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‘We all keep each other accountable’: How university roommates have handled COVID-19 precautions as Thanksgiving looms

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‘We all keep each other accountable’: How university roommates have handled COVID-19 precautions as Thanksgiving looms

May 10, 2022 , , , , by shlf

In a townhouse near Wilfrid Laurier University, 21-year-old student Ryan Lane lives with his four roommates, and — more often than not — three of their significant others. It is, Lane said, “a pretty packed house.” So, they’ve been trying this fall to keep their bubble tight.

That meant no outside friends, unless the visit was in their yard out back. They have a group chat to coordinate which floor of the house has to be quiet and when, to work with each of their Zoom call requirements and give space when someone has to study or write a midterm.

“We all keep each other accountable, and before we go out and do anything that would be out of the ordinary, we make sure we check with everyone, and make sure everyone’s comfortable,” said Lane.

If they didn’t trust even one or two housemates to follow the rules, the arrangement would fall apart. “This is something we talked about coming into September…I’m not going to come back here if we’re not going to be safe.”

As students approach the first long weekend of the school year, a time when many traditionally head home for Thanksgiving, the Star checked in with several students living in larger houses about how they’ve been managing pandemic precautions and studying from home — as well as the potential risks to their families if they return home from campus for the weekend.

Lane noted that one of his family members is immunocompromised, and that risk had informed his choices about exposure since returning to school — he wanted to be able to visit over the coming long weekend without worrying about harming them.

Each of the students who spoke to the Star said they believed their house was taking public health considerations seriously — though several acknowledged that they’d been inside the same house with more than 10 people since returning to campus.

Other students, in their view, were being less responsible.

“I definitely don’t think people are being safe and taking this seriously at all,” said Cassidy McMackon, a fifth-year student at Queen’s University. “I had a guy on Tinder say, actually, ‘I’m having a party tonight, do you want to come?’”

McMackon pointed to a house party that took place on Sept. 18, which had been connected to at least five COVID-19 cases by Oct. 1.

Some of the individuals associated with that party were Queen’s students, the local public health unit confirmed to the Star. The university said that 20 cases from the “campus community” have been reported to them between Aug. 31 and Oct. 4, including 10 last week.

McMackon said she lives with three other Queen’s students and a member of the military. Three of them had significant others, all of whom had visited — two lived locally and one had been back and forth from Sudbury.

Then there were their friends. “I have one friend who’s come over a couple times, and then there’s been two other people we’ve been seeing,” she said. Two of those friends live together, while the other lived in a separate house. She said she’d visited his home since returning to school, and wasn’t too concerned about exposure to his other housemates.

“I do think the people that are really behaving themselves, for lack of a better word, are suffering,” said McMackon.

Before public health began advising households only to see one another, when circles of 10 were allowed, she said larger houses were unable to have friends over and might be forced to choose how many housemates could see their significant others.

“I think it definitely presents challenges, especially because if (even) one person in the house comes into contact with a COVID case, everyone else is kind of screwed over,” she said.

McMackon said some of her housemates plan to spend Thanksgiving in the GTA, but said she trusted them all to be safe. “I’m not worried about when they come back,” she added.

Toronto Mayor John Tory, on CP24 Monday, urged families not to convene with university-aged kids for the holiday.

“Unfortunately, that is the advice…they’re going to come home into a setting with their parents who might be up into that age range where, you know, there’s a vulnerability there,” said Tory.

But Luke Jin, 21, a student at the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus, said he doesn’t believe that message has been communicated adequately to postsecondary students — including himself.

The first he heard of that advice was from a Star reporter, he said. Lane, too, said he hadn’t heard the guidance about Thanksgiving before being asked about it on Tuesday.

If the rules were “set in stone,” Jin said that he and his housemates would follow them, but his plans until that point had been to visit his family in Ottawa over the coming weekend.

He and his three housemates have been around roughly 15 people recently, he said — including the four of them. All of those friends either lived with each other or on their own, he added.

Earlier in the fall, they’d had events like cookouts at their house, but whittled them back as cases began to climb. “Especially because reading week and Thanksgiving are coming up,” Jin said. “It’s not like we want to pass it to our families, who I guess are higher risk than us.”

Jim Dunn, chair of McMaster’s department of health, aging and society, said it wasn’t surprising to him that Jin didn’t know what the public health guidance was for Thanksgiving. He pointed out that Ontario’s chief medical officer of health last week by advising people to ensure their turkeys were fully cooked.

“What shocks me about the current situation is there seems to be an incredible reluctance to tell people specifically what to do,” Dunn said.

The province has since advised households not to mix during Thanksgiving, with Minister of Colleges and Universities Ross Romano saying Tuesday that students should stay put this weekend.

“They are young adults, and I trust that they will make smart decisions,” he said. “I trust that they are going to respect their own health and safety, and the health and safety of their family and their extended family.”　

Dunn pointed to a as an example of how activities that would be seen as “quite innocent” in usual times could contribute to outbreaks. Eleven cases within the outbreak were linked to three student houses.

If students were living in larger houses, Dunn said there should be clear communication not to interact with anybody else, or travel home to visit family this weekend.

“Have a Thanksgiving with only your roommates,” Dunn said. “That’s one way to manage your risk.”

With files from Ann Marie Elpa and Kris Rushowy

Victoria Gibson is a Toronto-based reporter for the Star covering affordable housing. Her reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. Reach her via email:

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Pandemic models didn’t see COVID-fatigue coming, says one of Canada’s top doctors

Apr 28, 2022 , , , , by shlf

OTTAWA – Mask more. Wash more. Stay home. Keep your distance. Always.

That message hammered into everyone, every day, by every provincial and federal official is a tough sell in the second wave of the .

COVID-fatigue is real.

Now one of Canada’s top public health doctors admits it poses a genuine challenge to officials who are trying to understand how the virus still has the upper hand, and how to engage people to combat it.

Deputy chief public health officer Dr. Howard Njoo mused aloud this week that scientific modellers did not accurately foresee how human behaviour – especially COVID-fatigue — would factor into the rising second wave and be such a tough thing to predict.

Epidemic modelling in the spring predicted a best-case scenario, in which strong infection control measures were in place, would see Canada experience 11,000 deaths over the entire course of the pandemic.

But just nine months after the World Health Organization declared the pandemic, that number has already been overtaken, with one global tracker reporting Canadian COVID-19 deaths at 11,165 as of Wednesday.

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, attributed it to the high number of deaths in long-term care homes.

In the spring, Njoo said, modellers focused on technical variables like attack rate and projections, “and so on and so forth.”

But one thing “we didn’t take into account — and it’s something we’re learning about — is the human behavioural aspect and the fact we’re all suffering COVID fatigue.”

Njoo said people “bought into” the need to wear a face mask and physical distancing in the spring, and by now, they know “there’s a higher risk in terms of closed settings of being exposed.”

But the second wave has been tough.

“How do we get people to understand and appreciate that the situation now is just as severe if not worse compared to what we endured in the spring? That to me is a big learning in terms of the social and behavioural aspect of this.”

Raywat Deonandan, an epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of Ottawa, agrees that there were challenges that made it difficult to forecast just how tough this wave would be.

First, he said, “the degree of anti authoritarianism was not expected, and therefore not included in models” as non-compliance.

Second, “the degree of misinformation and disinformation was not expected, and that directs human behaviour.”

Third, the nature of this disease itself was not expected. Now it spreads by explosive super-spreading events, rather than seeping out uniformly like the flu.”

And finally, Deonandan wrote in response to the Star, “the compartmental nature of human interaction is not included in many models, how most of us only interact with a set number of people in our given lives.”

In an interview Wednesday, Njoo said the coronavirus has challenged both public health modelling and messaging in many ways.

First, he said Canada based its pandemic planning on an influenza pandemic and how a respiratory infectious disease typically behaves. But the novel coronavirus had unique characteristics – for example asymptomatic transmission, and airborne transmission by smaller, not just large, droplets – which were not immediately known.

He pushed back at critics who say Canadians were confused because public health authorities kept changing their advice, saying public health messages on masking and physical distancing had to — and did — evolve along with the science.

