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Collingwood COVID-19 assessment centre moves to the Legion

Jun 10, 2022 , , , , by shlf

The Collingwood COVID-19 Assessment Centre has moved to the parking lot behind the Collingwood Legion at and will operate both the appointment based, drive-through COVID-19 assessments and flu shot clinics. 

To book an appointment at the Collingwood Assessment Centre call to speak to a team member during business hours, Monday to Friday 8 a.m., to 6 p.m.

Patients are asked to enter the parking lot off Erie Street, at the back of the Collingwood Legion, and to arrive as close to their appointment time as possible, due to the volume of appointments the site is seeing. 

 At this time, publicly-funded testing is available for Ontarians at Assessment Centres if they are showing COVID-19 symptoms, have been exposed to a confirmed case of the virus as informed by your public health unit, are a resident or worker in a setting that has a COVID-19 outbreak, eligible for testing as part of a targeted testing initiative directed by the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Long-Term Care.

Additionally, the Wasaga Beach COVID-19 Assessment Centre, located in the parking lot behind the RecPlex at is also open for pre-scheduled drive-through COVID-19 assessments and flu shots

For more information, go to Patients remain in their vehicles for both COVID-19 assessments and flu shot clinics. 

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What exactly is an endemic — and will the COVID-19 pandemic become one? An expert explains

Oct 28, 2021 , , , , by shlf

As the continues on, a question has cropped up: Will the virus ever go away? Or, does this coronavirus have the potential to become endemic and stick around after this first outbreak ends?

While it feels like it’s been here forever, the virus has only existed globally for less than a year — so there are a lot of questions that remain unanswered, such as whether we can expect it to turn into an endemic disease or not, says , a PhD candidate in epidemiology at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

An endemic disease, Berry explains, is consistently present in the community, but at a stable and predictable level.

For endemic viruses, the R0 — the number of infections stemming from one sick person — is one, meaning that one infection leads to one more infection.

An example of this is influenza, which makes an appearance annually.

“It’s a predictable pattern. We see it every year,” Berry said. “It’s not this huge outbreak that’s uncontrolled.”

Diseases that become endemic are not necessarily endemic globally, Berry said. “For instance, malaria is endemic in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, but not here.”

Endemic viruses are always there, with immunity, spread interventions and seasonality all playing a role, Berry said.

An epidemic refers to regional outbreaks of viruses. A pandemic, on the other hand, is an outbreak that affects people globally. In both cases, a virus is surging beyond expected numbers, but only for a particular time period.

Berry pointed to the H1N1 outbreak in 2009 as an example of a pandemic that eventually turned endemic.

“At this point, we have H1N1 influenza seasons every couple of years,” she said.

That virus, also known as swine flu, “(has) a vaccine, we’re able to control it, we have an idea of when and how much it’s going to spread throughout the population. There’s an element of seasonality to it.”

It’s difficult to chart how COVID-19 will progress and how mitigating factors such as a vaccine may impact its spread in the future.

“There’s a little bit of uncertainty right now. We just haven’t had this disease around long enough to know that answer,” Berry said.

Jenna Moon is a breaking news reporter for the Star and is based in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter:

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‘We are going to see more people this winter’: COVID-19 challenges Guesthouse Shelter in Midland

Oct 28, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Nathan Sykes currently has more questions than answers.

The newly-minted CEO of Midland’s Guesthouse Shelter is in the midst of trying to figure out how the organization will help the community’s most vulnerable residents this winter. But the constantly changing regulations stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic have made planning very difficult.

As it stands, Sykes doesn’t quite know how The Guesthouse Shelter will operate this winter. What he does know is that there will be an extreme need for the services it provides.

“We are going to see more people this winter,” said Sykes. “There are a lot of people who have been laid off or have seen their hours reduced and CERB just ended. So, we expect a whole lot more people to be coming here who are not necessarily homeless, but in a state of being precariously housed.”

As of Oct. 1, the shelter building located at 522 Elizabeth St. remained closed. The facility shut down in late March and guests were relocated to local motels. 

Sykes and his staff have been working toward reopening the shelter, but constantly-changing COVID-19 regulations haven’t made it easy. 

Under current regulations, the shelter is allowed to have only 10 people in the building at one time. That means the Guesthouse would have room for only eight guests and two staff members.

“We normally have room for 18 and we are always full,” said Sykes. “So how do we decide which eight people will stay at the shelter? And what do we do with the wait list and overflow of people looking to be housed?”

Over the course of the past seven months, the Guesthouse has continuously supported an average of 20 people at local motels. At one point, there were 44 guests staying in motels. 

Shelter staff have been preparing meals and delivering them to the motels twice a day.

According to Jan Janssen, director of children and community services with the County of Simcoe, more funding would be needed in order for the motel program to continue through the winter. 

The motel model, which is being run by five shelters and two out-of-the-cold programs, costs the county $450,000 per month. 

“In addition to the costs of funding the rooms, the county is funding 24-7 staffing, security, deep-cleaning measures, personal protective equipment and all locations have been provided with a defibrillator,” said Janssen. 

With extra funding not guaranteed, local shelter executives have been continuing to explore options. They all meet over Zoom twice a week to collectively plan for the future. 

“We continue to plan what the winter could look like and what transition back to community could look like,” said Janssen. “The plan evolves all the time. We are building it as we go and it takes all of our heads around the table to sort this out.”

Sykes plans on reaching out to the north Simcoe community for assistance.

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Reporter Andrew Mendler was curious about how the Guesthouse Shelter would be operating this winter in the midst of a pandemic. So, he reached out to shelter officials for details.

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Ontario reports 821 new cases of COVID-19, allows dance studios to reopen in hot zones

Oct 22, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Ontario reported 821 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, an increase of more than 100 from the day before, and is allowing dance studios in Toronto, Peel, York and Ottawa to reopen.

