After a weekend when the number of new infections reached a brief plateau in Brampton, the city registered a jump of 34 infections Monday morning.
In an effort to help those impacted by the virus, further funds have been announced by the province to support social service organizations and frontline workers.
The city’s healthcare network is expanding capacity for critical care as Ontario enters a critical stage in its battle against COVID-19.
As Mississauga continues to experience a spike in new infections, and community spread sets in, more hospital-admitted patients with the virus are being reported by the local health network.
Experts say Canadians should not be surprised by their anxious reaction to the global pandemic and all the uncertainty suddenly surrounding them. But it’s also important to know there are resources that can help ease the fear enveloping many.
The novel coronavirus cases are over a million worldwide and thousands have died. This crisis has also created a new imperative: humans have to slow down, to self-isolate, to retreat into a smaller world that centres on their home – whether that’s a sprawling mansion or a one-bedroom apartment. This is a challenge faced by the two major personality types in society: introverts and extroverts. How will they respond to this massive societal realignment, and which type is better equipped to thrive?
In the past, people moved to Mississauga to take advantage of the suburban dream, a single-family home complete with white picket fence.
As millennials enter the real estate market, with limited finances and a climate conscious perspective, housing patterns are changing. In recent years, more and more people are choosing to cut large areas of land in half and build two houses where there used to be one.
The region's public health unit now reports 177 total cases of COVID-19 in the city. Meanwhile, the province is now reporting more than 4,000 cases across Ontario.
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In Mississauga, the latest COVID-19 case tally brings the city’s total to 279. The spike in new cases comes after the city announced the layoffs of 2,000 part-time employees in non-essential services.
As the province releases alarming projections for the impact of COVID-19 in the coming weeks and months, the premier has resisted pressure to implement stricter measures on individuals and companies. Instead, Doug Ford has further limited the number of essential businesses operating in the province and is begging people to stay home.
In Europe, many countries have had severe mobility restrictions in place since March, with residents told not to leave the house. For Ontario, questions remain about whether similar rules will be applied and what exactly they would look like.
With news that the pandemic’s grip on Ontario will continue for weeks, possibly months, The City of Mississauga announced Friday that it will have to lay-off 2,000 staff. The novel coronavirus has led to the partial or complete shutdown of many city services, while most facilities remain shuttered, making it impossible to keep everyone on the payroll, the same reality faced by businesses across Mississauga.
The old saying goes, “know your enemy”. In the case of the coronavirus, the knowing part is difficult, but not impossible. In the Region of Peel this task comes down to a small group of public health professionals relying on an epidemiological investigative technique known as contact tracing.
The use of contact tracing has assisted countries like Singapore and South Korea to reduce their infection rates. With case counts surging across Ontario, could it be the difference?
On Friday, the provincial government released projections suggesting 1,600 Ontarians could die by April 30 as a result of COVID-19, under current isolation measures. While increased measures take effect Saturday at midnight, the dire modelling shows the worst impact of the virus is still to come. In Peel, hospital beds are already filling up, with one struggling as of April 1 and others confronting worsening numbers. There is mounting concern that some local healthcare systems are not being open and transparent with the public about the reality they face.
In Mississauga, more than half of the fire service’s calls are for medical incidents, with many patients experiencing shortness of breath and respiratory issues.
Now, with a positive COVID-19 case confirmed in its own ranks, Mississauga Fire is preparing for staffing issues and a rise in call volume.
An unfortunate error led a number of Peel residents to receive negative results to their COVID-19 tests when in fact they were positive. The error comes as cases in Brampton more than doubled in four days.
In an effort to protect the mental health of those doing the right thing and staying home, the province has announced millions of dollars to expand online and virtual mental health resources for Ontarians. The investment comes amid the frightening release of projections for the number of new cases that could cripple the province by the end of the month.
The COVID-19 crisis in Ontario has created a new level of fear across the province, after health and government officials revealed the devastation that will be caused by the virus. If the current isolation measures are not increased there will be 80,000 cases and 1,600 deaths in Ontario by the end of April.
Mississauga resident Shrey Jain and a team of fellow university students are working on an online mapping app to track the local spread of infection caused by novel coronavirus. The group hopes its work can assist public health investigators frantically working to identify and contain the spread of COVID-19 as the numbers get worse by the day.
The Region of Peel has released strong recommendations and new penalties in an attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19 as 26 new Mississauga cases of the novel coronavirus were reported Thursday.
For the second consecutive day, the province of Ontario recorded more than 400 new cases, and a surprising number of people below the age of 60 being infected.
