Scarborough courts closed as Crown has presumptive COVID-19 case
Scarborough’s provincial courthouse will be closed Monday after a Crown attorney “received a presumptively positive diagnosis of COVID-19,” according to the deputy attorney general of Ontario. “The employee is in self-isolation,” stated the memo from Irwin Glasberg tol employees at the Eglinton Ave. E. courthouse. The memo instructed all employees to not attend work on Monday. It is believed the courthouse could open later in the week. “This courthouse has recently undergone enhanced cleaning,” stated the memo. “We are closing the Scarborough courthouse as a precaution to allow for a thorough cleaning and help reduce any potential risk of exposure to COVID-19.” Tony Loparco, president of the Ontario Crown Attorneys’ Association, said the employee is a long-time Crown who last worked on March 11. She took scheduled holidays with her husband and two teens but cancelled the trip to the U.S. The woman — in her mid-50s — has suffered severe coronavirus symptoms, including sore throat, relentless coughing, excruciating headaches and a fever. The Crown, who has asthma, has suffered pneumonia and survived breast cancer a few years ago, said Loparco. Chilling St. Mike's sex assault video seen in court for first time Parole violator spared jail for threatening Sun over rap story Serial fraudster bilks lonely widower, who almost lost his home “She was repeatedly frustrated in her attempts to get a COVID-19 test despite her conditions, her vulnerabilities, and was told she wasn’t on the priority list,” said Loparco. “She told the physician she was a front-line worker, who’s in regular contact with the public in her job and that lower courts weren’t closed as Superior Court is,” he added. “She told me she believes her symptoms have plateaued but this was a real eye-opening experience for her on the inability to be tested — even for someone, like her, who has higher risk factors.” Health ministry spokesman Hayley Chazan said “physicians, including those working at assessment centres, make decisions about who should be tested based on their clinical assessment and in recognition of strained global supply of testing kits.” The province recently secured 50,000 additional test kits, which will help ensure more patients can be tested, said Chazan. Ontario is in active discussions with manufacturers and supply chain partners to procure more supplies. “These efforts are being supported by the $50 million for more testing and screening through public health, including additional funding to support extraordinary costs incurred to monitor, detect and contain COVID-19,” said Chazan, who couldn’t comment on a specific case. spazzano@postmedia.com