Owners of dance studios had been pushing for change since the four hot zones went into modified Stage 2 restrictions, and a government review determined they are at less risk of transmission than gyms and fitness centres, which were closed in addition to indoor dining at bars, restaurants and food courts.

“They informed us that they were able to keep enough distance, that they were able to do that in a safe way,” Health Minister Christine Elliott said of dance studios.

“I know it is really difficult for some business owners to understand why they can’t be open,” added Elliott, who acknowledged “we’re still having conversations with other groups.”

Premier Doug Ford said there are many “boutique” fitness operations coming forward to plead their cases. “We’ll be reviewing that,” he said.

Alex Kucharski, who owns an F45 Training studio in Richmond Hill and is a director of the Ontario Independent Fitness Studio Association, accused provincial health officials of making “arbitrary” decisions and putting thousands of businesses to the brink of failure in the pandemic.

“Fitness studios offer the same services as dance studios — aerobic exercises performed indoors — and are able to operate safely with the same restrictions,” he told the Star.

In a statement, the government said “dance styles such as ballet, hip hop, and ballroom can still be taught and practised safely when certain public health measures are followed.” Zumba classes remain shuttered.

At least 80 cases have been , which has prompted the government to review COVID-19 guidelines for gyms and fitness centres.

Opposition parties said Elliott’s explanations were less than clear, with Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca calling them “very confusing.”

“This government has a real problem with mixed messages,” NDP Leader Andrea Horwath told reporters. “It doesn’t seem these decisions are well-thought out.”

The 16 per cent increase from 704 cases Monday came with a drop in testing to 24,049 nasal swabs processed at provincial labs, but Elliott said it’s “too early to say” if the rise could be blamed on Thanksgiving weekend gatherings.

Tuesday marked the fourth day with more than 800 new infections since a record 939 cases were reported on Oct. 9.

There were three more deaths, raising the toll to 3,053.

Toronto had 327 new cases and Peel 136, both increases from the previous day, while York had a decline to 64 and Ottawa was up more than two dozen to 79.

Cases doubled in Durham and Halton to 32 and 46 respectively, while Hamilton had 36, up from 17.

Across the province, hospitalizations increased by 22 people to 274, with 72 in intensive care and 45 ICU patients requiring ventilators to breathe.

The number of outbreaks in nursing homes increased by one to 87, with 23 more residents and 17 staff testing positive for the virus. At 59 nursing homes, the outbreaks involve only staff isolating at home and no residents are sick, said Long-Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton.

and 508 schools with infections, which is just over 10 per cent of the 4,828 schools in the province. Four schools are closed because of outbreaks.

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

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Rapid tests are a game changer, Doug Ford says. Public Health Ontario’s head of microbiology has a very different view

Oct 3, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Premier Doug Ford used the same term five times on Tuesday to describe the rapid tests the province is rolling out across Ontario: “game changer.”

The health experts tasked with advising government on their use, however, describe these tests very differently: “inferior,” “anything but game changers,” and — in private discussions, by one of the province’s top testing experts — “sh—y.”

These experts say the rapid tests could be useful in specific circumstances. But so far there is patchy evidence on how best to deploy them, and the tests come with serious potential harms, including high volumes of false results compared to the gold-standard laboratory tests — a particularly risky feature in vulnerable settings like nursing homes.

“There is no evident place where they are really helpful,” says Dr. Allison McGeer, an infectious disease specialist at Sinai Health System who consulted on the rapid-test plan. “There are a bunch of places where they may well be helpful, but they have a significant number of disadvantages, and a significant number of logistical challenges.”

Ford and Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott announced Tuesday that the province had received 1.2 million “Panbio” rapid antigen tests and 98,000 “ID Now” tests manufactured by U.S.-based Abbott and purchased by the federal government. Rapid antigen tests like Panbio have been particularly hyped in recent months: they work like a pregnancy test and can generate results in under 15 minutes.

“We’ve been getting these tests as quickly as we can to the front lines of our health-care system,” Ford said Tuesday. “These tests right here, folks, are a game changer.”

In discussions with other experts and officials recently, Dr. Vanessa Allen, Public Health Ontario’s chief of microbiology and laboratory science, described the Panbio test as “sh—y,” the Star has learned.

Asked Thursday why she used that word, Allen said “my experience was that there is an incredible enthusiasm about the use of these tests.”

“Those were private conversations,” she added. “But I think really the message that I wanted to relay is that they do not perform the same as lab-based tests, and … we don’t have a lot of real data about their actual benefit. I think it’s incumbent on us to rapidly learn how they might be useful. But I think there are some risks.”

The two rapid tests use different technology, and the province is deploying them in different settings.

ID Now is a molecular test that detects the virus’s genetic material. The device works like a small, portable lab, generating results from nasal, nasopharyngeal or throat swabs in 15 minutes. The province said Tuesday that ID Now tests would be sent to hospitals and assessment centres in rural and remote areas, and used in “early outbreak investigations in hotspot regions.”

Panbio is an antigen test that detects viral proteins. It works like a pregnancy test, generates results in 15 minutes, and can only be used with nasopharyngeal swabs. Panbio tests have been rolled out for screening in nursing homes and other workplaces, including TD Bank, Air Canada, two gold mines, and three film and TV productions. Six long-term-care operators are receiving the rapid tests to “help inform future deployment across the sector,” according to the health ministry.

A spokesperson for Abbott cited evaluations showing that both tests are more than 95 per cent and up to 99.8 per cent accurate in accurately identifying or excluding infections in people within seven days of symptom onset.

“Both Panbio and ID NOW have both been studied extensively and have demonstrated strong performance,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “They are proving to be valuable tools in slowing the spread of the virus.”

