These Toronto neighbourhoods have the most and least COVID-19 cases

Toronto’s neighbourhoods with the most and least COVID-19 infections have shifted as we head into our second pandemic fall with more and more people getting vaccinated.

Toronto Public Health’s interactive map showing how many COVID-19 cases are reported across neighbourhoods has been available since May 2020, and it’s showed how infections have been unequally distributed throughout the pandemic.

Low-income neighbourhoods and those with higher proportions of essential workers have been hardest-hit throughout the pandemic. But some neighbourhoods initially labelled COVID-19 hotspots have seen infection rates improve thanks to community outreach and high vaccine uptake.

Meanwhile, new infections pop up elsewhere. From August 19 to September 8, these neighbourhoods had the highest case rates:

• Maple Leaf had 227 cases per 100,000 residents
• Broadview North had 226 cases per 100,000 residents
• Caledonia-Fairbank had 201 cases per 100,000 residents

Some of Toronto’s most affluent neighbourhoods are still the ones reporting the lowest rate of infection. These three neighbourhoods had the lowest case rates in the last three weeks:

• Lawrence Park North with 14 cases per 100,000 residents
• Guildwood with 20 cases per 100,000 residents
• Mount Pleasant West with 20 cases per 100,000 residents

Officials say tracking infection data by neighbourhood is still important for planning infection prevention strategies.

“By knowing where those impacted by COVID-19 live, and by assessing other important risk factors, Toronto Public Health is better able to inform preventive actions, identify where proactive testing can be helpful, and take action to reduce virus spread,” the City said when releasing the geographic data.

• See also:
  • 336,000 people need to get vaccinated for Toronto to reach herd immunity
  • Here’s how Ontario’s COVID-19 passport system will work

Toronto’s new COVID-19 cases have plateaued after increasing over the past several weeks. The seven-day moving average now sits at 153 new cases per day.

Toronto Public Health

Right now nearly 84% of Torontonians 12 and over have at least one vaccine dose. City officials want to reach 90% of residents fully immunized to achieve herd immunity against the Delta variant.