Four residents of Mon Sheong Home for the Aged have died in a COVID-19 outbreak at the downtown Toronto facility, officials there said Thursday.

Also known as D'Arcy Home, the facility is located near Dundas Street and University Avenue.

A COVID-19 outbreak was declared at the home in early April, staff said in a news release.

"The situation has aggravated quickly. Currently, there are 16 residents tested positive with four deaths. Two staff members have also been confirmed," the release said.

'A difficult day'

At a news conference on Thursday, Dr. Eileen de Villa, the city's medical officer of health, described the previous day as particularly tough because of the havoc the virus is wreaking on some of the city's most vulnerable patients.

"Yesterday was a difficult day as we learned about the devastating impact of COVID-19 in some of our worst-hit long-term care homes," she said.

"Sadly, a large number of residents are sick and many have died. These people are our parents, they're our grandparents and they are our loved ones."

Dr. Eileen de Villa, the city's medical officer of health, speaking at a news conference on Thursday. (CBC)

While noting that "the fatal impact of COVID-19 on our loved ones in long-term care is becoming painfully clear," de Villa outlined several measures put in place to control outbreaks and to prevent the spread of the disease.

These include:

Initiating twice a day screening of residents and staff to monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and to catch new infections as early as possible.

Implementing physical distancing measures and cancelling all group activities.

Enhancing cleaning, particularly for frequently touched surfaces.

Working with long-term care homes to make sure that personal protective equipment is used appropriately to minimize heath risks.

Restricting staff to only work at one facility during an outbreak to reduce the chance of spread from one facility to another.

1,769 cases of COVID-19 in Toronto

As of 12:30 p.m. Thursday there are 1,769 cases of COVID-19 in Toronto — 1,519 are confirmed and 250 are classified as probable.

There are 174 patients in hospital, 76 of them in intensive care units.

The death toll from COVID-19 in Toronto now stands at 54.

COVID-19 enforcement team working Easter weekend

Mayor John Tory, who also spoke at Thursday's new conference, said strict measures will be in place over the long Easter weekend to stop the spread of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 enforcement team is continuing its work to make sure that people are respecting the city and provincial orders around physical distancing, he said.

"Bylaw and police officers will be out all weekend — Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday — making sure that people know what they need to do to stop the spread of this virus and keep Torontonians healthy," Tory said.

He said bylaw officers spoke to almost 1,000 people on Wednesday alone, while parks, forestry and recreation staff have posted more than 3,000 new no parking signs at closed parking lots, and more than 1,900 new social distancing bylaw signs in the parks.

Mayor John Tory is urging people to stay home this long Easter weekend. (CBC)

"I urge everyone who can stay home, to stay home this Easter weekend. I know it's a more difficult time historically and in terms of people's habits," the mayor said.

"It's hard to be away from friends and family and it's hard not to gather to celebrate but it's what needs to be done in order to save lives.

"I know that the measures that have been put in place have been frustrating for many people," Tory added.

City announces mental health support strategy

Meanwhile, Toronto has developed a mental health support strategy for residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a news release Thursday, the city said measures put in place over the past three weeks to slow the spread of COVID-19 have created stress and anxiety for many individuals, which may be compounded by financial loss and the loss of critical supports.

To assist residents experiencing stress and anxiety due to being isolated, quarantined with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, experiencing financial hardships or other mental health stressors, the city said it has partnered with key mental health service providers to support the mental wellbeing of Toronto's most vulnerable residents during this time.

Residents can call 211 to access support and get connected to one of seven primary mental health service partners for direct phone support.