Even the most mundane, everyday activities have become increasingly difficult for people in Toronto thanks to the global health crisis, and that means those experiencing homelessness are having an even harder time than usual.
And while the city is slowly working towards providing housing to all those without it amid the pandemic, the ability to access a washroom and exercise proper hygiene is an area of major concern.
"The ability to practice proper hygiene, including handwashing, is vital to stopping the spread of COVID-19," reads a statement from city councillor Joe Cressy.
"Due to the closure of community and drop-in spaces, some of our most vulnerable, including those experiencing homelessness, now have limited access to washrooms and handwashing facilities."
For this reason, the city has opened sanitation and washroom service locations across the city to provide access to showers, washrooms and drinking water during the pandemic.
In response to this need, we have now opened more Sanitation and Washroom Service locations across the city to provide access to showers, washrooms, and drinking water during the COVID-19 pandemic: https://t.co/YWxGOtlaCS
— Joe Cressy (@joe_cressy) May 1, 2020
The new facilities are located throughout the city and range from portable washrooms and handwashing stations to fully-equipped sanitation and washroom service locations for people experiencing homelessness.
Here are the locations of the new portable washrooms and handwashing stations.
- Alexandra Park, 275 Bathurst St.
- Jimmie Simpson Park, 872 Queen St. East
- Regent Park, 600 Dundas St. East
- Outside Wellesley Community Centre, 495 Sherbourne St.
- Moss Park, 150 Sherbourne St.
- Sunnyside Park, 755 Lake Shore Blvd. West
- Little Norway Park, 689 Queen's Quay West
- Yonge-Dundas Square, 1 Dundas St. East
These locations are cleaned and restocked twice daily, and they're open to anyone in need of a public bathroom.
Here are the addresses of the new sanitation and washroom service locations for people experiencing homelessness.
- Harrison Pool, 15 Stephanie St.
- Wallace Emerson Community Centre, 1260 Dufferin St.
- Regent Park Community Centre, 402 Shuter St.
- Centennial Park Arena (Etobicoke), 156 Centennial Park Rd.
- Commander Arena (Scarborough), 140 Commander Blvd.
- Malvern Community Centre Arena (Scarborough), 30 Sewells Rd.
"Ensuring the ability to physically distance at each Sanitation and Washroom Service location is a top priority. As such, infection prevention and control measures are in place, and City staff are on-site at each location to ensure proper protocols are being followed," notes Cressy in his statement.
"As we work together to fight this virus, it is critical that we ensure our most vulnerable have access to the support that they need, and we will continue to review and adapt our response to these rapidly changing circumstances."
by Mira Miller via blogTO
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