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ATM may have been “tampered with” during ​early morning fire in Elmvale

Aug 18, 2021 , , , , by shlf

The Springwater Township Fire Department responded to a fire inside a business on Queen Street in Elmvale early this morning (Nov. 19). There were no injuries, states a media release from OPP Acting Sgt. Katy Viccary. 

The call came into the Huronia West OPP Detachment at approximately 5:10 a.m. OPP officers and firefighters arrived on scene and observed smoke billowing from within the building.

“A door to the premise was insecure, and it appears as though unknown suspect(s) had unlawfully entered the building prior to the fire. Initial investigation suggests that the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) may have been tampered with during the incident.” Viccary said. 

The Huronia West OPP Crime Unit, OPP Forensic Identification Services and the Ontario Fire Marshall were all notified of the fire.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the OPP at  or Crime Stoppers at . Calls to Crime Stoppers remain anonymous. You will never have to testify and you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.

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‘There just wasn’t enough time to save it’: Unique-looking log house demolished in Barrie

Aug 17, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Logwood House is part of Barrie’s history now.

The unique-looking log house on Henry Street was torn down by the Ministry of Transportation Sept. 29, to make room for the eventual reconstruction of a Highway 400 interchange at Dunlop Street.

Sandra Lawrence-Trottier, whose grandparents Grace and Wally Lawrence built the home by hand in the 1940s, was permitted access to the property for about a week leading up to the demolition. She took good advantage of the opportunity — removing plants and rocks from the garden and salvaging several handcrafted doors.

She also removed a small bathroom window that was broken but had been built by hand. It holds fond memories from childhood, when Lawrence-Trottier’s grandmother would hold her up to the window to see a robin, which built a nest and laid eggs on the sill every year.

“I did the best I could do under the circumstances; I think I broke all of my family’s backs,” she said. “There just wasn’t enough time to save it. They’re not doing the highway for another couple of years. But because of all the vagrants and things that were going on in that house, it just had to come down. If I had just a bit more time, we would have been able to come to a resolution. But it wasn’t mean to be.”

Logwood was inherited by Grace and Wally’s son, George, who in turn gave it to his six children in 2004.

The siblings chose to sell the home soon after because they all live in Waterloo Region.

But it is believed the house had been used for squatting recently. During a visit to the property , Simcoe.com observed knobs for the back door were removed and a screen had been taken off its hinges. Inside, there were cardboard boxes set up like tables and a bed sat in the corner.

Though demolition is an undesired outcome for Lawrence-Trottier, she is thankful for the co-operation shown by the ministry and the demolition company.

“It is what it is,” she said. “That’s progress, I guess.”

More information on the project can be found at .

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Ontarians spending less on clothing, more on hobbies during pandemic

Aug 17, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Ontarians’ lifestyles have changed significantly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it shows in the way they spend their money.

In its recent report “” the Retail Council of Canada highlights how, while retail spending has rebounded from lows of the early pandemic, economic recovery has been uneven across different sectors.

Throughout the summer, Ontarians spent less on clothing, accessories and dining out, and more on home improvement, groceries and hobbies, said Karl Littler, spokesperson for the Retail Council of Canada.

“The current story as told by Canada’s July and August numbers suggests … there are some parts of Canadian retail that have not got back to the level they were at before,” Littler said. “Some have done relatively well in this context as people have refocussed their spending around the home environment.”

Here is how businesses fared this August compared to August 2019, according to new data by Statistics Canada on retail, restaurant and bar sales.

Though some of the data is national, Littler said, national sales data consistently aligns with Ontario’s numbers. 

“Ontario is 40 per cent of the economy and 40 per cent of retail sales, so anything you see here would be reflected in Ontario sales,” he said.

DOING BETTER

Building material, garden equipment and supplies: Sales at these stores were 17.1 per cent higher across Canada this August.

Sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores: Across Canada, stores sold 6.7 per cent more this August than last August.

“Music stores have done exceedingly well during this period,” Littler said. “Notwithstanding that many of them had to be closed for a period doing curbside (sales), they’re still doing incredibly well.”

Furniture stores: Canadians spent 8.9 per cent more on furniture this August.

Food and beverage stores: This August, supermarket sales were up 11.4 per cent, convenience store sales were up 8.4 per cent, specialty food store sales were up 6.3 per cent and beer, wine and liquor store sales were up 6.6 per cent.

Used car dealers: Used car dealers sold 10.3 per cent more this August than August 2019.

Auto parts: Canadians spent 6.1 per cent more on auto parts this August.