“But part of my learning was that we never anticipated that, let’s say even with the wearing of masks and so on, we never anticipated we’d all be doing it for so long.”

That’s where fatigue comes in.

And Njoo doesn’t think its depth as a cultural and social factor was foreseeable.

“This is an unprecedented pandemic,” he said. “Even with H1N1, I don’t think we got into the depth or length of having to deal with it for this period of time.”

Secondly, he notes, this is the first pandemic of the social media era. That makes the spread of “misinformation and disinformation” easier, and challenges health professionals to use behavioural science and social marketing techniques to cut through the noise and the fatigue.

That makes this pandemic different than, say, the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-1919

Liberal MP Kirsty Duncan is an expert in pandemics, the environment and human health, and wrote a book on the Spanish flu. She says it’s hard to compare the two time periods and how pandemic fatigue factors in. In 1918, “the flu came at the end of the (First World War). People had suffered for four years. There was a shortage of medical personnel because doctors and nurses were serving in the war,” she said.

“Things were done differently in different places. Some places had masking, some places closed businesses, other places closed schools. There was no flu vaccine, no antiviral drugs, no antibiotics. Today scientists are working around the clock for preventives.”

Njoo said while we await a vaccine, Canadians need to stick to what works.

He called the #COVIDZero campaign – an idea advocated by some doctors to drive cases down to zero — “a nice, aspirational sort of a goal or objective.”

But he said we need to consider the “practical aspect” or “feasibility” of it, and “balancing all of the sort of unintended consequences of it.”

“I think what needs to happen is maybe a bit of a surgical, targeted approach, maybe a combination of still pushing for people to do the right things in terms of personal behaviour” and, as seen in jurisdictions like Nunavut, short-term lockdowns.

That, and provinces need an aggressive “test-trace-isolate” strategy in place, he said.

Testing “hesitancy” is a hurdle for officials to overcome because people are worried about being stigmatized, facing discrimination or job security challenges. Njoo said some provinces have asked for extra human resources for contact tracing from the federal government but it’s hard to integrate them into local efforts.

At the end of the day, said Njoo, combating COVID-19 relies on individual behaviour.

“It’s not only government or public health authorities alone, leaning on the hammer, that’s going to address this. It’s going to be every single person.”

Tam told reporters Wednesday that another set of federal modelling scenarios will be presented Friday, and she suggested Canadians can still “be successful again if we rapidly get the resurgence under control.”

Tonda MacCharles is an Ottawa-based reporter covering federal politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter:

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Second lockdown ‘not what we want to see’: Anxiety runs high for Alliston business owners as second wave begins

Apr 26, 2022 , , , , by shlf

COVID-19 cases are rapidly re-surging across the province, causing anxiety among many business owners who struggled to make it through the first wave of the pandemic.

So far, the hot spots have been limited to Toronto, Peel Region and Ottawa, but it’s possible Simcoe County could join that list if the virus continues to spread.

In an effort to reduce the cases, these areas were rolled back to a modified version of the Stage 2 restrictions, resulting in the closure of indoor dining at restaurants, gyms and movie theatres.

Gina Facca, chief operating officer of Imagine Cinemas, which operates 10 locations across the province, including one in Alliston, said moviegoers returned this summer to see films like Tenet and Unhinged.

With many new movies having been delayed to next year, the theatre started showing older films, but they didn’t bring in enough people in to cover costs.

The theatre also started offering bubble screenings for small groups or families, but business has still been slow.

“We have a wonderful little cinema in Alliston and we really hope that folks will come out to support us now, when we really need it,” she said.

With Hollywood moving many of the blockbusters to 2021, and the prospect of another lockdown becoming a possibility, she expects it will be very difficult for all cinemas to make it to next year.

Christine Molenaar, owner of the Circle Theatre, called the province’s decision to close theatres in the hot spots “frustrating and disappointing,” noting there have been no known transmissions of the virus in theatres.

She said the theatre will continue to operate until ordered otherwise. Currently, the large auditorium has a capacity limit of 50 people, leaving lots of room to physically distance.

“The Circle Theatre is a beloved landmark to our community and we believe with creative business ideas and community support, we will get through whatever the next months to years have in store for us, but there are definitely challenging times ahead,” she said.

Lori Matthews, manager of Home Decor and More, said the owners decided to close the furniture showroom to the public at the start of the pandemic and focus on online sales.

She said the company was fortunate to have a big online presence before the pandemic started.

“We are just riding it out, and it’s working,” she said.

Dan Barker, operations manager for Anytime Fitness in Alliston, said the gym has been busy since reopening this summer and the business is making a slow, but steady recovery.

“While a second lockdown of all gyms across the province is not what we want to see, we will respect the direction and be ready to welcome back our members again when given the clearance,” he said.

Sandra Lambie, owner of Williams and The Coop Public House and Foodiary, said diners were slow to return to the restaurants since indoor dining was permitted, and sales have dipped again now that the case counts are rising again.

She will have a heated and covered patio at Williams this fall and winter, but there won’t be any outdoor dining at The Coop.

She has been encouraged by the more targeted approach the province is taking, and how Premier Doug Ford has acknowledged the impact these decisions have on business owners and people’s mental health.

“The uncertainty for me is what causes the most anxiety, and having somebody else dictate how you should be running your business,” she said.

Story behind the story: With the province having moved some areas back into Stage 2, Simcoe.com wanted to check in with local businesses to see how they would handle another lockdown in the event Simcoe County becomes a COVID-19 hot spot.

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Today’s coronavirus news: Trump, First Lady test positive for COVID-19; Ontario changes screening guidelines for students; Ford gives PSW workers temporary raise

Apr 1, 2022 , , , , by shlf

The latest news from Canada and around the world Thursday. This file will be updated throughout the day. Web links to longer stories if available.

1:15 a.m.: President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the , the president tweeted early Friday.

Trump’s positive test comes just hours after the White House announced that senior aide Hope Hicks came down with the virus after travelling with the president several times this week. Trump is 74 years old, putting him at higher risk of serious complications from a virus that has now killed more than 200,000 people nationwide.

Trump announced late Thursday that he and first lady Melania Trump were beginning a “quarantine process” after Hicks came down with the virus, though it wasn’t clear what that entailed. It can take days for an infection to be detectable by a test.

Read more here:

11:23 p.m.: U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he and first lady Melania Trump are beginning a “quarantine process” as they await coronavirus test results after a top aide he spent substantial time with this week tested positive for COVID-19.

Trump’s comments came after he confirmed that Hope Hicks, one his closest aides, had tested positive for the virus Thursday. Hicks began feeling mild symptoms during the plane ride home from a rally in Minnesota on Wednesday evening, according to an administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose private information. She was quarantined away from others on the plane and her diagnosis was confirmed Thursday, the person said.

Trump tweeted late Thursday: “The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process.”

Earlier, during a call-in interview with Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity, Trump said: “Whether we quarantine or whether we have it, I don’t know. I just went for a test and we’ll see what happens.”

It can take days for an infection to be detectable by a test, and it was unclear what Trump’s quarantine entailed. Minutes before his tweet, the White House distributed a schedule for Friday that showed he planned to go forward with a fundraiser at his Washington, D.C., hotel and a political rally in Sanford, Fla.

Hicks, who serves as counsellor to Trump, also travelled with Trump to the first presidential debate in Cleveland on Tuesday. She is the closest White House official to Trump to test positive for the virus so far.

9:30 p.m.: Hope Hicks, one of U.S. President Donald Trump’s closest aides, has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Hicks, who serves as counsellor to the president and travelled with him to a rally Wednesday, tested positive Thursday, according to an administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private health information. She is the closest aide to Trump to test positive so far.

The White House did not immediately respond to multiple questions about the last time Trump was tested and whether he and other staffers who spent time with Hicks in recent days will be asked to quarantine.

8:19 p.m.: British Columbia’s top doctor says she’s feeling optimistic as the number of COVID-19 cases in the province levels off.

The slowdown comes as B.C. conducted a record 10,899 tests over a 24-hour period in what Dr. Bonnie Henry calls an “incredible feat.”

Of those record tests, 82 people were diagnosed with the virus, a rate Henry said was very low, representing 1 per cent of positive cases.