Experts, however, cautioned that the real-world accuracy of rapid tests often differs from the settings in which they are evaluated.

“The history of rapid tests is that they perform much better in the controlled circumstances of a laboratory than they do when you take them out into the field. That’s a chronic problem,” said McGeer, a trained microbiologist.

Both McGeer and Allen cited preliminary data collected by Toronto researchers that found rapid antigen tests missed more than half of cases in a long-term-care-home outbreak. That study was small and needs to be expanded, Allen says. But the preliminary data, along with studies in other jurisdictions that showed rapid antigen tests missing between 15 and 30 per cent of infections, gave Ontario experts pause about recommending Panbio in similar contexts.

“I think we owe and have a responsibility to offer the highest standard of care — or testing, in this case — to long-term care,” Allen said. “It’s not to say antigen testing couldn’t have an adjunctive role, but we need to make sure that’s an adjunctive role.”

Researchers believe that the speed of rapid antigen tests can make up for their lower accuracy, because higher volumes of people can be tested more frequently. These devices are also most accurate when people are most infectious — the critical period to identify and isolate cases. Proponents have argued that if deployed on a wide enough scale, rapid antigen testing would be more effective than slower, more accurate lab-based PCR testing, and some modelling studies back that up.

Ontario’s deployment of rapid antigen tests reflects that thinking, putting Panbio in the hands of employers and LTC operators for regular screening, rather than outbreak management. They may be useful in that role, the experts who advised the province said — but they need to be closely evaluated, and the potential harms carefully mitigated.

False negatives — missing a positive case — could have obviously devastating consequences in long-term care, where residents are acutely vulnerable to severe disease and where almost two-thirds of Ontario’s COVID deaths have occurred. But false positives — inaccurately flagging a positive case — can also have dire consequences, says Dr. Samir Sinha, another expert who provided advice.

With one positive, “you lock down an entire unit. You’re affecting 32 people where 70 per cent of them have dementia, for example, and you’re completely disrupting their care, their routine. That actually increases the entire staff burden.” And in already understaffed homes, Sinha added, needlessly quarantining staff who aren’t actually positive, even for just a few days while waiting for a lab-test confirmation, can have profound impacts.

ID Now, the portable molecular tests, have the most potential in remote settings where getting results back from the lab can take days — in these contexts, some information is better than no information, experts said. But still, Health Canada mandates that both tests are performed by regulated health professionals — a workforce already stretched thin in many places — and requires training, oversight and evaluation. Each device can only process three to four swabs an hour, so they have volume limits, too.

Ontario’s rapid tests “are anything but game changers,” said Sinha, director of geriatrics at Sinai Health and the University Health Network.

“I think these things have been so politicized,” he added. “People are just so desperate to find quick and easy fixes here.”

Kate Allen is a Toronto-based reporter covering science and technology for the Star. Follow her on Twitter:

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‘We have to be in it together:’ Wasaga-area municipalities, businesses push ‘shop local’ message

Oct 1, 2021 , , , , by shlf

It’s a good time to think outside the big-box and online stores.

While the temptation might be to head online for holiday shopping and avoid the headache of navigating stores in the midst of a pandemic, area municipalities and businesses urge the community to shop locally.

The year “2020 has been a rough ride for many folks, and we’re not through the thick of it,” said Tyler King, Wasaga Beach’s economic development officer.

The town’s message to the community is: It matters where you spend your money.

“Shopping from home and supporting large online retailers can be convenient, but there are consequences to the convenience,” he said. “Support local means more than just spending money in the backyard. Supporting local means investing in the community.”

The town has signs dotted throughout the community urging residents to support local businesses, and in July the economic development department launched an online portal which includes a business directory ().

Troy Disabato, who owns Torn Pages in Stayner, asks shoppers to check in with local businesses to see what they have in stock.

“Communication is a huge key … locals need to find out what’s in their community,” said Disabato, who adapted his business strategy in response to the pandemic, offering curbside service and in-town delivery.

Lisa Squire, who co-owns the Stayner Home Hardware with her husband John, said locals have been very supportive of businesses in the community throughout the pandemic.

She said her customers have also been very appreciative of the safety measures the store has put in place, such as limiting the number of people in the store and making sure touch points are sanitized.

“Customers feel safe, knowing that we are being careful,” she said. “On every level, safety of customers and staff is our No. 1 priority. We have too much to protect to make safety anything but first.”

King said spending money locally keeps it within the community.

“The temptation is to spend at large online retailers … but the consequences are that money doesn’t trickle down to local sports teams, into that charitable fundraiser, into local events and festivals,” he said. “The small and mid-sized businesses are not there just to support jobs and families, but they’re there to support the community and what makes it unique.”

And, said Disabato, it’s always good to check in with local store owners — if only to provide a mental-health boost.

“My regulars were reaching to me to ask if I was doing OK, can they still make requests for books. On a personal level, I knew there was still support,” he said. “Let a store owner know they’re doing a good job, thank them for respecting health guidelines.

“Let’s not lose that this is the season to be happy and respectful — let’s not lose that, even with the pandemic. It’s like the Three Musketeers, all for one and one for all — we have to be in it together.”

Story behind the story:  As we shift into the holiday season, Simcoe.com checked in with area businesses to talk about the importance of shopping locally.

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Swish, gargle, spit: Behold the new, kid-friendly COVID-19 test

Oct 1, 2021 , , , , by shlf

HALIFAX—We all inherently know it: Swish-gargle-spit is much better than a stick up the nose.

If you’re a kid, and you need to get tested for in Halifax, at least you’ll have that option now.

If you’re an adult … well, for the time being, it looks like you get the shaft.

The IWK Health Centre in Halifax, one of the country’s major pediatric hospitals, began Wednesday to roll out a pilot project in which the nasal swab test for COVID-19 is replaced with one called — in technical terms — the Gargle-Swish test.