Electronics and appliance stores: Electronics and appliance stores sold 7.7 per cent more this August.

DOING WORSE

Clothing and clothing accessory stores: Clothing stores fared worst in this category, selling 13.6 per cent less nationally than in August 2019. Shoe sales dropped by 12.2 per cent, while jewelry, luggage and leather good stores sold 0.2 per cent less than last August.

Bars and restaurants: Food service sales, including at full-service restaurants, limited-service eating places, special food services and drinking places, were 26.6 per cent lower in Ontario this August than last year.

New car dealers: New car dealers did not fare as well as used car dealers this August, selling 0.8 per cent less than in 2019.

Movie theatres: Cineplex, one of Canada’s largest theatre chains,  after theatres were forced to temporarily close due to the pandemic. Kinepolis Group, which owns 44 Landmark Cinemas locations in Canada, in the second half of 2020.

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Everything you wish you knew about the latest COVID-19 science

Aug 17, 2021 , , , , by shlf

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.

Our experts include Eunha Shim, an associate professor of mathematics at Soongsil University in South Korea; Jennifer Gommerman, professor of immunology at U of T and Canada Research Chair in tissue specific immunity; Gerardo Chowell, a mathematical epidemiologist at Georgia State University; and Dasantila Golemi-Kotra, a microbiologist and associate professor at York University.

Questions and answers have been edited for clarity and length.

Transmission outdoors

Outside in the summer, the virus was thought to be less transmissible because of UV rays, which make it unstable, as well as the vast amount of air, which dilutes the amount of virus. How will cold and dry weather in winter months outside affect transmission of the virus outdoors?

Unlike summer, when the virus is less stable in temperatures of 30 C or above, the virus remains stable when the temperature dips below zero. And in dry weather, the droplets that come out of a person’s nose and mouth lose moisture, which means they can become smaller in size (smaller than five microns) and aerosolized, hanging around in the air for longer periods of time. However, these two factors shouldn’t be an issue outdoors because of the vast amount of airflow (although one has to maintain physical distancing and opt for a face mask when this is not possible). Cold and dry become more significant factors indoors where there’s no air circulation. —DGK

Transmission indoors

How worried should we be about moving indoors?

We should be really worried. Even if you can maintain physical distance indoors, because it’s an enclosed space and you spend more time indoors with the people around you, the droplets are concentrating because the volume of this room doesn’t change but more and more the droplets are coming out of your mouth or somebody else’s mouth.

But, this is a point we need to highlight as we go indoors. I wouldn’t panic. We have tools we can use. And we can control our behaviour. —DGK

The frequency of infections indoors versus outdoors is overwhelming higher. I don’t think we have good data on that, but we know all the super-spreader events occur indoors — social gatherings, religious events — all of these things happen indoors so that’s very important. A rough estimate, back of the envelope, I would say 80 per cent of all of the infections are occurring indoors, whether that’s public transportation or enclosed spaces in the home or in the workplace or school or in the restaurants or bars, which clearly have played a very important role in transmission. It’s difficult to separate whether that’s droplets versus aerosol. —GC

Researchers in Japan recently modelled emissions using a supercomputer to show that aerosolized particles released from an infected person doubled in low humidity — 30 per cent — compared to 60 per cent. Should people invest in humidifiers to reduce the spread of aerosolized particles?

It’s kind of a double-edged sword. In humid environments, the droplets retain water and fall faster, which mean less aerosolized particles. But that also means that indoors, the particles may fall to the floor or on to surfaces, which could be an issue for transmission. However, more and more experts believe that surface transmission is not a major factor — possibly because we are washing our hands more and touching our face less.

So yes, I would advise using a humidifier, not only as a way to reduce aerosolized particles, but to decrease transmission of other illnesses such as the flu. Studies of influenza have shown that dry air damages the surface of the nasal cavity, allowing greater amounts of the virus to enter the body, a risk factor that can also impact the transmission of the novel coronavirus. —DGK

Should people use HEPA filters in their homes?

A dentist’s office — where people are coming in and going out and where you are sitting there with your mouth open and another person was there before you — they should use HEPA filters because there is a lot of droplets emitted when the mouth is open for half an hour or more at times.

So if you have an elderly person at home, or someone with a compromised immune system and you’re having visitors, it’s an extra measure to put a HEPA filter in the room to avoid these respiratory droplets from getting into the person.

But the best thing actually is — let’s keep the number of people that come in our house limited. And if transmission is a concern, wear a mask inside. Studies out of South Korea show that wearing a mask, even inside a home, prevented transmission of disease from family member to family member. —DGK

The importance of masks

What has research shown about the effectiveness of masks at preventing transmission of the virus?