Henry says that’s an indication that contact tracing is contributing to the levelling off of cases.

One more person has died, bringing the pandemic death toll to 235 people in B.C.

The total number of cases diagnosed in the province is 9,220, while 7,695 people are considered recovered.

7:13 p.m.: Hamilton Public Health has declared a outbreak at KOI Restaurant on Hess Street South after two confirmed cases were linked to the establishment.

HPH is advising anyone who was at the restaurant on Sept. 20 to self-monitor for symptoms.

6:44 p.m.: U.S. President Donald Trump cancelled a planned appearance in western Wisconsin amid calls from the city’s mayor and the state’s governor, both Democrats, that he not hold a rally due to a surge in coronavirus cases.

The director of the La Crosse airport said the event was cancelled due to a lease issue, not concerns over the coronavirus.

Wisconsin ranks third among states for per-capita increases in cases over the past two weeks. State health officials reported 2,887 newly confirmed cases on Thursday, a new daily record, along with 21 more deaths. The state has now seen 125,161 cases and 1,348 deaths since the pandemic began.

Trump replaced the La Crosse rally with one in Janesville, about 280 kilometres away, where the virus is not spreading quite as rapidly. He’s also holding a rally Saturday in Green Bay. Both will be outside at airports. Trump’s decision to visit Janesville prompted authorities there to also request that Trump reconsider.

6:09 p.m.: The RCMP has eased restrictions that sidelined bearded officers, including some Sikh and Muslim members, from front-line policing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Difficulties with properly fitting a mask over religiously mandated facial hair meant some Mounties have been assigned to desk duty in recent months.

That prompted the World Sikh Organization of Canada to press the government to come up with a solution.

The RCMP says affected members across the country may return to operational duties, with a mask, under certain circumstances. Bearded members will be sent out to calls only if the risk of exposure is low or multiple responding officers will be present.

5:53 p.m.: The TDSB says five cases of COVID-19 have been identified in students at Martingrove Collegiate Institute in Etobicoke.

In a letter to parents Thursday, the board said: “It would appear that the five cases are linked to an event that took place in the community on Saturday, September 19th.

“To date, there is no evidence to support the transmission of the virus is connected to the school. However, as a precaution, the students are currently self-isolating and (Toronto Public Health) has reached out to those who may be impacted and has placed two cohorts in self-isolation.”

It wasn’t clear if two previous cases were part of that tally. A total of 447 school-related cases have been reported across the province since school resumed in September, as of Thursday morning.

4:53 p.m.: Nova Scotia will become the latest province to adopt the federal government’s COVID-19 smartphone application, Premier Stephen McNeil confirmed Thursday.

“We’re signing off on it,” McNeil told reporters following a cabinet meeting. “It will be one piece of how we deal with the issue of COVID.” He said the application will available in the near future. Nova Scotia currently has two active cases of COVID-19.

3:21 p.m.: Carnival Cruise Line is cancelling most U.S. sailings through the end of this year, the latest sign that the cruise industry’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic could still be many months away.

The company said Thursday it is cancelling sailings from all ports except its home ports of Miami and Port Canaveral, Fla. Carnival said it will focus its initial return to operations on those two ports, but it stressed that it still might not sail from those ports in November and December.

2:41 p.m.: Ontario is changing its COVID-19 symptom screening guidance for the province’s schools and child-care centres.

The province is now asking parents to keep their children home from school for 24 hours if they have either a runny nose or headache.

If a child has both of those symptoms they are asked to consult a health-care provider or have a COVID-19 test before returning to school or child care.

Previously, the government had asked that children with either single symptom stay home until they received a negative COVID-19 test or other medical diagnosis.

Ontario is also removing abdominal pain or conjunctivitis from its screening list.

Earlier this month, British Columbia removed 10 symptoms from their school screening sheet including runny nose.

2:32 p.m.: Quebec restaurants and bars forced to close today as part of a partial lockdown to limit the spread of COVID-19 will be eligible for forgivable loans to cover certain fixed costs.

Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon says the loans can cover expenses including municipal taxes, mortgage interest, electricity and rent that are not covered by an existing federal program.

Up to 80 per cent of the amount — to a maximum of $15,000 — will not have to be repaid if conditions are met.

The new, 28-day restrictions also cover indoor and outdoor private gatherings, though Premier Francois Legault and public health director Dr. Horacio Arruda told reporters that Quebecers — and police — will have to use their judgment when it comes to deciding what constitutes an outdoor gathering.

2:24 p.m.: Health Canada has given the green light to a rapid test for coronavirus, but experts say people shouldn’t expect the testing backlog — and lineups — will disappear anytime soon.

“It’s sort of sold as reducing the backlog,” Dr. Zain Chagla, an infectious disease specialist with McMaster University, said about the newly approved ID Now test. “I’m uncomfortable with this. I don’t think this is going to significantly reduce the backlog by any means.

“It is nice to have another tool to get people tested, but this is probably not the test that’s going to change the provincial testing queues altogether.”

2:18 p.m.: Manitoba health officials have announced 36 new COVID-19 cases, 28 of which are in Winnipeg.

The province has also announced the federal government’s COVID Alert app is now up and running in Manitoba, joining other provinces such as Ontario and Saskatchewan.

The smartphone uses Bluetooth technology to detect when users are near each other.

If a user tests positive for COVID-19, they can choose to let other users know about potential exposure risk without sharing any personal information.

2:36 p.m.: The government’s representative in the Senate is promising to introduce tomorrow a motion to hold hybrid sittings of the upper house during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sen. Marc Gold’s promise clears the way for the Senate to deal swiftly with a bill authorizing new benefits for workers left jobless or underemployed by the health crisis.

Frustration over the Senate’s failure to find a way to resume full operations in the midst of the pandemic prompted some senators Wednesday to block Gold’s attempt to speed Bill C-4 through the chamber.

The bill replaces the now-defunct Canada Emergency Response Benefit with a more expansive employment insurance regime and three new benefits for those who don’t qualify for EI, fall sick or have to stay home to care for a dependent.

It was passed unanimously in the House of Commons in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The Senate has sat only occasionally and briefly since mid-March to pass emergency aid legislation; many senators want to adopt a format similar to that now being used in the Commons, with members able to participate in all proceedings, including votes, either in person or virtually.

2:05 p.m.: Ontario says it will give pay raises to personal support workers throughout the health-care system in a bid to recruit and retain them during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Premier Doug Ford says about 147,000 workers in long-term care, hospitals, and community care are eligible for the increase.

Personal support workers in long-term care and community care will be eligible for a $3 an hour pay increase, while hospital PSWs will see a $2 an hour pay hike.

The temporary increase will cost the government $461 million, begins today and will expire in March 2021.

Ford says he has not ruled out continuing the pay raise next year.

Advocates in the long-term care and home care sectors have said low pay has contributed to PSW shortages before and during the pandemic.

2 p.m.: A group of homeless people living in Toronto encampments are telling a court it’s safer to live in tents than be forced to stay in shelters or hotels far away from services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The group, which includes 14 people living in encampments as well as activists, is seeking an interim order allowing homeless individuals to stay in city parks until a constitutional challenge of a bylaw is heard.

The bylaw bans living or camping in parks after midnight.

The group says the city’s threats to remove them from parks violates their charter rights, and says the city’s attempts to clear the camps is cruel.

The city argues that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms does not entitle members of the group to live in parks.

It says it has worked hard to make shelters safer during the pandemic and has found temporary or permanent homes for hundreds living in encampments.

Since the pandemic began, hundreds of people have fled shelters out of fear of contracting COVID-19 and have been living outside.

There have been 649 cases of COVID-19 in the city’s shelter system and five deaths.

1:54 p.m.: New York Gov. Cuomo unveiled a new smartphone app on Thursday that alerts users if they’ve been within 6 feet of a person who has tested positive for the virus.

The app, called “COVID Alert NY,” employs Bluetooth technology to record whenever users come within proximity of each other, though Cuomo cautioned on a conference call with reporters that it’s anonymous and collects no personal or geographic data.

“It doesn’t give any names, doesn’t give any privacy information,” the governor said.

