May 3, 2021 Update

Dear Neighbours,

I would like to continue to thank everyone for their efforts during these difficult times. It has been difficult for everyone. We must continue to fight the spread of COVID-19 and keep ourselves and our community safe by following the public health measures in place. Remember, our mental health is paramount, we need to continue to take care of ourselves and seek support if needed.

*NEW* Scarborough Health Network COVID-19 Vaccine Pop-Up Clinics SHN is hosting pop-up clinics for residents in M1B and M1M hot spot neighbourhoods. M1B Residents who are 18+ M1M Residents who are 18+ St. Florence Catholic School (101 Murison Scarborough Village Recreation Centre Blvd) (3600 Kingston Rd) May 4 & 5 | 9am to 9pm May 4 & 5 | 9am to 9pm

Proof of address is required. Tickets will be provided for same-day appointments starting in the morning of the pop ups on a first come first serve basis. For more information please visit www.scarbvaccine.ca

*UPDATED* City of run immunization vaccination appointment eligibility groups. As of today, the following groups are eligible to book a vaccination appointment at a City-run clinic: • NEW: People age 18+ living in any of the 53 provincial hot spot postal codes • People age 55 + • People who are pregnant • People with highest risk health conditions • Elementary and secondary education workers living or working in any of the 53 provincial hot spot postal codes or supporting students with special education needs (booking by phone only) • Child care workers working in licensed child care settings (booking by phone only) Scarborough-Guildwood hotspot postal codes include M1E, M1G, M1H, M1J and M1M. Eligible individuals can book online at www.toronto.ca/covid19 or by phone by calling 1-833-943- 3900.

As of Thursday, May 6, all people age 50 and older, First Nations, Inuit and Métis individuals, individuals with high-risk health conditions and employees unable to work from home listed by the Government of Ontario under Group One will also be able to book first dose appointments.

*NEW* Forty per cent of eligible Toronto residents vaccinated as of May 1 The City of Toronto and vaccination partners have now administered at least a first dose of vaccine to 40 per cent of eligible Torontonians. This includes the thousands of people who have received doses through the Team Toronto Sprint Strategy that is focused on getting people vaccinated in hot spot postal codes. The City and vaccination partners are seeing double digit increases in vaccination rates in the hottest hot spots – good progress with more to be done. Across the 13 postal codes prioritized in the strategy, 36.6 per cent of adults have now received a first dose of vaccine.

The full list of eligible groups with information on how to register for appointments is available on the City’s COVID-19: How to Get Vaccinated webpage.

Discussion on Vaccination Planning and Distribution with Dr. Shovita Padhi Scarborough-Guildwood Town Hall with Councillor Paul Ainslie, M.P.P. Mitzie Hunter and Hon. M.P. John McKay

To join the meeting at the time of the event, please click here.

Watch Scarborough-Guildwood’s past Live Town Hall meetings on my YouTube channel - like and subscribe for more videos! Ensure you Subscribe to the channel!

The City of Toronto remains subject to a provincial wide Stay-at-Home order. The provincial wide shutdown requires all residents to remain home except for essential purposes. I encourage everyone to review the Province's COVID-19 public health measures and advice, the City’s Guide for Toronto Residents and Changes to City Services for the most up-to-date information on public health guidelines and regulations.

Where to get accurate COVID-19 vaccine information There is a lot of incorrect information about the COVID-19 vaccines on social media and group chats, such as WhatsApp. Accurate and trusted information can be found on the City’s COVID- 19: Vaccines webpage. If you have questions about the vaccines, you should speak with your doctor or health care provider.

City of Toronto partners with Vaccine Hunters to help residents quickly find available vaccine appointments at City-run clinics The City has partnered with Vaccine Hunters Canada to help Toronto community members identify available next-day appointments at City-run immunization clinics. As vaccine availability becomes more plentiful next week, more appointments will be available at all nine City clinics and will be displayed @VaxHuntersCan. More information is available on the City website.

Vaccine Eligibility Chart The City of Toronto has created a vaccine eligibility chart to assist residents in clarifying eligibility stages and registration questions. You can find the vaccine eligibility chart here. Visit the VaccineTO website regularly to see if local clinics have available appointments.

City of Toronto COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic – Locations Map All COVID-19 Immunization Clinics across the city, including City-run facilities, pharmacies and hospitals, are now mapped on the City’s website. Residents can search for the clinic closest to them by location or address. Additional Ward 24 specific vaccination sites can be found here. Residents must register for an appointment.

Select Ontario pharmacies offering 24/7 COVID-19 vaccinations. Participating pharmacies and primary care settings are now offering vaccination appointments to individuals age 40 and over. In addition, 16 Shoppers Drug Mart locations in the hot-spot communities of Toronto, Peel and York Region, will begin offering the vaccine 24/7, starting as early as today. Eligible residents can contact a participating pharmacy directly to make an appointment. Find your closest pharmacy to register to get the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on the Province’s website.

Do you need help getting to your vaccination appointment? The City’s Vaccine Equity Transportation Plan is piloting transportation services for seniors ages 75+ who may be unable to access or afford existing transportation options to get to their vaccination appointments. Eligible residents can book their vaccination appointment at www.toronto.ca/covid-19 then book a ride contact with Toronto Ride, iRide or Scarborough Ride.

