This month’s meeting of the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Board of Health seemed to be mostly about looking ahead. While there are still issues around COVID-19, there was a lot of discussion around other public health matters like young people and making sure they’ve gotten all their other vaccination shots, plus also some initial conversation about planning for the future of public health beyond COVID. Continue reading “RECAP: Board of Health Looks to the Future, Including Catch-Up Jabs for Kids”
The Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Board of Health will welcome February with their monthly meeting, and it will be a very interesting agenda that will look at the programs that might have suffered from all the emphasis on COVID-19 in the last few years, and the immediate plans and priorities for the public health unit in the next 12 months. Infectious diseases is going to be a pretty big topic, but this won’t be the COVID-19 show. Continue reading “MEETING PREVIEW: Board of Health Meeting for February 1, 2023”
Fall is here, winter is coming, and you probably need a vaccine top up. Although second booster shots have been available for some time now, a lot of people have been waiting for the bivalent vaccine from Moderna for the enhanced protection against Omicron and all its sub-variants. If this sounds like you, then read on for the details about how and when you can sign up to get your (updated) booster dose. Continue reading “Bivalent Vaccine Available For Everyone (Even in Guelph) on September 26”
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health announced Monday a moment that local parents have long-awaited and eagerly anticipated: Starting later this week, if you have a child between the ages of six months and five years, you should be able to book an appointment to get their first COVID-19 vaccine shot. Shipments of Moderna’s pediatric vaccine will soon arrive! Continue reading “COVID Shots for Kids 6 Months to 5 Years Arrive Locally This Week”
It was at the beginning of March 2020 when Dr. Mercer first appeared on the Guelph Politicast to talk about COVID-19: What would happen if, and when, COVID-19 came to Canada? A few weeks later, COVID was here. After that, Dr. Mercer became a regular guest on this podcast, stopping by once every quarter to talk about the pandemic, and now we have arrived at this, the final edition of “Still COVID.” Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #330 – Still COVID (Series Finale)”
The Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Board of Health met on Wednesday in a hybrid format. For the first time in over two years most board members and staff got together in the same room at Public Health’s Chancellors Way headquarters while others tuned in via Zoom, so one might be forgiven for assuming that the pandemic is almost over. Dr. Nicola Mercer made it clear though that there’s still some I’s to dot and T’s to cross. Continue reading “Board of Health Has Positive Outlook on Current Pandemic Conditions”
More and more we’re hearing the words “sixth wave”, so if we’re seeing another increase in COVID-19 cases, then we need a reaction from our local public health unit, right? On Wednesday, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health announced an expansion of who’s eligible for a fourth vaccine dose, while Medical Officer of Health Dr. Nicola Mercer tried to assure the Board of Health that things are in hand. Continue reading “Public Health Expands 4th Doses as Mercer Tells Health Board the 6th Wave is Under Control”
The last time that the Guelph Chamber of Commerce held a State of the City event in-person, COVID-19 was still a topic of local conversation that started with, “Hey, did you hear about that thing happening in China?” More than two years later, Chamber members once again met inside the Delta Hotel and Conference to hear about the State of the City from Mayor Cam Guthrie. A state, he says, that’s all about the fundamentals now. Continue reading “Guthrie Plays Wordle With the State of the City at In-Person Event”
When Ontario students return from March Break they won’t be mandated to wear masks in the classroom anymore, and neither will anyone else. In an anticipated announcement from Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore, the provincial mask mandate will be lifted on March 21 with some limited exceptions. Keeping each other safe from COVID-19, Moore said, is now in our own hands. Continue reading “Confirmed: The Mask Mandate is Mostly Over March 21”
As you click play on this episode, we’re officially in a new phase of the pandemic. More restrictions were lifted on March 1, and Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health is assuring us that it’s only a matter of time now till our masking days are behind us. So it’s good news, right? Maybe. Let’s ask *the* local expect if the reason for optimism is real! Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #313 – Still COVID with Dr. Mercer (Winter Edition)”
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