Item - 2021.HL25.3

That City Council authorize the Medical Officer of Health, in collaboration with the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, to implement the Immunization Roll Out program, including entering into agreements or other suitable arrangements to provide funding to community agencies to partner with the City of Toronto on the Community Engagement and Mobilization component of the Immunization program until the end of 2021, to be funded by the Province of Ontario as a component of the COVID-19 Immunization Plan in Toronto.

That City Council adopt the following recommendations in the supplementary report (January 25, 2021) from the Medical Officer of Health [HL25.3a]: 

1.  City Council extend Bylaws 322-2020 and 323-2020 that regulate physical distancing in public spaces in Toronto, until 12:01 a.m. on the first day after the City Council meeting currently scheduled for June 8 and 9, 2021 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 Bylaws 541-2020 as amended by 664-2020, that requires businesses, apartments and condominiums to have policies to ensure people wear masks or face coverings in common areas, until 12:01 a.m. on the first day after the City Council meeting currently scheduled for June 8 and 9, 2021 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 June 8 and 9, 2021 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 extend the COVID-19 amendments to Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 545, Licensing (s.545-8.4.1) that requires establishments serving food and drink to implement enhanced measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, including: screening staff, limiting patrons, maintaining customer logs and limiting the number of people sitting at a table until 12:01 a.m. on the first day after the City Council meeting currently scheduled for June 8 and 9, 2021 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.

 
5.  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 June 8 and 9, 2021 meeting.

 
6.  City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the necessary Bills and apply 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.

That City Council request the Federal Government to ensure that ethnic media be utilized in any Federal COVID-19 awareness and education campaign.

That City Council request the Governments of Ontario and Canada to consider enhanced and extended paid sick leave options, over and above the recommended 10 days, for employees with long-term COVID complications.

That City Council amend the Board of Health Recommendation 2.a. by adding the words "until such time as a vaccine is made available to the worker" after the words "paid sick leave" so that it now reads as follows:

2.a.  provide additional supports to essential frontline workers, including paid sick leave until such time as a vaccine is made available to the worker, targeted support for temporary workers, and enhanced proactive workplace inspections;

That City Council delete Board of Health Recommendation 3:

Recommendation to be deleted

3.  City Council request the Government of Ontario to:

a.  require employers in Ontario to provide no less than five paid sick days annually to workers, after three months of employment, through amendments to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 or through a different mechanism;

b.  provide necessary funding, fiscal relief, and/or supports to employers so that all workers in Ontario have access to no less than 10 paid sick days annually in the event of a declared infectious disease emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic; and

c.  ensure all workers in Ontario have access to protected and paid emergency leave so that care can be provided to children, parents, or other family members who may become ill.

and adopt instead the following new recommendation:

City Council request the Government of Ontario to update its Provincial Emergency Response Plan and the Ontario Health Plan for an Influenza Pandemic 2013 to include consideration of mechanisms, including financial supports, for workers who must isolate or care for others who are sick as a result of a pandemic.

Adoption of Board of Health Recommendation 3 only:

3.  City Council request the Government of Ontario to:

a.  require employers in Ontario to provide no less than five paid sick days annually to workers, after three months of employment, through amendments to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 or through a different mechanism;

b.  provide necessary funding, fiscal relief, and/or supports to employers so that all workers in Ontario have access to no less than 10 paid sick days annually in the event of a declared infectious disease emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic; and

c.  ensure all workers in Ontario have access to protected and paid emergency leave so that care can be provided to children, parents, or other family members who may become ill.

Adoption of the balance of the Item as amended.

Mayor Tory, on a Point of Order, stated that if Councillor Perruzza was unable to see the motion on the screen that he might be asking to reconsider the vote and that the Member should be able to see the motion he is voting on.

Councillor Perruzza, on a Point of Privilege, stated that the motion Members are voting on should be displayed or read aloud.

Councillor Holyday, on a Point of Order, stated that the Speaker should limit Member dialogue during the vote as it may be seen to be influencing the vote.

