Hello <<First Name>>,
The third wave is upon us. COVID-19 variants are now making up a majority of new cases. These variant are proving to be more contagious, resulting in the higher case counts we are now seeing. Just as troublesome is the evidence suggesting that individuals who contract the more virulent strains are 60% more likely to require a hospital stay and twice as likely to require an ICU bed. Last week, 47% of ICU admissions were for people 60 years old or younger.
This is to remind members of our community that despite the governments choice to loosen restrictions, we are still in the grip of a pandemic. There is still a high risk of severe disease associated with COVID-19, and we cannot afford to let our guard down now. Since the beginning of the pandemic, I've urged our community to follow public health guidelines. Hand washing, mask-wearing, social distancing and keeping contacts withing your household remain just as important as ever. We've come too far, and sacrificed too much, to see hospitals overloaded, and frontline healthcare workers stretched thin. As this government makes the choice to ignore the best advice of medical experts, we are quickly approaching the day when surgeries and other critical health services may be postponed to deal with the crisis.
This week, I am at Queen's Park where I urging the government to take action to protect our community. Vaccination is an important step, and I am urging the government to invest in more resources locally. I'm also urging them to provide people with the help they need to keep our neighbourhoods safe, such as investing in paid sick days and supports for small businesses. We can tackle this virus, but we need the government to stop burying their head in the sand and recognize the severity of the situation.
Climate Change:
I am happy to report that last week, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the Ford government's attack on efforts to combat climate change here in Ontario. The government's unfortunate choice to spend millions of tax dollars and waste countless hours on this legal battle has fallen flat and shown just how out of touch their response has been. Our community is eager for a real plan to tackle climate change, and foster a new green economy that provides job opportunities and climate justice. There is a plan. One I'm proud to support, which you can read more about HERE.
Education Cuts:
I am hearing more and more concerns from parents about what the coming weeks will mean for schools. The recent budget has indicated that cuts are on the way and there are reports that the government is hoping to make online learning a permanent part of our education system. We're also seeing more and more schools close their doors as a result of local outbreaks, and suggestions that the April break may be extended. Instead of cuts, we should be investing in school safety. I will be at Queen's Park insisting that the schools are not sacrificed in the name of saving a few dollars. Our schools, and our students are too important not to make these critical investments.
Changes to restrictions:
The Ontario government has announced the following changes to the public health measures in the Grey—Lockdown level of the province’s reopening framework:
- Effective Monday, March 29, at 12:01am, permitting outdoor fitness classes, outdoor training for team and individual sports and outdoor personal training, subject to public health and workplace safety measures, including a maximum of 10 patrons and active patron screening
- Effective Monday, March 29, at 12:01am, permitting marinas and boating clubs to operate clubhouses or any restaurant, bar, and other food or drink establishment for outdoor dining, subject to public health and workplace safety measures
- Effective, Monday, April 12 at 12:01am, personal care services including but not limited to barber shops, hair and nail salons, and body art establishments, will be permitted to operate at limited capacity on an appointment basis only, and and other public health and workplace safety measures
Vaccination Information:
Phase 1:
Phase 1 vaccination is continuing across the province. If you are in one of the following categories, please visit https://covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine/ book and appointment:
Current priority
- Staff, essential caregivers and any residents that have not yet received a first dose in:
- Long-term care homes
- High-risk retirement homes
- First Nation elder care homes
- Alternative level of care patients in hospitals who have a confirmed admission to a long-term care home, retirement home or other congregate care home for seniors
- Health care workers identified as highest priority, followed by very high priority, in the Ministry of Health’s guidance on Health Care Worker Prioritization (PDF)
- Indigenous adults in northern remote and higher-risk communities (on-reserve and urban)
- Adults 70 years of age and older
- Staff, residents and caregivers in retirement homes and other congregate care settings for seniors (for example, assisted living)
- Health care workers identified as the high priority level in the Ministry of Health’s guidance on Health Care Worker Prioritization (PDF)
- Indigenous adults
- Adult recipients of chronic home care
AstraZeneca Pharmarcy Trial:
Individuals aged 60 and older can now request an appointment for the AstraZeneca vaccine at various local pharmacies through a pilot program. To make an appointment, contact one of the local pharmacies listed below.
Online Resources:
The provincial government has launched its online booking system which can be found at https://covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine/. https://vaccineto.ca/sites is a helpful link for individuals looking to search for available resources and sort by a variety of factors such as postal code and booking type.
As always, my office is here to help. Please call at 416-243-7984, or email us at fhassan-co@ndp.on.ca.
Take care, wear your mask, and wash your hands.