The patient swishes five millilitres of saline in their mouth for five seconds, then tilts their head back and gargles for five more. They repeat that process two more times, then spit it all out into a cup.

Done. Thirty seconds all told, and no stick up the nose. No fuss, no mess — unless you lack an aptitude for gargling. The cup goes off to the lab, and the results come back in 72 hours.

The new test is reportedly 98 per cent sensitive for COVID-19, which puts it on par with the nasal swab test.

Unfortunately, for the foreseeable future, the test is only available to children ages four to 18. Only two of these pilot projects exist — the first at the BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, the second in Halifax at the IWK — so resources are limited and are being prioritized for children.

“We started this morning, and it’s been resoundingly positive, both from the staff and from the patients as well,” said Joanne Gallant, clinical leader of the primary assessment clinic at the IWK. “We had a patient who had previously had the nasal swab, and had come in for the gargle. And he left with a big smile on his face and said it was great.”

Gallant said research has shown that every health-care interaction a child has early on has an impact on their future health interactions.

In this case, Gallant believes, there will be shorter-term benefits, too. With schools back in session and health guidelines suggesting a coronavirus test if children display symptoms of fever or cold, the numbers of children who need to be tested has increased.

“We’re also hoping that it’s going to increase the rates at which people are willing to come in, because all of these (coronavirus) tests are based on self-reporting.

“So if somebody had the swish-and-gargle test, and it went very well — which is what we’re seeing — they were hoping that, you know, in a couple of months, if they have another cold, they wouldn’t hesitate in filling out that form and coming back for another test.”

For Sara Laffin, that seems plausible.

Laffin, a nurse at the IWK who administers some of the swish-and-gargle tests, also has two children of her own, a seven-year-old girl, Penny, and a five-year-old boy, Mickey.

She said although children are more resilient than adults think, there’s still a measure of apprehension about the nasal swab test.

“I think it’s quite vulnerable having another human putting a swab up your nose. It can be quite scary for kids and cause a lot of anxiety in some children just thinking about it. Not necessarily the procedure itself, but leading up to the procedure can be quite scary,” she said.

But she’s tried the new swish-and-gargle test on her own children, with positive results.

“They both thought it was fun and easy, were the two words they used to describe it, and, ‘It wasn’t that bad,’ was what Penny had said.”

Steve McKinley is a Halifax-based reporter for the Star. Follow him on Twitter:

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How to manage screen time for children learning remotely

Sep 24, 2021 , , , , by shlf

This fall, as COVID-19 continues to disrupt life for Ontarians, high school students are learning through a hybrid in-school and at-home model and elementary school students who haven’t returned to the classroom are learning from home full-time.

More remote learning means more screen time for students attending livestreamed classes, accessing reading material online and submitting assignments online. As children and teenagers spend more time at their computers, Dr. Sharon Burey says it’s important for parents to know how to manage screen time to avoid the physical and behavioural symptoms that can arise from too much of it.

Burey is a Windsor, Ont.-based behavioural pediatrician and president of the Pediatrician Association of Ontario. She said parents should start by knowing the recommended guidelines around screen time for children:

• Screen time is not recommended for children under two years old

• For children two to five years old, limit recreational screen time to less than one hour per day

• For children older than five, limit recreational screen time to less than two hours per day

Surpassing these limits can put children at risk of negative health effects.

Negative effects of too much screen time

To Burey, the most obvious way excessive screen time impacts people, including children, is through the shift toward a more sedentary lifestyle.

“It can lead to increase in weight gain and obesity,” Burey said. “So we do recommend at least 60 minutes of activity per day that increases the heart rate.”

Citing a study published in the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity in 2010, recreational sedentary activities are linked to obesity, metabolic syndrome and hypertension.

Burey said children, especially those under six years old, who engage in excessive screen time are also at risk of developing problems with inattention.

“An increasing amount of kids are actually diagnosed with [attention deficit hyperactive disorder], behaviour problems and learning problems if you have excessive media time,” she said.

A in 2019 concluded that five-year-old children who were exposed to more than two hours of screen time per day were more than seven times more likely to meet the criteria for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They were also five times more likely to exhibit significant behavioural problems such as inattention, acting out, hyperactivity and being oppositional.

Finally, Burey said staring at a screen for too long can lead to sleep-related problems and eyestrain, including focusing fatigue.

“What happens with your near vision is it’s going to get sort of stuck in that position,” she said. “And that’s why you get blurry vision and eye fatigue.”

What can families do

Burey said parents shouldn’t need to take away children’s leisure time on the computer in order to mitigate the risks of excessive screen time. They can start by demonstrating healthy behaviour for their kids.

“If parents use a lot of screen time…then you’re going to have children modelling the behaviour,” she said. “So I always start with the parents and things like not having the TV on all day.”

She said parents can also punctuate screen time with breaks for play and exercise. For students learning from home full-time, school days can be split into 60-to-90-minute learning segments, with breaks away from the screen in between. To avoid eye strain, use the 20/20 rule: every 20 minutes, look away from the screen and focus on an object or spot at least 20 feet away, for 20 seconds.

Burey said some parents of children learning remotely have opted to print lesson materials whenever possible to reduce time spent learning in front of a computer. She said parents can also check with their child’s school to see if any lesson materials are available in booklet form.

“I think parents are doing some workarounds to say, ‘We don’t need to have you sitting there to do everything on the screen, we can do some of the assignments by hand knowing you can submit them digitally,’” she said.

After school, parents can encourage kids to take breaks from screen time by planning fun activities.

“You always want to be on the positive side of doing some positive behavioural reinforcement,” she said. “You wouldn’t be taking away their time, because that’s not going to work. But if you substitute other things like playing cards, board games and other outdoor activities, it’s easier to substitute that.”