Mayor Tory, on a Point of Privilege, stated that his earlier comments regarding Councillor Perruzza's vote were not an attempt to influence the vote, but out of concern that that the Member could not see the motion and would potentially vote the wrong way and ask for a revote.  Mayor Tory further stated that Council should not vote if Members can't see the motion.  

Councillor Holyday, on a Point of Privilege, stated that he believed that Members have only acted honourably.

That:

1.  City Council and the Board of Health urge the Government of Ontario to take immediate action to address the rising rate of new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and patients in intensive care units, including the following:

a.  provide additional supports to essential frontline workers, including paid sick leave, targeted support for temporary workers, and enhanced proactive workplace inspections;

b.  continue efforts to expand test, trace, and isolate systems;

c.  provide additional financial relief to ensure that affected businesses and workers are fully supported through the lockdown period;

d.  continue to carefully monitor the Provincial circumstances and other evidence in order to adjust public health measures accordingly; and

e.  proactively plan to reopen schools and other sectors safely.

2.  The Board of Health call on the Government of Ontario to recognize supportive housing as a public health measure to protect vulnerable and marginalized residents who are experiencing homelessness and provide $48 million in annual ongoing operating funding to create and maintain 2,000 new permanent supportive housing opportunities by mid-2022, with $12.24 million per year required immediately (and ongoing annually) to operationalize 510 supportive housing units and an additional $14.11 million per year starting in September 2021 (and ongoing annually) to operationalize an additional 588 supportive housing units in Toronto in 2021, as requested by Toronto City Council in December 2020 (Item 2020.PH19.11, Emergency Housing Action).

3.  The Board of Health request the Government of Ontario to collect and share disaggregated data based on race, income, occupation, neighbourhood, and housing status as part of the Provincial COVID-19 immunization data system.

4.  The Board of Health request the Ontario Ministry of Health to publicly provide a detailed breakdown of the proposed phased vaccine prioritization framework, including a specific breakdown of the individuals and groups who will be prioritized in Phase 2 of the Ontario COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Implementation Plan.

5.  The Board of Health request the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development to require employers to ensure that existing and future sick leave provisions, including protections against repercussions by employers when workers access sick leave and follow public health guidelines, are clearly communicated to workers and management in multiple languages.

6.  The Board of Health request the Medical Officer of Health to report in 2021 on the status and trends in workplace COVID-19 outbreak data and any new Provincial safety measures for essential workplaces and essential workers.

7.  The Board of Health request the Medical Officer of Health to publicly post, on a weekly basis, the names of workplaces with COVID-19 outbreaks, as closely aligned with other summary reports as possible, in a manner that maintains and protects individual privacy and that is based on the Provincial outbreak definition of two or more cases over a 14-day period.

8.  The Board of Health request the Medical Officer of Health to consider and implement any additional measures or restrictions necessary to halt the spread of COVID-19, in partnership with Ontario's Public Health Units and the Government of Ontario or under their own powers under the Health Protection and Promotion Act.

9.  The Board of Health request the Medical Officer of Health, in consultation with the Fire Chief and General Manager, Emergency Management, and Toronto's COVID-19 Incident Commander, and the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, to report to the March 22, 2021 meeting of the Board of Health with detailed breakdowns of immunization plans for all priority populations and vulnerable groups, such as people experiencing homelessness, people living in congregate settings, and essential frontline workers, by the Government of Ontario, the City of Toronto, and Toronto Public Health, including overcoming vaccine hesitancy.

10.  The Board of Health request the Medical Officer of Health to explore any opportunity to directly collect disaggregated data as part of Toronto Public Health's COVID-19 immunization campaign.

11.  The Board of Health amend Recommendation 4 by adding a new part so that it now reads as follows:

4.  City Council and the Board of Health request the Government of Ontario to:

a.  require employers in Ontario to provide no less than five paid sick days annually to workers, after three months of employment, through amendments to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 or through a different mechanism; and

b.  provide necessary funding, fiscal relief, and/or supports to employers so that all workers in Ontario have access to no less than 10 paid sick days annually in the event of a declared infectious disease emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic; and

c.  ensure all workers in Ontario have access to protected and paid emergency leave so that care can be provided to children, parents, or other family members who may become ill.