Hello Toronto! Ford is about to announce new restrictions after we heard from experts about how something has to give to keep hospitals below capacity to provide critical patient care (see buds @jyangstar @katecallen for that). I’ll post here what the changes mean for the city:

These are *current* rules for whole province, including Toronto: https://t.co/xKrVQKwJ2g

It appears we should not expect a full lockdown or curfew. Ford scheduled to speak any minute. I’ll try to make this foolproof but rules are not always clear from initial provincial release
BREAKING: Province now in state of emergency for 28 days. A stay-at-home order is being issued for Thurs. at 12:01AM — everyone must stay home except for essential trips, medical appts. In-person classes in Toronto, several other regions will remain suspended until Feb. 10.
I don’t have full details yet on this order, but stay tuned. Ford calls it a “drastic” measure. “Everyone must stay home to save lives.” He says enforcement and inspections will increase. Workplace inspectors will have powers to disperse people and issue tickets, he says
There will be enforcement blitzes at box-box stores, Ford says.
So basically kids can't go back to class but you can still be out at 1AM even if you don't have an essential job without consequence.
OK, I have finished reading this very disorganized provincial press release and let me save you the trouble https://t.co/eKtY7ahwqy
Here's what's new:
- The main thing is schools in Toronto, Peel, York, Hamilton and Windsor-Essex will remain closed for in-person classes until Feb. 10. This is the biggest update. In regions where classes do resume, Grades 1-3 must wear masks and masks must be worn outside
- "Non-essential" construction must stop but the province doesn't detail what is essential
- You can now only hang out with 5 people outside (down from 10)
- You should wear a mask even outside if you can't socially distance from people you don't live with
- Non-essential stores (this does not include grocers, pharmacies or restaurants) must now open no earlier than 7 a.m. and close by 8 p.m. There were previously no opening hours restrictions
- All employers must ensure that anyone who can work from home, does work from home
As far as I can tell, that's it. At risk of unprecedented case counts and hospitals being overwhelmed to the point workers will have to decide who lives and who dies, this is what the province has implemented.
Here is my story from the weekend on what stricter measures have been tried in other jurisdictions. The only one we're seeing announced today is further school closures. Eviction moratoriums being explored, but not announced today, release says https://t.co/ueprGbXKgt
Here's my story on today's announcement and what it means for Toronto and elsewhere: https://t.co/g5SmyiMENh
The premier's office has sent around what is an essential construction project. It's a long list that includes residential builds that have a footing permit and started before today (that is a lot of projects in Toronto)
If you do not have an essential job or staff a retail store/resto/bar allowed to remain open and are still going to the office, why? I've heard anecdotally about bosses being "old school" and tech/security issues, but we are 10 months into this and I genuinely don't understand.

More from Government

Long thread: Because I couldn’t find anything comprehensive, I’m just going to post everything I’ve seen in the news/Twitter about Trump’s activities related to the Jan 6th insurrection. I think the timing & context of his actions/inactions will matter a lot for a senate trial.

12/12: The earlier DC protest over the electoral college vote during clearly inspired Jan 6th. On Dec 12th, he tweeted: “Wow! Thousands of people forming in Washington (D.C.) for Stop the Steal. Didn’t know about this, but I’ll be seeing them! #MAGA.”


12/19: Trump announces the Jan. 6th event by tweeting, “Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!” Immediately, insurrectionists begin to discuss the “Wild Protest.” Just 2 days later, this UK political analyst predicts the violence


12/26-27: Trump announces his participation on Twitter. On Dec. 29, the FBI sends out a nationwide bulletin warning legislatures about attacks https://t.co/Lgl4yk5aO1


1/1: Trump tweets the time of his protest. Then he retweets “The calvary is coming” on Jan. 6!” Sounds like a war? About this time, the FBI begins visiting right wing extremists to tell them not to go--does the FBI tell the president? https://t.co/3OxnB2AHdr
Canada is failing to act on Climate Change. @wef @WorldBank @IMFNews @IPCC_CH @UNDPGAIN @AntiCorruptIntl @Pontifex @JustinWelby @OCCRP @StopCorpAbuse @TaxJusticeNet @FairTaxCanada @ecojustice_ca @WCELaw @CanEnvLawAssn @envirodefence @IBA_Canada #cdnpoli


Covid recovery money is going to the oligarchy.

Ottawa and the provinces have put very little on the table to help clean-tech companies directly during Covid 19 while targeting fossil-fuel producers with more than $16 billion in aid.

Coast to coast people have demanded treaties be honored. We demanded climate action, divestment and land back but Canada is not listening. This video shows 10 years of rallies in Waterloo Ontario. City & regional council declared a climate emergency. 🚨

The Bank of China (BOC), SNC-Lavalin and WE Charity were recipients of taxpayer-funded the Covid 19 Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS)

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MDZS is laden with buddhist references. As a South Asian person, and history buff, it is so interesting to see how Buddhism, which originated from India, migrated, flourished & changed in the context of China. Here's some research (🙏🏼 @starkjeon for CN insight + citations)

1. LWJ’s sword Bichen ‘is likely an abbreviation for the term 躲避红尘 (duǒ bì hóng chén), which can be translated as such: 躲避: shunning or hiding away from 红尘 (worldly affairs; which is a buddhist teaching.) (
https://t.co/zF65W3roJe) (abbrev. TWX)

2. Sandu (三 毒), Jiang Cheng’s sword, refers to the three poisons (triviṣa) in Buddhism; desire (kāma-taṇhā), delusion (bhava-taṇhā) and hatred (vibhava-taṇhā).

These 3 poisons represent the roots of craving (tanha) and are the cause of Dukkha (suffering, pain) and thus result in rebirth.

Interesting that MXTX used this name for one of the characters who suffers, arguably, the worst of these three emotions.

3. The Qian kun purse “乾坤袋 (qián kūn dài) – can be called “Heaven and Earth” Pouch. In Buddhism, Maitreya (मैत्रेय) owns this to store items. It was believed that there was a mythical space inside the bag that could absorb the world.” (TWX)