And for a good sleep at the end of the day, Burey said, people of all ages should avoid looking at screens for an hour before bed.

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Today’s coronavirus news: Testing rates lag in Toronto neighbourhoods hit hardest by virus; Trick-or-treating discouraged in Toronto, Peel, York and Ottawa; Ontario reports 704 new cases

Sep 17, 2021 , , , , by shlf

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

6:35 p.m.: The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health has reported a COVID-19 outbreak at its Queen Street West site, with five patients testing positive for the virus. It is the first outbreak at Canada’s largest mental health hospital since April.

Two patients were said to have COVID-19 on Sunday. By Monday at 5 p.m., CAMH updated their website to reveal three more patients had tested positive, bringing the total to five current patients with the virus.

The new outbreak brings the number of patients who have tested positive for the virus at CAMH to 29 since the pandemic began. Nineteen have since recovered and three were discharged.

6:30 p.m.: The rate of COVID-19 testing in the part of the city hit hardest by the virus is lagging behind other neighbourhoods, data newly posted by Toronto Public Health shows.

That data, released Monday and current to Oct. 4, shows that eight of the 10 neighbourhoods with the highest per cent positivity for COVID-19 are in the northwest part of the city, .

At the same time, all eight of those neighbourhoods had rates of testing below the average for neighbourhoods where there was data available.

On Monday, the city’s board of health called on the province to increase the availability and accessibility of pop-up testing in neighbourhoods disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Dr. Eileen de Villa, the city’s medical officer of health, said Monday that more testing is needed to “fully understand” what’s happening in those neighbourhoods.

5:40 p.m.: Toronto’s restaurants and bars are scrambling to extend patio season for as long as possible following the 28-day ban imposed October 10 on indoor dining — but many are finding that winterizing is more difficult than they thought, and some are closing down altogether for the time being.

“There’s no confidence, really, that people will flock to outdoor patios in the winter,” said James Rilett, Restaurants Canada’s vice-president for central Canada. This uncertainty has left restaurant owners wondering if they’ll be worth the investment, he said.

And while some restaurants are charging ahead with winterizing their patios for the long haul, it’s a select few — and it’s a challenge, given the current shortage of space heaters caused by increased demand, said Ryan Mallough, director of provincial affairs for Ontario for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).

3:45 p.m.: The total number of COVID-19 cases in Canada has passed 200,000.

The latest case numbers from Saskatchewan lifted the national tally over the bleak milestone.

The development comes just over four months after Canada reached the 100,000-case threshold.

The bulk of the country’s case load has been concentrated in Ontario and Quebec, though numbers have been surging in much of the country in recent weeks as Canada deals with a second wave of the global pandemic.

2:30 p.m.: When Jesse James Laderoute went to check his EI deposit last week, it wasn’t quite what he’d been expecting.

“I thought it was going to be $1,000, but it was only $750,” said the Toronto bartender, who was transitioned to EI after the Canada Emergency Response Benefit ended at the end of September.

When he figured out why the deposit was smaller, he got angry. He’d managed to pick up a shift or two to bring in an extra bit of money to supplement EI, and reported the income to Service Canada. For every dollar he’d earned, 50 cents of his EI benefit had been clawed back.

“I’m putting myself at risk of catching this virus for $6.10 an hour. It really doesn’t seem worth it,” said Laderoute, referring to his income after the clawback is factored in.

While the clawback is a standard EI rule, Laderoute figured things would be different during the COVID-19 pandemic. Self-employed and freelance workers collecting the Canada Recovery Benefit, after all, won’t see any clawbacks until after they hit $38,000 per year.

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1:45 p.m. Fake reviews on Amazon.com Inc. during the pandemic .

About 42 per cent of 720 million Amazon reviews assessed by the monitoring service Fakespot Inc. from March through September were unreliable, up from about 36 per cent for the same period last year. The rise in fake reviews corresponded with the stampede online of millions of virus-avoiding shoppers.

“We’ve only seen those kinds of numbers in the Black Friday or Christmas period in 2019,” said Fakespot founder and chief executive officer Saoud Khalifah. “In 2020, the surge of fake reviews has proliferated in a rapid manner coinciding with lockdown measures in the USA.” By contrast, almost 36 per cent of Walmart.com reviews assessed by Fakespot during the same period were fake — about the same as last year.

1:41 p.m. U.S. President Donald Trump complained to his campaign staff about the government’s top infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, including him among people he considers “idiots,” but said he couldn’t fire him because of public perception.

“People are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots,” Trump said Monday in a call intended to boost morale at a campaign running well behind his challenger, Joe Biden. Trump’s campaign invited reporters to listen in.

“Anytime he goes on television” there’s a “bomb,” Trump told his staff, adding that if he fired Fauci it would be a “bigger bomb.”

He claimed without substantiation that “if we listened to him” there would be 700,000 to 800,000 American deaths. More than 220,000 Americans have died so far from the coronavirus.

After disparaging Fauci, Trump remarked that he didn’t care whether reporters were on the call.

1:38 p.m. Your personal health information could soon be a click away on your iPhone or Android device, making health-care delivery easier for doctors, nurses, and patients during the .

Treasury Board President Peter Bethlenfalvy is pushing an ambitious digital strategy to improve Ontarians’ access to a slew of government services at a time when so many are working from home.

“We need to adapt to Ontario’s new reality. People are 100 per cent ready,” Bethlenfalvy said Monday as he unveiled an 18-page “COVID-19 action plan for a people-focused government.”

“COVID-19 is accelerating things,” he said.

The most significant of the 30 priorities outlined in the document is a “digital identity” profile that would allow people to safely store government-issued personal information in their phones.

“Verified, digital information about you, such as the information found on your health card, driver’s licence and birth certificate, can be securely stored in a digital wallet on your smartphone and conveniently used to prove your identity to access services when required,” the action plan says.