The technology only works if a person who tests positive downloads the app and registers the COVID-19 diagnosis.

In turn, the app retroactively alerts other users who have recently been within 6 feet of the infected person for more than 10 minutes.

“It’s voluntary,” Cuomo said. “You have to download the app, but it’s a great tool that alerts you if you happen to be within 6 feet of a person who tests positive.”

He added, “It’s going to give people comfort.”

1:52 p.m.: About 2,000 Honduran migrants hoping to reach the United States entered Guatemala on foot Thursday morning, testing the newly reopened frontier that had been shut by the coronavirus pandemic.

Authorities had planned to register the migrants as they crossed and offer assistance to those willing to turn back, but the group crossed the official border at Corinto without registering, according to Guatemala immigration authorities. Outnumbered officials made no attempt to stop them.

Before the crossing happened, Edwin Omar Molino, a 17-year-old from Cortes, said he wanted to leave Honduras because he couldn’t find work. He blamed President Juan Orlando Hernández for running the country into the ground.

“Even when you want to find a job, there aren’t any. That’s why we leave our country,” Molino said.

“There’s the pandemic, and it scares me,” he added. But he said he wouldn’t be able to help his family get ahead without taking the risk.

Central American migrants began travelling in large groups in recent years, seeking safety in numbers and in some cases avoiding the cost of smugglers. Calls for a new migrant caravan to leave Oct. 1 had circulated for weeks on social media.

1:25 p.m. Canadian chef Susur Lee’s Lee Restaurant has closed after an employee contracted COVID-19.

The restaurant announced its temporarily closing Thursday afternoon in to customers.

The employee’s last shift was on Sept. 23 and they have been self-isolating since.

“We have decided to focus on takeout and delivery in consideration of our staff and guests safety and well-being,” the notice said.

1:15 p.m. Labour leaders are calling on Ottawa to provide immediate financial aid and rapid viral testing to an airline industry devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The heads of two pilots’ unions and Unifor asked the federal government on Thursday to offer carriers loans totalling $7 billion.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has created a crisis in Canada’s aviation industry unlike anything seen before, and recovery may be years away,” said Tim Perry, head of the Air Line Pilots Association’s Canadian branch.

The 10-year credit plan being requested would include loan guarantees and direct financial aid but no grants, and would be commensurate with the support extended by other countries, they said.

The unions also asked Ottawa to back approval and deployment of rapid COVID-19 tests for passengers as a step toward easing travel restrictions and quarantine rules.

1:08 p.m. The Ontario government says it will give 147,000 eligible personal support workers a “much deserved pay raise.” It’s $3 per hour extra for most personal support workers, $2 more per hour for PSWs in hospitals. This is until March 2021.

12:40 p.m. Ottawa is in negotiations with all remaining provinces that have not yet adopted the national COVID Alert app.

Manitoba is live Thursday, and Quebec is to follow in the next few days.

Marika Nadeau, with the COVID Alert task force, says British Columbia, Alberta, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island are in the final stages of discussions as well.

Nadeau says as of today, 610 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 used the app to alert close contacts.

Most of those were in Ontario, but a few were in Saskatchewan.

That is less than five per cent of positive cases in Ontario since the app went live at the end of July, but Nadeau says every time the app is used is helpful to slowing the spread of COVID-19.

12:07 p.m. Quebec is reporting 16 new deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus as its two biggest cities enter a partial lockdown.

Health officials said today two deaths occurred in the past 24 hours, 12 occurred between Sept. 24-29 and two took place before Sept. 24.

Quebec has reported a total of 5,850 deaths linked to the virus.

The province reported 933 new COVID-19 infections Thursday, for a total of 75,221 cases since the beginning of the pandemic.

Hospitalizations increased by 13 compared with the prior day, for a total of 275, with 46 people in intensive case, a rise of three patients.

Starting Thursday, indoor and outdoor gatherings are banned across Montreal and Quebec City, while bars and other venues in those cities are closed, as the government tries to limit the spread of COVID-19.

12:03 p.m. A worker at a Brampton Fortinos grocery store recently tested positive for COVID-19.

According to the COVID-19 tracker from parent company, Loblaws, the employee works at the and tested positive on a presumptive test.

Management was notified of the case on Sept. 30 and the employee’s last day of work was Sept. 21.

As with every positive case, each location goes through a deep clean and sanitization.

Two other employees at Loblaws-owned stores in Brampton have recently tested positive for COVID-19 as well.

On Sept. 29 a case was identified at the Mountainash Road Shoppers Drug Mart and on Sept. 26 a case was identified at the Real Canadian Superstore on Steeles Avenue.

10:52 a.m. Madrid and its suburbs prepared Thursday to enter a soft lockdown that restricts trips and out of the Spanish capital following a weeks-long political turf fight that experts say has prevented an effective response to the coronavirus in Europe’s latest infection hot spot.

Regional President Isabel Díaz Ayuso said she would implement new national health regulations that impose restrictions on movement and business and social activity in large Spanish cities with high infection rates while Madrid also mounts a legal challenge to the national government order requiring the measures.

The Spanish Health Ministry’s new standards give the country’s 19 regions two days to cap social gatherings to a maximum of six people and limit shop and restaurant hours in large cities that have recorded a 2-week infection rate of 500 cases per 100,000 residents or above. The regulations also mandate restrictions on entering and leaving such cities.

10:37 a.m. (updated) Another 538 Ontario residents have contracted COVID-19 as the backlog of tests in labs grew to 82,473 — double the daily capacity of the processing system — leading to further delays in getting results to people.

The new infections reported Thursday were down from 625 on Wednesday, when health officials warned the increasingly rapid spread of the virus because of lax pandemic precautions is propelling the province toward 1,000 new cases daily in early October, with the number of infections doubling every 10 to 12 days.

There were three new deaths for a total of 11 since Monday, according to the report from the Ministry of Health.

Two statistics suggested the virus is broadening its grip. The percentage of people under 40 testing positive has decreased to 60 per cent, meaning cases are increasing in older age groups more likely to need medical care. As well, 10 of the province’s 34 public health units reported no new cases, down from about 18 daily through most of the summer.

10:18 a.m. The NFL postponed Sunday’s Pittsburgh Steelers game at Tennessee until later in the season after one additional Titans player and one personnel member tested positive for COVID-19.

The announcement Thursday came one day after the league said it hoped to play the game on Monday or Tuesday. The NFL said a new game date would be announced “shortly.”

“The decision to postpone the game was made to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel,” the league said. “The Titans facility will remain closed and the team will continue to have no in-person activities until further notice.”

On Tuesday, the Titans (3-0) placed three players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, including key players defensive captain and lineman DaQuan Jones and long snapper Beau Brinkley. Outside linebacker Kamalei Correa became the fourth on that list Wednesday.

With the two new cases, the Titans’ total is now 11: five players and six other organization members. That doesn’t include outside linebackers coach Shane Bowen whose positive result came back last Saturday, preventing him from travelling with Tennessee to Minnesota for a 31-30 win.

10:07 a.m. South Africa has reopened to international flights, ending a more than six-month ban on international travel that was part of its restrictions to combat the spread of COVID-19.

A Lufthansa plane from Germany was the first international flight to arrive Thursday morning at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport. Flights from Kenya, Zambia, and Zimbabwe quickly followed. Airports in Cape Town and Durban have also resumed international traffic.

Travellers arriving on international flights must provide a negative COVID-19 test issued no more than 72 hours before their departure.

South Africa still maintains restrictions on international travel. Tourists are not permitted from a list of more than 50 countries, including Russia, Britain and the U.S, which are deemed high risk because of their levels of COVID-19 cases. The list will be reviewed every two weeks.

Travellers must also have proof of travel insurance to cover a COVID-19 test and quarantine costs, should they have symptoms during their visit.

9:40 a.m. Unemployment rose for a fifth straight month in Europe in August and is expected to grow further amid concern that extensive government support programs won’t be able keep many businesses hit by coronavirus restrictions afloat forever.

The jobless rate increased to 8.1 per cent in the 19 countries that use the euro currency, from 8 per cent in July, official statistics showed Thursday. The number of people out of work rose by 251,000 during the month to 13.2 million.

