April 21, 2020

FEDERAL

Prime Minister Trudeau began his address by acknowledging Holocaust Remembrance Day and extending his condolences to the families and friends who lost loved ones in the events that took place in Nova Scotia this past weekend

· Prime Minister announced a $350 million Emergency Community Support Fund to support vulnerable Canadians through charities and non-profit organizations

o Investment in this fund will flow through national organizations including the United Way and Red Cross to support local organizations that serve vulnerable populations

o Funding will support a variety of activities including training volunteers, delivering meals to seniors and driving people with disabilities to appointments

· Through the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy the federal government is giving employers up to $847 per employee per week

o A new online calculator has been launched on the Canada Revenue Agency’s website to help employers determine how much they will be able to claim

o Businesses will be able to apply to the Emergency Wage Subsidy program as of Monday, April 27, 2020

PROVINCIAL

The Premier reiterated until a vaccine is found people over 60 years old should self-isolate

· The Premier announced the province is providing $11 million to help deliver support to Ontario’s vulnerable citizens (particularly seniors and persons with disabilities)

o Funding will go to Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) to expand existing Meals on Wheels services to reach low-income seniors and people with disabilities and chronic medical conditions across Ontario

· The province is doubling the Guaranteed Annual Income System (GAINS) payments for 194,000 low-income seniors in Ontario

o Individuals will receive up to $166 per month and couples will receive up to $332 per month

o Doubled payments will continue for six months and provide an additional $75 million to vulnerable seniors who need help covering essential expenses

· A $40 million investment was announced for the Residential Relief Fund; funding will assist developmental services, child welfare, victims shelter, and organizations delivering social services to vulnerable First Nations individuals and families with COVID-19 related costs, such as the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) and enhanced staffing

YORK REGION

· York Region has seen about 1 in 5 (20%) of cases now being considered resolved – this is up from about 12% last week

· On April 20, Transport Canada issued revised direction for all public transportation operators recommending carriers suggest travellers wear non-medical masks when using public transportation, as physical distancing cannot be assured

o YRT developed public messaging to be used on buses, at terminals and on electronic signs at on-street bus shelters

o Messaging suggests that as YRT cannot guarantee physical distancing at all times, travellers should be aware of Transport Canada’s suggestions for travellers to wear non-medical masks in such situations

o Information is available in a news story on york.ca., on yrt.ca/covid19(under the “What can I do as a public transit rider to keep myself and others protected? drop down menu) and on Facebook and Twitter

· An updated Care Home Summary by municipality is attached; three Deaf Blind Ontario locations in the Town of Georgina have been added

· York Region shared Hon. Caroline Mulroney’s video highlighting an online resource for federal and provincial supports (covidsupports.ca/york-simcoe) on Facebook

Positive news around our region:

· Hospitals facing urgent COVID-19 needs are banding together; a national campaign The Frontline Fund is seeking donations on behalf of more than 100 institutions across the country for supplies, staff support and research; York Region hospitals are among the institutions listed

· #spiritofyr campaign continues with random acts of kindness from our local vendors; new heartwarming stories shared today on Facebook and Twitter

COVID-19 IN YORK REGION

· Below is a summary of the detailed information contained in the Interactive Dashboard – Cases at york.ca/covid19

In York Region, as of April 21, at 5 p.m. there are:

1,200 confirmed cases 52 new cases since yesterday 39 confirmed cases are currently hospitalized; 19 of which are in Intensive Care 72 cases among health care workers

· 60 total confirmed deaths

243 resolved cases, which equals about 20% 32 institutional outbreaks under COVID-19 protocols: 13 Long Term Care/Retirement Homes19 Community Care Settings

The comprehensive list of outbreaks including the number of resident and health care worker positive cases is available on York.ca/covid19.

New! As of today, you can filter institutional outbreak data by municipality.

· To access this list, select the blue drop-down menu titled Interactive Dashboard – Outbreaks in Long-Term Care and Community Care Settings

As of this morning, there are:

· 11,735 total cases (5,806 resolved) in Ontario

· 622 COVID-19 related deaths in Ontario

· 37,382 (551 increase) total cases; with 1,728 related deaths in Canada

· Over 2.4 million total cases worldwide with cases in 213 countries, areas or territories; 163,097 related death