It will be a crucial week ahead for Brampton and the rest of the country as Peel Public Health announces new instructions to stay home and the city cancels some weekend bus services.
Despite harsh penalties for breaking physical distancing rules, municipal an ld provincial cases are spiking.
Mississauga and Brampton had strained healthcare systems well before COVID-19 turned everything upside down. As the pandemic continues and the number of positive cases in Peel grows, pressure on hospitals will only increase.
Instead of encouraging cities to build temporary treatment spaces, Ontario is hoping to coordinate care between different health networks and alleviate pressure on those hit hardest.
Peel’s healthcare systems were already struggling to keep up with patients before the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, as rates of infection spike and after Mississauga’s Credit Valley Hospital just declared an outbreak, the region and province can follow international examples of how to slow the spread of COVID-19 and prevent it from reaching the tipping point.
With the turn of the calendar page, thousands of Peel tenants now owe their landlords rent. Job loss and income disruption as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic have left many without the funds necessary for shelter.
Tenant advocates want definitive assurances from the provincial government there won’t be serious consequences for not paying rent.
The City of Brampton has signed a new bylaw that allows officers to fine individuals not following physical distancing measures. Meanwhile, Peel Public Health has confirmed 11 new cases of the novel coronavirus in Brampton Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Trillium Health Partners announced an outbreak at Credit Valley Hospital with four patients in one unit testing positive for COVID-19. Peel Public Health confirmed 20 new cases of the novel coronavirus in Mississauga Wednesday. Meanwhile, the city has enacted new measures to ensure residents practice physical distancing.
There’s a lot of fear, uncertainty and risk for those on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, and one local politician has thrown herself into the middle of it.
Natalia Kusendova, a registered nurse, and Mississauga Centre MPP, talks about her transition from Queen’s Park to the emergency room, and how healthcare providers and the PC government are preparing for a looming wave of infection.
Politicians at all levels of government have told Canadians one thing: stay inside. The advice hopes to slow the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the strain on limited hospital resources.
One side effect of this shutdown is a near total lack of demand for private transit. The federal government has rolled out a series of aid programs for different workers that could help the taxi industry, with drivers and companies facing a bleak future.
Social and physical distancing measures are becoming increasingly significant in Mississauga as new numbers show COVID-19 is more prevalent in the city than Toronto on a per capita basis.
As the pandemic continues, the city has launched a new online resource directing local business owners to provincial and federal aid programs. Taxes have also been deferred for residents and businesses that have lost work or been forced to close as a result of the novel coronavirus.
Brampton continues to see an unsettling spike in new cases of the novel coronavirus. As the infection spreads, the city has shuttered outdoor recreational facilities and its transit system is limiting peak service hours.
As Peel saw its largest single-day increase of new cases of COVID-19 so far, including its first death, Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga has declared an outbreak after four patients in one unit tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Parents in Peel will have their children at home for at least another month, the province has announced. Education Minister Stephen Lecce and Premier Doug Ford confirmed the extended shutdown of Ontario schools as a measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19. During the announcement, more details were also shared about how teachers will begin educating students at home, as many parents question why online learning has not been better integrated.
With public facilities shutdown and people working from home, physical distancing measures are having a big impact on city budgets.
Free transit, closed recreation centres and deferred property taxes are just a few of the financial pressures facing Brampton and Mississauga. While officials maintain public optimism that major projects will continue as planned, a bailout could be required in the long run.
In Peel, the rise in new COVID-19 cases shows no sign of slowing down. In its daily report, Peel Public Health revealed Monday the number of cases has risen by double digits for the seventh consecutive day. With more than 1,700 cases of the novel coronavirus now confirmed in Ontario, the provincial rate is spiking too.
Keeping your distance from other people is the number one tactic for limiting the spread of COVID-19, but what happens when you don’t have a choice?
The dynamic nature of a police officer’s duties can put them at particular risk of coming into contact with infected individuals. The Peel Regional Police are taking a number of steps to keep their officers and the public safe.
Tens of thousands of Canadians are unable to return home after sweeping border and travel restrictions were enacted by the Indian and Pakistani governments to halt the spread of COVID-19.
On Monday, some of those stranded received good news: the federal government has announced special flights for Canadians will begin this week.
It has been a troubling weekend across Peel and much of the world, as COVID-19 cases continue to climb. Peel Region now has 187 confirmed positive cases while Ontario reports a total of 1,355 cases. Meanwhile, a senior health expert in the U.S. is now warning of a devastating worst-case scenario there, projecting as many as 200,000 deaths.
