COVID-19 Update
I hope you and your families are safe and healthy. I am writing today with the latest updates on the COVID-19 response in Toronto.
Today, Premier Doug Ford urged all Ontarians returning from travel – including snowbirds and March Break travellers – to immediately self-isolate for 14 days, as recommended by the Medical Officer of Health. Returning travellers should have friends or family members complete all critical errands for them, or use online services to have goods and groceries delivered to their homes.
Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Eileen De Villa, continues to recommend that all Torontonians stay at home and practice social distancing.
Premier Ford also announced that all non-essential businesses and services in Ontario will be legally-required to close as of 11:59pm on March 24, 2020. Essential services may continue their operations to maintain supply chains and ensure residents have access to necessities, including groceries, medicines and other essential products. The Government of Ontario has advised that a full list of essential and non-essential services will be made public tomorrow.
This afternoon, Mayor John Tory officially declared a State of Emergency in the City of Toronto in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Typically, City staff require Council approval to request or reallocate funding, but this declaration will allow them to proactively deploy critical resources as needed.
Please note that essential and emergency City services continue to operate uninterrupted, although many non-essential services have been suspended. For a full list of affected services, please visit: https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/affected-city-services/
Below, you will find a compilation of the many programs being rolled-out to support businesses and residents in this difficult time.
Last week, the City of Toronto urgently convened a dedicated Economic Support and Recovery Task Force (ESRTF) to identify both short and long-term strategies to support businesses and residents impacted by the COVID-19 situation. The ESRTF has already launched several immediate actions, including:
Extending the grace period for all property tax, utility bills and late penalties by 60 days (and suspending any pre-authorized payments and post-dated cheques during this period).
Exempting all retail businesses from the City's Noise By-law to facilitate 24-hour deliveries and ensure that essential goods remain in stock.
There is also work underway to establish a contingency fund for businesses.
You can find more information on the economic supports and services offered by the City here: https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/economic-support-recovery/. This webpage will be updated as additional measures are implemented.
The Government of Canada announced an Economic Response Plan to support Canadians, including:
Waiving the waiting period and medical certificate requirements for the EI Sickness Benefit.
Establishing an Emergency Care Benefit for workers, including the self-employed, who have to stay home and do not qualify for paid sick leave or EI.
Implementing an Emergency Support Benefit for workers facing unemployment who are not eligible for EI.
Providing a 3-month wage subsidy for eligible small employers, which will be equal to 10% of remuneration paid during that period, up to a maximum subsidy of $1,375 per employee and $25,000 per employer; and
Improving access to credit through the Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP).
You can find more information about the Economic Response Plan on the Government of Canada's website, here: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan. For questions about these programs, I would encourage you to contact your Member of Parliament (MP).
We are also looking to the Government of Ontario for additional measures to support businesses and residents in Ontario impacted by COVID-19. The Minister of Finance is expected to provide an update on Wednesday, March 25, 2020.
This weekend, the Government of Ontario launched Ontario Together, a program designed to harness the ideas and output capacities of local businesses, organizations, and industry leaders in our response to COVID-19. If you own a business and have any suggestions, I would encourage you to visit the webpage linked above.
The Federal government has also released a call to action seeking manufacturers that can help to produce medical supplies.
In addition, Canada's six largest banks – BMO, CIBC, National Bank of Canada, RBC, Scotiabank, and TD – have announced plans to work with personal and small business customers on a case-by-case basis to provide flexible solutions to financial challenges resulting from the COVID-19 situation. Business owners are encouraged to contact their bank directly to discuss the options available to them.
While these are globally challenging and unprecedented times, I know that Torontonians will continue to band together in the face of adversity. We will get through this.
Our team continues to be available to serve you by phone and email, in accordance with recommendations from our Medical Officer of Health. Please do not hesitate to contact our office at 416-395-6408 or councillor_robinson@toronto.ca.