The announcement by all levels of government in response to COVID-19 can be overwhelming in themselves as we try to keep up to date and to understand them.  Keep up to date by checking King’s COVID-19 page regularly.  To recap some of the most significant for King:  April 1 King announced that the closure of facilities and cancellation of recreational programs until futher notice. As people are spending more time at home the limit for curbside garbage containers has been increased from 2 to 3; schedule has not been changed.  Yard waste collection has begun as scheduled and with no limit with one change:  rigid open top containers i.e. blue box can be used. Last week there were important announcements re: waiving of penalties for late payments of next round of property taxes and water bills. King’s COVID-19 Impacted Services page provides full details.

For an overview of upper tier announcements I have pasted in a April 1 facebook posting by Mayor Pellegrini.

• York Region is partnering with United Way Greater Toronto to form a community coordination table with local municipal partners and community agencies; focus on key issues for vulnerable people due to COVID-19 such as food security and homelessness
• April 1 Prime Minister Trudeau aannounced application details for the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) available Aas of April 6 at canada.ca/coronavirus-cerb
• No need to apply if you are already getting a wage subsidy (ineligible) or already applied for EI (CERB automatically applied) To address rent subsidies, new loans and the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), administered jointly by Service Canada and Canada Revenue Agency, are availableAlready $2.1 million EI claims in the past two weeks; more than 430,000 have been processed and expecting to process 4,000 applications a day and have the outstanding claim applications done in the coming week
• Prime Minister Trudeau also announced he will recall Parliament to approve more spending to help the country to combat the financial fallout from COVID-19
• Premier Ford today announced $50 million dollars in funding for Ontario businesses to help fight COVID-19,$50 million in 2020-21 during the COVID-19 outbreak – new Ontario Together fund, one-time funding
• Businesses/individuals encouraged to submit a viable, innovative proposal to ontario.ca/ontariotogether if they can quickly provide critical goods and services and the greatest benefit to the people of Ontario
• ·On March 31, 2020, the Provincial government approved provincial offences officers to enforce emergency orders such as: closure of non-essential businesses; prohibiting gatherings of more than five people; stopping price gouging on necessary goods such as disinfectant products; and failure to identify oneself accurately
• On March 31, 2020, The City of Toronto announced the cancellation of all mass events and festivals until June 30.

Each of us have a critical role in breaking the chain of COVID-19 transmission.  Physical distancing is a must.  If you have questions, if you need some assistance let me know. And to keep current check in regularly with King’s COVID-19 page on the web.