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Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Toronto nurse makes desperate plea for face masks and medical supplies

Work is getting scarier and scarier by the day for Toronto's frontline healthcare workers as the global COVID-19 pandemic intensifies locally and protective supplies run out.

Anyone who's ever known one can tell you that nurses have it harder than most. Their jobs are vital, complicated, fast-paced, gruelling and sometimes dangerous, even in times of relative epidemiological peace.

With the highly-contagious 2019 novel coronavirus spreading rapidly in Ontario, many nurses and doctors are now willingly putting their own lives at risk every day to help treat the infected — while wearing old, soiled or even no personal protective equipment.

One nurse who leads a team on the COVID-19 unit at St. Joseph's Health Centre in west Toronto decided to document parts of her shift overnight on Monday in an effort to secure some much-needed gear.

"Whatever you can donate, we're in dire need of supplies at St. Joe's," she said in the first of seven video clips shared on Tuesday with the Liberty Village Residents Association Facebook group.

"We've just been informed we’re going to be out of hand sanitizer soon so I'll be bringing my own in of that also," the nurse continued. "We're running out of masks. It's very discouraging."

"Whatever you can spare, we need it. Our hospital is the underdog and we have so many sick people."

Another video shows the nurse running through the hospital as she prepares to send a suspected COVID-19 patient to the ICU. In a different video, after transferring the patient, she is seen without her cap on.

"It's been a very eventful night," she said to the camera. "I had to throw out my cap because it got contaminated as we were transferring [the patient] over."

It's a scary, but accurate look into the lives of a hospital where stores of personal protective equipment are dwindling, says the nurse, whose name is being withheld at request for privacy.

"We don't want to die keeping others alive. It's like sending soldiers to war without weapons," she said in an interview on Tuesday, noting her emotional distress. "No armour and no weapons."

"I am just trying to do the job I always wanted to do. I shouldn't have to re-use an N95 and reuse a home made face shield," she continued. "I am so mad the we are so disposable to the Ford Government."

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on Monday during a press conference that his government is in the process of "securing massive, massive amounts of new inventory" for hospitals to protect their staff and treat patients.

Canada's federal government likewise pledged $2 billion toward medical supplies for frontline healthcare workers across the country on Tuesday and many community groups have taken up the cause locally with fundraisers, PPE drives and mass donations of supplies.

Some Toronto manufacturers have switched their operations over to produce only masks or hand sanitizer in an effort to help slow the spread of COVID-19, while institutions like Ryerson University and the Toronto Public Library are using their 3D equipment to produce face shields.

Still, with nearly 2,000 cases of COVID-19 now confirmed in Ontario (591 of them in Toronto), nobody knows how long it will take to get the pandemic under control, or how many pieces of personal protective equipment our healthcare workers will need.

In addition to supplies, healthcare workers need people to take social distancing measures seriously.

"We've had deaths... it is in the community," said the St. Joseph's nurse on Tuesday.

"People aren’t taking this home isolation seriously... it's very discouraging since I am literally giving my life right now to keep others safe."

Those with personal protective equipment or medical supplies to donate to St. Joseph's Health Centre at 30 The Queensway can do so by dropping them off at the COVID-19 assessment centre in the Sunnyside Building.

Hospitals all over the city are currently accepting donations of N95 masks, surgical masks, face shields, surgical gowns, gloves and protective medical goggles to keep the heroes fighting this pandemic on the front lines safe from the deadly coronavirus.


by Lauren O'Neil via blogTO
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Toronto restaurant is washing all their cash to ensure it's disinfected for customers

Canadians across the country are more grateful than ever to have washable, polymer money amid the COVID-19 outbreak, and one Toronto restaurant is taking the extra precaution of washing every bill they receive.

Pizza Gigi has been a Toronto pizza staple for more than 30 years now, and they're providing delivery and takeout options for customers throughout the pandemic.

In order to ensure that the cash they give back to customers is as clean and safe as possible throughout this time, they're putting every bill they receive directly into a bucket to be disinfected.

