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How to prepare for a winter day outdoors during COVID-19

Sep 21, 2021 , , , , by shlf

There are plenty of amid COVID-19.

But if you are planning a day out in nature with the family, there are a few things to consider and a few items you may want to pack before you head out. 

Heather Wilson-Forbes, of The Child & Nature Alliance of Canada, has the following tips for families:

Start small

For families who don’t usually spend much time out in nature, there’s no reason to pack up the car and head for an hours-long drive to a specific location, Wilson-Forbes said. Instead, you may want to test out places closer to home, especially considering the fact that due to COVID-19 restrictions, some washrooms or warming centres in certain locations may be closed. 

“Often in Canada we can have the ideal vision of what outdoor time looks like, but if you’re not used to it, perhaps some extended walks around your neighbourhood, or an extended trip to a green space might be good so you can kind of learn what you feel is useful and what’s not useful closer to your home base,” they said.

“There’s nature all around us and children are really happy exploring that wherever they are.”

Bring a change of clothes

Your little ones will be playing outdoors, which means much of their outdoor gear will get wet and possibly muddy. It’s always good to have a change of clothes in your vehicle, as well as an extra hat, scarf and pair of mittens on hand, Wilson-Forbes said, adding that buying these extra items doesn’t have to break the bank.

A local dollar store should carry just what you need, including hand and foot warmers, which may also be useful during these outings.

Invest in a flask for hot beverages

You may be visiting an area that doesn’t have many stores or restaurants nearby. Or perhaps these locations are closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. 

Either way, it may be a good idea to bring along an insulated container with a hot beverage to help you and your family keep warm, Wilson-Forbes said.

They added that families may want to steer clear of caffeine however, if there will not be an accessible washroom close by. 

Keep moving 

While on these outings, some families may be tempted to push their children in a sled or a stroller, but if your little ones can walk, letting them be out and about not only helps them to discover more, but also keeps them warm, Wilson-Forbes explained. 

Let your kids guide the adventure, where possible

If being out in nature is not new for your family, it may be beneficial to let your children lead the adventure this time. The philosophy at The Child & Nature Alliance of Canada is all about child-led outdoor play and exploration.

Letting your child’s interests guide the experience and being ready to answer their questions along the way, can create a more fulsome, immersive experience for the whole family, Wilson-Forbes said. 

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Erin O’Toole dodges questions about Tory MP who supports anti-vaxxers

Sep 21, 2021 , , , , by shlf

OTTAWA—Conservative Leaderblamed government “secrecy” for fuelling concern about a future Thursday as he dodged questions about one of his MPs flirting with vaccine skeptics.

Responding to questions at a morning press conference, O’Toole declined to denounce Conservative MP Derek Sloan, who sponsored a in Parliament that questions the safety of COVID vaccines and likens their speedy rollout to “human experimentation.”

Instead, O’Toole called on the government to lift the veil on its planned vaccination campaign, including by releasing details for how it intends to roll out doses to the Canadian Armed Forces, veterans and Indigenous communities that fall under federal health jurisdiction. That would “help bring certainty” to people about the pandemic response and “the efficacy of the vaccine,” O’Toole said.

“More important than petitions sent in from Canadians across the country is a plan for the 38 million Canadians seeing a government with no information heading into Christmas,” O’Toole said.

“You wonder why Canadians are worried? It’s the secrecy and incompetence of the Trudeau government.”

Sloan, an Ontario MP who lost to O’Toole in the Conservative leadership race this year, told reporters Wednesday that he typically tables all petitions signed by his constituents unless he is “adamantly opposed” to what they contain. The petition was written by a director of a group called that argues for “informed consent” about vaccines and their risks, benefits and alternatives.

“I’m not an expert on this subject matter so I can’t say one way or other whether certain protocols are being followed. But I believe, you know, these people seem to have concerns and I have no problem allowing them to raise those through a petition in the House of Commons,” Sloan said.

Responding to questions from Conservatives about the vaccine plan in the House on Thursday, Health Minister Patty Hajdu accused the opposition of doubting health officials. “Unlike the opposition party, we have confidence in public health officials, we have confidence in public health guidance and we certainly have confidence in vaccination,” she said.

Prof. Timothy Caulfield, who holds the Canada Research Chair in health law and policy at the University of Alberta, said everyone should be concerned about petitions like the one Sloan is sponsoring, which he said “seems to be more about fear-mongering than rational oversight.”

“These claims are frustrating and do nothing to help Canadians get through the pandemic,” he said.

“These vaccines have been studied. There have been clinical trials involving thousands of individuals.” Of course, the science must be reviewed by regulators “who independently assess the available evidence,” he said, adding post-market surveillance will “help identify rare adverse events.”

But Caulfield said research shows the anti-vaccine community, including Vaccine Choice Canada, uses “ideologically or intuitively appealing concepts like choice, freedom, liberty, consent … to sidestep the scientifically implausible nature of the myths and the misinformation they push.”

It fuels mistrust.

Caulfield said research shows that anywhere from 20 to 40 per cent of people — depending on the survey — are worried and are “taking a wait-and-see perspective.”

What’s driving the hesitancy, Caulfield said, is a “breakdown in trust in the process” due to misinformation generally about vaccines, and more specifically about the speed of the COVID-19 vaccine development process.

“You’re seeing individuals that aren’t the hardcore anti-vaxxers but rather those sort of hesitant groups — that group in the middle — and they’re worried about the speed, they’re worried about political interference and I think that’s largely emanating from the United States.”

