KEY UPDATES
FEDERAL
· The Prime Minister outlined the expanded eligibility criteria for the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) program
· He also promised to make a change so essential workers such as those working in long-term care facilities aren’t financially disadvantaged by working instead of collecting the CERB
· More information to come re: post-secondary students and businesses with commercial rent coming due
· The Federal government has developed a mental health portal and app
· The Prime Minister is meeting with the following parties tomorrow:
o Premiers across country to discuss increasing wages for essential workers making under $2,500/month; find out how Federal government can support them in their jurisdiction
o G7 leaders: to coordinate a strong global response to this pandemic
· Canada has been provided with enough test chemicals and swabs to meet demands in all provinces to keep testing
· The Prime Minister stressed that it will be many weeks until restrictions around social distancing are loosened; this is to prevent a second big wave of cases
· Public Health Canada and Procurement Canada working together to resolve medication shortage; Canada has a strong pharmaceutical industry
PROVINCIAL
· Ontario government announced The COVID-19 Action Plan: Long-Term Care Homes with critical new measures to prevent further outbreaks and deaths from COVID-19 in long-term care settings
· This plan will fortify the ring of protection around Ontario’s long-term care residents and those who care for them
· Plan goes further in testing, screening and surveillance, specifically targeting long-term care homes with identified outbreaks
· Province will ensure staff at long-term care homes have the tools they need to fight the spread of COVID-19 which will include strengthening protocols, training and education on infection prevention and control
· Provincial government is ensuring priority distribution of personal protective equipment to long-term care homes, with PPE being delivered to homes within 24 hours of request
· Plan will see dedicated COVID-19 swat teams drawn from Ontario’s hospitals, home care and public health care units to help long-term care homes manage outbreaks
· Ontario government continues to focus on prevention and providing the long-term care homes not currently experiencing outbreaks with a plan of what to do in the event of an outbreak
· Premier Ford also announced that Mitchell Plastics has committed to manufacturing 400,000 “made in Ontario” face shields for staff at Ontario’s long-term care homes
· Over the next 48 hours the Province of Ontario will be launching more aggressive testing, screening and surveillance by screening all symptomatic staff and residents in long-term care homes, as well as asymptomatic contacts of confirmed cases
· Testing will be enhanced in all long-term care homes, with a targeted plan for homes experiencing outbreak
· Testing of asymptomatic staff and residents in select long-term homes across the province will help inform understanding of spread in institutional settings
· Province continues to work collaboratively with Public Heath Ontario to identify options for older long-term care homes to implement better isolation measures; this could include movement of patients to other facilities to improve isolation capacity
· The Hon. Todd Smith, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services will be rolling -out a plan to address group home and institutional settings in the next day or two
YORK REGION AND GREATER TORONTO AREA
· Our website york.ca/covid19 continues to add new information including :
o Assessment Centres accordion include data on testing
o Line graphs giving trends under the Interactive Dashboard
· The #SpiritofYR campaign is underway; please continue sharing positive stories from our community, local organizations and businesses who are going above and beyond in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic
· A COVID-19 Contract tracing video is now available on york.ca/covid19 (under the Contract Tracing tab), featuring York Region’s Associate Medical Officer of Health Dr. Karachiwalla; the video explains why contract tracing is the most effective tool to slow the spread of COVID-19 and what residents can do to help
· York Region continues to work with Participation House and Markham Stouffville Hospital on a coordinated response to the COVID-19 outbreak at Participation House
· York Region Public Health is working with local hospitals to discuss the role of the Assessment Centres and any additional support they may be able to provide Long Term Care and Community Care Settings
· Southlake Regional Hospital has established a mobile unit
· A campaign to make Wednesdays ‘Takeout Days’ officially launched today; the campaign encourages Canadians across the country to order takeout to show of support for their favourite local restaurants
· Interactive dashboard of real-time positive cases can be found at york.ca/covid19
As of April 15, at 5 p.m. there are:
· 59 new cases in York Region since yesterday’s update to Council
· 883 confirmed cases in York Region
· 41 people currently hospitalized; 20 in Intensive Care
· 42 confirmed COVID-19 deaths in York Region
· 51 cases in health care workers
· 103 resolved cases in York Region; representing 12% of confirmed cases in York Region
· 21 institutional outbreaks:
· 13 Long Term Care/Retirement Homes:
· Bethany Lodge
· Buckingham Manor
· Chartwell Aurora Long-Term Care Home
· Eagle Terrace Long-Term Care Home
· Kristus Darzs Latvian Home
· MacKenzie Place Long-Term Care Home
· Markhaven Home for Seniors
· Richview Manor Retirement Home
· Southlake Residential Care Village
· Sunrise of Unionville
· Villa Colombo Vaughan
· Villa Leonardo Gambin
· Yee Hong Ho Lai Oi Wan Centre
· 8 Community Care Settings:
· Kerry’s Place Autism Services – Pefferlaw
· Kerry’s Place Autism Services – Warden
· New Leaf Farm House
· New Leaf Sycamore
· Participation House
· Reena Home – Kerrybrook
· Reena Home – Crestwood
· Vita Community Living Home
As of this morning, there are:
· 8,447 total cases (3,902 resolved) in Ontario
· 385 COVID-19 related deaths in Ontario
· 27,557 (494 increase) total cases; with 954 related deaths in Canada
· 1.9 million total cases worldwide; with 123,126 related deaths in 213 Countries, areas or territories