Here are the latest developments on the COVID-19 pandemic in the Greater Toronto Area for Saturday:
1st ActiveTO road closures of the year in place this weekend
The first ActiveTO road closures of the year are in place this weekend in Toronto.
Bayview Avenue between Front Street East and Rosedale Valley Road, River Street between Bayview Avenue and Spruce Street, and the eastbound lanes of Lake Shore Boulevard East between Leslie Street and Woodbine Avenue are affected.
The roads are closed to vehicles and open for pedestrians and cyclists.
“Residents intending to use ActiveTO routes should do so only with members of their own household and access them by bike or as a pedestrian because nearby parking is limited and there is no onsite parking available,” city officials said in a news release Friday.
“Residents continue to be encouraged to stay close to home and explore the many paths, ravines and hydro corridors with trails throughout Toronto that continue to be open and available every day for fresh air and exercise.”
ActiveTO was first introduced last year in a bid to give people more room to move around on weekends amid the pandemic.
Today, we kick off the first weekend of #ActiveTO in the city.
Until tomorrow at 9PM, residents can enjoy partially closed off streets on Bayview Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard East.
For full details please visit: https://t.co/nc3JiRxB2p pic.twitter.com/sTBE1i17Xu
— John Tory (@JohnTory) May 1, 2021
More than 1 million people in Toronto have now received at least 1 vaccine dose
Forty per cent of eligible Torontonians have now received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, officials said Saturday.
More than 1,016,400 people in the city have received a shot, with around 20 per cent being administered at city-run clinics and 80 per cent at more than 300 vaccination partners, officials said.
Clinics continue to operate throughout the weekend.
The news came on the same day Ontario officials said 40 per cent of people over the age of 18 in the province have received at least one dose of a vaccine.
New texting tool helps Ontarians find nearby COVID-19 vaccination sites
After seeing a tweet showcasing a new tool in the United States that allows residents to find nearby COVID-19 vaccination sites with just one text, Zain Manji thought Ontario should have something similar.
On Friday, Manji noticed a tweet from Global News’ Jackson Proskow showing the feature in the U.S. and decided to make one for Ontario.
“I’m an engineer at heart so the first thing I thought about was like, ‘Is it possible for me to build and how easy would it be to build and could I get started right now?’ And that’s basically what happened,” Manji said.
Manji and his friend Ashish quickly got to work and after purchasing a phone number and completing some coding, in about two or three hours a texting line was live.
Read more:
New texting tool helps Ontarians find nearby COVID-19 vaccination sites
Text +1 (833) 356-1683 with your postal code, and you'll get an instant reply with nearby vaccination sites!
It helps you book a vaccine appointment in Ontario ❤️ pic.twitter.com/VkSy9kHZaj
— Zain Manji (@ZainManji) May 1, 2021
Ontario reports more than 3,300 new cases, 29 deaths
Ontario reported 3,369 COVID-19 cases on Saturday, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 466,733.
For comparison, last Saturday 4,094 cases were reported.
Twenty-nine new deaths were also reported May 1, bringing the provincial death toll to 8,079.
Provincial figures showed there are currently 2,152 people hospitalized with the virus (down by 49), with 900 in intensive care due to COVID-19 (up by 17 and marking a pandemic high), 637 of whom are on a ventilator (up by five).
Read more:
Ontario reports more than 3,300 new COVID-19 cases, 29 deaths
Status of cases in the GTA
Ontario reported 3,369 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday.
Of those:
- 1,050 were in Toronto
- 819 were in Peel Region
- 286 were in York Region
- 157 were in Durham Region
- 127 were in Halton Region
What happened inside an Ontario long-term care home where 81 residents died?
Nearly 108K more vaccines administered in Ontario
As of Friday evening, 5,247,684 COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered in Ontario, marking a single-day increase of 107,700.
So far, 373,559 people in the province are considered to be fully vaccinated.
The Ontario government said Saturday morning that 40 per cent of Ontario adults have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
“With a steady supply of vaccines expected, the province is preparing to ramp up its vaccine rollout and expand booking eligibility across the province,” the Ministry of Health said in a tweet.
Read more:
Here’s a weekly breakdown of when people will have access to COVID-19 vaccine in Ontario
Rigorously tested and approved by Health Canada, the #COVID19 vaccine is the best way to protect you and those around you.
Everyone is strongly encouraged to sign up to get vaccinated as soon as you are eligible. Learn more: https://t.co/TsM9vRVxLm pic.twitter.com/FD4757szra
— Ontario Ministry of Health (@ONThealth) May 1, 2021