Conservative health critic Michelle Rempel told the Star’s Kieran Leavitt that Sloan’s petition does not represent the party’s position, and said Canada “has one of the most rigorous review processes for health products, including vaccines, in the world.”

“I mean, seriously. So, there’s no question within our party of the need to have a COVID vaccine that has been approved by health regulators widely available to the Canadian public to combat the spread of COVID-19.”

“I do think that it’s incumbent upon the government, however, in collaboration with the provinces, to give Canadians information on where they can receive it, what it means in terms of potential immunity and efficacy.”

For Jason Lietaer, president of the strategic communications firm Enterprise and a former adviser to prime minister Stephen Harper, all political leaders should make it clear that a vaccine is expected to be a key tool to get out of the pandemic.

“You should be tough on the issue, not on the person. Mr. O’Toole and all political leaders should send a very quick and very clear message that our vaccines are safe,” he said.

Tonda MacCharles is an Ottawa-based reporter covering federal politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter:

Alex Ballingall is an Ottawa-based reporter covering national politics for the Star. Follow him on Twitter:

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How COVID stranded new Canadian residents and stalled immigration

Sep 20, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Going into 2020, thousands of people around the world had high hopes for a new life in Canada after getting their permanent resident visas. They sold their homes, quit their jobs and got ready to move to a new country that had invited them to come to live.

But then slammed the door in their faces.

Since mid-March, Ottawa has imposed strict travel restrictions against foreign nationals, including holders of permanent resident visas. Meanwhile the clock is ticking for many whose permanent visas have expired or are near expiry.

The federal government is working to restart the immigration system that faltered badly during this pandemic but the process has been slow and frustrating. Canada is falling far short of its immigration goals.

In today’s episode of This Matters, the Star’s immigration reporter explains what is going on. Fatima Camara, a teacher from Belarus, also joins to share her family’s story of being stuck in limbo after getting their permanent resident visas and packing up their old lives only to go nowhere.

Listen to this episode and more at or subscribe at , , or wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts

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Southern Ontario police see surge in carjackings, chases and more

Sep 17, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Police and residents from Hamilton to Peel Region, Toronto and as far north as Wasaga Beach have been raising concerns about a recent uptick in armed carjackings, high-speed chases through city streets, stunt driving and general disregard of some modified-vehicle enthusiasts for restrictions on gathering sizes, forcing Ontario’s premier to threaten throwing the book at rule breakers in recent weeks.

Peel Regional Police, York Regional Police, Toronto Police Service and the OPP are joining forces to address the disconcerting trend. During Friday’s Peel police board meeting, Chief Nishan Duraiappah said recent driving fatalities, speeding and street racing “is a significant problem.”

The joint operation was announced just two days after a 20-year-old man from Brampton was charged with allegedly stealing a luxury vehicle and taking police on a high-speed chase through Vaughan and Peel Region.

“On top of that are these violent robberies (organized carjackings) and theft of vehicles that we’ve seen,” Duraiappah said at Friday’s meeting. “There has been a significant increase, particularly during the pandemic, right across the GTA, for these types of thefts.”

According to Peel police, since March there has been a large increase of high-end vehicle thefts, with suspects often using weapons and threatening violence.

Jotvinder Sodhi and other members of the Homeowners Welfare Association and Concerned Residents of Brampton raised concerns about armed carjackings, deadly collisions, speeding and stunt driving in a deputation to the Peel board.

“People are being killed and injured every day on our roads,” Sodhi told the Star Monday. “This is a problem for the entire GTA.”

Sodhi said public concern has been elevated since the horrific death of elementary teacher and her three young daughters.

“We need better response and police presence on the roads,” Sodhi said. “Youth engagement is also something that we have to work on.”

Brady Robertson, 20, of Caledon, has since been charged with four counts of dangerous driving causing death and impaired driving causing death in connection with the collision that killed Ciasullo.

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said Sodhi raised some legitimate concerns, adding that whether it’s street racing or brazen car thefts, “we have to stem that.”

As of Sept. 14, Toronto police have laid 714 charges for stunt driving, which includes excessive speeding.

Nicole Saltz, a 34-year-old writer, has lived on the third floor of a highrise overlooking the Don Valley Parkway at Broadview and Danforth Aves. for eight years has never had a problem with traffic noise from the DVP before. However, this year there have been loud motorcycles and cars speeding by every night into the early morning.

“If they stop at 4 a.m., that’s a good night,” she said.

Saltz has tracked down people involved in racing events on social media and says the late-night DVP speeding is organized. She and her neighbours have started a Facebook group to track the incidents and have complained to the police, but she said the force told her officers have limited ability to catch the offenders in part because police are prohibited from engaging in high-speed chases for safety reasons.

“Someone’s not doing their job. And it’s to the detriment” of law-abiding residents, she said. “Not to be a drama queen, but it really is ruining my life in a lot of ways. It’s horrible.”

Ontario Provincial Police were on the scene on the weekend in Wasaga Beach where hundreds of modified cars descended this weekend for stunt driving, racing and more at an unsanctioned car rally. Dangerous driving, lack of physical distancing and disregard for public-gathering limits led the OPP to start turning motorists away from the beach town on Saturday night.

The OPP said in a statement Monday that “all available resources” were needed to maintain public safety during what the police service called “an unsanctioned car take-over event.” In all, police issued 172 provincial offence notices and laid charged including stunt and careless driving and speeding.

Some vehicles were seized and 11 tickets were issued the Reopening Ontario Act, which limits outdoor gathering sizes.

The event follows on the heels of a car rally in Ancaster drawing hundreds of people, who had to be dispersed with the help of police forces from across the GTA.