Best Regards,
Faisal Hassan
Member of Provincial Parliament
York South—Weston
|
|
|
Pharmacy Locations for AstraZeneca Vaccine Pilot Program (Ages 60 & over)
|
|
|
Shoppers Drug Mart
620 Keele St
416-766-3095
Real Canadian Superstore Pharmacy
2549 Weston Rd
416-246-9192
Shoppers Drug Mart
2343 Eglinton Ave W
416-651-7111
Walmart Pharmacy
2525 St Clair Ave W
416-763-1867
|
|
The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy
2600 Eglinton Ave W
416-651-6511
Friendly Care West King Pharmacy
2077 Weston Rd
416-248-4485
Weston Jane Pharmacy
1292 Weston Rd
647-344-9111
Keele-Ingram Pharmacy
2221 Keele St
416-247-8618
|
|
|
|
MPP Hassan stood in the house to speak to the important need to tackle the homelessness and housing crisis in Ontario.
|
|
|
|
MPP Hassan hosted an esteemed panel of guests to answer community questions on vaccinations and the rollout.
|
|
|
|
MPP Hassan rose in support of declaring March 30 as an annual, provincial day of mourning for lives lost to COVID-19 in Ontario’s long-term care homes.
|
|
News Release
Horwath calls for provincial day of mourning for victims of COVID-19 in long-term care
Horwath says survivors and families deserve an apology for the claims of an “iron ring”
PICKERING — MPP Andrea Horwath is calling for March 30 to be declared an annual, provincial day of mourning for lives lost to COVID-19 in Ontario’s long-term care homes.
March 30 marks the anniversary of Premier Doug Ford’s claim of an iron ring around seniors in long-term care. Following that claim, nearly 4,000 seniors died of COVID-19, and thousands more suffered illness and neglect as a result of the conditions inside nursing homes. Horwath said the survivors, and families of residents, are owed a formal apology by the province, as well.
“The premier made a promise of an ‘iron ring’ of protection from COVID-19. That never materialized,” said Horwath. “There was no iron ring. At times, staffing levels were abysmal, PPE wasn’t in place to protect seniors or front-line workers, and even basic infection prevention and control wasn’t happening. Beloved family members were not safe.
“Nearly 4,000 seniors died, alone and in pain, their families unable to be at their side. Thousands more suffered — from COVID itself, or from the parallel crisis of neglect that was playing out in understaffed, under-resourced long-term care facilities.”
Horwath issued the call for a provincial day of mourning and official apology on Friday in Pickering, alongside bereaved families who lost their loved ones at Orchard Villa during the pandemic. Her motion will be debated and voted on Tuesday at Queen’s Park.
“Let’s mourn and remember those we’ve lost. Let’s grieve this immense tragedy together. And let’s have a formal apology, backed up by action,” said Horwath. “We need to change long-term care — to give survivors a better life now, and ensure the atrocities we witnessed during the pandemic can never happen again.”
Video:
https://www.facebook.com/AndreaHorwathONDP/videos/803685960568680
Quotes:
Darlene Thomas, whose grandmother Margaret passed away at Orchard Villa after contracting COVID-19
"Grandma loved us being there with her everyday. She loved being surrounded by family. Family was her everything. She died alone. Lay there for who knows how long before they discovered she was gone. At her funeral, we were not allowed to go near her or kiss her goodbye. We had to see her being buried through an iron gate 100 feet away. Where is the dignity for her and the closure for us? Too many seniors have lost their lives, many have suffered and are still suffering. The province has not learned from the first wave, or the second. How many more seniors have to die? This cannot happen again!!!"
Fred Cramer, who lost his mother, Ruth Cramer, to COVID-19 at Orchard Villa
“My mother always said, ‘Don’t put me in a nursing home, I will not go.’ After reading the ‘gut-wrenching’ military report of May 2020, I feel her fears came true.”
Background:
The following motion, tabled by Andrea Horwath, will be debated and voted on in the legislature on Tuesday, March 30:
Whereas on March 30, 2020, Premier Ford announced an iron ring around Ontario’s long-term care homes to protect vulnerable seniors from COVID-19; and
Whereas decades of underfunding and neglect by Liberal and Conservative governments left long-term care staff and residents susceptible to the virus, and more than half of all of Ontario’s COVID-19 deaths – 3,764 as of March 22, 2021 – have happened in the province’s long-term care homes; and
Whereas statistics show that there were more COVID-19 related deaths in long-term care facilities in the second wave than in the first wave, long after Premier’s Ford’s promise of an iron-ring around long-term care;
Therefore, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario calls on the Ford government to issue a formal apology to long-term care residents, workers and their families for breaking its promise of an iron ring of protection around long-term care and for its failure to adequately protect residents and staff, and to declare March 30 of each year as a provincial day of mourning for the victims of COVID-19 in Ontario’s long-term care homes.
|
|
|
West Park Healthcare Centre will be holding vaccination clinics over the next few days at their 82 Buttonwood ave. location, as well as Community Place Hub on Weston Rd. March 30th to April 1st will be available from 4pm to 8pm. April 3rd will run from 11am to 4pm. Visit www.wpcovidclinic.org or call 416-243-3630 and leave a message. A member of the team will call back to confirm your appointment within 24 hours.
