Mayor Tory says city waiting on province to enforce stricter COVID-19 measures

Mayor John Tory agrees with the City’s top doctor that there need to be more measures in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Toronto, but they’re still waiting on approval from the province to do so.

On Wednesday, Tory and the City’s top doctor, Eileen de Villa, presented new modelling numbers suggesting that COVID-19 will get worse if additional rules aren’t enforced. 

Tory describes these new, record-setting 797 COVID-19 cases in Ontario as alarming, stressing that more needs to be done — and fast.

“There are discussions going on back and forth about the particularly acute situation we’re facing in Toronto,” the Mayor said on Thursday, after the City reported 265 new cases.

“The numbers, even just recently as today [Thursday] coming out, are cause of great continuing concern on the part of us all,” he added.

“Cause for great continuing concern” is how Toronto mayor, John Tory, describes today’s record-setting 797 new #COVID19 cases in Ontario. But he says he’s still waiting on the Ontario government to enforce new stringent health measures called for by Dr. Eileen deVilla. @680NEWS pic.twitter.com/dVGDhyi4Mx

— Mark Douglas (@DouglasCityNews) October 8, 2020

But despite pressure from city officials to enforce, or re-inforce regulations, there has been no approval yet by the Ford government on a set of new, stringent, Toronto-only health and safety measures that doctor de Villa needs the premier to impose.

 

RELATED: Ford responds to City’s top doctor, stands firm on keepings bars and restaurants open

 

Tory says he told the City’s lawyers to sit down together in a room and confirm that Toronto does not have the legal emergency power to enforce these measures on its own, despite the premier often saying any local medical officer of health can go it alone.

DeVilla needs the provincial government to shut down indoor dining in Toronto again, to shut down gym classes, and to mandate trips outside the home be for essential reasons only, like work, doctors appointments, and groceries.

Toronto Public Health says there are current outbreaks at eight child care centres and six schools.

There are now just under 20,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases across the City.

 

SUMMARY OF COVID-19 CASES – TORONTO