Toronto surpasses 1,000 coronavirus deaths
Posted June 18, 2020 2:23 pm.
Last Updated June 18, 2020 3:18 pm.
Toronto reached a grim milestone Thursday as the Medical Officer of Health confirmed more than 1,000 deaths due to the novel coronavirus.
In a statement, Dr. Eileen de Villa called the loss “immeasurable” and offered her condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to COVID-19.
Toronto is currently reporting over 13,500 cases of COVID-19 and has a seven-day moving average of 91 new cases. The total number of deaths stands at 1,002.
Toronto Public Health indicates while the healthcare system is on track in terms of capacity and testing, the city has not reached its goals for virus spread and containment.
The city will remain in Stage 1 of reopening, along with Peel Region and Windsor-Essex, while the rest of the province moves into Stage 2 on Friday.
Councillor Joe Cressy, chair of the Board of Health, also extended his condolences and issued a reminder that we are not through this crisis just yet.
“This milestone underscores just how important it is that each and every one of us continue doing all we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Until there is a readily available vaccine, the threat continues to be very real, even as our city starts to open back up,” he said in a statement.
Mayor Tory also reiterated the need for everyone to do their part to fight the virus.
“We owe it to the memory of all those 1,000 souls to continue to fight this virus, to continue to follow public health advice to protect our families, and to make sure our city comes back stronger than ever.”
