste in the bins provided or take it home with them so everyone can enjoy Toronto’s outdoor spaces. There are more than 10,000 litter bins across the city. Bins in heavily used parks are emptied each morning and the City has increased service to bins along the waterfront. Additional staff will also be out in the mornings to pick up litter. Any overflowing bins or litter hotspots can be reported to 311.
Under the Ontario Fire Code open air burning is not permitted anywhere in Toronto without a permit authorized by Toronto Fire Services. This includes bonfires, campfires, backyard fire pits, and the use of chimineas.
Bonfires, as well as fireworks, are not permitted in City parks, on beaches or in public spaces, and pose a significant risk to the environment, public safety and the safety of first responders.
Parking lots at Marie Curtis, Humber Bay East, Humber Bay West, Bluffer’s Park and Beach, and Cherry Beach will be closed nightly at 7 p.m. and will reopen in the morning. Parking enforcement will also have a presence, tagging and towing illegally parked vehicles.
City bylaw officers will be monitoring parks and beaches, focusing on areas that continue to experience high volumes of people and issues that pose the greatest risk to health and safety, including large gatherings and parties. Toronto Police will be called in to assist with illegal gatherings and will disperse crowds and lay charges, when warranted. Bylaw officers are working hard to monitor and respond to complaints but are not emergency responders.
All residents should review the City’s COVID-19: Guide for Residents for public health guidance and information on what is and is not permitted under provincial regulations and City bylaws: https://www.toronto.ca/home/co
SOURCE City of Toronto
Leave a Reply