|
|
|
|
Not sure how to book your vaccine appointment? 55 years of age or older living in Toronto? York West Active Living Centre can help to book your appointment. Call 416-245-4395 x226. Spanish speakers can dial extensions 222, and Italian speakers can call extension 233 for service in their native language.
|
|
|
|
|
Beginning on Tuesday March 30, crews at Keelesdale station will be installing new hydro poles at Trethewey Dr and Yore Rd. One southbound lane on Trethewey Dr. may be occupied for hydro truck staging to ensure safe installation.
|
|
|
UrbanArts has a wide variety of programming available including BMM (Beats.Mind.Movement), MindARTSoul, Indigenous Art Workshop and more. To register or see what's available, visit them HERE.
|
|
|
|
|
Youth Employment Services' Youth Collaboration and Job Central groups start on Monday April 12, 2020. Individuals participate in 3 weeks of paid, online Employment Skills Training, followed by a 10 week paid work placement. Program staff are available between March 29th – April 9th for intakes. If you're between 15 and 30 years of age (inclusive), out of school and a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or a person with Convention Refugee status able to commit to a 13 week full-time program. Click HERE to register.
|
|
|
Are you feeling depressed? Lonely? Isolated? Want to speak with a peer support worker? The Warm Line is a service that is available for individuals who have a mental health issue and need support. Between 12pm - 8pm call 416-323-3721. Between 8pm - Midnight: 416-960-WARM (9276). You can also find support online HERE, or by texting 647-557-5882
|
|
|
|
|
Metrolinx is hosting another live Q&A session on Wednesday, March 31 where their project team will present information and answer your questions about owning or living on land near the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension project. A brief presentation (6:30-6:45PM) will be followed by a Q&A (6:45-7:30PM). Registration HERE.
|
|
|
The Toronto Police Service Board has begun the process of selecting a Chief of Police and wants to know what qualities Toronto is looking for in our next Chief of Police. If you are interested in adding your voice, visit click HERE to register for a public forum and to get more information about how to participate.
|
|
|
|
|
Cooper Mills-Gooch Community Food Bank is opening public services on March 25th, 2021. This initiative will provide the Jane/Dundas area with food support in the form of fresh produce, fruit and other food essentials. Clients will be able to access the food bank every Thursday, from 2-6 PM. For more information, cal 416-358-0031.
|
|
|
Red Pocket Magazine, an international literary magazine for youth of the Asian diaspora, is open for submissions for its fourth volume, Laugh My Asian Off. Until April 30, Red Pocket Magazine will be accepting humourous creative writing and art pieces. For more information, check out their website www.redpocketmagazine.ca
|
|
|
The Black Foundation of Community Networks (BFCN) is a non-profit organization serving local Black communities. They maintain a scholarship directory for students who are pursuing post-secondary undergraduate education in Canada. To search for scholarship opportunities, click HERE.
|
|
|
|
|
The Faculty of Medicine’s Youth Summer Program (MED YSP) at the University of Toronto is open for this summer. The virtual program is run in live mode giving students an engaging way to learn about science and medicine. Students will meet peers from across Canada and over 15 different countries, talk to instructors, professors, do at-home activities, compete in The Great Game Show, have a chance to win prizes, and much more! Scholarships are available for students experiencing financial need. Click HERE for more info. The deadline for applications is April 30th, 2021.
|
|
Internship Opportunity:
Future Black Female (www.futureblackfemale.com) is looking for 2 interns (French and English) for a period of 4 months starting April 1, 2021. For questions, contact futureblackfemale@gmail.com and visit HERE for more details.
|
|
|
|
The Syme 55+ Seniors' Centre continues to serve the community with a weekly food bank in partnership with Syme Woolner Neighbourhood and Family Centre and the Daily Bread Food Bank.
Join them every Wednesday from 2:00pm-4:00pm at 33 Pritchard Avenue. For more information, phone 416-766-0388 or email syme55@syme55.com
|
|
|
Our friends ath the Toronto Black Farmers Collective are selling reusable, hand-woven and washable baskets as a fundraiser in support of their efforts. Large baskets cost $120, medium $60 and small is $40. For more information and details on how to order these beautiful baskets, please contact them at blackfarmersto@gmail.com
|
|
|
Local youth are encouraged to register for jobs through the cities Parks, Forestry & Recreation department for employment opportunities for youth as young as 14 years old. To read the youth employment guide or learn more about the job opportunities available, visit www.toronto.ca/recjobs.
|
|
|
|
|
Unison Health & Community Services is offering support and resources for individuals dealing with a positive COVID-19 test result. For help with food, isolation space or other supports, call 416-787-1661 ext. 3300 between Monday and Friday from 9am to 5pm.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
