It Wasn't Me

Okay, so the new COVID cases in Canada, Ontario and the Toronto area all jumped yesterday.  But it must have been somebody else.

That little uptick in the Toronto area was courtesy of the usual hot spots, but also where some of the recent protests have been held.

For Ontario.....

...this bump was a result of the continuing problems in the hard hit farming areas of SW Ontario.  In addition to the usual Toronto area hot spots....

And for Canada.....

Well, Ontario, of course, but also some help from our bon amis to the east.

Sometimes this feels like playing Whack-a-mole.  It's exhausting.  It's enough to age you prematurely.

Ain't that the truth......

It's Pretty Cramped In Here

Here is a map of Ontario, with all the areas "re-opening" after COVID lock-downs in blue.

With the rest of us sinners in red.

What's all the whining about? Sure looks like the vast majority of the province is reopening.

Except that those little red areas represent 60% of the province's population.  That's a lot of people crammed into a little area.

No wonder COVID is running around there like a drunken sailor.

And just as the Toronto neighbourhood shaded map (click here for a refresher) didn't convey the differences in rates, here is one for currently active cases in Ontario. [Click to enlarge.]

Wow, those are some spicy meatballs in those read areas.  No wonder they need to be kept locked up.

But let's look at the Toronto area's overall view yesterday anyway.

Hey, couple more days and we'll be there.

And when that day comes, I'll be ready.  With appropriate safeguards, of course......

Ding Ding - Patio Shorts?

New COVID cases in Canada - steady as she goes.  Ontario...?

Wow, finally reached that mythical target number.  For one day anyway.

Can we declare victory and end the patio'less lock-down?

Well.....before we get a bruise patting ourselves on the back, let's consider some other jurisdictions that released the hounds, perhaps a little early.

Texas was looking good....  Yee haa, l'il buddy!

...until they eased the lock-down. 

Damn, y'all know I feel lower than a gopher hole.

And folks down in the Sunshine State were starving for, well, sunshine. Things were looking good once all those snowbird left....

But maybe they should have stuck to getting their sunshine from a bottle. Because after the Memorial Day weekend.....

Ouchie!


California had never been looking good.

And still isn't.


New York State was the basket case for the US for a long time.  But now, looked to have turned the corner.

Will be very interesting to watch as its residents return to a New York state of mind.

And for those in other precincts, close by.....

...New Jersey's trend looks similar to their next door neighbour.  Let's keep an eye on them.

In the meantime, continue with the social distancing and mask wearing. Folks are certainly trying to be helpful.....

Some more than others......

June 10th COVID Stats

So new COVID cases in Canada.....

....continuing their downward trend.  With Ontario looking to have established a new (lower) baseline.

And also look like the GTA also has finally gotten - and read - the memo.

So I just dusted off and tried on my patio shorts.  Oooo..they're nice and snug.

Maybe this lockdown will be over sooner rather than later.

And that may be good as I was reading in the paper today that one journalist was having real difficulty as we enter Week 13 COVID lockdown. 

He said he was thinking of Osama Bin Laden, who was corrnered in his house with his three wives for five years. He said he's now wondering if Bin Laden called in those Navy Seals himself.

Hey!  Don't shoot the messenger.

Okay, One More Bell

Ontario has held the line on new COVID for a few days now.

Canada overall....

Almost seems too good to be true.

I guess all provinces must be pulling the same direction.

And even the GTA!

I guess they want to get in on the bar and restaurant opening party as well.

But even when they do open up, things will never be the same as before.  New procedures and protocols.  But what about washrooms?

Even new etiquette there perhaps.....

But maybe not everyone will be able to look forward to better times.

Let The Bells Ring Out!

Well, at least one bell.

Ontario's COVID cases dropped dramatically (unbelievably?) yesterday.  Almost to the mythical target level.

Even the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) played along.

At least until tomorrow, when we get another "reporting issue".

But until then - release the hounds!  The Ontario government just announced they are allowing bars and restaurants to reopen everywhere.

Oh - everywhere but Toronto.

Toronto will still need to prove that a one day drop is sustainable.  Because there are still lots of "hot spots".  And I don't mean funky after hour clubs.

This chart is published daily by the City of Toronto, showing COVID hot spots.

The darker the colour, the hotter the spot.

But this map does not convey the real magnitude of how hot those spots are.

So here is a chart showing the actual rates of COVID per million population in Toronto's 142 neighbourhoods. [I've aggregated similar rates to a more manageable number.]

