Toronto Public Health vice-chair questions city’s COVID-19 policy
The battle over Toronto public health continues.
On Tuesday, the City announced it would not be expanding its response to COVID-19, including the number of designated cases in communities and staff deployed in the field, and a decision on whether to order home confinement.
In the wake of that move, the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) released a report that highlights Toronto, by law, only has the authority to respond to animal bites and animal cruelty.
The report also states the city is not responsible for the management of public shelters or emergency animal response teams.
The report further states the city has refused to provide data on the number of animal complaints, which is available to the Public Health Ontario.
The City is also responsible for the management of the large animal shelter at the Toronto Zoo, and Toronto Public Health, which is responsible for the Toronto SPCA.
The report states that without this information, it is impossible to determine whether the city has an adequate response to animal protection issues, and whether an adequate and effective animal protection plan is in place.
Toronto Public Health has recently made it clear they don’t believe this is their job as we have not been able to obtain the number of cases that require our response and have not received the necessary information until now.
The City’s public health strategy has been made clear over time.
It is the City’s responsibility to provide the public with the most up-to-date information available and to coordinate with public health agencies where necessary.
The city’s communications have indicated that the move will not have the effect of increasing response efforts, rather that they are not able to provide the information the province or the federal departments had requested.
The City’s public health director of public health, Jennifer Russell, issued a statement explaining the decision, but did not address the issue of