The forecast for this weekend is calling for warm temperatures and sunny periods, which means more people will be outside. Residents are reminded to follow all provincial regulations and public health advice to help protect against the spread of COVID-19: limit non-essential travel, wear a mask, maintain physical distancing by staying two metres apart from anyone you do not live with, and get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Yesterday, the Ontario Government announced its Roadmap to Reopen, which outlines the plan to gradually lift restrictions over the spring and summer based on vaccination rates and public health indicators. Starting tomorrow, several outdoor recreational amenities will open, including golf courses, tennis and basketball courts, skate parks, soccer and other sports fields, and splash pads. Outdoor limits for social gatherings and organized public events have also been expanded to five people and can include members of other households. Team sports and recreational classes, including fitness classes, are not permitted and physical distancing must be maintained at all times. To learn more visit the City’s COVID-19: Guide for Residents: www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/c
The City has an extensive network of parks and trails to explore. Residents are asked to enjoy areas in their neighbourhood and not drive to a destination. To avoid crowding and help ensure physical distancing, individuals should consider scheduling a visit outside of peak mid-day hours. The waterfront in particular is busiest between 1 and 5 p.m. Visit www.toronto.ca/parks to find a nearby park and www.toronto.ca/trails for trails in the city.
Toronto’s beaches are open but will not be supervised by lifeguards until early June when the water is warmer. For safety, residents should not swim without the supervision of a lifeguard.
To discourage large illegal gatherings, parking lots at Marie Curtis, Humber Bay East, Humber Bay West, Bluffer’s Park and Beach, and Cherry Beach will be closed nightly, starting at 7 p.m., and will reopen in the morning, from Friday to Monday. Parking enforcement will be tagging and towing illegally parked vehicles.
When outside, the public is reminded to dispose of waste in the bins provided or to take it home with them. There are approximately 10,000 waste bins located in parks across Toronto. The City has also installed additional bins this week at highly used parks. Bins in high-traffic parks are emptied seven days a week during the early morning hours to ensure the safety of park users. Any overflowing bins or litter hot spots should be reported to 311.
ActiveTO will be on again this weekend to give people more space to walk and cycle. Roads in High Parks will be closed to vehicular traffic for all three days of the long weekend. Parts of Lake Shore Boulevard West and East will also be closed to vehicles beginning Saturday, May 22 at 6 a.m. until Sunday, May 23 at 9 p.m. Parking lots along Lake Shore Boulevard West, at Sunnyside Park, Budapest Park and Sir Casimir Gzowski Park, will be closed all weekend during ActiveTO closures. Overnight parking is not permitted in these lots and any vehicles should be moved before midnight on Friday. To learn more, visit www.toronto.ca/ActiveTO.
If celebrating Victoria Day with fireworks, residents are reminded that they should only be set off by adults over the age of 18 on their own private property. Fireworks are not permitted in City parks, on streets, parking lots, beaches or a property that is not owned by the person setting off the fireworks. Anyone found to be contravening these regulations can issued a set fine of $300 to $500. To learn more about fireworks, including proper use and disposal, visit www.toronto.ca/fireworks.
The City’s joint enforcement team, including the Toronto Police Service, Municipal Licensing and Standards and Toronto Public Health, will be out this weekend to monitor crowds and ensure compliance with provincial regulations. Staff will also be responding to complaints, prioritizing those that pose the greatest health risk, such as large gatherings and parties. Individuals are asked to be respectful. In some cases, staff working to help protect all residents continue to be met with aggressive behaviour, which is not acceptable. Everyone needs to work together to do their part and protect public health.
There are 461 new cases of COVID-19 in Toronto today. Since the start of the pandemic there have been a total of 163,990 cases of COVID-19. There are 979 people hospitalized. To date, there have been 3,307 COVID-19 deaths in Toronto. In total, 153,554 people have recovered. Case status data can be found on Toronto Public Health’s reporting dashboard: www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/c
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