Item - 2021.HL32.1

Tracking Status

  • City Council adopted this item on December 15, 2021 with amendments.
  • This item was considered by the Board of Health on December 6, 2021 and adopted without amendment. It will be considered by City Council on December 15, 2021.
  • See also By-law 1106-2021

HL32.1 - Response to COVID-19 - December 2021 Update

Decision Type:
ACTION
Status:
Amended
Wards:
All

City Council Decision

City Council on December 15, 16 and 17, 2021, adopted the following:

 

1.  City Council authorize the Medical Officer of Health to negotiate, enter into, execute and extend any agreements with physicians providing medical services and advice to Toronto Public Health as part of the response to, and recovery from, the COVID-19 pandemic until December 31, 2023, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Medical Officer of Health and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

 

2.  City Council extend By-laws 541-2020 and 664-2020 that require people wear masks or face coverings in enclosed areas of businesses and other organizations that are open to the public and in enclosed common areas of apartments and condominiums, until 12:01 a.m. on the first day after the City Council meeting currently scheduled for April 2022 or, if that City Council meeting does not take place as scheduled, until 12:01 a.m. on the first day after the first City Council meeting that next occurs.

 

3.  City Council extend the COVID-19 amendments to Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 354, Apartment Buildings (s.354-3.11), that require landlords to provide hand washing/sanitizing in common areas, close non-essential common areas consistent with Provincial orders, increase cleaning and post Toronto Public Health signage, until 12:01 a.m. on the first day after the City Council meeting currently scheduled for April 2022 or, if that City Council meeting does not take place as scheduled, until 12:01 a.m. on the first day after the first City Council meeting that next occurs.

 

4.  City Council request the Medical Officer of Health review the necessity of each by-law on a monthly basis, and report if any changes or extensions are required before or at City Council’s currently scheduled April 2022 meeting.

 

5.  City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the necessary Bills and apply for set fines to give effect to City Council's decision and City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make any necessary clarifications, refinements, minor modifications, or technical amendments as may be identified by the City Solicitor, in consultation with the Medical Officer of Health, in order to give best effect to the Medical Officer of Health's recommendations for the protection of the public as described in the supplementary report (December 14, 2021) from the Deputy Medical Officer of Health.

 

6. City Council delegate authority to the City Manager to approve payment of overtime, at straight time, to non-union employees for over-time hours worked during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

7. City Council submit a budget to the Province of Ontario that includes overtime as an eligible extraordinary pandemic-related expense in line with the eligibility criteria of the Provincial Safe Restart funding arrangement.

Background Information (Board)

(November 22, 2021) Report from the Medical Officer of Health on Response to COVID-19 - December 2021 Update
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/hl/bgrd/backgroundfile-173593.pdf
(December 6, 2021) Presentation from the Deputy Medical Officer of Health on Response to COVID-19: December 2021 Update
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/hl/bgrd/backgroundfile-174056.pdf

Background Information (City Council)

(December 14, 2021) Supplementary report from the Deputy Medical Officer of Health on Extending By-laws Necessary for COVID-19 Response until April 2022 (HL32.1a)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/cc/bgrd/backgroundfile-174423.pdf

Communications (Board)

(November 8, 2021) E-mail from Christine Massey (HL.Main)
(November 9, 2021) E-mail from Christine Massey (HL.Main)
(November 24, 2021) Submission from Julian Northey (HL.Main)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/hl/comm/communicationfile-140437.pdf
(December 6, 2021) Submission from Margot Boyd (HL.New)
(December 6, 2021) Submission from Dr. Rochagné Kilian (HL.New)
(December 6, 2021) Submission from Derek Moran (HL.New)
(December 6, 2021) E-mail from Julie Ponesse, The Democracy Fund and Canadian Covid Care Alliance (HL.New)

Communications (City Council)

(December 9, 2021) E-mail from Derek Crane (CC.Main)
(December 12, 2021) E-mail from Greg Knittl (CC.Supp)
(December 13, 2021) E-mail from Yvonne Garson (CC.Supp)

Motions (City Council)

1 - Motion to Amend Item (Additional) moved by Councillor Joe Cressy (Carried)

That City Council adopt the following recommendations in the supplementary report (December 14, 2021) from the Medical Officer of Health [HL32.1a]:  

 

1.  City Council extend Bylaws 541-2020 and 664-202 that require people wear masks or face coverings in enclosed areas of businesses and other organizations that are open to the public and in enclosed common areas of apartments and condominiums, until 12:01 a.m. on the first day after the City Council meeting currently scheduled for April 2022 or, if that City Council meeting does not take place as scheduled, until 12:01 a.m. on the first day after the first City Council meeting that next occurs.

