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”
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)”
The University of Guelph has been one of the leaders in COVID-19 research, and in the wake of Omicron, one specific area research took on new importance as the regular channels of COVID testing were overwhelmed. The future of monitoring COVID-19’s prevalence and resilience may be in wastewater testing, and we have the man that could write book on it if he weren’t so busy. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #312 – It’s in the Wastewater!”
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”
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”
This time last week news broke that there was another COVID-19 outbreak at Guelph General Hospital, it was the first one of 2022, but it was not, as it turned out, the last. Earlier this week, the Hospital announced that they had a second, separate outbreak on a different floor, but on this Friday there’s at least some good news in that the Hospital is back to having just one outbreak. Continue reading “One Outbreak Down, One to Go at Guelph General”
As people everywhere keep hoping that we’ve turned the corner with the Omicron variant, there was bad news coming out of the Guelph General Hospital late on Tuesday. For the second time in less than a week, a new COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at the hospital, one floor up and on the opposite side of the building where one more patient and one more staff member have now caught the virus. Continue reading “Yes, There’s Another COVID-19 Outbreak in Guelph General”
One week from today, the University of Guelph will welcome people back to in-person classes. It’s about a week later than originally planned in December, but it’s a return to campus at a time when health authorities are hoping that the worst of the Omicron wave is in the rearview mirror. Still, the senior leaders of the U of G are confident that they’re ready to deal with people on campus again in the safest possible way. Continue reading “U of G is Going Back to In-Person Classes Next Week”
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