"Went to get a slice of take out at Pizza GiGi (Harbord and Bathurst) and when I paid cash the lady behind the counter pulled out a plastic bucket with soapy water and a little bleach and asked me to put the $5 in the bucket!!" customer Chris Meraw said in an email.

"I asked her why and she said they are washing and drying all cash so when they put the [money] back in the till it's clean when they make change for the next customer."

Money is certainly known to be one of the dirtiest, germ-infested objects out there, and some businesses have decided to no longer accept cash throughout the pandemic in order to reduce the spread of germs. 

But experts have argued that this practice unfairly disadvantages those experiencing homelessness or anyone without access to a credit or debit card, so perhaps thoroughly washing and disinfecting cash is the perfect compromise.


by Mira Miller via blogTO
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Toronto's beloved 24-hour diner Vesta Lunch is re-opening just to give away free food

For the first time in more than 50 years, the 24-hour diner Vesta Lunch has shuttered its doors — but the restaurant says it's re-opening this weekend for a good cause. 

Like most restaurants across Toronto shuttering in light of COVID-19, Vesta has been temporarily closed for the last two weeks as part of citywide efforts to curb the global pandemic. 

But according to Anna Canzona, the daughter-in-law of Vesta's owners, who are currently "stuck overseas", the Dupont diner will be opening its doors once more this Saturday and Sunday to give away baskets of eggs and bread. 

"Since Vesta has been closed we would like to give back to the community and offer eggs and toast to the community for them to make [their] own breakfast at home in honour of Vesta since we can’t flip [their] eggs for them," said Canzona.

"We couldn’t think of a better time to do this."

They're still figuring out details, but Canzona, who also runs La Novela food truck, says Vesta will be giving away six eggs and a loaf of bread from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. this weekend. 

Baskets will be ready for pick-up on a table in front of the store, with the proper pre-cautions set up to encourage social distancing. 


by Tanya Mok via blogTO
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This is what Yorkville looks like in Toronto right now

Yorkville is one of Toronto's swankiest and most pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods, but it's fallen quiet now that everyone is inside social distancing.

A maze of pedestrian-only walkways connects rows of some of Toronto's most high-end restaurants and designer shops, but you're not likely to hear the clip-clopping of stilettos much around here these days.

yorkville toronto emptySassafraz, one of the area's most well-known upscale restaurants and frequent hangout for the stars when they're in town for events like TIFF, closed last week following the request of Ontario and Public Health authorities for restaurants to stop dine-in service.yorkville toronto emptyStores like designer menswear boutique and custom suit shop Nicolas are also closed until further notice.yorkville toronto emptyYorkville's pedestrian walkways often feel like hushed enclaves where you can escape from the busier sidewalks, but nowadays they're downright silent.

yorkville toronto emptyEven the Hazelton, one of Toronto's leading hotels, has suspended operations for safety despite hotels being deemed an essential service.

yorkville toronto emptyCoffee truck Jacked Up Coffee had been open for safe java pickup until recently, but also made the decision to close this week.yorkville toronto emptyFlorist and event designer Teatro Verde that's been in business for over 20 years started out limiting their services to pickup and delivery, but also decided to close temporarily about a week ago.
yorkville toronto emptyCibo Wine Bar has closed for dine-in service, but is still doing delivery and should also be able to pair that with wine.yorkville toronto emptyThose who can't bear to see the pub close down completely during social distancing are in luck in this neighbourhood: The Oxley is still open for contactless pickup of classic fare including ready-to-heat meals.yorkville toronto emptyINK Entertainment has closed all of their venues for the time being, which includes artsy Yorkville Italian restaurant Sofia.

yorkville toronto emptyPerhaps one of the most surreal sights in this particular neighbourhood is storefront windows that have been emptied of all the valuable merchandise that usually on display to be salivated over.yorkville toronto emptyHarry Rosen, a family-run business with a history of over 65 years, has closed all locations and associated retail stores, but they're also offering free expedited shipping and returns on all orders.

yorkville toronto emptyIt's equally eerie seeing all the fine jewels removed from the windows of Yorkville's Cartier store.