With files from the Star’s Ben Spurr and Wendy Gillis, and Shane MacDonald, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Barrie Advance.

Jason Miller is a Toronto-based reporter for the Star covering crime and justice in the Peel Region. His reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. Reach him on email: or follow him on Twitter:

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A glitch in the system meant the switch from CERB to EI wasn’t seamless for everyone

Sep 17, 2021 , , , , by shlf

When Mollie Jacques signed onto the Service Canada website to check if her Employment Insurance (EI) had come through last week, her heart sank.

The veteran chef got a notice that she’d need to reapply, and that it might take 28 days to start collecting money again.

Two days later, she checked again, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her original application, made in March, had been approved.

“Those were the worst two days of this entire pandemic for me. Not knowing if I’d have any money coming in for a month was just awful,” said Jacques.

Adding insult to injury, Jacques’ final CERB payment was just $500, not the $1,000 she’d been expecting and believed she was entitled to.

Like many in the restaurant industry, Jacques had been collecting the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) since it was introduced in late March. When CERB ended Oct. 3, it was supposed to be a seamless transition to EI for anyone who had been receiving CERB through Service Canada, which administers EI. (Millions of other workers, who wouldn’t ordinarily be able to qualify for EI, were collecting CERB through the Canada Revenue Agency, and were only allowed to apply for the new Canada Replacement Benefit on Oct. 12).

Instead, many workers say they got similar notices when they logged in.

Having eaten through any savings they had, and facing another series of COVID-related restrictions , those notices added an extra level of anxiety when they least needed it.

For sommelier Teressa M. Stone, it was several demoralizing days before the message on her Service Canada account changed.

“At first it said ‘your benefits are done’ and didn’t even give me the option of reapplying. It took well over a week to update to ‘your claim has been approved’ and I still don’t know exactly when the money will come,” said Stone, who is worried about paying her rent.

“It’s been pretty stressful,” Stone said.

A spokesperson for federal social development minister Ahmed Hussen, who’s responsible for Service Canada, said the government is confident the EI program is helping people it’s designed to assist, but acknowledged it might not have been a perfect transition from CERB.

“Our priority is in ensuring Canadians have access to high-quality programs and services they need and expect during these difficult times. We have taken important measures to ensure a seamless transition from the CERB to EI, and are working hard so that every worker who is entitled to benefits can receive them. We sympathize with Canadians who had issues reapplying, and remain committed to providing them with the benefits they are entitled to,” said Hussen spokesperson Jessica Eritou.

It wasn’t immediately clear how many people were affected by the apparent glitch.

Simao Pires, a cook at the InterContinental Hotel on Bloor Street, had been collecting CERB since being laid off in March. While the transition from CERB to enhanced EI was supposed to be automatic, that didn’t go according to plan for Pires.

“They emailed and said they needed to reconfirm my province of residence. I called to ask them why and they said I needed to reapply. If I hadn’t called and sat on hold for two and a half hours, I wouldn’t have known,” said Pires. Despite the added stress, Pires reapplied and got his first EI payment Wednesday.

Some workers, including waitress Emily Feist, also worries about another change: Under CERB, people could earn up to $1,000 a month while still collecting the benefit. Now, though, it’s back to the EI rule: 50 cents of every dollar earned will be clawed back from the benefit payments.

“Are they going to be clawing back half of anything that I make? Really? That’s the scariest part of this,” said Feist, who took a part-time, minimum wage job while collecting CERB. “I feel like I’m looking off the edge of a cliff and one of these days I’m going to jump off.”

The Canada Replacement Benefit, which is only open to people ineligible to collect EI doesn’t start clawing back earnings until someone makes at least $38,000 per year.

Josh Rubin is a Toronto-based business reporter. Follow him on Twitter:

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Barrie collisions down this year, but fatalities have increased

Sep 17, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Collisions in Barrie have dropped sharply during this year’s pandemic compared to last year, but there was an increase in one critical area.

There have been nine people killed in vehicle collisions so far this year, compared to only three during the same period in 2019.

The city’s police services board reviewed the numbers during a meeting Oct. 15.

Overall, 779 collisions were reported to Barrie police from January to September 2019, compared to 464 from January to September this year.

The statistics are part of a strategic plan update for the Barrie Police Service. The report states the reductions are likely due to COVID-19 restrictions, which have translated to fewer vehicles on the road this year. 

Collisions that resulted in injuries fell from 252 in 2019 to 134 this year, which represents a 40 per cent decline. 

Collision without injuries decreased from 524 last year to 321 during the same period this year.

Criminal charges were laid in connection with at least one of the fatal crashes this year.

Two teens aged 17 and 19 were charged with dangerous driving causing death after Paige Ferreira, 17, was killed in a crash on Georgian Drive Jan. 29. Police said a collision occurred after two drivers had an “interaction.” That case remains before the courts.

Meanwhile, charges have not been laid in connection with the death of 26-year-old Cynthia Cisneros, who was struck and killed by a snowplow while crossing Veterans Drive at Mapleview Drive, at about 12:35 a.m. Jan. 17. Cisneros had moved to Canada from Mexico and was working as a cleaner when she was struck. A co-worker was also injured.

Barrie police are attempting some creative measures in a bid to reduce speeding, especially in residential areas.

The report says a new initiative known as “Constable Scarecrow” will test if a lifelike cutout of an officer holding a radar gun will reduce speeding.

Residents in high-complaint areas will be surveyed to assess their feeling of safety and perception of police response.