In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologized for the poorly managed nationwide lockdown he ordered a week ago, which has left millions in chaos.
Crowds over the past 24 hours continue to gather in India, after a nationwide lockdown was ordered at the start of the week. The country of almost 1.4 billion people officially reports less than a thousand confirmed COVID-19 cases.
But experts fear the number represents just a tiny fraction of actual infections because of woefully low testing rates and more than a million could be dead from the virus in a year.
As new cases of COVID-19 infection continue to rise daily in Peel and across the province, the potential impact on our local healthcare systems continues to loom.
Efforts are now underway at all levels of government to stave off a crisis in local hospitals and a potential shortage of critical personal protective equipment (PPE).
Before COVID-19 sent Peel — and the rest of the world — spiralling, Mississauga and Brampton’s housing markets were among the hottest in the country. Sales were up dramatically, rates of price increases over the last four years outpaced most cities across the country and thousands of new units were coming online annually.
Now, suddenly, the real estate market in one of Canada’s fastest growing regions is drying up. Drastic moves by the country’s central bank might not be enough.
Along with almost 1.4 billion Indians locked down as part of the world’s most severe isolation measure, are thousands of Canadians, including many from Brampton and Mississauga. With the Indian government’s sweeping three-week clamp down on all movement within its borders, and strict international travel restrictions around the world, Canadians stuck there are trying to figure out how to get home, but the federal government warns that some will not get help.
As COVID-19 continues to spread through Brampton and Mississauga, people are failing to follow the rules of physical distancing.
Brampton residents and officials are asking if more can be done and won’t rule out the possibility of giving local officers the power to fine rule breakers.
In Peel, the novel coronavirus continues to spread, with new cases confirmed nearly every day since the first reported local infection on March 5.
With concerns over the economy and rising unemployment, the spike in infections raises the spectre of a significant outbreak in a region whose healthcare systems were already broken.
In Brampton and Mississauga, hallway healthcare and long wait times plague already struggling hospitals. Without localized data, healthcare systems will have a hard time managing an increase of patients and dwindling medical resources.
Meanwhile, in daily updates about new confirmed cases of COVID-19, Peel Public Health and the Ontario Ministry of Health report different numbers, a discrepancy that can’t be ignored.
For years, the Region of Peel’s shelters have operated in overflow, without enough beds for people experiencing the hardships of homelessness.
Now, with the rapid spread of COVID-19, there are fears the disease could wreak havoc on those without anywhere to call home, in turn putting the general population at risk.
For the second straight day, the province has confirmed its largest, single-day increase in new COVID-19 infections, placing ever-increasing significance on the need for physical distancing to limit the spread of the disease.
To help Ontario’s strained healthcare system, as well as residents and employers amid mass business closures, the province has announced a $17 billion aid package.
Ontario’s decision to shutter non-essential business by midnight Tuesday to help slow the rise in COVID-19 infections has created unease and confusion for hundreds of Peel business owners fighting to stay afloat during the pandemic. Calls for delaying the move and businesses seeking clarity about their status have created an air of confusion for many owners.
A Brampton Transit bus driver has tested positive for COVID-19, the city has announced. On Wednesday morning, Peel Public Health reported the number of cases confirmed in the city has risen to 22.
Both a Brampton MP and bus driver have tested positive for COVID-19. The rate of infection is increasing, with Ontario experiencing its largest single-day increase to date. Meanwhile, the province is increasing measures to protect public health and wallets, including hydro relief and the closure of all non-essential businesses.
New regulations, released by Ontario, outline how cities should plan to grow. Contained in the rules are measures that will change the futures of Mississauga and Brampton, encouraging them to build in areas where communities already exist, instead of continuing sprawl.
Kamal Khera, a registered nurse and Liberal MP for Brampton West, has tested positive for COVID-19. The politician will be self-isolating and monitoring her symptoms, following guidance from Peel Public Health and the Public Health Agency of Canada.
After years of mounting animus between Peel’s Black community and many who lead the country’s third largest school board, it has been forced to acknowledge the deep scars created by an organization described in a scathing provincial review as having a “terrible state of affairs”. The board of trustees vowed Tuesday to turn things around after Queen’s Park handed down a harsh mandate for change.
MiWay has implemented emergency measures to reduce the amount of contact between bus drivers and transit riders to stop the spread of COVID-19.
But MiWay’s transit union, which called for action weeks ago, wants the company to better address workers’ concerns over safety.
