COVID-19 Update November 20

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COVID-19 Updates

This afternoon, the Premier announced that Toronto and Peel region will be moving into the 'Lockdown' phase of the provincial COVID response framework Monday, November 23, 2020 at 12:01 a.m.

Here are the details:

Schools, before and after school programs, and child care will remain open;
Post-secondary schools open for virtual learning with some limited exceptions for training that can only be provided in-person, such as clinical training or training related to a trade;
No indoor organized public events or social gatherings except with members of the same household. Individuals who live alone, including seniors, may consider having exclusive, close contact with one other person;
Outdoor organized public events or social gatherings limited to a maximum of 10 people;
Wedding services, funeral services and religious services, rites or ceremonies where physical distancing can be maintained can have up to 10 people indoors or 10 people outdoors;
Retail permitted to be open for curbside pick-up or delivery only, with certain exceptions such as for supermarkets, grocery stores, pharmacies, hardware stores, discount and big box retailers selling groceries, beer, wine and liquor stores, safety supply stores, and convenience stores, which will be allowed to operate at 50 per cent capacity;
Restaurants, bars, and food and drink establishments will only be able to provide takeout, drive-through and delivery. Indoor and outdoor dining services are prohibited;
Personal care services closed;
Casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments closed; and
Indoor sports and recreational facilities, including pools, closed with limited exceptions.

Read the full press release from the government here.

There are further details on what can open in the lockdown phase here.

Community and Individual Supports

I know this will be hard for a lot of us, and the prospect of greater restriction and isolation will have a big impact on mental and physical health.

I want to remind you that I have posted links to local community resources including help lines, mutual aid groups and non-profits offering emergency food support and more at maritstiles.ca/help
We have also translated this information into Portuguese at maritstiles.ca/ajuda

The province has posted several mental health supports here. Calling 211 will also connect you with a range of services from emergency supports to mental health and crisis support. Please do not hesitate to reach out through these support lines if you find yourself in crisis.

For information about testing, click here.

Support for Small Businesses

If you're a business owner and have questions about closures and essential workplaces during the coronavirus outbreak, call Ontario’s Stop the Spread Business Information Line at 1-888-444-3659.
A list of existing provincial business supports can be found here.
Nearly two-months after the widely-panned CECRA small business rent relief program ended, applications for the new federal-provincial Commercial Emergency Rent Subsidy will open Monday.

What the Opposition is saying

It's clear that the virus is out of control and that the risk to our community has never been greater. As the same time, our Opposition caucus is placing the blame for this lockdown squarely at the feet of Doug Ford.

He canceled public health measures too soon, ignored public health advice, and failed to expand COVID testing and contact tracing.

We are calling for direct financial supports for businesses and workers impacted as well as urgent investments in testing centres, contact tracing, paid sick days for workers, and smaller class sizes to keep students and school staff safe.

This week at Queen's Park

The Conservatives passed Bill 218, which shamefully shields for-profit long-term care homes from being held accountable through the courts. It also meddled once again in local democracy, banning the use of ranked ballots.

Here are my comments from the debate, with thanks to all who wrote me about this:

The issue of safety in our schools continued to dominate Question Period where I challenged the government to make public the advice they have received from the Chief Medical Officer or Health.

I also shared the frustrations of parents and education workers when the prospect of an early or extended break was put forward, then reversed the next day.

And I called on the government to revoke changes in the budget bill that would undermine the powers of conservation authorities, paving the way for developers to literally pave over wetlands. I talked about the impact it will have on flood mitigation here in Davenport.

Last week, we also discussed Ford’s attacks on Conservation Authorities and the use of Municipal Zoning Orders to pave the way for development in wetlands on our Davenport Climate Change and Environment Town Hall. I was pleased to host the Official Opposition Critic for Environment and Climate Change, MPP Ian Arthur, student activist Sophia Methur, Keith Stewart from Greenpeace Canada and Monica de Vera from Progress Toronto for this virtual town hall. You can watch the conversation on Facebook here.

Forward

Copyright © 2020 Marit Stiles Member of Provincial Parliament for Davenport, All rights reserved.

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