 

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Treats through tubes, careful routes and scavenger hunts: COVID-19 meant new tricks in the hunt for treats

Sep 17, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Being chased through a skull-adorned hay-bale maze by a dinosaur as eerie piano music plays is not unusual for Halloween, but a candy chute at the end is.

“If kids are going to come out I wanted to make sure there was something for them. I think especially we go into the darkness everybody could use just a little delight,” said Candace who, along with Cecilia (playing the dinosaur) spent four hours constructing the haunted front yard. Rather than handing treats out personally to any visiting kids —— and thereby getting in closer contact than COVID-19 guidelines suggest — the duo had arranged to send the candy and chocolate down some plastic tubing to a waiting ghoul, goblin or superhero several feet away.

On any other crisp but clear Halloween evening, especially one that happened to fall on a Saturday, the leaf-strewn streets of Cabbagetown would be filled with hundreds of trick-or-treating children — the neighbourhood is known to go all out.

But, in Toronto and other hotspots, public heath officials recommended against traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating.

“The name of the game right now is to avoid contact with people you don’t live with so I hope people will make their own judgment because in the end that’s what they have to do,” Tory told reporters on Saturday afternoon.

“The big gatherings are the things that are most worrisome and hopefully those won’t occur.”

In lieu of the usual routine, families with young children organized small outdoor Halloween games and scavenger hunts in parks and backyards, walks through decorated neighbourhoods, or preplanned trick-or-treat routes stopping at the homes of just a few friends and neighbours.

“We are just visiting a few people’s backyards so we can be outside,” said Megan Tully, as she was being pulled along the sidewalk by her three-year-old son Struan, dressed as Batman. “This is his first year that he’s into it so he doesn’t have much to compare it to luckily.”

(Struan’s assessment of the evening thus far was: “Good.”)

The consensus among those out making the best of it was that there would be a lot less candy this year, though it was too early to say if quality would win out over quantity.

Cecilia, who executed a masterful change from dinosaur to scary clown in under 10 seconds while speaking with a Star reporter, said they checked with neighbours before setting up the maze.

She came up with the idea for a maze because it would be safe, she said: “It’s about being smart and being part of the community with things like this.”

“It’s been really nice. People have said thank you,” said Candace, who said the turnout was maybe tenth of the usual “crammed like a mall at Christmas” crowd, with some people only walking or driving by. Wielding tongs for the candy packages in place of a witch’s broom, she said there has been an appreciation for the precautions they’ve taken.

“We looked at the guidelines,” she said. “And we had a conversation where we said if it gets to a point where there are too many people and we can’t handle it, we’ll shut it down and close the gate.”

Alyshah Hasham is a Toronto-based reporter covering crime and court for the Star. Follow her on Twitter:

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Ontario records 841 COVID-19 infections despite new measures

Sep 17, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Ontario hit its highest number of COVID-19 cases since setting a record two weeks ago despite new measures banning indoor dining and closing indoor dining and drinking in hot zones on the Thanksgiving weekend.

The Ministry of Health reported 841 new infections Thursday, up from 719 the previous day and the most since 939 on Oct. 9 with a 20 per cent increase in testing over the previous day. There were nine deaths for the second day in a row.

“If we hadn’t taken any measures our numbers would be even higher than they are now,” said Health Minister Christine Elliott, referring to the modified Stage 2 restrictions in Toronto, Peel, York, and Ottawa.

“While we take some solace in that, we have not driven down the numbers,” chief medical officer Dr. David Williams told reporters, urging Ontarians to take pandemic precautions more seriously.

Toronto had 335 new infections, has been above 300 all week and the percentage of people testing positive is up to 4.4 from 3.2 per 100 a week ago.

“We’ve seen some improvement in Ottawa’s numbers. Not the same in Toronto and Peel,” said Williams, who is keeping an eye on the statistics to gauge the impact of the new restrictions, which weren’t imposed on until Monday.

“If we need to take further measures, of course, we will do so,” Elliott said.

Peel had 162 new infections, York 106 — an increase of 30 from the previous day — and Ottawa 72.

Meanwhile, pressure is building for Premier Doug Ford to axe liability protections covering for-profit nursing homes facing lawsuits from families with loved ones who died of COVID-19 in their care.

All three opposition parties said from Attorney General Doug Downey limiting suits to cases of gross negligence goes too far when it comes to profit-oriented long-term-care chains.

They’re making money,” said Liberal House Leader John Fraser, comparing them to nursing homes operated by not-for-profit corporations, charities and municipalities. “There’s a distinction there.”

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said for-profit corporations in long-term care — which she has promised to bar from the sector if elected premier in 2022 — should not be “off the hook” for some of the “horrors” in nursing homes under the bill.

The legislation has been criticized by families who lost parents and grandparents to the virus in questionable circumstances for limiting lawsuits to cases of “gross negligence,” meaning many cases would be dismissed.

“The Ford government’s made a mistake,” said Green Leader Mike Schreiner, who added he supports that level of immunity for non-profit nursing home operators but not for the profit-oriented chains.

Downey told a news conference it’s appropriate for the government to take a “broad approach” because liability protections are needed for all sorts of businesses, charities and volunteer organizations that made “good faith” efforts to prevent the inadvertent spread of COVID-19.

Ford said the terrible examples of lapses in care cited in a following the emergency deployment of military medical teams to the hardest-hit nursing homes — along with pending reports from the government’s long-term care commission, Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé and Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk — could attract the attention of police.

“If police have to do investigations, God bless ‘em,” the premier told a news conference, pledging more action when those reports come out.

“There will be justice.”

