The increasing number of cases of COVID-19 all over the place has people on edge, including the people that sit on the local Board of Health. On Wednesday, in their final meeting of the year, the Board heard from Medical Officer of Health Dr. Nicola Mercer who said that the dangers are real, but for those concerned about another lockdown, it’s her learned opinion that this region will stay orange. For now. Continue reading “Mercer Tells Board of Health We’re Likely to Remain Orange”
The Christmas season is approaching, but given current events people are going to have to concede that they won’t be able to celebrate the season in a way that’s normal or traditional. On Wednesday, the Government of Ontario outlined its best advice for how people should spend the holidays, while the City of Guelph also announced some measures on how they will work locally to make sure everyone has a safe and COVID-free holiday. Continue reading “City and Province Release Advice for COVID Christmas Celebrations and Shopping”
Did you know that we’re in a second wave of COVID-19? The numbers from across Ontario certainly show we are, and, as predicted, it seems like this second wave is worse than the first. With the numbers quickly adding up in our area, and the fact that we were moved into level orange on Monday with much of the rest of the GTHA, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Nicola Mercer is asking all residents to step up to get that curve re-flattened. Continue reading “Dr. Mercer Says Stop COVID By Watching What Your’re Doing at Home”
The last time that Dr. Nicola Mercer appeared on this podcast it was July, and things seemed to be going pretty good. Much of the province had been under a Stage 2 re-opening for weeks, and we were on the cusp of Stage 3. The virus wasn’t gone, but the number of new and active cases was on the right trajectory, but there were at the time rumblings about what would happen in the fall. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #245 – Still COVID [Fall Edition] with Dr. Mercer”
For the third time in three weeks, the Ontario government started the weekend with changes to public gatherings meant to stop the continuing spread of COVID-19 in the province. On the same day that Ontario set a new record for new daily cases, Premier Doug Ford and Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams offered new public health measures, but the health official in Ontario’s biggest hotspot was unimpressed with the changes. Continue reading “New Guidelines from Public Health to Battle Growing Outbreak Concerns”
We were promised a resurgence of COVID-19 in the fall, and it appears that local health authorities are already planning ahead. Medical Officer of Health for Wellington, Dufferin, and Guelph Dr. Nicola Mercer has amended her Section 22 order and has expanded mask mandates starting later this week, while the Region of Waterloo passed an extension of their own masking bylaw. Continue reading “Mask Mandates Expand in WDG and Waterloo Regions”
The Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Board of Health met on Wednesday for the first time since July to get an update about the local response to COVID-19. While the number of new cases have been holding steady, the Public Health staff explained that we can’t rest on our laurels, and there’s some hard work we’ve all got to do to prepare for that dreaded second wave. Continue reading “Mercer Tells Board of Health We Need to Stay the Course on COVID”
For the second time since March, and the start of the pandemic, the COVID-19 Assessment Clinic established by Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, and administered by the Guelph Family Health Team, will be moving. Starting next week, those in need of a COVID-19 test will have to make their way to the south end to find out if they have the virus. Continue reading “COVID Assessment Clinic On the Move Again”
As we inch closer to the school year, parents and educators (and students as well) are wondering what in-class learning will look like when the kids start going back the day after Labour Day. As Guelph and area’s separate school board works out the details, the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Medical Officer of Health is offering her two cents and endorsing the call to have students mask up. Continue reading “Mercer Endorses Mask Mandate at Upper Grand School Board”
As we enter midsummer, and the fifth full month living in a COVID-19 world, it seems like some of us are forgetting first principles about stopping the spread of the virus. A joint statement from Mayor Cam Guthrie and Medical Officer of Health Dr. Nicola Mercer is asking Guelphites to remember that there is such a thing as the “new normal” and that everyone still has to follow the advice of public health to slow the spread of COVID. Continue reading “Guthrie and Mercer Ask for Help to Hold the Line on COVID”
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