While Europe’s unemployment rate is still modest compared with the spike seen in many other countries, economists predict it could hit double digits in coming months as wage support programs expire. A resurgence in infections in many countries has meanwhile led to new restrictions on businesses and public life may that may have to be broadened and could lead to more layoffs.

European governments have approved trillions of euros to help businesses, setting up or bolstering programs to keep workers on payrolls.

9:13 a.m. Managing through this next phase of the pandemic, when the adrenalin of the initial crisis has long worn off and there’s no finish line yet in sight, is going to take a new level of adjustment for.

We’ve hit what Aisha Ahmad, a University of Toronto associate professor of international security described as “the six-month wall” — just as we levelled up the uncertainty of COVID-19 living with our kids returning to school.

Drawing on experience living in disaster zones while conducting field research in places such as Afghanistan and Somalia, Ahmad defined the six-month wall as a slump she inevitably hit when her desire to escape or “make it stop” was overwhelming. Inevitably, however, it passes after a few weeks, she explained. The key is to be gentle with ourselves while we do some resetting that will get us through the months ahead.

“Just don’t expect to be sparklingly happy or wildly creative in the middle of your wall,” she wrote. “Right now, if you can meet your obligations and be kind to your loved ones, you get an A-plus.”

9:02 a.m. On his first day of school this month, nine-year-old Lionel was nervous and excited — a combination as old as time when September rolls around. Excited, because he wanted to know who his teacher would be for the fourth grade. But his nerves weren’t about new classmates, harder lessons or other typical adjustments to .

“I felt nervous because I didn’t want to get COVID-19,” Lionel wrote in a journal entry during his first week back to class. He described, on the page, the things that had changed since last year. “We have to wear masks, some of my friends left and when we go to the classroom we can’t go straight to our chair, we have to go in a circle wash my hands and then go to our seat.”

The main target of his ire was wearing a mask during school hours, evident in all capital letters: “I DO NOT LIKE IT AT ALL!!!”

But other frustrations showed through, too: “I have a hard time social distancing because I want to play with my friends.”

Lionel is one of more than a thousand children living in Toronto’s shelter system during the pandemic. Following a , where families and kids in shelters revealed their struggles keeping up with online learning this spring, the Star invited Lionel and several other kids living in shelters to keep journals of their first week back to class.

8:48 a.m. The Italian league soccer match between Genoa and Torino on Saturday has been postponed because 15 players and staff at Genoa tested positive for the coronavirus. Local health authorities in Genoa have banned the team from training. The league did not immediately set a new date for the game.

Genoa already had last weekend’s game at Napoli postponed for several hours while players awaited test results.

8:46 a.m. Turkey stopped announcing all of its coronavirus cases months ago and has instead been disclosing only the number of “patients” who test positive and show symptoms.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca acknowledged the change on Wednesday, as he responded to an opposition lawmaker’s claims that the government has been vastly understating the number of COVID-19 infections. His remarks outraged medical groups who have accused the government of fueling the country’s outbreak.

The decision to stop counting people who are infected but don’t need treatment was made because of the high number of asymptomatic cases detected by widespread testing, according a person with direct knowledge of the matter. It was made shortly before the ministry on July 29 tweaked the wording in its COVID-19 updates to report new “patient” numbers instead of new “cases,” the person said.

8:40 a.m. Russian health officials reported nearly 9,000 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, one of the largest increases in months.

The 8,945 cases are almost twice as many as health officials were registering in late August. The new cases brought the country’s total to more 1.18 million, fourth highest in the world. There have been 20,796 confirmed deaths — 12th highest globally — according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Despite the increases, authorities have repeatedly dismissed a second lockdown or other major restrictions. However, Moscow officials last week asked the elderly to stay at home, and employers to allow people to work from home. The mayor of Moscow also extended school holidays that start Oct. 5 to two weeks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday urged Russians to remain vigilant.

8:39 a.m. Elora’s annual Monster March Halloween parade has been cancelled, but the downtown monster displays are still going up and other events are moving forward.

Kirk McElwain, chair of Sensational Elora who own and manage the displays, confirmed the Monster March parade is cancelled and are trying to develop an alternative virtual event but nothing is finalized yet.

However, Tim Murton’s Twilight Zoo sculptures are still going up and McElwain said it will be a bigger and better display than usual.

“We normally charge local businesses for putting up the monster on their building,” McElwain said, explaining that it covers storage and repairs.

“This year we’re doing it all for free just as a thank you to the businesses because of COVID and how it may have affected some businesses.”

This resulted in many businesses willing to go ahead with having the displays on their building or property.

All of October would normally be packed with events in Centre Wellington for Monster Month but many have also been cancelled this year.

8:31 a.m. India on Thursday reported 86,821 new coronaviruses cases and another 1,181 fatalities, making September its worst month of the pandemic.

The Health Ministry’s update for the past 24 hours raised India’s total to more than 6.3 million people infected and 98,678 dead from COVID-19. India added 41 per cent of its confirmed cases and 34 per cent of fatalities in September alone.

India is expected to become the pandemic’s worst-hit country within weeks, surpassing the United States, where more than 7.2 million people have been infected.

The government announced further easing of restrictions to start Oct. 15. Cinemas, theatres and multiplexes can open with up to 50 per cent of seating capacity, and swimming pools can also be used by athletes in training.

The government also said India’s 28 states can decide on reopening of schools and coaching institutions gradually after Oct. 15. However, the students will have the option of attending online classes.

International commercial flights will remain suspended until Oct. 31. However, evacuation flights will continue to and from the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada, France, Japan and several other countries.

8:14 a.m. Health Canada has given the green light to a rapid test for , but experts say people shouldn’t expect the testing backlog — and lineups — will disappear anytime soon.

“It’s sort of sold as reducing the backlog,” Dr. Zain Chagla, an infectious disease specialist with McMaster University, said about the newly approved ID Now test. “I’m uncomfortable with this. I don’t think this is going to significantly reduce the backlog by any means.

“It is nice to have another tool to get people tested, but this is probably not the test that’s going to change the provincial testing queues altogether.”

Ottawa announced Wednesday it approved the test developed by Abbott Laboratories, which can deliver results in less than 15 minutes of a patient being swabbed, without having to first send the sample to a lab for processing.

8:03 a.m. The Canadian economy faces a long, slow recovery from , and some industries are never bouncing back to where they were, according to a new forecast from a business think tank.

The prediction, from the Conference Board of Canada, says things won’t get back to anywhere close to normal until there’s to battle COVID-19, likely sometime next June.

“Until we’re seeing COVID fully behind us, it’s going to be a rough ride. We won’t see a complete recovery until there’s a vaccine and this has been brought under control. The biggest risk is if a vaccine ultimately isn’t found,” said Conference Board chief economist Pedro Antunes in an interview.

8:02 a.m. Touted as one of the only things that could finally bring the pandemic to heel, anticipation for a COVID-19 vaccine is building.

But while Canadians wait, thousands of drug company employees, government officials and front-line workers in China are reportedly already rolling up their sleeves.

To back up a step, or 10, there are serious questions about the safety of those vaccines and the willingness of the test subjects. But with several Chinese companies claiming their vaccines could clear clinical testing as early as the question is being asked. Could China win the vaccination race and, if so, what does that mean for Canada and the rest of the world?

8 a.m. In what’s being called a “shocking” misuse of personal health information, Ontario police services made unauthorized searches of the province’s first-responder data portal — including querying entire postal codes to find active cases of the virus, according to documents obtained by two civil rights groups.

In a memo addressed to all police chiefs in June, Ontario’s Ministry of the Solicitor General said an audit of the COVID-19 database — a and now-shuttered portal for first responders — revealed “many” searches violating the province’s directive that the tool be used cautiously and with precision.

The audit raised “concerns that the portal is being used beyond the express purpose that the government intends,” wrote Richard Stubbings, assistant deputy minister of the public safety division, in a June 11 letter.

Among the unauthorized searches listed: “broad-based” municipal searches with no specific address, including queries of postal codes or of another municipality, and searches of a specific name unrelated to an active call for service.

