Toronto Public Health releases plans to battle 'potential resurgence' of coronavirus

August 31, 2020
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City News

Toronto Public Health (TPH) is planning for a potential resurgence of COVID-19 this fall and winter and plans are taking shape to double down on contact tracing and other measures to quell the spread.

The agency provided the city’s Board of Health an update Monday about their planning which is based on how a potential second wave plays out.

In a statement, Board of Health Chair Joe Cressy said Toronto does not have to accept a “significant second wave” because the city can build on lessons learned during the first and act accordingly.

TPH plans include approaches based on three different scenarios for COVID-19 activity in the city:

  1. A fall/winter peak
  2. A series of smaller peaks and valleys, that repeat throughout the season
  3. A ‘slow burn’ ripple effect, where there are continued cases but without a concrete pattern

Cressy said while it isn’t possible to predict which scenario will occur, the goal is to try to create a “manageable and safe prolonged ripple effect.”

“This means that while we will continue to see new cases, there will not be surges that cannot be contained or threaten the stability of our health care system,” he said.

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