- Enhanced PPE protocols – updated directive on eye protection for shelter staff and three-layer masks for clients
- Limiting movement between shelters
- Exploring implementation of rapid testing pilots
- Guidance for improvements to indoor air quality
- Continued vaccination roll-out planning
All individuals who test positive and their contacts are being supported to safely isolate, and all recommended increased precautions for shelter staff and residents have been implemented in consultation with TPH.
VOCs for COVID-19 are believed to be more transmissible. This increases the risk that the virus will spread between people. Faster and wider spread of the virus makes it more likely that more people will get sick, which can increase strain on the health care system.
Toronto was one of the first jurisdictions in Canada to open an isolation and recovery site for people experiencing homelessness so they can isolate while awaiting a COVID-19 test result or to recover from COVID-19 if they test positive. This has enabled all individuals experiencing homelessness who test positive to be supported to safely isolate.
More than 3,200 people from the City's shelter system have been housed through housing benefit programs since the pandemic began. Since April, the City has referred more than 1,300 people from encampments across the city to safer indoor spaces.
To learn more about the existing health safety measures implemented in the City’s shelter system in response to COVID-19, visit: https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-latest-city-of-toronto-news/affected-city-services/?accordion=housing-and-shelter.