The Ontario Long-Term Care Association, which represents nursing home operators, has warned many are having trouble getting their liability insurance renewed and hefty lawsuits could put some out of business, leaving their thousands of residents in limbo.

“We’ve got a sector that’s on the precipice,” said executive director Donna Duncan, noting 60 per cent of the province’s nursing homes are run by for-profit operators, including major chains like Revera.

“This whole notion we’re going to single out 60 per cent of the system, how is that OK?”

Another 25 residents and four staff in nursing homes tested positive for COVID in what has been a steady climb of cases since the end of August,more rapid spread could return, although the number of outbreaks dropped by six to 80 facilities. The virus has killed 1,984 long-term-care residents.

The number of patients requiring hospital care for COVID-19 grew by 10 to 270 people, with 74 in intensive care and 48 of them on ventilators to breathe.

There were 74 more cases in schools across the province and 501 schools reported having students or staff with infections. Outbreaks have forced the temporary closure of five schools.

Rob Ferguson is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow him on Twitter:

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Today’s coronavirus news: Testing rates lag in Toronto neighbourhoods hit hardest by virus; Trick-or-treating discouraged in Toronto, Peel, York and Ottawa; Ontario reports 704 new cases

Sep 17, 2021 , , , , by shlf

The latest news from Canada and around the world Monday. This file will be updated throughout the day. Web links to longer stories if available.

6:35 p.m.: The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health has reported a COVID-19 outbreak at its Queen Street West site, with five patients testing positive for the virus. It is the first outbreak at Canada’s largest mental health hospital since April.

Two patients were said to have COVID-19 on Sunday. By Monday at 5 p.m., CAMH updated their website to reveal three more patients had tested positive, bringing the total to five current patients with the virus.

The new outbreak brings the number of patients who have tested positive for the virus at CAMH to 29 since the pandemic began. Nineteen have since recovered and three were discharged.

6:30 p.m.: The rate of COVID-19 testing in the part of the city hit hardest by the virus is lagging behind other neighbourhoods, data newly posted by Toronto Public Health shows.

That data, released Monday and current to Oct. 4, shows that eight of the 10 neighbourhoods with the highest per cent positivity for COVID-19 are in the northwest part of the city, .

At the same time, all eight of those neighbourhoods had rates of testing below the average for neighbourhoods where there was data available.

On Monday, the city’s board of health called on the province to increase the availability and accessibility of pop-up testing in neighbourhoods disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Dr. Eileen de Villa, the city’s medical officer of health, said Monday that more testing is needed to “fully understand” what’s happening in those neighbourhoods.

5:40 p.m.: Toronto’s restaurants and bars are scrambling to extend patio season for as long as possible following the 28-day ban imposed October 10 on indoor dining — but many are finding that winterizing is more difficult than they thought, and some are closing down altogether for the time being.

“There’s no confidence, really, that people will flock to outdoor patios in the winter,” said James Rilett, Restaurants Canada’s vice-president for central Canada. This uncertainty has left restaurant owners wondering if they’ll be worth the investment, he said.

And while some restaurants are charging ahead with winterizing their patios for the long haul, it’s a select few — and it’s a challenge, given the current shortage of space heaters caused by increased demand, said Ryan Mallough, director of provincial affairs for Ontario for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).

3:45 p.m.: The total number of COVID-19 cases in Canada has passed 200,000.

The latest case numbers from Saskatchewan lifted the national tally over the bleak milestone.

The development comes just over four months after Canada reached the 100,000-case threshold.

The bulk of the country’s case load has been concentrated in Ontario and Quebec, though numbers have been surging in much of the country in recent weeks as Canada deals with a second wave of the global pandemic.

2:30 p.m.: When Jesse James Laderoute went to check his EI deposit last week, it wasn’t quite what he’d been expecting.

“I thought it was going to be $1,000, but it was only $750,” said the Toronto bartender, who was transitioned to EI after the Canada Emergency Response Benefit ended at the end of September.

When he figured out why the deposit was smaller, he got angry. He’d managed to pick up a shift or two to bring in an extra bit of money to supplement EI, and reported the income to Service Canada. For every dollar he’d earned, 50 cents of his EI benefit had been clawed back.

“I’m putting myself at risk of catching this virus for $6.10 an hour. It really doesn’t seem worth it,” said Laderoute, referring to his income after the clawback is factored in.

While the clawback is a standard EI rule, Laderoute figured things would be different during the COVID-19 pandemic. Self-employed and freelance workers collecting the Canada Recovery Benefit, after all, won’t see any clawbacks until after they hit $38,000 per year.

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1:45 p.m. Fake reviews on Amazon.com Inc. during the pandemic .

About 42 per cent of 720 million Amazon reviews assessed by the monitoring service Fakespot Inc. from March through September were unreliable, up from about 36 per cent for the same period last year. The rise in fake reviews corresponded with the stampede online of millions of virus-avoiding shoppers.

“We’ve only seen those kinds of numbers in the Black Friday or Christmas period in 2019,” said Fakespot founder and chief executive officer Saoud Khalifah. “In 2020, the surge of fake reviews has proliferated in a rapid manner coinciding with lockdown measures in the USA.” By contrast, almost 36 per cent of Walmart.com reviews assessed by Fakespot during the same period were fake — about the same as last year.

1:41 p.m. U.S. President Donald Trump complained to his campaign staff about the government’s top infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, including him among people he considers “idiots,” but said he couldn’t fire him because of public perception.

“People are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots,” Trump said Monday in a call intended to boost morale at a campaign running well behind his challenger, Joe Biden. Trump’s campaign invited reporters to listen in.

