City of Toronto's COVID briefing/reaction to @fordnation news conference is about to start. Me and @jpags watching. There will be tweets. Livestream is here
Mayor @JohnTory starts by touting "our Team Toronto approach", says "we're the first region in Ontario to administer more than 600K doses" of vaccine. City clinics were "more than 90% booked". Urges everyone who is eligible to be vaccinated
"The virus is real and the variants are raging right now," Tory says. Thanks to @fordnation and other officials for provincial stay at home order and other measures, says they "do try" to address unfairness between small retailers and big box.
"Now all we have to do is do our part and stay home as much as possible," and mask etc. while trying to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible, in a "phase 2" approach.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
Mayor @JohnTory starts unrelated news conference by offering condolences on behalf of Toronto to Queen Elizabeth II & people of Great Britain for loss of Prince Philip, whom Tory says visited the city 20 times. City flags will be lowered to half-mast, TORONTO sign will be dimmed.
Tory says 129 people registered per minute this morning when vaccine appointments opened to people 50-plus in hotspot postal codes. Talking about health partners vaccinating people 18-plus in Thorncliffe today
News conference is for kickoff of city's annual spring cleanup. Tory says he knows residents will want to use public spaces a lot, so more than 1400 workers in April and May cleaning everything from catch basins to bike lanes
Susan Opler, the city of Toronto's ombudsman, says extending her office's oversight to policing will provide "an incredible example" to other cities, few of whom have ombudsmen (advocates for residents who feel ill-treated by city staff or policies) at all.
City solicitor reminds council the auditor general has an agreement with Toronto Police Service, says a similar agreement would be necessary between ombudsman and police.
"We don't intend to hire police-affiliated people" to extend ombudsmen services to the Toronto Police Service, must have independence to investigate complaints, Opler says.
Acting Toronto Police Chief Jim Ramer and Mayor John Tory announce permanent reconstitution of staffed traffic enforcement unit as part of #VisionZero effort to end pedestrian and cyclist deaths on Toronto roads
Sorry for radio silence - my phone didn’t like the rain. Here is the news release - reconstituted Toronto police traffic enforcement squad launching on a permanent basis Nov. 19 with 18 officers incl. 2 sergeants as part of #VisionZero
That release overplays somewhat the news value of the traffic enforcement squad being made permanent. From my story at the police services board last November thestar.com/amp/news/gta/2…
City of #Toronto's COVID-19 update with Mayor @JohnTory & public health chief @epdevilla is about to start. Star's @KopunF is covering and I'll be tweeting highlights. Livestream here
Mayor @JohnTory says he knows the hardship on businesses and workers extra restrictions big, lauds provincial and federal governments for aid programs to help them. City doesn't have same resources "but we can help"
Today city is launching togotoronto.com to find restaurants with "safe takeout or patio" service, restaurants are encouraged to sign up for free. City is also extending partnership with Ritual to help businesses increase access to commission-free pickup and delivery.
That anyone should suffer this racist BS is blood boiling, but a teen trying to honour his late grandmother? Hope they catch the culprit and there is no acceptance of "it was a bad joke." Whatever their age, anti-Black racism is a hate crime. thestar.com/news/gta/2020/…
I hope people in Pickering and beyond rally around Joshua Telemaque. “I felt destroyed and heartbroken". No wonder.
City of Toronto's #COVID19 briefing is about to start. We expect to get Mayor @JohnTory's reaction to provincial announcement that a total of $4 billion in federal pandemic relief will flow to Ontario cities #topoli#onpoli
Mayor @JohnTory says city continues to have "positive discussions" with provincial officials about whether Toronto can move into Stage 3 reopening. Awaiting decision from premier on Wednesday.
Mayor says he knows people tired of restrictions including ongoing playground closures that would end under Stage 3. He repeats mantra that he wants to move forward but only if local COVID-19 indicators suggest city isn't in danger of virus resurgence and going back to lockdown