yorkville toronto emptyDolce & Gabbana posted a notice saying they'd temporarily closed the store from March 18 to March 31 (although of course it seems like that will be extended now) leaving behind their colourful storefront window backdrop.
yorkville toronto emptyFire & Flower, like a lot of dispensaries, has kept locations open but with reduced hours, though they have also closed some locations in Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge and St. Albert. They're also operating with "Fastlane only" click and collect service.yorkville toronto emptyYorkville's Hermes location has been on full lockdown since March 17, though you can shop online if you find yourself desperately needing a silk scarf or Birkin bag for some reason.yorkville toronto emptyThere are more signs of life as you venture out towards more main streets like Bay and Bloor where the TTC and other essential services are still in operation.


by Amy Carlberg via blogTO
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Momofuku restaurant chain raising money for laid off staff but Toronto employees left out

Restaurants around the world are doing what they can to make ends meet during the coronavirus pandemic —including mass layoffs —  but the ex-employees of the Momofuku's Toronto location aren't happy with how the chain is handling their dismissals. 

Toronto's outpost of Momofuku, the high-end Japanese food brand helmed by celebrity New York chef David Chang, was one of many food industry businesses to conduct temporary layoffs of its staff as dine-in restaurants shuttered in a global effort to curb COVID-19. 

Following the closures of Momofuku restaurants in New York, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles on March 14, scores of Toronto employees were informed that they, too, would be out of a job by the end of the day. 

The announcement initially came as no surprise to most working at the University Avenue restaurant as measures to control the virus began to ramp up worldwide, with the food industry in particular taking a massive hit. 

But what did confuse Toronto ex-employees were social media posts from Momofuku and its owner David Chang sent out on March 20 promoting something called the Momofuku Employee Relief Fund. 

"100% of the proceeds will go directly to supporting our teams who need immediate relief as we navigate this crisis," says the Gofundme page.

To date, the fund has raised more than $65,000 of its $500,000 goal — none of which will go to employees in Toronto. 

In response, a number of Momofuku Toronto's FOH employees penned a letter management and HR department: 

"We read David Change's statement from his Instagram account, that he (and the company) are committed to providing hourly staff's wages until March 20th," wrote staff. "When we received an e-mail from Human Resources there was no mention of this agreement." 

"Many smaller, less financially secured restaurants in Toronto are doing their best to keep staff employed during these times and to continue paying wages, even though many of these restaurants will be significantly more at risk of closure than Momofuku Kojin and will not be open for regular dine-in service."

Aside from asking Momofuku Toronto to honour all wages being lost in light of layoffs, staff also asked that the restaurant consider donating its food left over in the kitchen. 

"...the restaurant is currently stocked with a large amount of perishable foods and we would like to see a commitment to providing these to at risk staff members or to the less fortunate in our community." 

momofuku toronto closed

Some of Momofuku Toronto's staff sent a letter to management regarding the Momofuku Employee Relief Fund. 

In response, Momofuku Toronto sent out a statement outlining the process for staff to access Employment Insurance. It also clarified that all donations to the Employee Relief Fund would only go toward staff in Momofuku's New York, Washington, and L.A. locations. 

"We are by far the most fortunate due to our government actions and our fully funded healthcare," wrote management. "Please remember, our American counterparts are not so lucky so lets put our most positive thoughts to their success through this." 

In New York, more than 300,000 people working in the food industry have been affected by mass layoffs, with jobless claims increasing by more than 1,000% in some areas of the state, according to New York's Department of Labour. 

The state has announced that it's waiving interest and penalties on late sales tax payments, and is offering a zero-interest "disaster loans" of up to $2 million for small bussiness.

Here in Canada, Prime Minster Justin Trudeau announced last week that the Federal government will be launching a precedent-setting payroll subsidy that will, when it comes into affect, cover a whopping 75 per cent of wages to deter eligible businesses from laying off staff.

But as of right now, there's been no mews about how those subsidies will apply to the ex-employees of Momofuku Toronto, or if the company is even elgible at all. 