“Anytime he goes on television” there’s a “bomb,” Trump told his staff, adding that if he fired Fauci it would be a “bigger bomb.”

He claimed without substantiation that “if we listened to him” there would be 700,000 to 800,000 American deaths. More than 220,000 Americans have died so far from the coronavirus.

After disparaging Fauci, Trump remarked that he didn’t care whether reporters were on the call.

1:38 p.m. Your personal health information could soon be a click away on your iPhone or Android device, making health-care delivery easier for doctors, nurses, and patients during the .

Treasury Board President Peter Bethlenfalvy is pushing an ambitious digital strategy to improve Ontarians’ access to a slew of government services at a time when so many are working from home.

“We need to adapt to Ontario’s new reality. People are 100 per cent ready,” Bethlenfalvy said Monday as he unveiled an 18-page “COVID-19 action plan for a people-focused government.”

“COVID-19 is accelerating things,” he said.

The most significant of the 30 priorities outlined in the document is a “digital identity” profile that would allow people to safely store government-issued personal information in their phones.

“Verified, digital information about you, such as the information found on your health card, driver’s licence and birth certificate, can be securely stored in a digital wallet on your smartphone and conveniently used to prove your identity to access services when required,” the action plan says.

This would “provide new and improved digital health solutions to frontline care personnel, so they can rapidly and securely access a patient’s health records from anywhere and from any device.”

12:14 p.m. The number of new COVID-19 cases in public schools across the province has jumped by 74 in its latest report, to a total of 749 in the last two weeks.

In the province reported 48 more students were infected for a total of 430 in the last two weeks; since school began there has been an overall total of 736 cases.

The data shows there are 10 more staff members for a total of 106 in the last two weeks — and an overall total of 203.

The latest report also shows 16 more individuals who weren’t identified for a total of 213 in that category — and an overall total of 373.

There are 483 schools with a reported case, which the province notes is 10 per cent of the 4,828 public schools in Ontario.

11:30 a.m.: The number of new COVID-19 cases in public schools across the province has jumped by 74 in its latest report, to a total of 749 in the last two weeks.

In the province reported 48 more students were infected for a total of 430 in the last two weeks; since school began there has been an overall total of 736 cases.

The data shows there are 10 more staff members for a total of 106 in the last two weeks — and an overall total of 203.

The latest report also shows 16 more individuals who weren’t identified for a total of 213 in that category — and an overall total of 373.

There are 483 schools with a reported case, which the province notes is 10 per cent of the 4,828 public schools in Ontario.

11:30 a.m.: Quebec is reporting 1,038 new cases of COVID-19 and six more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus.

Health officials say two of those deaths occurred in the past 24 hours, one occurred between Oct. 12 and 17, and three newly linked COVID deaths occurred at unknown dates.

Hospitalizations increased by five compared with the prior day, for a total of 532, and 92 of those patients were in intensive care, an increase of four.

Quebec has reported a total of 94,429 cases of COVID-19 and 6,044 deaths linked to the virus.

10:45 a.m. (updated): There are 704 new cases of COVID-19 in Ontario today, and four new deaths due to the virus.

Health Minister Christine Elliott says 244 cases are in Toronto, 168 in Peel Region, 103 in York Region and 51 in Ottawa.

Ontario also reported 74 new COVID-19 cases related to schools, including at least 48 among students.

10:20 a.m. The pandemic has made it too scary for door-to-door trick or treating in Toronto, Peel, York and Ottawa, says Ontario’s chief medical officer.

Dr. David Williams said Monday the “high transmission” of COVID-19 in the four regions now under modified Stage 2 restrictions has prompted him to recommend against the traditional candy collection.

The announcement came as the province reported another 704 cases of the virus, bringing the total since Friday to 2,167.

10:17 a.m. Ontario is reporting 704 cases of COVID-19 and four new deaths. Locally, there are 244 new cases in Toronto, 168 in Peel, 103 in York Region and 51 in Ottawa. Almost 31,900 tests were completed.

10:12 a.m. South Africa’s health minister Dr. Zweli Mkhize has announced that he and his wife have tested positive for COVID-19 and warned of a possible resurgence of the disease in the country.

Mkhize and his wife got positive results after they both displayed symptoms, he said in a statement.

“I was feeling abnormally exhausted and as the day progressed, I started losing appetite. My wife had a cough, was dizzy and was extremely exhausted,” he wrote. His wife May, who is also a doctor, has been hospitalized for observation and rehydration, he said.

Mkhize emphasized that South Africans should continue to wear masks and sanitize their hands to avoid more infections.

“As a country, we’ve made significant strides in our fight against this pandemic. Let us not dare regress,” he said. “Whatever we do and wherever we go, we have to keep in mind that there remains a risk of a second wave.”

He said family members and colleagues who were in contact with him have been informed to isolate and test for the disease.

10 a.m. (will be updated) Canada is extending non-essential travel restrictions with the U.S. until Nov. 21, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said Monday. The ban has been in place since March.

9:42 a.m. Wales has become the second nation in the United Kingdom to lock down large swaths of its economy to combat rising coronavirus infections, even as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is resisting loud calls to do the same throughout England.

Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford said Monday that his administration was backing a short, sharp “firebreak” to slow the spread of COVID-19. All non-essential retail, leisure, hospitality and tourism businesses will close for two weeks beginning at 6 p.m. Friday — a lockdown similar in scope to the U.K.-wide measures imposed in March.

“This is the moment to come together to play our part in a common endeavour to do everything we can together to protect the (National Health Service) and to save lives,’’ Drakeford said.

