After breaking its record for COVID-19 case counts on two consecutive days this week, some are calling on Toronto to change up its messaging in order to reach those who have tuned out of the daily warnings.

Both Mayor John Tory and medical officer of health Dr. Eileen de Villa have been pleading with people to stick to themselves. On Tuesday the city recorded a record-high 727 cases.

Tory regularly points out that while the vast majority of people are following the rules, there are some who he said “just don’t get it.”

This week, Toronto Public Health revealed the results of surveys of those infected with the coronavirus, which reported that one in five respondents admitted they had gone into someone else’s home or had someone in theirs during the period they acquired COVID-19.

Toronto and its public health agency have been running ads for the duration of the pandemic that have primarily been fact-based and focused on public health guidelines. They have recently delved into a more humorous approach with the “Practice Safe 6ix” campaign.

But the ads have largely avoided tapping into emotion or the severity of the pandemic. Psychology professor Steve Joordans thinks that’s a mistake. While many are being rational and following public health advice, many aren’t and that requires a different approach.