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)”
Just over two weeks from the second anniversary of the first COVID-19 lockdown, the Government of Ontario will take its next, great leap back to normalcy with the lifting of COVID-19 proof of vaccination mandates. While some places will have to decide for themselves whether they’re ready to roll without mandates, our different levels of government are now looking to the light at the end of tunnel. Continue reading “ICYMI: Proof of Vaccine Mandates Lift Tomorrow”
Almost two years after both the City of Guelph and the County of Wellington initiated states of emergency in dealing with COVID-19, both governments are announcing their end next week. Coinciding with the previously announced end to proof of vaccination from the Government of Ontario, both the County and the City will end their emergency declaration and measures on March 1. Hopefully for real this time. Continue reading “For Real This Time, the State of Emergency is Over on March 1”
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”
The anticipated re-opening of the Ontario economy is Monday, and there have been some last-minute details released from both the Provincial government and the local public health unit. Locally, a public health order issued in December will be rescinded on Monday, and there have been some adjustments to the re-opening protocols from the Province while all levels are sending out a message that COVID is something we have to get used to. Continue reading “Last Minute Details Before Monday’s Re-Opening Announced”
The University of Guelph re-opens for in-person learning on Monday, and members of the executive team held a town hall on Thursday to send students, parents, staff and faculty a unified message: They were ready for the return, and all measures are being taken to make sure everything will be as safe as possible. In fact, it was phrased as something of an imperative that students return to campus on Monday. Continue reading “U of G Execs Confident They’re Ready for Monday Re-Opening”
For hundreds of thousands of Ontario school students, Monday’s a big day. Schools province-wide are re-opening, and that brings with it certain concerns about health and safety with the Omicron variant still spreading. Perhaps the public could use some reassurance? A letter from Medical Officer of Health Dr. Nicola Mercer offers some of that, but it also reminds the community that protecting schools is a group effort. Continue reading “Words of Encouragement From Medical Officer of Health Before Monday”
Just a day after the Government of Ontario announced that they’re putting a rush on boosters and capping attendance at large venues, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health announced that they were going further with new COVID precautions. By order of Medical Officer of Health Dr. Nicola Mercer, starting Monday, anyone that can work from home needs to start working from home as the effort to slow Omicron ramps up. Continue reading “Public Health Says Everyone That Can Work From Home, Now Needs to Work From Home”
For the last few weeks, there’s been an air of anticipation that the City of Guelph might soon emerge from the state of emergency initiated in March 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Blame Omicron, but the end of the state of emergency has been indefinitely postponed as the City aims to “mobilize City resources as needed” in order to stay on top of this latest COVID-19 variant. Continue reading “In the Face of Omicron, Guelph Cancels the End of the State of Emergency”
