Toronto to start reporting on COVID-19 outbreaks in workplaces

De Villa announced that all employers and businesses in the city were instructed to “immediately notify” Toronto Public Health should two or more of their employees got infected with the virus. (File photo: @csbphotography/Unsplash)

Toronto Public Health will now be releasing information to the public about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks in workplaces.

Mayor John Tory announced this on Monday, January 4, as officials laid out new measures in a bid to reduce the spread of the virus in the city’s workplaces.

The City is taking additional action to protect Torontonians from COVID-19.

Today, @TOPublicHealth is introducing further measures to prevent the spread in workplaces – this includes stricter safety procedures as well as more robust reporting. pic.twitter.com/s1mdRH8gR8

— John Tory (@JohnTory) January 4, 2021

“I believe this kind of transparency and public accountability will help to encourage employers to do everything they can to protect their workers and it will help them give everyone a better indication of where the COVID-19 virus is spreading in our community,” Tory said.

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa said this information on the city’s website will be updated every Thursday “without compromising individual privacy.”

“The website will provide more specificity about workplace-related outbreaks across 11 categories, including workplace settings like grocery stores, pharmacies, food processing sites, offices, warehousing, shipping and distribution, construction, and manufacturing facilities,” she said.

De Villa announced that all employers and businesses in the city were instructed to “immediately notify” Toronto Public Health should two or more of their employees got infected with the virus. They must also designate a contact person who will cooperate with Toronto Public Health.

Employers were also instructed to minimize instances where there is more than one individual traveling together in a vehicle for work. They are required to “implement rigorous and frequent cleaning” in all high-touch areas and those accessible to the public.

Ensuring regular, functional assessments of heating ventilation and air-conditioning systems is also a must, as well as maintaining a two-meter distance in the workplace.

“These actions are meant to support employment, businesses, and the economy during the pandemic by supporting conditions where people can work and do business in safer and healthier circumstances,” de Villa said.

“With more infection prevention and control measures, with more distance and clearer lines of accountability, there is greater capacity to manage public health while businesses operate in pandemic times,” she added.

On Monday, Toronto reported 974 new COVID-19 cases, while nine more died, bringing the number of deaths to 38 since December 30.