This would “provide new and improved digital health solutions to frontline care personnel, so they can rapidly and securely access a patient’s health records from anywhere and from any device.”

12:14 p.m. The number of new COVID-19 cases in public schools across the province has jumped by 74 in its latest report, to a total of 749 in the last two weeks.

In the province reported 48 more students were infected for a total of 430 in the last two weeks; since school began there has been an overall total of 736 cases.

The data shows there are 10 more staff members for a total of 106 in the last two weeks — and an overall total of 203.

The latest report also shows 16 more individuals who weren’t identified for a total of 213 in that category — and an overall total of 373.

There are 483 schools with a reported case, which the province notes is 10 per cent of the 4,828 public schools in Ontario.

11:30 a.m.: The number of new COVID-19 cases in public schools across the province has jumped by 74 in its latest report, to a total of 749 in the last two weeks.

In the province reported 48 more students were infected for a total of 430 in the last two weeks; since school began there has been an overall total of 736 cases.

The data shows there are 10 more staff members for a total of 106 in the last two weeks — and an overall total of 203.

The latest report also shows 16 more individuals who weren’t identified for a total of 213 in that category — and an overall total of 373.

There are 483 schools with a reported case, which the province notes is 10 per cent of the 4,828 public schools in Ontario.

11:30 a.m.: Quebec is reporting 1,038 new cases of COVID-19 and six more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus.

Health officials say two of those deaths occurred in the past 24 hours, one occurred between Oct. 12 and 17, and three newly linked COVID deaths occurred at unknown dates.

Hospitalizations increased by five compared with the prior day, for a total of 532, and 92 of those patients were in intensive care, an increase of four.

Quebec has reported a total of 94,429 cases of COVID-19 and 6,044 deaths linked to the virus.

10:45 a.m. (updated): There are 704 new cases of COVID-19 in Ontario today, and four new deaths due to the virus.

Health Minister Christine Elliott says 244 cases are in Toronto, 168 in Peel Region, 103 in York Region and 51 in Ottawa.

Ontario also reported 74 new COVID-19 cases related to schools, including at least 48 among students.

10:20 a.m. The pandemic has made it too scary for door-to-door trick or treating in Toronto, Peel, York and Ottawa, says Ontario’s chief medical officer.

Dr. David Williams said Monday the “high transmission” of COVID-19 in the four regions now under modified Stage 2 restrictions has prompted him to recommend against the traditional candy collection.

The announcement came as the province reported another 704 cases of the virus, bringing the total since Friday to 2,167.

10:17 a.m. Ontario is reporting 704 cases of COVID-19 and four new deaths. Locally, there are 244 new cases in Toronto, 168 in Peel, 103 in York Region and 51 in Ottawa. Almost 31,900 tests were completed.

10:12 a.m. South Africa’s health minister Dr. Zweli Mkhize has announced that he and his wife have tested positive for COVID-19 and warned of a possible resurgence of the disease in the country.

Mkhize and his wife got positive results after they both displayed symptoms, he said in a statement.

“I was feeling abnormally exhausted and as the day progressed, I started losing appetite. My wife had a cough, was dizzy and was extremely exhausted,” he wrote. His wife May, who is also a doctor, has been hospitalized for observation and rehydration, he said.

Mkhize emphasized that South Africans should continue to wear masks and sanitize their hands to avoid more infections.

“As a country, we’ve made significant strides in our fight against this pandemic. Let us not dare regress,” he said. “Whatever we do and wherever we go, we have to keep in mind that there remains a risk of a second wave.”

He said family members and colleagues who were in contact with him have been informed to isolate and test for the disease.

10 a.m. (will be updated) Canada is extending non-essential travel restrictions with the U.S. until Nov. 21, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said Monday. The ban has been in place since March.

9:42 a.m. Wales has become the second nation in the United Kingdom to lock down large swaths of its economy to combat rising coronavirus infections, even as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is resisting loud calls to do the same throughout England.

Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford said Monday that his administration was backing a short, sharp “firebreak” to slow the spread of COVID-19. All non-essential retail, leisure, hospitality and tourism businesses will close for two weeks beginning at 6 p.m. Friday — a lockdown similar in scope to the U.K.-wide measures imposed in March.

“This is the moment to come together to play our part in a common endeavour to do everything we can together to protect the (National Health Service) and to save lives,’’ Drakeford said.

Àuthorities across the U.K. are imposing new restrictions on business and social interactions as COVID-19 infections rise throughout all age groups and parts of the country, filling hospital beds and intensive care wards. One of their main goals is to reduce the strain on the NHS ahead of the winter flu season.

Public health experts say a lockdown can help reset the pandemic at a lower level, giving doctors time to treat the ill and providing breathing room for the government to improve its response. Britain has the deadliest coronavirus outbreak in Europe, with over 43,700 confirmed deaths.

9:32 a.m. Those heading to rally at the Des Moines airport on Wednesday were greeted by a billboard: “TRUMP COVID SUPERSPREADER EVENT,” it read, above a giant arrow pointing to the rally.

The didn’t deter the Trump faithful. Coronavirus cases are , and Iowa has set records for the number of new COVID hospitalizations , but people packed like sardines into the airport hangar, very few wearing masks, to see the nation’s highest-profile COVID patient.

It was part of Trump’s comeback tour of rallies last week (in Pennsylvania, Florida, Iowa and North Carolina) since declaring himself cured. At the crowded events, he badmouthed mask usage (suggesting that masks may be a source of spread rather than protection), Dr. Anthony Fauci (who warned the rallies were “”) and said to those suffering: “I feel your pain because I felt your pain.” Then he said he “felt like Superman” and that the U.S. was “rounding the corner” on the virus.

