Ontario reported 50 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, Toronto has 161 total cases
TORONTO, ON., March 20, 2020 – Ontario had its largest single-day increase in new cases, with 50 new cases, brining the province’s total up to 308, but Health Minister Christine Elliott said the growth isn’t surprising given the numbers of Canadians returning home from travel abroad.
Toronto has 161 cases with 10 of those patients hospitalized and the rest self-isolating according to Toronto Public Health. One of the cases is a local paramedic, one is living in a long term-care facility and a few live in Toronto’s shelter community.
With concerns about the large volume of March Break travellers arriving, Dr. Eileen de Villa instructs they should stay home isolated for two weeks and advises friends and neighbours to help them out by picking up groceries and catering to other needs.
Dr. Eileen de Villa also said non-essential businesses like hair and nail salons, and clothing
stores should close-up shop for now. “I am encouraging non-essential businesses that remain open to get behind social distancing and do the right thing,” said Dr. de Villa.
In Ontario, four elderly patients diagnosed with COVID-19 today, reside in a long term facility, Hillside Terraces in Oshawa. The patients are two women, ages 92 and 80, and two men, ages 71 and 68. All are contained in isolation within two wards of the home, officials say.
Two of the Ontario cases have been hospitalised including a man in his 70s in Waterloo and a woman in her 50s in Durham Region.
Of the new cases reported Friday, two are from Toronto, a female in her 40s and a female in her 50s, two are from Peel, a male in his 20s and a male in his 40s, and one is a male in his 30s living in York Region. They are all self-isolating as are the other newly diagnosed patients in Ottawa-3, Waterloo-4, Durham-6 (including the four seniors home patients), Hamilton-2, Hastings PE County-1, Haliburton/Kawarthas 2, and Peterborough-1.
Six of the new patients are either returning from the Caribbean or Caribbean cruises,
Details about the remaining 28 cases have yet to be disclosed.
To reiterate what Toronto Public Health means about social distancing, here is a guidline.
–working from home, wherever possible
–helping your employees stay home, or work from home
–keeping 6 feet apart to prevent virus spread
–staying home and only going out for food, or medicine, or other important
household needs
–ordering food through take-out or delivery
–purchasing your goods online
–participating