[As always, click on any graph to zoom in.]

Incredibly, 17.000, for example, means almost 2% of that neighbourhood has been infected.

As a comparison, New York and New Jersey, the two hardest hit US states, are 20,000 and 19,000 respectively.

The city says the above map was not meant to stigmatize these neighbourhoods, but to identify areas requiring different COVID mitigation strategies.

Often these higher rates are due to large families living in small apartments and low income parents having to commute to work. No tele-working for them.

The city will be soon leasing "isolation hotels" for some of these folks. Because if they do get infected, they have no room to self isolate at home.

But until then, for the rest of Ontario, be on the lookout for suspicious people at your local pubs wearing fake noses and mustaches. 

"Are you from Toronto?"

Sweet Mother Mary

Although the overall trend in Canada's new COVID cases is good....

....and maybe Rome isn't burning, but the greater Toronto area, and specially Toronto itself, is fully inflamed.

Yesterday Toronto itself was responsible for almost half of the new cases in Canada.

But like yesterday, there was another "reporting issue" - responsible for 223 cases.

Can just anybody work at Toronto Public Health?

"Do you have any counting skills?"
"Nope."
"You're hired!"

People love to laugh at Toronto. But the trouble for the rest of you is, that when Toronto sneezes, you all catch a cold.  So nobody is going to have to squeeze into their pre-pandemic patio clothes any time too soon.

Just When You Thought......

....things were going well......

....an uptick in new COVID cases in Canada.  Wonder where that happened?

I don't think you do wonder.

There were more COVID cases reported in the Toronto area yesterday than in the rest of Canada combined.

Some of it, the Ontario Ministry of Health says, was due to a reporting glitch. Oops.

You'd think by now they'd have that sorted out.  But you'd also think by now their cases wouldn't be skyrocketing as well.

There's Something about the GTA

So after showing the downward trend in new COVID cases in Canada yesterday (current chart below showing same continued trend)....

...I showed a chart of Ontario's COVID rate compared to the rest of Canada.  I shouldn't have slagged all of Ontario, though.

Here is the same chart, but showing the greater Toronto area (GTA) compared to the rest of Canada (ROC).

Good God, Maude, what the hey is going on?

(This chart shows cases / million population)

Sure, Ontario is testing more, but the percentage of positive tests is decreasing.

Anyway, before opening up the rest of the province, I think the Premier is going to want to put one of his iron rings around the GTA.  To keep infection in, not out!

[FYI, the Premier had previously said he wanted to put an iron ring around long term care homes to keep infection out.]

There's Something About Maria

Daily COVID cases in Canada continue to trend in the right direction.

[As always, click on any graph to zoom in.]

But this overall view masks something underneath.

If we break out Ontario from the rest of Canada, you get a much different story.....

What's wrong with Canada's largest province?

Ontario used to be the bread basket of Canada.  Now it looks to be more like the basket case.

Well, I guess I'm going to have to put my tightie tight patio shorts in the donation bin and open another bag of Oreo's.

Keep On Keeping On....

COVID cases in Canada continue their downward march.

[As always, click on any graph to zoom in.]


Even Ontario got the memo.

At least for one day.

And this time Toronto only had a third of the cases. As with yesterday, the hard hit farming area was...er...hard hit, again.

Southwestern Ontario's agricultural area had 85 of the province's 338 cases.  In the past they would have had under 10.  Let's hope they can get back to that soon.

And if they do, and the overall trend keeps on keeping on, it may not be long til we all get back to doing what we love to do.

[Another Mr. Boffo from the mind of Joe Martin.]

"Elizabeth, I'm Coming!"

Holy smokes.  There is something wrong with Ontario.

[As always, click on any graph to zoom in.]


Everywhere else in Canada COVID-19 has been effectively contained.

Even disease wracked Quebec seems to have effectively turned the corner.

But Ontario just keeps plodding along.

Usually Toronto is the scofflaw.  With yesterday's 446 new cases, though, they had some help.

A lot of help.

The new cases (in black) look to be spreading like, well, an infection.  All through the farm belt of southwestern Ontario.

This is being attributed to seasonal agricultural workers (migrant workers). Living in tight quarters, working closely together, perhaps afraid to report that they are sick.  But this is starting to cramp my summer plans!

So what do you do....?

If only it was that easy.

[Joe Martin's Mr. Boffo.]