8:42 a.m. The novel coronavirus has been around for less than a year and already the science is changing.

An early study in June found few or no antibodies in asymptomatic carriers only weeks after infection, suggesting a lack of immunity, but more recent studies have shown that people who have no or little symptoms can launch a robust T-cell immune defence.

And a recent study in Australia showed that in a darkened lab, the virus can live on surfaces such as cellphone screens for up to 28 days, weeks longer than earlier studies, albeit under different conditions.

As we move inside for a period that is once again new in our COVID-19 world — winter — we ask experts to update some of the emerging science that will undoubtedly have to be updated yet again in the coming months, and ask for some advice on how to stay safe indoors.

8:10 p.m. Bars and restaurants across Belgium shut down for a month and a night-time curfew took effect Monday as health authorities warned of a possible “tsunami” of new virus cases in the hard-hit nation that host the European Union’s headquarters.

The new measures aim to limit social interactions to slow down the exponential growth of the pandemic in the nation of 11.5 million people. The new surge of coronavirus cases has already prompted several hospitals to delay nonessential operations to focus on treating COVID-19 cases.

“We are really very close to a tsunami,” Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke told broadcaster RTL.

According to AP figures based on data collected by Johns Hopkins University, Belgium recorded an average of 73.95 daily cases per 100,000 people over the past seven days, the second-worst record in the EU behind the Czech Republic.

Yves Van Laethem, the COVID-19 crisis centre spokesman, said Monday that 7,876 daily new cases were diagnosed on average over the past seven days, up 79 per cent compared with the previous week. Van Laethem said the epidemiological situation could be even worse, given delays in the publication of test results.

7:32 p.m. Mayor John Tory thinks dance studios in Toronto should not be forced to close along with gyms in parts of Ontario with the most COVID-19 infections.

Asked Monday morning on CP24 about complaints from dance studio owners, Tory said: “I don’t think they should be either, by the way … People enrol in specific classes, (operators) are better able to keep a handle on social distancing and so on. I think we should find a way to let those kind of activities proceed subject to safety rules. We’ll see how (public health officials) sort that out.”

Tory’s comments came after Lisa MacLeod, Ontario’s Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, said she is working with officials to find a way to let dance studios reopen in so-called “hot zones” moved back to a modified Stage 2 reopening.

MacLeod tweeted that she has heard from dance studio instructors “loud and clear” and is working toward “options to ensure a safe resumption.”

Tory also told CP24 he expects provincial public health officials to very soon reveal advice for Ontario parents and kids on how to safely celebrate Halloween.

The mayor hinted that Toronto’s input included strong concern about kids knocking on doors and having close contact with residents.

Tory said he’s heard many concerns that “if you’ve taken all the measures you’ve taken with respect to trying to protect kids, and keep schools open and protect people from the virus, that you’re obviously going to be adopting a very cautious approach with respect to Halloween … The concern has been expressed — that people, by going up and knocking on doors, are having a closer kind of contact than we were even advising to do on Thanksgiving … Let’s wait and see what the provincial medical officer of health has to say, and then the governments have to decide what to do with that advice.”

7:21 a.m. Iran recorded its worst day of new deaths since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with 337 confirmed dead on Monday.

The grim milestone represents a significant spike from the previous single-day death toll record of 279. The Health Ministry also announced 4,251 new infections, pushing the total count to 534,630.

Fatalities have soared in recent weeks, as authorities struggle to contain the virus’s spread months into the pandemic. Health officials say the capital, Tehran, has run out of intensive care beds.

The Islamic Republic has seen the worst outbreak in the Middle East with a death toll that topped 30,000 this week. The government has resisted a total lockdown to salvage its devastated economy, already weakened by unprecedented U.S. sanctions.

As the death toll skyrockets, eclipsing the previous highs recorded in the spring amid the worst of its outbreak, authorities have started to tighten restrictions. The government ordered shut recently reopened schools and universities, as well as museums, libraries and other public places in Tehran earlier this month, and imposed a mask mandate outdoors.

The timing of the pandemic has proved particularly difficult for Iran’s economy. The Trump administration re-imposed economic sanctions on Iran after its unilateral withdrawal in 2018 from Tehran’s nuclear accord with world powers.

5:46 a.m.: India has reported 579 fatalities from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the lowest increase in three months, driving its death toll to 114,610. The Health Ministry on Monday also reported 55,722 more people infected, raising India’s total to more than 7.5 million.

A government-appointed committee of scientists said Sunday the disease was likely to “run its course” by February if people used masks and adhered to distancing measures.

The number of new infections confirmed each day has declined for a month. The committee said even if active cases increased during the upcoming festive season and cold weather, they were unlikely to surpass India’s record daily high of 97,894 cases.

5:46 a.m.: South Korea on Monday began testing tens of thousands of employees of hospitals and nursing homes to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks at live-in facilities.

Fifteen of the 76 latest cases reported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency were from the southern port city of Busan, where more than 70 infections have been linked to a hospital for the elderly.

The disease caused by the coronavirus can be more serious in older people and those with existing health conditions like high-blood pressure.

5:45 a.m.: After entire nations were shut down during the first surge of the coronavirus earlier this year, some countries and U.S. states are trying more targeted measures as cases rise again around the world, especially in Europe and the Americas.

New York’s new round of virus shutdowns zeroes in on individual neighbourhoods, closing schools and businesses in hot spots measuring just a couple of square miles.

Spanish officials limited travel to and from some parts of Madrid before restrictions were widened throughout the capital and some suburbs.

Italian authorities have sometimes quarantined spots as small as a single building.

While countries including Israel and the Czech Republic have reinstated nationwide closures, other governments hope smaller-scale shutdowns can work this time, in conjunction with testing, contact tracing and other initiatives they’ve now built up.

