Ontario Is Spending $12.5M To Help 15 Neighbourhoods Hit Hardest By COVID-19

Ontario is making a big investment to support the neighbourhoods hit hardest by COVID-19.

The initiative has been named the High Priority Communities Strategy, and it will aim to expand resources in 15 high-needs communities in Ontario.

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Through this initiative, $12.5 million in funding will be invested to support [...] 15 priority neighbourhoods in Durham, Peel, Toronto, York and Ottawa. Government of Ontario 

Many of these communities are in the GTA, including parts of Brampton, Mississauga, Scarborough and Toronto. Central Ottawa is also included.

The strategy will fund teams of Community Ambassadors who will provide masks, sanitizer, and door-to-door outreach, as well as "culturally appropriate communications" to help community members "combat misinformation and myths."

The province says that the funding will address barriers to COVID-19 testing in these priority areas, and will help to implement rapid testing and expand hours at testing sites.

It will also help to connect neighbourhood residents to essential services and supports such as financial assistance to safely isolate.

In October, Toronto revealed a list of neighbourhoods that have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

Also in October, Ontario began to distribute rapid testing kits to high-priority areas throughout the province. Ford said that they would continue to be distributed widely.