The Ontario government announced $150 million in new funding to improve homeless shelters and long-term care housing as the province saw 302 cases of the novel coronavirus over the last two days.
The new money is meant to allow municipalities and Indigenous community partners to renovate shelters and new facilities to make physical distancing easier amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as pay for longer-term solutions around homelessness.
The $150 million brings the province’s Social Services Relief fund to $350 million and is part of a package for municipalities to cope with COVID-19. The City of Toronto alone expects to lose more than $1.5 billion due to the pandemic.
Ford also called for the federal government to loosen its restrictions on funding for the provinces when it comes to reopening.
“Cut us a cheque, give us the flexibility,” said Ford. “They don’t know where every single province needs the money… We’re not going to go hog-wild, we’ll work within the parameters.”
Meanwhile on the issue of migrant workers, Ford said he would not name the farm where over 175 workers tested positive this week, saying, “I won’t throw hard-working farmers under the bus.”
The premier also said he worries the fact that farms could face shut-downs will only dissuade farmers from wanting to cooperate with public health officials.
Contact tracing app delayed
Of the province’s 302 new cases, 149 pertained to Wednesday’s total and 153 made up Thursday’s total, the Ministry of Health says.
The province did not release any COVID-19 data on Canada Day, and thus today’s update includes figures from both days.
The newly confirmed cases bring the total in Ontario since the outbreak began to 35,370. Nearly 87 per cent of those are now resolved. An additional 386 were marked resolved over the two-day period covered in today’s report.
Further, 29 of Ontario’s 34 public health units reported five or fewer confirmed infections of the novel coronavirus today. Twenty-three of those reported no new cases at all, according to Minister of Health Christine Elliott.
The province’s network of community, commercial and hospital labs processed about 50,000 COVID-19 test samples over the last two days. If testing levels stay where they are, Ontario could hit a cumulative total of 1.5 million tests completed by the end of the week.
Moreover, Ontario’s official COVID-19 death toll grew by eight, up to 2,680. A CBC News count based on data provided directly by public health units puts the real toll at 2,724.
Meanwhile, a new mobile app meant to help with contact tracing of COVID-19 cases won’t roll out across Ontario today as planned.
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health says the province is still working with the federal government and the app is expected to launch soon.
The province will be the first to use the COVID Alert app, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said it should be ready for downloading in the rest of the country later this summer.
Premier Doug Ford says the app is meant to enhance the province’s contact tracing strategy.
He’s previously said it could play a key role in helping contain the spread of COVID-19 as more businesses reopen their doors.
The Bluetooth-based app will be voluntary, and will notify users based on a number of criteria, including if they were within two metres of a person who tests positive for the virus and if that contact took place over an extended period of time.
The province didn’t give a new date for the app’s launch.
Leadership change at Public Health Ontario
Meanwhile, the one-time president and CEO of Public Health Ontario, Dr. Peter Donnelly, is stepping down from his role after five and a half years, the agency said this afternoon.
Donnelly has been on medical leave since early April, as the COVID-19 outbreak was ramping up in the province. Public Health Ontario said he will not be returning to the position.
“Having experienced cardiac symptoms over a number of weeks, it is now clear that it is important for me to return to the United Kingdom where all of my family are based,” Donnelly said in a news release.
“It has been a privilege to lead PHO over the last five and a half years. I am very grateful to have had that opportunity and I wish the organization and its hard-working and talented staff every success for the future.”
In the release, the PHO board said Donnelly played a critical part in the agency’s early response to the novel coronavirus.
Colleen Geiger, who has been serving as acting president and CEO since Donnelly left on medical leave, will continue in the role for the time being.
