Toronto launches data system to track coronavirus cases, more support for local businesses

The City of Toronto has launched a new information technology tool, the Coronavirus Rapid Entry Case and Contact Management System (CORES), which health officials say will help them better track how the virus is spreading in the city.

The news comes as Toronto reported 2,881 cases of COVID-19, which includes 322 probable cases. A total of 147 people have died in the city and another 230 are hospitalized.

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa says the new tool will allow the city to better keep up with the reports and to prioritize cases that require a more urgent follow-up. It also allows more frontline staff to work remotely.

“Case and contact tracing reports provide us with these essential details to help slow the spread of the virus,” said Dr. de Villa. “Analyzing data gives us a better understanding of this new virus.”

Dr. de Villa says it will allow them to provide new data in the coming days as well.

City officials have also expanded a tool for local businesses that will allow them to move to an online platform more easily.

The Digital Main Street program, which is supported by Google, Microsoft, Mastercard and Shopify, helps businesses develop or expand their online services.

Due to COVID-19, they will be increasing the budget for the program from $240,000 to $825,000.

Toronto also announced today, in the wake of new legislation that requires long-term care workers to only work at one home, they would be offering additional hours to part-time staff, up to full-time hours, at city-run long-term care homes.

Staff are being asked to confirm if they want to work exclusively for city facilities over the next 18 weeks.

For those who decide not to work at a city-run home, they would be placed on an unpaid leave of absence for the length of the emergency order. They would be able to come back to work at the end of the pandemic.

The city says it has hired 50 nursing students and personal support workers to support and backfill positions in the meantime.

Dr. de Villa also said health officials plan to reopen The Works, a supervised injection site at the Public Health location at Victoria and Dundas streets, after it was forced to close in March for health and safety reasons.

At least one employee tested positive for COVID-19 and they have since recovered. The facility was closed because it was not set up for proper physical distancing.

Dr. de Villa said the city saw the most suspected opioid overdose deaths in a month in March since March of 2019. It’s unclear how many deaths were recorded.

Health officials are working on a appointment-based system for the supervised consumption service in order to ensure proper distancing.