And according to several Momofuku staff, who asked to remain anonymous, the Employee Relief Fund was both confusing and "embarrassing" for the brand at large, which is backed by investors like billionaire and owner of the Miami Dolphins Stephen Ross.

"Optically, it feels a little gross," says one employee, who has worked with the company since 2013.

"We know it's a very successful, very famous, very well-financed brand. It feels a little uncomfortable, but that’s not to say I'm not happy that it’s being done, because people are going to need money and they don't have the supports we have." 

Another employee, who has worked at Momofuku for two years, says he feels embarrassed that the chain asked for donations from the public, especially when some other smaller companies continue to pay their ex-employees well into April.

"A lot of restaurants may ask for donations if they’re actually helping the community, like delivering food to people in need, and those are small businesses." 

Momofuku's Vice President of Brand and Marketing, Ryan Healeys, says that the employees at Momofuku's Toronto location are not actually employees of Momo Holdings, which is the American company that launched the Relief Fund in the first place. 

"It's not a Canadian company so we needed to come up with a unique solution that benefits the team in Toronto," said Healey.

"We are going to sell Momofuku Toronto gift cards and put that money towards helping people during this tough time. We just have a few more logistics to work through but are racing to get that set up today or tomorrow." 


by Tanya Mok via blogTO
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Little Free Library in Toronto has been transformed into a pantry

Little acts of kindness go a long way in times like these and what better place to house that sentiment than a Little Free Library?

A post on the Toronto Reddit forum showed that one Little Free Library at Boon Avenue just north of St. Clair Avenue West has been transformed into a miniature pantry that includes dry goods and essential items like toilet paper.

The owners removed the reading materials and created a Little Free Pantry, according to a note on the front, encouraging people to "take what you need, share what you can."

The honour system Little Free Libraries use applies to the pantry as well, with the owners asking people to give or take items for those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Similar initiatives have popped up all over North America with many using their tiny front yard library as a way to help out.

The idea of a Little Free Pantry began back in 2016 after Arkansas resident Jessica McClard started a movement to help American states facing food insecurity.

McClard's idea has taken on a whole new meaning during the time of COVID-19 where many have been laid off and are facing financial difficulties. It also functions as a way to share essential items that may be scarce.

Redditors on the Toronto-based post were quick to point out the potential health risks associated with taking the goods, however, while others stressed disinfecting anything brought home before using it.


by Lisa Power via blogTO
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The TTC is asking passengers to avoid these 9 bus routes during rush hour

As many Toronto residents continue to work from home and avoid the TTC amid the COVID-19 pandemic, others have no choice but to use the transit system to get to the jobs that have been deemed essential. 

In light of this, the TTC has identified nine bus routes that are particularly busy during rush hour and they're asking riders to do their best to travel after 7:30 a.m. on these routes. 

"Your route has been identified as very busy before 7 a.m. on weekdays," the TTC wrote of each of the routes on Twitter. "Unless your trip is essential, please consider travelling after 7:30 a.m. to encourage physical distancing. Also, please practice physical distancing at bus stops and on-board vehicles."

Here are the nine bus routes identified as being very busy before 7 a.m. on weekdays. 

  • 123 Sherway
  • 44 Kipling South
  • 102 Markham Road
  • 119 Torbarrie
  • 41 Keele
  • 35 Jane
  • 96 Wilson
  • 165 Weston Road North
  • 117 Alness-Chesswood

The TTC also tweeted general advice for all those who are still taking buses throughout the city.

"We're doing our best to provide as much service as our resources allow," they wrote. "Many routes aren't able to strictly adhere to schedules. Service is allocated with priority to the busiest routes and to ensure all areas of the city have reasonable access to public transit."

The TTC announced several days ago that all bus access would be limited to rear doors in order to protect drivers from contracting COVID-19 from passengers. 

They also said fare boxes for cash, TTC tickets and tokens would no longer be in use and that paper transfers are not being issued for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The TTC has also pledged not to deny service to passengers without Presto cards.


by Mira Miller via blogTO
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