As COVID-19 continues to sweep across the world and is increasingly making its presence felt right here in Ontario, provincial public health authorities have decided to take an important step in clueing the public into exactly how bad they are expecting this pandemic to get.

At Friday afternoon’s press conference, Dr. Peter Donnelly, the President and CEO of Public Health Ontario, laid out some stark statistics for the people of our province to digest.  The latest models are pointing to a horrific toll if we do not take the directions of health authorities seriously.  Up to 100,000 deaths in Ontario alone are probable over the course of the pandemic if we do not take the recommended action, with as many as 300,000 infections by the end of this month alone.

These are staggering numbers, and they should serve as yet another reminder to us all that we need to be adhering to the measures that public health officials have been drumming into our collective heads for weeks now.  Self-isolate at home if you’re sick.  Wash your hands as frequently as possible.  Observe physical distancing when you need to leave your home for essential services and, last but absolutely not least, companies should be taking every measure possible to ensure that employees can work safely and productively from home, where they pose the least risk to their own health and that of their families, friends and neighbours.

But there was also some good news today.  By taking these directions seriously and bearing down in our efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, Ontario public health authorities are projecting that on our current course, the death toll could be brought down as low as 3,000.  Still not a nice number to consider – but it’s one hell of a lot better than seeing as many as 100,000 Ontarians dead at the end of this all.

Here at Chestnut Park West, we are committed to taking these Provincial guidelines seriously and to playing our part to ensure that the people of Ontario can meet the best-case projections as an outcome in this incredibly difficult time.

As an essential service, Chestnut Park West is also committed to fulfilling our duty to our clients – buyers and sellers who are facing the challenge of closing real estate transactions which, in many cases, were solidified well before anyone knew how serious this pandemic would become.

More good news is that our company was established from the very outset to be able to sustain operations at 100% efficiency even while our physical offices are closed – which they have been since mid-March.  Chestnut Park West’s leadership team, administrative staff and Realtors are fully equipped to work productively from home.

We are serving in this duty to our clients as safely and efficiently as we can – and we are leveraging the most modern and effective technology available to the real estate industry today to make sure that all but the absolute minimum of activity can be handled remotely.

If you or your loved ones find yourselves in a situation where it is no longer possible to delay a change in residence, you can rely on Chestnut Park West to support you with:

  • Complete 24/7 access to your Realtor via universal Microsoft Office 365 email or phone (our main continues to operate remotely during regular business hours, and direct extensions are available via the central directory 24/7).
  • Access to safe, fast and secure electronic signature platforms for signing and timestamping all official documentation.
  • Access to state-of-the-art MatterPort virtual tour programming, an exclusive service which enables potential buyers to interact with and tour your home virtually without ever leaving the safety of their own residence.
  • Our dedicated staff and administrators are standing by to assist with your every need remotely – from in-house graphics, marketing and design, to deal support and more.

As Premier Ford said on Friday afternoon – it remains up to all of us to determine how this story ends.  At Chestnut Park West, we are doing everything we can to contribute to the best outcome possible.

Take care of each other and stay safe.