Opioid-related deaths surged in Ontario after the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, with a total of 2,050 people dying between the months of March and December, according to a report released on Wednesday.
The Globe and Mail David Israelson Published May 13, 2021
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As devastating as it is, the COVID-19 pandemic has opened the door to new ideas for preventing chronic illness and minimizing its rise.
“Just look at what has happened during the pandemic. We have seen scientists and experts come together to tackle a problem quickly,” says Dr. Linda Rabeneck, vice-president of prevention and cancer control for clinical institutes and quality programs at Ontario Health.
“We can use that same kind of energy to solve the problem of chronic disease if we come together and put our minds and resources towards this.”
New maps show how many public indoor spaces Toronto lost this winter
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Toronto has long had a deficiency of safe indoor public spaces for those experiencing homelessness to access during the cold winter season, and a new study demonstrates just how much this issue has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The project, called Changes in informal access to selected indoor public spaces in Toronto and carried out by MAP Centre For Urban Health Solutions, looks at five different types of public indoor spaces 24-hour restaurants, warming centres, libraries/community centres, drop-ins, and Out of the Colds and uses maps to show how many were lost during the 2020/2021 winter season.