7 a.m. The U.S. government will provide its latest picture Thursday of the pace of layoffs which have remained high as some sectors of the economy have rebounded since the viral pandemic erupted in March while others remain depressed.

The still-elevated number of people seeking unemployment benefits each week reflects an economy that has recovered only about half the 22 million jobs that were lost to the pandemic. Many employers, especially small retailers, hotels, restaurants, airlines and entertainment venues, are still struggling. And millions of Americans are facing unemployment with vastly diminished aid since the expiration of a $600-a-week federal benefit this summer.

At the same time, some newly laid-off people are facing delays in receiving unemployment benefits as some state agencies intensify efforts to combat fraudulent applications and clear out backlogged claims. California, the largest state, has stopped processing new applications for two weeks as it seeks to reduce backlogs and pursue suspected fraud.

6:31 a.m.: The U.S. government will provide its latest picture Thursday of the pace of layoffs in the country, which have remained high as some sectors of the economy have rebounded since the viral pandemic erupted in March while others remain depressed.

The still-elevated number of people seeking unemployment benefits each week reflects an economy that has recovered only about half the 22 million jobs that were lost to the pandemic. Many employers, especially small retailers, hotels, restaurants, airlines and entertainment venues, are still struggling. And millions of Americans are facing unemployment with vastly diminished aid since the expiration of a $600-a-week federal benefit this summer.

At the same time, some newly laid-off people are facing delays in receiving unemployment benefits as some state agencies intensify efforts to combat fraudulent applications and clear out backlogged claims. California, the largest state, has stopped processing new applications for two weeks as it seeks to reduce backlogs and pursue suspected fraud.

5:25 a.m.: The Israeli government has approved a measure to limit protests and worship to within a kilometre (mile) of a person’s home, a controversial step to curb the spread of the coronavirus that critics say is aimed at quashing weekly protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Cabinet also approved late Wednesday a three-day extension of the country’s nationwide lockdown, imposed Sept. 18, until Oct. 14.

Defence Minister Benny Gantz defended the protest measure in an interview with Israel Radio, saying that at the moment there was “a need for a postponement” in the demonstrations to halt the spread of the disease. He said the lockdown would likely remain for several more weeks.

Israel has seen a major increase in the number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, and reached a new daily high of nearly 9,000 on Thursday.

5:23 a.m.: Rolls-Royce Holdings plans to raise 2 billion pounds ($2.6 billion) by selling shares to existing investors after airlines around the world cut flights in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, slashing revenue for the jet-engine maker.

The London-based company said Thursday it also plans to raise at least 1 billion pounds by selling bonds, and it may increase borrowing by up to 2 billion pounds.

The financing package comes after the company earlier this year announced plans to cut at least 9,000 jobs and reduce costs by up to 1.3 billion pounds by the end of 2022. About 4,800 people had left the company by the end of August.

Chief Executive Warren East says, “the capital raise announced today improves our resilience to navigate the current uncertain operating environment.”

5:19 a.m.: Singapore will allow entry to travellers from Vietnam and Australia, excluding its coronavirus hot spot Victoria state, from Oct. 8.

The tiny city-state last month welcomed visitors from Brunei and New Zealand, and is cautiously reopening its borders after a virus closure to help revive its airport, a key regional aviation hub. The aviation authority has said there is a low risk of virus importation from the two countries.

Travellers must undergo a virus swab test upon arrival, travel on direct flights without transit and download a mobile app for contact tracing. Singapore’s move is not reciprocated by the other four countries.

5:14 a.m.: India on Thursday reported 86,821 new coronaviruses cases and another 1,181 fatalities, making September its worst month of the pandemic.

The Health Ministry’s update for the past 24 hours raised India’s total to more than 6.3 million people infected and 98,678 dead from COVID-19. India added 41% of its confirmed cases and 34% of fatalities in September alone.

India is expected to become the pandemic’s worst-hit country within weeks, surpassing the United States, where more than 7.2 million people have been infected.

The government announced further easing of restrictions to start Oct. 15. Cinemas, theatres and multiplexes can open with up to 50% of seating capacity, and swimming pools can also be used by athletes in training.

The government also said India’s 28 states can decide on reopening of schools and coaching institutions gradually after Oct. 15. However, the students will have the option of attending online classes.

5:07 a.m.: Three Quebec regions face partial lockdown measures starting today after reaching the highest COVID-19 alert level earlier this week.

People living in the greater Montreal, Quebec City and Chaudiere-Appalaches region south of the provincial capital will live with the new restrictions for at least 28 days as the province tries to get COVID-19 cases under control.

Bars, casinos, concert halls, cinemas, museums and libraries are to be shuttered in those regions and restaurants will be limited to takeout.

Private gatherings are prohibited and people cannot have any visitors from another address at their homes with few exceptions, like caregivers or maintenance workers.

Outdoor gatherings are forbidden, masks are mandatory for demonstrations and police have the power to hand out hefty fines to those who flout the rules.

5:03 a.m.: Four major home-care providers are asking the Ontario government to increase support for their sector, saying it would reduce pressure on a health-care system burdened by COVID-19.

The companies — Bayshore HealthCare, Closing the Gap Healthcare, VON Canada, and SE Health — say bolstering home care will allow long-term care homes and hospitals to operate more efficiently.

The group has launched a campaign today on their call for support.

The CEO of Closing the Gap Healthcare says COVID-19 transmission rates in home-care settings are much lower than in congregate care.

Leighton McDonald says by focusing on community-care, the province can help keep more people safe from the virus.

According to provincial data through the height of the first wave of COVID-19 until the end of May, there were 235 virus cases related to home care, compared to 4,518 in long-term care homes.

5 a.m.: Vaccines normally offered in school to Grade 7 students will instead be delivered at community clinics and doctors’ offices in parts of Ontario, meaning parents will have to make arrangements to ensure their children are immunized.

The Ministry of Health says local public health units, which are responsible for immunization programs including those in schools, are working to let residents know where they can access the vaccines.

Students in Grade 7 are typically given vaccines for Hepatitis B, Human Papilloma Virus and Meningococcal disease in school. Some of those shots require more than one dose.

Those programs have been disrupted due to COVID-19, which has seen thousands of students choose virtual lessons over in-person classes.

In Ottawa and Toronto — two regions experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases — public health officials say clinics will prioritize administering the flu vaccine this fall.

But they say vaccination clinics for students will be held in the community at a later date to replace the in-school programs.

4 a.m.: Nearly half of students at public elementary schools in a COVID-19 hot spot west of Toronto are learning online, according to data provided by the school board.

Upwards of 54,600 elementary students have opted for remote learning this year at the Peel District School Board and 57,300 have returned to the classroom.

That compares to roughly 35 per cent of elementary students who are learning online at the Toronto District School Board — the province’s largest.

Meanwhile, the Peel board’s high schools are running on an adapted model, with students who chose in-class learning only attending school half the time to minimize contact with their peers.

Still, the board says 27 per cent of high schoolers — around 11,200 — are learning fully online.

Peel Public Health says it’s seen 9,707 cases of COVID-19 throughout the pandemic, 8,396 of whom have recovered, and 329 deaths.

Wednesday 10:06 p.m.: Fans can take themselves out to the ball game for the first time this season during the National League Championship Series and World Series at new Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Major League Baseball said Wednesday that approximately 11,500 tickets will be available for each game. That is about 28 per cent of the 40,518-capacity, retractable-roof stadium of the Texas Rangers, which opened this year adjacent to old Globe Life Park, the team’s open-air home from 1994 through 2019.

“Any time there’s fans in the stands there’s maybe a heightened sense of, this is a real game and it might raise everybody’s play,” said Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who lives in the Dallas area during the off-season.

The World Series is being played at a neutral site for the first time in response to the coronavirus pandemic. It has not been played at one stadium since the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Browns at Sportsman’s Park in 1944.

While Texas is allowing up to 50 per cent capacity at venues, MLB did not anticipate having government permission for fans to attend post-season games at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles or Petco Park in San Diego, where American League playoff games are scheduled.

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COVID testing to begin in schools in Toronto, Peel, York, Ottawa

Mar 31, 2022 , , , , by shlf

The provincial government will start asymptomatic testing of students and staff in Toronto, Peel, York and Ottawa in a move that could shed some light on the spread of in schools.