Àuthorities across the U.K. are imposing new restrictions on business and social interactions as COVID-19 infections rise throughout all age groups and parts of the country, filling hospital beds and intensive care wards. One of their main goals is to reduce the strain on the NHS ahead of the winter flu season.

Public health experts say a lockdown can help reset the pandemic at a lower level, giving doctors time to treat the ill and providing breathing room for the government to improve its response. Britain has the deadliest coronavirus outbreak in Europe, with over 43,700 confirmed deaths.

9:32 a.m. Those heading to rally at the Des Moines airport on Wednesday were greeted by a billboard: “TRUMP COVID SUPERSPREADER EVENT,” it read, above a giant arrow pointing to the rally.

The didn’t deter the Trump faithful. Coronavirus cases are , and Iowa has set records for the number of new COVID hospitalizations , but people packed like sardines into the airport hangar, very few wearing masks, to see the nation’s highest-profile COVID patient.

It was part of Trump’s comeback tour of rallies last week (in Pennsylvania, Florida, Iowa and North Carolina) since declaring himself cured. At the crowded events, he badmouthed mask usage (suggesting that masks may be a source of spread rather than protection), Dr. Anthony Fauci (who warned the rallies were “”) and said to those suffering: “I feel your pain because I felt your pain.” Then he said he “felt like Superman” and that the U.S. was “rounding the corner” on the virus.

8:42 a.m. The novel coronavirus has been around for less than a year and already the science is changing.

An early study in June found few or no antibodies in asymptomatic carriers only weeks after infection, suggesting a lack of immunity, but more recent studies have shown that people who have no or little symptoms can launch a robust T-cell immune defence.

And a recent study in Australia showed that in a darkened lab, the virus can live on surfaces such as cellphone screens for up to 28 days, weeks longer than earlier studies, albeit under different conditions.

As we move inside for a period that is once again new in our COVID-19 world — winter — we ask experts to update some of the emerging science that will undoubtedly have to be updated yet again in the coming months, and ask for some advice on how to stay safe indoors.

8:10 p.m. Bars and restaurants across Belgium shut down for a month and a night-time curfew took effect Monday as health authorities warned of a possible “tsunami” of new virus cases in the hard-hit nation that host the European Union’s headquarters.

The new measures aim to limit social interactions to slow down the exponential growth of the pandemic in the nation of 11.5 million people. The new surge of coronavirus cases has already prompted several hospitals to delay nonessential operations to focus on treating COVID-19 cases.

“We are really very close to a tsunami,” Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke told broadcaster RTL.

According to AP figures based on data collected by Johns Hopkins University, Belgium recorded an average of 73.95 daily cases per 100,000 people over the past seven days, the second-worst record in the EU behind the Czech Republic.

Yves Van Laethem, the COVID-19 crisis centre spokesman, said Monday that 7,876 daily new cases were diagnosed on average over the past seven days, up 79 per cent compared with the previous week. Van Laethem said the epidemiological situation could be even worse, given delays in the publication of test results.

7:32 p.m. Mayor John Tory thinks dance studios in Toronto should not be forced to close along with gyms in parts of Ontario with the most COVID-19 infections.

Asked Monday morning on CP24 about complaints from dance studio owners, Tory said: “I don’t think they should be either, by the way … People enrol in specific classes, (operators) are better able to keep a handle on social distancing and so on. I think we should find a way to let those kind of activities proceed subject to safety rules. We’ll see how (public health officials) sort that out.”

Tory’s comments came after Lisa MacLeod, Ontario’s Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, said she is working with officials to find a way to let dance studios reopen in so-called “hot zones” moved back to a modified Stage 2 reopening.

MacLeod tweeted that she has heard from dance studio instructors “loud and clear” and is working toward “options to ensure a safe resumption.”

Tory also told CP24 he expects provincial public health officials to very soon reveal advice for Ontario parents and kids on how to safely celebrate Halloween.

The mayor hinted that Toronto’s input included strong concern about kids knocking on doors and having close contact with residents.

Tory said he’s heard many concerns that “if you’ve taken all the measures you’ve taken with respect to trying to protect kids, and keep schools open and protect people from the virus, that you’re obviously going to be adopting a very cautious approach with respect to Halloween … The concern has been expressed — that people, by going up and knocking on doors, are having a closer kind of contact than we were even advising to do on Thanksgiving … Let’s wait and see what the provincial medical officer of health has to say, and then the governments have to decide what to do with that advice.”

7:21 a.m. Iran recorded its worst day of new deaths since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with 337 confirmed dead on Monday.

The grim milestone represents a significant spike from the previous single-day death toll record of 279. The Health Ministry also announced 4,251 new infections, pushing the total count to 534,630.

Fatalities have soared in recent weeks, as authorities struggle to contain the virus’s spread months into the pandemic. Health officials say the capital, Tehran, has run out of intensive care beds.

The Islamic Republic has seen the worst outbreak in the Middle East with a death toll that topped 30,000 this week. The government has resisted a total lockdown to salvage its devastated economy, already weakened by unprecedented U.S. sanctions.

As the death toll skyrockets, eclipsing the previous highs recorded in the spring amid the worst of its outbreak, authorities have started to tighten restrictions. The government ordered shut recently reopened schools and universities, as well as museums, libraries and other public places in Tehran earlier this month, and imposed a mask mandate outdoors.

The timing of the pandemic has proved particularly difficult for Iran’s economy. The Trump administration re-imposed economic sanctions on Iran after its unilateral withdrawal in 2018 from Tehran’s nuclear accord with world powers.