 

2.  City Council extend the COVID-19 amendments to Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 354, Apartment Buildings (s.354-3.11), that require landlords to provide hand washing/sanitizing in common areas, close non-essential common areas consistent with Provincial orders, increase cleaning and post Toronto Public Health signage, until 12:01 a.m. on the first day after the City Council meeting currently scheduled for April 2022 or, if that City Council meeting does not take place as scheduled, until 12:01 a.m. on the first day after the first City Council meeting that next occurs.

 

3.  City Council request the Medical Officer of Health review the necessity of each bylaw on a monthly basis, and report if any changes or extensions are required before or at City Council’s currently scheduled April 2022 meeting.

 

4.  City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the necessary Bills and apply for set fines to give effect to City Council's decision; and, City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make any necessary clarifications, refinements, minor modifications, or technical amendments as may be identified by the City Solicitor, in consultation with the Medical Officer of Health, in order to give best effect to the Medical Officer of Health's recommendations for the protection of the public as described in this report.


Motion to Adopt Item as Amended (Carried)

Motion to Reconsider Item moved by Mayor John Tory (Carried)

That in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 27, Council Procedures, City Council reconsider Item HL32.1.


2 - Motion to Amend Item (Additional) moved by Mayor John Tory (Carried)

That:

 

1. City Council delegate authority to the City Manager to approve payment of over-time, at straight time, to non-union employees for over-time hours worked during the COVID-19 pandemic; and

 

2. City Council submit a budget to the Province of Ontario that includes over-time as an eligible extraordinary pandemic-related expense in line with the eligibility criteria of the Provincial Safe Restart funding arrangement.


Motion to Adopt Item as Amended (Carried)

HL32.1 - Response to COVID-19 - December 2021 Update

Decision Type:
ACTION
Status:
Adopted
Wards:
All

Board Recommendations

The Board of Health recommends that:

 

1.  City Council authorize the Medical Officer of Health to negotiate, enter into, execute and extend any agreements with physicians providing medical services and advice to Toronto Public Health as part of the response to, and recovery from, the COVID-19 pandemic until December 31, 2023, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Medical Officer of Health and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

Decision Advice and Other Information

The Board of Health considered Items HL32.1 and HL32.2 together.

 

The Deputy Medical Officer of Health gave a presentation on Response to COVID-19: December 2021 Update.

Origin

(November 22, 2021) Report from the Medical Officer of Health

Summary

This report provides an update on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic as of December 2021, and responds to Board of Health direction from October 2021 to report back with a range of updates on Toronto Public Health (TPH) pandemic-related efforts.

 

The most recent epidemiology shows a consistent increase in the 7-day moving average number of reported daily COVID-19 cases, the reproductive number and the test positivity rate and has prompted the provincial government to pause re-opening plans. Regulations under the Reopening Ontario Act enable local health units to institute additional public health measures, if necessary, and the need for these in Toronto will be continuously reviewed.

 

Efforts to respond to the pandemic continue to advance on multiple fronts. Toronto Public Health continues to support school boards and schools in providing information for parents and staff about managing school attendance during the current conditions, including screening, outbreak management and vaccines. Vaccine rollout continues with third doses for eligible individuals and, with the recent approval of the COVID-19 pediatric vaccine by Health Canada, preparations are underway for vaccinating children aged 5-11 years, pending receipt of pediatric vaccine.

 

Toronto Public Health's pandemic response and immunization campaign has benefited from the support of additional medical expertise. Given the continuing need for this expertise, this report seeks authorization from City Council to negotiate, enter into, execute, and extend any agreements with physicians providing medical services and advice to Toronto Public Health until December 2023, as part of the response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background Information

(November 22, 2021) Report from the Medical Officer of Health on Response to COVID-19 - December 2021 Update
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/hl/bgrd/backgroundfile-173593.pdf
(December 6, 2021) Presentation from the Deputy Medical Officer of Health on Response to COVID-19: December 2021 Update
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/hl/bgrd/backgroundfile-174056.pdf

Communications

(November 8, 2021) E-mail from Christine Massey (HL.Main)
(November 9, 2021) E-mail from Christine Massey (HL.Main)
(November 24, 2021) Submission from Julian Northey (HL.Main)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/hl/comm/communicationfile-140437.pdf
(December 6, 2021) Submission from Margot Boyd (HL.New)
(December 6, 2021) Submission from Dr. Rochagné Kilian (HL.New)
(December 6, 2021) Submission from Derek Moran (HL.New)
(December 6, 2021) E-mail from Julie Ponesse, The Democracy Fund and Canadian Covid Care Alliance (HL.New)

Speakers

Margot Boyd
Dr. Rochagné Kilian
Dr. Donald Welsh, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University
Derek Moran
Robert Meynell

Motions

Motion to Adopt Item moved by Councillor Joe Cressy (Carried)
Source: Toronto City Clerk at www.toronto.ca/council