But experts and parents say a lot depends on how the program is rolled out in the four Ontario hot spots.

Despite increasing rates of community transmission of the disease, “our remain safe,” Education Minister Stephen Lecce said Thursday.

“The risk within our schools reflects the risk within our communities,” Lecce said at a press conference at St. Marcellinus Secondary School in Mississauga, alongside Premier Doug Ford. “We believe as we see the risk rising in our community, we cannot hope for the best. We’ve got to continuously act.”

The voluntary school testing — among the first such programs in Canada — is meant for students, staff and families over four weeks in areas experiencing the highest number of active cases. But Lecce said if health officials recommend “that it should be expanded or we should augment the list, we will continue to follow that direction and implement it swiftly.”

He added, “We do believe that this program is going to just only further help protect schools” and keep them open.

Transmission of the disease in schools has been a polarizing topic throughout the pandemic, with government and health officials saying schools are safe while some parents, educators and medical experts continue to call for more targeted testing to understand where cases could be missed.

Surveillance testing, in which groups of people without symptoms are tested to get data, has been used in U.S. schools in , and .

Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases specialist at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute and the University of Toronto, said if the province’s announcement is “truly a surveillance program” then it’s a “great idea to see how much COVID is actually circulating in schools.”

If designed well, such testing could actually “detect infection early to prevent an outbreak,” he said. But “obviously, like anything else, the details are important.”

Rachel Huot, an organizer with the Ontario Parent Action Network, said there’s “no question” such a program will help, but added, “It’s just, how strong will it be?”

It is “late” to be starting this testing now, she said, after the province first announced it in August. “We sort of passed a really critical point in our schools, and it’s really light on the details about what it will look like.”

Testing was already under way Thursday at the first participating school, Thorncliffe Park Public School, in one of the hardest-hit neighbourhoods in Toronto, where about 300 of 750 students were tested.

The board is now looking at other schools to participate.

Three Toronto Catholic schools have been selected, and testing will run until Dec. 18.

Speaking before the announcement, Dr. Janine McCready, an infectious disease specialist at Michael Garron Hospital, said the Thorncliffe program is a way to break down barriers for community members, but also a way to understand “what is happening with school transmission,” since kids often of COVID-19.

“There’s so much talk and I don’t think we have as much evidence as we’d really like,” McCready added.

Toronto’s medical officer of health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, has said the recent resurgence in cases in the city does not appear to be driven primarily by the reopening of schools.

Meanwhile, news of stable education funding grants this year was welcomed by school boards, given that some have had than expected because of the pandemic.

“We were very, very concerned about this and we are really pleased they listened to our concerns and froze funding,” said Cathy Abraham, president of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association.

Boards would otherwise have lost “a significant amount of money across the province” because students — many of them in junior kindergarten — were expected to attend classes but didn’t, she added.

The Toronto District School Board alone was looking at a $41-million shortfall in its per-student funding.

Ford also announced the province will provide an extra $13.6 million in COVID funding to schools in regions where cases are edging up — Durham, Halton, Hamilton and Waterloo.

But NDP education critic Marit Stiles called the province’s testing announcement “a half-measure.”

“Some students in some regions may be able to get tests,” she said, noting the program lasts only four weeks.

“Ford’s still trying to cheap out on testing students, teachers and staff, and that’s not good enough,” she said.

It will be up to boards to determine where and how to conduct the testing, but rapid tests will not be used.

Kristin Rushowy is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter:

May Warren is a Toronto-based breaking news reporter for the Star. Follow her on Twitter:

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Alleged theft of government COVID-19 relief funds sparks calls for more oversight

Feb 24, 2022 , , , , by shlf

The alleged theft of tens of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds is triggering calls for improved oversight of pandemic spending.

As disclosed by , as many as 400 e-transfer payments of $200 and $250 were funneled to fake accounts or addresses earlier this year.

A Ministry of Education employee was fired and the Ontario Provincial Police anti-rackets squad has been called in to probe the scheme, which may have netted as much as $100,000.

The province has also retained KPMG to conduct an investigation to determine how much was stolen from the $380-million Support for Families program.

That pandemic measure was introduced by Finance Minister Rod Phillips last spring to help families “offset the cost of buying materials to support their children’s learning while they practiced self-isolation and physical distancing.”

There were payments of $200 for all children up to age 12 and $250 for children or youth with special needs up to age 21. The money was to help parents buy work books, educational apps, and other learning tools.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said Monday the alleged theft was “really disappointing.”

“The money was meant for families and children. You have to be able to get money into the hands of people who need it as quickly as possible,” said Horwath.

“People are suffering, families are suffering, kids are suffering, households are suffering,” she said.

“It’s really unfortunate you have folks who take advantage of this situation for their own private financial benefit … it’s really sad and it’s pretty disgraceful.”

But Horwath said the government, which unveiled a record $187 billion budget earlier this month, must keep on top of where money is flowing.

“At the same time you do want to have some sense of accountability,” she said.

Liberal house Leader John Fraser said “it’s something the auditor general should be looking at.”

“When you’re implementing a program so quickly, your risk goes up considerably. So the government needs to have those measures in place,” said Fraser.

“Obviously, this was caught. Fraud does happen,” he said.

Green Leader Mike Schreiner said with unprecedented spending comes the need for increased oversight.

“Whenever government is responding this quickly, there’s always a concern around fraud. Clearly, we need to have the mechanisms in place,” said Schreiner.

“It’s good that this person allegedly has been caught and action has been taken,” he said.

OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt has said police “will not comment further to protect the integrity of the investigation.”

“As this is a criminal investigation, we will not speculate as to the likelihood of charges,” said Schmidt.

Attorney General Doug Downey’s office has emphasized that “any abuse of taxpayers dollars is totally unacceptable.”

Phillips, who renewed the popular program in , told the on Friday that “we’re spending historic amounts of money and we need to be very vigilant that dollars are getting to people.”

While the finance minister could not speak to this specific case because it’s before the courts, he noted “it always disappointing when people take advantage of a situation that is meant to help people in a very difficult time.”

Robert Benzie is the Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter:

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Disability rights groups decry Ford government ‘secrecy’ about COVID-19 triage guidelines

Feb 9, 2022 , , , , by shlf

A coalition of disability rights groups is calling on government to make public the directions they plan to give hospitals about how to decide who should be prioritized for life-saving treatment if intensive care units become overwhelmed with patients.

The call comes after the government’s initial COVID-19 triage protocol — which , but was never officially released — was rescinded after it was .

“We write about a life-and-death issue now facing Ontarians,” reads the , signed by more than 60 organizations and sent Thursday to Ford, Health Minister Christine Elliott and Raymond Cho, the minister responsible for seniors and accessibility.

The letter calls on the province to immediately release the latest recommendations from its Bioethics Table — the government-appointed group of physicians and bioethicists advising the ministry on a number of COVID-related issues — and ensure that any new triage guidelines “respect the constitutional and human rights of all patients, including patients with disabilities.”

The purpose of a triage protocol, which would be invoked only if critical care resources needed to be rationed, is to minimize overall mortality by prioritizing patients with the best chance of survival.

Among the concerns raised by disability advocates about the government’s initial protocol was its inclusion of the Clinical Frailty Scale, a nine-point grading tool they said was inherently discriminatory against people with disabilities and could lead to their exclusion from life-saving treatment.

In their letter, the organizations commend the government for rescinding the initial protocol, but the fact that nothing has taken its place also poses a danger.

“If critical care triage becomes necessary, decisions over who gets refused life-saving critical care would be wrongly left to individual hospitals and doctors without safeguards against the serious danger of arbitrary and discriminatory decisions made because of disability,” the letter reads.

Roberto Lattanzio, executive director of the ARCH Disability Law Centre, said the province needs to ensure that any new policy protects the rights of people with disabilities.

“The pandemic doesn’t give governments a pass on ensuring that human rights and constitutional rights are respected,” he said in an interview. “We’ve been advocating for a framework free of discrimination for eight months now and now we find ourselves in a very similar situation as we did from the outset.”

