Toronto looking to use TikTok to raise awareness of coronavirus to younger people: Tory
Mayor John Tory said that the City of Toronto is looking to use TikTok to raise awareness of COVID-19 to younger people as numbers increase for people ages 39 and younger.
On Wednesday, Tory said that over the last two weeks the age distribution of reported COVID-19 cases continues to shift to younger age groups, with the average age now being 39 compared to 52 — which has been the average for the entire pandemic timeline.
“We cannot let down our guard,” Tory said.
He also mentioned that the City and Toronto Public Health are exploring how they can get the message out to younger people with social media, including TikTok, to reach the younger people who are being more affected by the virus.
The mayor added that cases amongst residents ages 19 and younger and the 20- to 39-year-olds have increased significantly in the last few weeks.
- See also:
“While they are not severely ill and less likely to be hospitalized they can transmit the virus to others,” Tory said.
He noted that many young people live in multigenerational families and service-based workforces, “no one would want to bring back home or give it to their friends.”
It was noted that the main source of transmission in this demographic is by “close contact.”
“Young people feel immortal and invincible. I get it, I remember those days but we must be cautious and follow public health advice.”
Tory emphasized that the message is clear: COVID-19 remains a real risk to young people and everyone they’re in contact with, especially older relatives.
To date, Toronto has 15,622 total cases with 14,194 recovered and 1,164 reported deaths.
Follow Channels and Categories