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Total sun eclipse
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Safety measures for solar eclipse on April 8, 2024

On Monday, April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will begin at around 2:04 p.m. and last until 4:31 p.m., with the peak occurring at 3:19 p.m. During peak time, most of the sun’s light will be covered by the moon. It is dangerous to look directly at the sun any time – and especially during an eclipse. This can harm your eyes and even cause permanent damage and blindness.

Many schools, daycares and hospitals are taking extra safety measures. Please see below to learn how this impacts the Holland Bloorview community and for links to safety tips from trusted sources.

Impact on Holland Bloorview inpatient and outpatient programs:

  • All inpatient and outpatient appointments and programming will go ahead as scheduled. Any planned outdoor programming will be moved indoors for the length of the eclipse.
  • During bookings and confirmations for appointments on April 8, families will be told about the eclipse and offered options to remain in the hospital for its duration or to discuss alternative arrangements upon request.

 

Impact on Holland Bloorview schools and daycare:

  • Holland Bloorview’s nursery schools will be open in the morning until 11:30 a.m. and will close for the afternoon.
  • Our on-site school, the Bloorview School Authority (BSA), will close early for integrated education and therapy students (IET) with a closing time of 1:30 p.m. BSA will be open for the regular school hours for inpatient clients.
  • Our on-site daycare, Kindercircle, will be open until 5:30 p.m. Children will be indoors with the blinds closed during the eclipse.

 

Additional safety measures at Holland Bloorview and viewing opportunity:

  • Families and children leaving the hospital at the time of the eclipse can opt to stay until the eclipse passes. The first-floor common areas - cafeteria, Coriat Atrium and Grocery Foundation Resource Centre - will be open. Holland Bloorview will also be hosting a viewing event from 2 p.m. to 4:35 p.m. where people can safely watch the eclipse indoors on a TV display in the Coriat Atrium.
  • We are adding signage near the exit doors to remind people to not look directly at the sun during the eclipse.

 

Safety measures for the eclipse as provided by the City of Toronto:

  • Do not look directly at the eclipse at all.
  • If you want to look at the eclipse, only use safe solar eclipse viewers or filters that meet international standard ISO 12312-2.
  • Do not use homemade filters, sunglasses, camera lenses, smoked glass, photographic or x-ray film or other items that are not specifically made for viewing eclipses. This includes devices used in combination with a binocular or telescope to view a solar eclipse.
  • Do not use a viewer or filter that makes the sun look too bright, out of focus or hazy through the device.
  • Do not use the viewer or filter if you’re unsure about its safety or if it is not from a reputable vendor.
  • Keep a close eye on children during a solar eclipse. Their eyes let in more light to the retina than adult eyes, so they are at higher risk of harm if they look at the sun without proper eye protection.

 

Additional resources for information, sharing and to promote solar eclipse safety:

 

Please reach out to your clinical team if you have any questions.