While the number of active COVID-19 cases in Ontario is nearly three times as high as during the peak of the first wave in the spring, hospitalizations and admissions to intensive care units (ICUs) are actually lower now than they were then. On Wednesday, . On May 1, by comparison, there were more than 1,000 COVID patients in hospital, including 225 in ICUs.

The province in April, increasing the number of ICU beds by nearly 1,500 to a total of 3,504. Roughly half of the province’s ICU beds were occupied as of Dec. 1, according to Critical Care Services Ontario’s daily report.

Last month, , Progressive Conservative MPP Robin Martin confirmed the government had rescinded its initial protocol, which she said was only a draft, and that a “revised framework may be shared … should pandemic conditions deteriorate significantly.”

But, Martin said: “We don’t anticipate getting anywhere near having to use such a protocol.”

David Lepofsky, chair of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance, said cases have steadily increased since Martin’s assurances, and the lack of action by the government is inexcusable.

“They can’t wait until the day where they need triage and then say, ‘By the way, here are the rules.’ ”

The health ministry ignored specific questions for this story and instead sent a 265-word statement, which says, in part, that the ministry asked the Bioethics Table to “ensure that concerns and perspectives of those representing Indigenous people, Black and racialized communities, persons with disabilities, and others who may be disproportionately affected by critical care triage due to systemic discrimination, are meaningfully considered and reflected in a revised protocol.”

A ministry spokesperson did not respond to a follow-up question asking whether the government intended to make the revised protocol public.

Lattanzio and Lepofsky both decried the government’s lack of transparency about the protocol, a criticism that has also been raised by and .

“What’s the secret?” Lepofsky said. “There is no plausible reason for them to keep secret whatever the Bioethics Table recommended. There’s nothing served in the public interest.”

Brendan Kennedy is a Toronto-based social justice reporter for the Star. Follow him on Twitter:

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COVID-19 school-related cases jump by 24 per cent in latest Ontario report

Feb 7, 2022 , , , , by shlf

The number of new active cases in public schools across the province has jumped by another 24 per cent from the previous day to a total of 308.

, the province reported 64 more school-related cases — 37 more students were infected for a total of 164; seven more staff members for a total of 44; and 20 more individuals who weren’t identified for a total of 100.

There are 250 schools with an active case, which the province notes is 5.18 per cent of the 4,828 public schools.

Two schools are currently closed — Monsignor Paul Baxter elementary school in Ottawa and in Toronto.

More than 170 students and all staff at Mason Road Junior, near Bellamy Road and Eglinton Avenue East, have been ordered to stay home and isolate while the school is shut this week, Toronto Public Health said in a letter.

Epidemiologists have that the numbers in the schools aren’t a surprise, and that the cases will be proportionate to the amount of COVID that’s in the community. Ontario reported 554 additional cases overall across the province.

Tuesday’s numbers reflect reports from over the weekend and are accurate as of 2 p.m. Monday.

There is a lag between the daily provincial data at 10:30 a.m. and news reports about infections in schools. The provincial data is current as of 2 p.m. the previous work day, and doesn’t indicate where the place of transmission occurred.

The TDSB updates its information on current COVID-19 cases throughout the day . As of 9 a.m. Tuesday, there were 48 TDSB schools with a case — 36 students and 21 staff.

Zena Salem is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto. Reach her via email:

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Rise in COVID-19 cases in First Nations communities a concern

Jan 12, 2022 , , , , by shlf

In the last few weeks, Indigenous communities have been facing an alarming rise in the number of new and active COVID-19 cases. In the last month alone, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) was made aware of over 200 new cases in First Nations communities. In the same timeframe, the number of active cases went from 23 to 129 cases. Last week, 68 new cases were reported. This surpasses the previous high of 57 new cases reported during the week of April 19-25. This recent increase in cases has been linked to private gatherings, as well as exposure to positive cases from outside of communities.

As of October 1, ISC is reporting First Nation COVID-19 stats as: 689 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19, 58 hospitalizations, 111 active cases, 566 recovered cases and 12 deaths.

There are a total of 21 confirmed positive cases in Nunavik, Quebec, and all but 3 have recovered. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, everyone has come together, made sacrifices, and done their part to help limit the spread of the virus. After many months of staying home, some may be experiencing pandemic fatigue. This can result in less vigilance when it comes to important practices, like limiting non-essential trips or maintaining physical distancing from those outside our social bubble. While these changes are hard, we must continue to be careful and listen to the advice of our public health experts. We cannot stop until we are all safe. We must remain vigilant. The threat of this virus is not yet behind us,” the release from Indigenous Services Canada said. They recommend everyone familiarize themselves with the recommended public health guidelines outlined by their province or territory of residence, and/or by their community Leadership.

“It is important to underscore that COVID 19 can take up to 14 days after exposure to the virus for symptoms to appear. During this time, the virus can easily spread to others. This means that decisions made today affect families, friends and communities for weeks to come,” the release said. Because of these growing numbers, preventative measures that help stop the spread are of upmost importance. First, limit your physical contact with others. A good rule of thumb is to limit your social circle to your household members and any essential supports, like childcare help. Every person that we come into contact with increases the chances of transmission. All efforts to reduce encounters with others make a difference. Remember to not to let your guard down when in public, even if you see someone you know. “Additionally, it’s critical to consistently wear a mask or face covering properly when in public or around those at risk, especially when it is hard to maintain a physical distance. Without knowing, anyone can spread COVID-19 by coughing or sneezing, talking, hugging, or even singing. When you wear a mask that covers your mouth and nose, you’re helping to protect yourself and those around you.” As the weather gets colder, we are going to begin facing colds and the seasonal flu. It can be difficult to distinguish between the symptoms of a cold, influenza, and COVID-19. However, the preventative measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are also effective at limiting the spread of influenza. The annual flu vaccine is the most effective way to prevent the flu and flu-related complications. The trend in new cases of COVID-19 we are seeing in Indigenous communities is similar to the one seen in the general population and everyone is urged to help change the trend by making wise decisions, and following recommended public health measures.

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‘We can’t take chances,’ celebrate the holidays only with other members of your household, Doug Ford urges

Jan 11, 2022 , , , , by shlf

Ho-ho-hold off on inviting guests for Christmas.

That’s the advice from the provincial government as cases continue to rise at near-record levels and deaths mount, with 35 more fatalities reported Wednesday.

“We can’t take chances,” Premier Doug Ford told his daily briefing. “We have to bend the curve and stop the spread.”

He said public health experts are urging people to celebrate only with members of their own households, especially in the lockdown zones of Toronto and Peel.

People who live alone can pair exclusively with one other household and students returning from college and university should quarantine in their dorms or apartments and limit close contacts for 10 to 14 days before travelling home.

While pandemic guidelines allow people who live in green, yellow and orange zones in Ontario’s five-stage, colour-coded framework for pandemic restrictions to have up to 10 people indoors, Ford still urged caution.

“This year isn’t like any other.”

The New Democrats said Ontario ended up in a dicey situation so close to the holiday season because Ford waited too long to impose meaningful public health restrictions and the virus got out of control.

“It never should have come to this,” Deputy NDP Leader John Vanthof said in a statement.

Under fire for the closures of non-essential businesses to customers in Toronto and Peel, Ford asked Ontarians to order from them online or by phone and do curbside pickup instead of shopping on major websites like Amazon.com.

“Shop local and shop early.”

Ontario reported 1,373 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, just below the seven-day average of 1,389 that peaked at 1,443 on Nov. 16.

There were 445 new infections in Toronto, 415 in Peel and 136 in York Region, which is hoping to stay out of lockdown on Friday when the province decides where public health measures need to be strengthened.

Nine of the last 35 deaths were in nursing homes, where 59 more residents and 16 staff have tested positive for the highly contagious virus.

While the number of people in hospital for COVID-19 fell to 523 and those in intensive care remained steady at 159, another 15 critically ill ICU patients required intubation to be placed on ventilators to breathe, raising that number to 106.

Schools had 162 new cases in students and staff, with 688 or 14 per cent of Ontario’s 4,828 schools reporting infections. Four schools were closed because of outbreaks.

Rob Ferguson is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: