Tag: COVID-19

Busy First Morning Back at Queen’s Park Begins With More Sticker Drama

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Members of Provincial Parliament and their staffs returned to Queen’s Park on Tuesday for the commencement of another legislative session, the last one before the Provincial Election, which is presently expected on June 2. For opposition parties and interest groups, it was a chance to talk about the challenges and issues still being caused by the pandemic, and for the Premier, it was a chance to just play politics. Continue reading “Busy First Morning Back at Queen’s Park Begins With More Sticker Drama” →

Ford Accelerates Re-Opening: Vax Proof Done March 1, Masks to Stay For a While

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Capacity limits are mostly being lifted by the end of the week, and proof of vaccination will be over by the end of the month even though masking rules are likely to remain for some time. This was the latest update from Premier Doug Ford and his team on Monday morning. After another weekend struggling to deal with the people who oppose all mandates, Ford tried to take back the narrative with some good news. Continue reading “Ford Accelerates Re-Opening: Vax Proof Done March 1, Masks to Stay For a While” →

Cold Weather and Hot Tempers at School Board Mandate Protest

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The snow was falling, and a bitter wind was blowing, but things actually did get heated at a protest outside the main office of the Upper Grand District School Board on Victoria Road Friday. Over 20 people, some with their kids, gathered to call for an end to mask mandates in schools, while at least one person stood her ground about the ongoing necessity of public health restrictions. Continue reading “Cold Weather and Hot Tempers at School Board Mandate Protest” →

Moore Says Signs are Good, But Mandates Stay For Now

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Although they were not the changes most people wanted to hear, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health announced Thursday that he was authorizing a couple of positive tweaks, and promised that there would be more to come. For now, extra-curricular activities are back on in Ontario schools, and non-urgent and non-emergency surgeries and procedures should be recommencing soon at hospitals. Continue reading “Moore Says Signs are Good, But Mandates Stay For Now” →

Elliott: Rapid Tests Coming Soon to a Grocery Store Near You

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Starting Wednesday, getting a rapid test in Ontario will be (theoretically) as easy as visiting your local grocery store or pharmacy. At a Kitchener Walmart this morning, Health Minister Christine Elliott announced that the Province will be making five million free rapid tests available each week for the next eight weeks at over 2,300 participating outlets including 30 right here in Guelph. Continue reading “Elliott: Rapid Tests Coming Soon to a Grocery Store Near You” →

ONgov Announces Nearly 200 More Long-Term Care Beds for Guelph

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While the Government of Ontario is easing restrictions for long-term care residents as the Omicron wave seemingly abates, Ontario’s Long-Term Care Minister Paul Calandra announced that a couple of Guelph’s LTC homes are going to have to make room for a few more people. In all, nearly 200 new beds have been approved for three Guelph long-term care homes, in an announcement the mayor calls, “beyond exciting!” Continue reading “ONgov Announces Nearly 200 More Long-Term Care Beds for Guelph” →

“We Just Need Someone to Respect Us.” Nurses Hopeful After Meet with Premier

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On Thursday, members of the Ontario Nurses Association met with Premier Doug Ford in-person to discuss the help that their 60,000 members need right now to hire, retain, and assist nurses through to the end of the pandemic and beyond. “We just need someone to respect us,” ONA First Vice-President Angela Preocanin said in an interview with Guelph Politico after their meeting with Premier, which she says was actually hopeful. Continue reading ““We Just Need Someone to Respect Us.” Nurses Hopeful After Meet with Premier” →

RECAP: Staff Tells Board of Health They’re Pretty Sure Omicron’s Peaked

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The Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Board of Health met for the first time in 2022 on Wednesday, and for obviously reasons COVID-19 and the Omicron wave took up most of the discussion. At the same time, public health staff are trying to get back on track with vaccinating local young people with all the other shots they need, so there’s lots of good info both pandemic related and not. Check out the recap below. Continue reading “RECAP: Staff Tells Board of Health They’re Pretty Sure Omicron’s Peaked” →

Local Political Leaders Continue to Call Out Convoy Participants

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It’s day #6 of the so-called “Freedom Convoy” in Ottawa, and patience is wearing thin. Even here in Guelph, where there is no convoy of any kind, our local political leaders have expressed shock and dismay at the events in our nation’s capital over the last several days. Mayor Cam Guthrie, MPP Mike Schreiner, and MP Lloyd Longfield have all released statements in response to the convoy, and they’re submitted together here for your convenience. Continue reading “Local Political Leaders Continue to Call Out Convoy Participants” →

Another Tuesday, Another Outbreak at Guelph General Hospital

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For the fourth time in less than two months, there’s a new COVID-19 outbreak in the Guelph General Hospital. Even though there was an outbreak cancelled just five days ago on Friday, and the another outbreak was expected to be ended later this week, it looks like COVID-19 is not finished with the hospital yet. Continue reading “Another Tuesday, Another Outbreak at Guelph General Hospital” →