City of Toronto finally commits to physical distancing standards in key court settlement.

Jessica Orkin, a lawyer at Goldblatt Partners representing the coalition, said:

"Regrettably, The City's commitment comes only after the tragic and preventable deaths of two shelter residents, and over 300 COVID-19 cases in at least 21 sites. Ten weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic, the City has finally committed to ensure that Toronto shelters meet minimal public health standards for physical distancing. The coalition will remain vigilant to ensure that the City complies with its obligations under this agreement and is prepared to take further legal steps, if necessary, to ensure that people experiencing homelessness are supported during this pandemic."

It is deplorable that we had to go to court to achieve probably the most repeated and basic public health measure we have heard since the World Health Organization declared a pandemic: physically distance six feet or two metres.

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