We’re about halfway through fall, we’ve overcome the big hurdles like Back to School and Thanksgiving, and the new daily case count both in Guelph and across Ontario remains relatively steady. We’re still giving out vaccines, with a few thousand eligible people left to get their jabs, and then, a few weeks ago, we had our first case of the flu this year. What are we to make of all this? Let’s call a doctor! Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #296 – Still COVID with Dr. Mercer (Fall Edition)”
It’s not the press release you might expect from the local Public Health unit, after all, why would you need a press release that announces the arrival of flu season? In COVID times though, the return of influenza is a moment because there was almost no flu last year. Still, as our region’s Medical Officer of Health said in a statement on Thursday, the flu’s return “isn’t unexpected.” Continue reading “The Flu is Back! Says WDG Public Health”
Just in time for the Thanksgiving long weekend, there are now no capacity limits at movie theatres or concert venues! If you spend the holiday packing the house for a movie or your favourite band, then this going to be very good news. Also this week, our local public health unit has said that they’re joining the province’s plan to distribute rapid COVID-19 antigen tests. Continue reading “Capacity Limits Lift Slightly, as Public Health Will Participate in Testing”
It’s been a couple of days since the start of Ontario’s vaccine certification program, and it seems to be going well. Still, it seems that the original version of the mandate wasn’t tight enough for our own local public health unit, and an announcement Thursday introduced some additional coverage. At the same time, the Ontario Human Rights Commission has said their mostly good with vaccine mandates, so there’s that too. Continue reading “Public Health Amends Proof of Vaccination Order, Not a Human Rights Matter”
In nearly seven months, the local COVID-19 vaccination effort has gone from a desperate quest to get more doses to the appearance that this widespread vaccination effort is nearing completion. On Thursday, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health announced that they will start winding down their mass vaccination clinics next month, and if you’re planning on staying in a dorm this school year, you better get to one fast! Continue reading “Get Any Dose, Any Time, as Public Health Winds Down Vax Clinics in August”
It is time again for another in-depth look at the local pandemic picture: how are we doing, where are we going, and what can we expect next? We’re now almost 18 months into the pandemic, and while normal still sometimes seems far away, there is a perceptible feeling that the worst is over, and there are better days ahead. But are there really better days ahead? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #283 – Still COVID [Summer Edition] with Dr. Mercer”
The vaccine roll out continues here in Guelph, around the region, and across Ontario and the rest of Canada. Progress to get the population fully vaccinated is being made swiftly and assuredly, but people still have a lot of questions about the vaccines, they’re efficacy, and what people need to know before they get their first and second shot. Guelph MPP Mike Schreiner reached out to Dr. Nicola Mercer to get some of those answers, and they shared the results in a virtual town hall. Continue reading “RECAP: Mercer Updates Vaccine Progress in Town Hall with Schreiner”
In news nobody wanted the day before the first phase of the provincial re-opening began, the Government of Ontario announced Thursday that Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph is one of seven Public Health sectors in Ontario that are now considered hotspots for the Delta variant of COVID-19. As a consequence, the rollout of the second dose of COVID vaccines is being accelerated in our area starting Monday. Continue reading “Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph a Delta Hotspot as Province Moves Up Second Doses”
It’s the news that people all around Ontario wanted to hear: With vaccination rates going up, and COVID case counts going down, the Provincial government announced that they’re moving up the first phase of re-opening by three days. As of 12:01 am this Friday, all municipalities in Ontario will be able to come out of lockdown with more retail, outdoor dining, and slightly bigger outdoor gatherings all allowed. Continue reading “Ontario Government Announces an Earlier Start to the Re-opening Schedule”
A bit of good news in a field of bad was announced on Monday by Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health: By this time on Tuesday, at least one-quarter of the residents in the region will have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Public Health has also announced that pre-registration for a vaccine shot is now open to all people in the region over the age of 16, but it comes on the worst day for new cases since the start of the pandemic. Continue reading “Public Health Opens Pre-Registration to all Adults as Local Cases Hit Record High”
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