5:46 a.m.: India has reported 579 fatalities from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the lowest increase in three months, driving its death toll to 114,610. The Health Ministry on Monday also reported 55,722 more people infected, raising India’s total to more than 7.5 million.

A government-appointed committee of scientists said Sunday the disease was likely to “run its course” by February if people used masks and adhered to distancing measures.

The number of new infections confirmed each day has declined for a month. The committee said even if active cases increased during the upcoming festive season and cold weather, they were unlikely to surpass India’s record daily high of 97,894 cases.

5:46 a.m.: South Korea on Monday began testing tens of thousands of employees of hospitals and nursing homes to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks at live-in facilities.

Fifteen of the 76 latest cases reported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency were from the southern port city of Busan, where more than 70 infections have been linked to a hospital for the elderly.

The disease caused by the coronavirus can be more serious in older people and those with existing health conditions like high-blood pressure.

5:45 a.m.: After entire nations were shut down during the first surge of the coronavirus earlier this year, some countries and U.S. states are trying more targeted measures as cases rise again around the world, especially in Europe and the Americas.

New York’s new round of virus shutdowns zeroes in on individual neighbourhoods, closing schools and businesses in hot spots measuring just a couple of square miles.

Spanish officials limited travel to and from some parts of Madrid before restrictions were widened throughout the capital and some suburbs.

Italian authorities have sometimes quarantined spots as small as a single building.

While countries including Israel and the Czech Republic have reinstated nationwide closures, other governments hope smaller-scale shutdowns can work this time, in conjunction with testing, contact tracing and other initiatives they’ve now built up.

The concept of containing hot spots isn’t new, but it’s being tested under new pressures as authorities try to avoid a dreaded resurgence of illness and deaths, this time with economies weakened from earlier lockdowns, populations chafing at the idea of renewed restrictions and some communities complaining of unequal treatment.

5:45 a.m.: The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the planet has passed 40 million.

The milestone was passed early Monday according to Johns Hopkins University, which collates reporting from around the world.

The actual figure is likely to be far higher, as testing has been variable, and many people have had no symptoms.

5:44 a.m.: Stricter public health measures come into effect in York Region today in a bid to tackle what the Ontario government has called an “alarming” surge in COVID-19 cases.

The region north of Toronto has moved back into a modified Stage 2 of the province’s pandemic plan.

Indoor service in restaurants is prohibited, gyms and movie theatres are closed and public gatherings can be no larger than 10 people indoors or 25 people outdoors.

The measures will be in effect for 28 days — two incubation cycles for the novel coronavirus.

York Region accounted for 94 of the province’s 658 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, and 93 of Saturday’s 805 cases.

Sunday 7:15 p.m. St. Joseph’s hospital COVID-19 outbreaks in four units at its site Friday. As of Sunday morning, seven patients and 13 staff members had been infected.

The hospital is expected to implement a widespread testing of staff and patients in the coming days.

“We want to assure our community that St. Joseph’s is a safe place to receive care and emergency services,” said Unity Health spokesperson Robyn Cox.

An outbreak was also declared Thursday in two units at Toronto Western hospital, with six staff members and three patients affected as of Sunday.

A third outbreak was confirmed at CAMH’s Queen Street West site, where two patients were confirmed positive.

The discretion used to indicate an outbreak is when at least two staff or patients have test results that are positive for COVID-19.

updated Sunday, the hospital will be closing the COVID-19 impacted unit to admissions and transfers.

“We continue to remain vigilant about policies and procedures to keep staff and patients safe and we are working with our partners at Toronto Public Health on reporting, surveillance and infection control,” the news release said.

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Large wedding in Vaughan sparks at least 44 COVID-19 infections

Sep 17, 2021 , , , , by shlf

At least 44 people connected to a large two-day wedding event in Vaughan have tested positive for COVID-19.

York Region Public Health was notified of the confirmed cases Oct. 26.

Anyone who attended the wedding held at Avani Event Centre, on Oct. 14 and Oct. 18 is considered at high risk of exposure.

So far, five York Region residents have been confirmed with COVID-19. An additional 31 cases are confirmed and probable through Peel Region Public Health, three cases through Halton Region Public Health, two cases through Wellington Dufferin Guelph Health Unit, one case through Simcoe Muskoka District, one case through Waterloo Region and one case through Toronto Public Health. 

If you attended these wedding-related events, you are advised to self-isolate for 14 days until Nov. 2, and to monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19.

If any symptoms of COVID-19 develop, seek assessment and testing at a COVID-19 assessment centre and continue to isolate while waiting for your results.

If you test negative, you still need to isolate until Nov. 2.

Health units with confirmed cases are conducting case and contact management activities associated with this large wedding. 

York Region continues to work with the family to notify attendees about the potential exposures.

Public health has conducted an inspection of Avani Event Centre and is assessing the next steps.

Banquet facilities were still open under certain restrictions as part of Stage 3 reopening when the events took place.

This is the second large cluster of cases linked to a wedding in York Region and it serves as a reminder of the importance of physical distancing with anyone outside of your immediate household and wearing masks or face coverings in indoor public spaces, public health said.

The provincial government moved York Region into modified Stage 2 restrictions on Oct. 19.

This includes the limit of private events or social gatherings to 10 people or less indoors and 25 people or less outdoor, including social gatherings associated with a wedding such as a wedding reception.

These limits cannot be combined.

For religious services, rites or ceremonies, the indoor limit is 30 per cent capacity or less of any given room in the building.

In any setting, physical distancing must be maintained for individuals outside of your immediate household.

For information about the restrictions and the current gathering limits for public gatherings and ways to protect yourself, visit our website at