The concept of containing hot spots isn’t new, but it’s being tested under new pressures as authorities try to avoid a dreaded resurgence of illness and deaths, this time with economies weakened from earlier lockdowns, populations chafing at the idea of renewed restrictions and some communities complaining of unequal treatment.

5:45 a.m.: The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the planet has passed 40 million.

The milestone was passed early Monday according to Johns Hopkins University, which collates reporting from around the world.

The actual figure is likely to be far higher, as testing has been variable, and many people have had no symptoms.

5:44 a.m.: Stricter public health measures come into effect in York Region today in a bid to tackle what the Ontario government has called an “alarming” surge in COVID-19 cases.

The region north of Toronto has moved back into a modified Stage 2 of the province’s pandemic plan.

Indoor service in restaurants is prohibited, gyms and movie theatres are closed and public gatherings can be no larger than 10 people indoors or 25 people outdoors.

The measures will be in effect for 28 days — two incubation cycles for the novel coronavirus.

York Region accounted for 94 of the province’s 658 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, and 93 of Saturday’s 805 cases.

Sunday 7:15 p.m. St. Joseph’s hospital COVID-19 outbreaks in four units at its site Friday. As of Sunday morning, seven patients and 13 staff members had been infected.

The hospital is expected to implement a widespread testing of staff and patients in the coming days.

“We want to assure our community that St. Joseph’s is a safe place to receive care and emergency services,” said Unity Health spokesperson Robyn Cox.

An outbreak was also declared Thursday in two units at Toronto Western hospital, with six staff members and three patients affected as of Sunday.

A third outbreak was confirmed at CAMH’s Queen Street West site, where two patients were confirmed positive.

The discretion used to indicate an outbreak is when at least two staff or patients have test results that are positive for COVID-19.

updated Sunday, the hospital will be closing the COVID-19 impacted unit to admissions and transfers.

“We continue to remain vigilant about policies and procedures to keep staff and patients safe and we are working with our partners at Toronto Public Health on reporting, surveillance and infection control,” the news release said.

ultfixpt

Ontario records 841 COVID-19 infections despite new measures

Sep 17, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Ontario hit its highest number of COVID-19 cases since setting a record two weeks ago despite new measures banning indoor dining and closing indoor dining and drinking in hot zones on the Thanksgiving weekend.

The Ministry of Health reported 841 new infections Thursday, up from 719 the previous day and the most since 939 on Oct. 9 with a 20 per cent increase in testing over the previous day. There were nine deaths for the second day in a row.

“If we hadn’t taken any measures our numbers would be even higher than they are now,” said Health Minister Christine Elliott, referring to the modified Stage 2 restrictions in Toronto, Peel, York, and Ottawa.

“While we take some solace in that, we have not driven down the numbers,” chief medical officer Dr. David Williams told reporters, urging Ontarians to take pandemic precautions more seriously.

Toronto had 335 new infections, has been above 300 all week and the percentage of people testing positive is up to 4.4 from 3.2 per 100 a week ago.

“We’ve seen some improvement in Ottawa’s numbers. Not the same in Toronto and Peel,” said Williams, who is keeping an eye on the statistics to gauge the impact of the new restrictions, which weren’t imposed on until Monday.

“If we need to take further measures, of course, we will do so,” Elliott said.

Peel had 162 new infections, York 106 — an increase of 30 from the previous day — and Ottawa 72.

Meanwhile, pressure is building for Premier Doug Ford to axe liability protections covering for-profit nursing homes facing lawsuits from families with loved ones who died of COVID-19 in their care.

All three opposition parties said from Attorney General Doug Downey limiting suits to cases of gross negligence goes too far when it comes to profit-oriented long-term-care chains.

They’re making money,” said Liberal House Leader John Fraser, comparing them to nursing homes operated by not-for-profit corporations, charities and municipalities. “There’s a distinction there.”

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said for-profit corporations in long-term care — which she has promised to bar from the sector if elected premier in 2022 — should not be “off the hook” for some of the “horrors” in nursing homes under the bill.

The legislation has been criticized by families who lost parents and grandparents to the virus in questionable circumstances for limiting lawsuits to cases of “gross negligence,” meaning many cases would be dismissed.

“The Ford government’s made a mistake,” said Green Leader Mike Schreiner, who added he supports that level of immunity for non-profit nursing home operators but not for the profit-oriented chains.

Downey told a news conference it’s appropriate for the government to take a “broad approach” because liability protections are needed for all sorts of businesses, charities and volunteer organizations that made “good faith” efforts to prevent the inadvertent spread of COVID-19.

Ford said the terrible examples of lapses in care cited in a following the emergency deployment of military medical teams to the hardest-hit nursing homes — along with pending reports from the government’s long-term care commission, Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé and Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk — could attract the attention of police.

“If police have to do investigations, God bless ‘em,” the premier told a news conference, pledging more action when those reports come out.

“There will be justice.”

The Ontario Long-Term Care Association, which represents nursing home operators, has warned many are having trouble getting their liability insurance renewed and hefty lawsuits could put some out of business, leaving their thousands of residents in limbo.

“We’ve got a sector that’s on the precipice,” said executive director Donna Duncan, noting 60 per cent of the province’s nursing homes are run by for-profit operators, including major chains like Revera.

“This whole notion we’re going to single out 60 per cent of the system, how is that OK?”

Another 25 residents and four staff in nursing homes tested positive for COVID in what has been a steady climb of cases since the end of August,more rapid spread could return, although the number of outbreaks dropped by six to 80 facilities. The virus has killed 1,984 long-term-care residents.

The number of patients requiring hospital care for COVID-19 grew by 10 to 270 people, with 74 in intensive care and 48 of them on ventilators to breathe.

There were 74 more cases in schools across the province and 501 schools reported having students or staff with infections. Outbreaks have forced the temporary closure of five schools.

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