Vaccine Appointment booking for residents without OHIP Cards Resident without OHIO cards who meet current vaccine eligibility criteria can request assistance to book their vaccination appointment at a City-run immunization clinic by contacting FCJ Refugee Centre, Access Alliance or Toronto Public Health. Residents without an OHIP card may use other forms of identification to book their COVID-19 vaccination appointment through agency partners. For more details and contact information please see this page.

In-Home Vaccination for Homebound Persons If you are a homebound person receiving care through a Primary Care Provider, Family Health Team, Home or Community Care or Community Support Services or Agencies, please contact your provider to learn whether they are able to offer in-home vaccination.

If you are homebound person who does not have a Primary Care Provider, Family Health Team, Home or Community Care or Community Support Services, please contact the Toronto Seniors Help Line at 416-217-2077 or by webchat at www.torontoseniorshelpline.ca/web-chat

COVID-19 tests are available at assessment centres, pop-up and mobile testing facilities and pharmacies. Learn more about COVID-19 testing locations and eligibility, including locations of upcoming pop-up testing sites, by visiting toronto.ca/COVID19Testing.The website features a map to help you easily find a testing location near you.

City of Toronto COVID-19 Case Update: (Data as of May 3, 2021) There has been an increase of 3,111 COVID-19 cases in the City with 201 newly reported hospitalized cases. Through the pandemic the City has seen a total of 151,197 cases of COVID-19, of these, 135,409 cases have recovered. To this date, there have been 3,115 COVID-19 deaths in Toronto. Case status data can be found on the City’s reporting platform.

City of Toronto COVID-19 Vaccination Update: Together, the City of Toronto, healthcare partners, pharmacies and Toronto Public Health have now administered more than one million COVID-19 vaccines. To date 1,204,543 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Toronto. Toronto is the first local health region in Canada to administer more than one million doses of vaccine. Vaccination dose data can be found on the City’s COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard.

COVID-19 Vaccination Tracker Canada: You can review regular data on doses administered, doses delivered and percentage of the Canadian population that has received at least one dose on the COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker page.

Mayor Proclaims May Building Safety Month in Toronto – News Release.

Team Toronto vaccination Sprint Strategy getting results in 13 high priority postal codes, adding four more areas – News Release. The vaccine coverage for M1G and M1J postal codes increased from approximately 14% to almost 45% for those age 8 and older, surpassing the city-wide 36% coverage for people age 18+.

Education Bank COVID-19 Update: In response to the new Provincial guidelines, the Education Bank will be closed for the month of April. The Education Bank has shifted to a curb side pickup model which will allow families to select materials for pick up at the Family Service Centre. You can complete the following Google Form to select items for pick up.

Public Art is Back at Guild Park! A live tour via Google Meets exploring the recent arrival of art and artifacts to the grounds of Guild Park and Gardens in East Toronto, atop the Scarborough Bluffs. The live tour will take place on Saturday, May 8, 2021 from 11:00am to 12:00pm. For more information and to register please visit this site.

Kids ReadTO (KRTO) is a virtual book club that connects children (ages 9-12) from different communities through reading! Weekly book club meetings led by professional facilitators allow kids to safely socialize online through guided reading activities, discussions and games that strengthen literacy skills and build their confidence. Space is limited, complete your child’s online registration today. Deadline to apply is May 5, 2021. Register here!

Public invited to provide feedback on proposed City of Toronto regulations for multi-tenant houses. Tell us what you think about multi-tenant housing! You can attend a virtual public meeting on May 4 or May 11. You can also complete this questionnaire, open until May 18. For more information on how to attend the virtual public meetings please visit this site.

Garden Suites Survey & Consultation: The City of Toronto is seeking public and industry opinions about Garden Suites in Toronto. To provide feedback and help shape the future of Gardens Suites in Toronto, please fill out this survey. You can also participate in a series of virtual community consultations where residents can learn more, ask questions and share comments about Garden suites. These meetings will take place on May 11, May 12 and May 13. Pre-registration is required. Learn more about Garden Suites and register for a consultation meeting here.

Please click here for a list of food banks and soup kitchens in the Ward 24 Please click here for a list of food banks in East Scarborough Please click here for a list of food banks in Scarborough Please remember to call ahead to book to ensure they are properly stocked. For those interested in volunteering, food banks are always looking for volunteers, so please feel free to save and share this information.

Boys’ and Girls’ Club of East Scarborough Scoop – Subscribe HERE. East Scarborough Storefront: Our KGO Updates – See the latest issue HERE. Subscribe HERE. insidehousing: News from Toronto Community Housing – Subscribe HERE. What’s On at the Library: Home Edition – Check out the latest copy HERE. Subscribe HERE.

If you need info on COVID-19, please visit the following websites: City of Toronto Province of Ontario Government of Canada World Health Organization Official Global Travel Advisory

The City of Toronto’s website can be translated into many languages using the GoogleTM Translate tool. To change languages on the City of Toronto website, please click here: www.toronto.ca/home/translate/

I am continuously updating my social media platforms and my website:

You can also reach me by: telephone at 416-396-7222 or email me at [email protected]

All my Best, Paul

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