Zero deaths: Your Ontario COVID-19 roundup

For the first time in more than three months, there were no new COVID-19 deaths reported in Ontario.

The province releases data on the coronavirus every morning at 10:30 a.m., with the number of new deaths pertaining to the previous day. Monday's report showed no new deaths on Sunday and 154 new cases of COVID-19. Of those, the majority are people who live in Toronto and Peel.

The number of deaths in Ontario has been trending lower after peaking in May, in large part the result of the virus spreading through the long-term care system. To date, 1,717 of the province's 2,689 deaths have been residents in long-term care homes.

"We're very encouraged that the number of deaths continues to read goes down every week, as the total deaths per week has not exceeded 50 for four weeks in a row, and actually today, we have had no cases of deaths reported in Ontario," said Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Barbara Yaffe at a press briefing Monday.

"The number of Ontarians in hospital, or in ICU, or on ventilators has also remained low," she continued.

Yaffe also noted that the distribution of cases among different age groups has changed from favouring older Ontarians to young adults, with the highest proportion of new cases in the 2o to 39 age range.

Stage three

Health Minister Christine Elliott struck an optimistic tone when discussing the latest data and suggested it might result in a move to stage three of the province's economic reopening.

"I can't name a specific date but I can tell you that the team is actively looking at the data and looking to move into stage three as soon as we possibly can," she said. "We're fortunate that we haven't seen huge outbreaks. And I think that's very good news. We had 154 cases from yesterday, the numbers have been quite low, relatively speaking."

According to the province's framework, stage three includes the responsible reopening of all businesses and relaxing the restrictions on recreational spaces and public gatherings while still restricting large public gatherings such as concerts, nightclub parties and sporting events.

However, Elliott said there is still reason to be concerned about places where people gather indoors — particularly if they're in a setting, such as a restaurant, where they can't wear a mask.

"When restaurants do open fully inside again, people will have to be seated some distance apart from other groups," she said. "But if they go out with people that are in their social circle, then that shouldn't be a problem in terms of those are people that are all together in the same group, that they are only within one circle. If someone does, for whatever reason, come down with COVID-19, then the contact tracing will be easier and easier to contain."

"There are many considerations that have to be brought to bear but we certainly know that there are many restaurants that are willing to make the arrangements that public health requires in order to be able to safely open, even if it's only at perhaps 25, 30 per cent capacity, but that is an issue that will definitely be borne in mind."

Pay your rent

When the economy is up and running the province will revisit the issue of banning residential evictions, the premier said. A reporter with CP24 had asked Doug Ford to comment on a story shared by one of their viewers, who said his elderly parents have a tenant who is working but is refusing to pay rent, which the viewer's parents depend on for their income.

"Yeah, you know that’s frustrating as anything when I hear those stories, it was kind of the honour system," said Ford. "If you're collecting money, you're collecting the $2,000 a month or you're working, and you're trying to shaft your landlord that's an individual, you know, it's not fair. We're fair here in Ontario and everyone's been co-operating.

"The person to those two elderly people, pay your rent, you're working," he continued. "You're trying to shaft some seniors that rely on that income? You got to get morals and scruples, you know, like, come on. That wasn't the purpose. The purpose was when people are really, really hurting, and they just can't afford to pay rent, we covered them, and I'll always cover them, I’ll always protect the little guy. Now I want to protect the two seniors that rely on that rent and the person’s working. What are you going to let these seniors get hurt? No, that's not part of the rules.

"So, we'll be reviewing that when we get the economy up and going. We'll revisit that shortly, but the message to that person, pay your rent. Simple."

The Yahoos

Meanwhile, anti-lockdown protesters who Ford once called a bunch of yahoos have turned their ire to mandatory masking policies. According to a video posted online by one organizer, some are planning to get on the TTC tomorrow without masks. Some have also begun recording confrontations between them and people enforcing mask policies, including one woman who said she refused to wear a mask at St. Joseph's Hospital, and whose video went viral, with overwhelmingly negative reactions.

Went into the Emergency Dept. at St Joseph’s Hospital in #Toronto for a suspected broken finger. I was asked to wear a mask, which I refused to do. As a result, hospital staff asked me to leave and immediately called 3 security guards to escort me out. #filmyourhospital pic.twitter.com/7KlDa11udk

— Letitia Montana (@LetitiaMontana) July 5, 2020