Masks are important because they decrease the amount of respiratory droplets that move through the mask. You can spend an hour or so in that environment and you don’t run into the risk of increasing the number of droplets in the air because the mask is filtering them out.

Even non-medical masks, made of two layers of materials including cotton, flannel, even cotton-polyester, have been shown to reduce respiratory droplets by 80 per cent. That’s a big reduction. So you can stay indoors provided you use a face mask. You are decreasing the exposure of the other people to these droplets. If everybody is wearing a face mask inside the room and keeping physical distancing you are pretty much reducing transmission to very low levels, by as much as 90 per cent.

Not only do masks decrease exposure of other people to the wearer, they also protect the wearer. Studies have shown that with influenza, masks can filter about 30 per cent of the respiratory droplets that fall on the mask. It’s not much, and it’s not 100 per cent like an N95 respirator mask, but it becomes significant when considering the other mitigation measures (such as physical distancing).

What we are striving for is not eliminating our exposure to the virus, which would be ideal, but if possible at least reduce our exposure, because getting sick is not just about getting exposed but how much exposure you’re getting. And if you’re able to decrease the viral load to which you’re exposed to, then we can reduce the risk of getting sick. —DGK

How long can a mask keep you safe?

Studies have shown that in close contact between two people, the virus can easily reach the level of transmission within eight minutes. This was in laboratory studies, but this is sort of a benchmark for us. If you’re using a face mask, it’s reducing respiratory droplets by 80 per cent so one can do the math there. So one hour becomes bearable — affordable — you could spend one hour with someone close by providing both people are wearing face masks properly. But the goal should always be to keep it short because you don’t want to play with the numbers. It’s about exposure. Longer exposure, the more virus will be in the environment and the more you’ll get exposed to.

No one has studied the length of time a mask is good for, but if there is enough surface capacity in the mask to hold those respiratory droplets (provided one is not involved in strenuous activities such as singing, shouting, running), it could be effective for three or four hours at a stretch. —DGK

Surface transmission

A says the virus can survive on certain surfaces for up to 28 days, but the research was done in a lab in the dark and we know that UV light can destabilize the virus. Surface transmission has not appeared to be a big factor so far in COVID-19 transmission. Do you think the results of this study show we should continue to be vigilant when it comes to cleaning surfaces?

Although there is no ample evidence in the scientific literature that transmission of the virus via fomites (surfaces) is the main route, it remains a risk. This risk is derived from two factors: the stability of the virus on surfaces under the right (environmental) condition, as well as its access to the nose, mouth, and eyes, which leads to infection of these parts of the upper respiratory tract. So, under the right conditions and the wrong person (someone with underlying health conditions or compromised immune system), the risk of transmission of the novel coronavirus through contaminated surfaces remains. —DGK

Immunity

showed she had IgG antibodies to the virus, but the test results also stated that it didn’t mean she was immune to the virus. How could she have antibodies and not be immune? Do you need a certain amount of antibodies to be immune?

It doesn’t mean she’s not immune. It means we don’t know that she’s immune. And the reason we don’t know she’s immune is we don’t know the level of antibodies that are required to confer immunity. It’s hard to do those studies. We just don’t have that information yet.

And it’s not just the level. We would want to test her particular kind of antibodies, to see if they are neutralizing antibodies. Do the antibodies that you make block the virus from entering your human cells? Because some of them will stick to other parts of the virus and not necessarily block its entry. So just seeing the IgG antibodies is not enough. We have to known if they can actually neutralize the virus.

We know that in places that have very high rates of COVID-19, for example Qatar, that reinfection risk has been extremely low. So that implies that the antibody responses that we make to this virus, and the T-cell responses, because both are part of the equation, are enough to confer immunity. We just don’t have a number on that.

But I think because there have been 38 million infections and very few reports of reinfection, immunologists believe that the type of immune response that SARS CoV-2 elicits, even in asymptomatic people, is quite robust and should confer immunity.

I want to really caution here that we should not hold out for herd immunity, because not everybody makes an appropriate immune response. People die. And we don’t know how long that immune response lasts, because we’ve only been at this since March. —JG

Your study showed that convalescent patients, who recovered from the virus, had antibodies more than 100 days after symptom onset. Do we know how long the antibodies will last?

If you backed up from when we first posted our study, 115 days from then, you’re in March. So we just don’t have anything longer.

But there was a study that came out of China, and they had the earliest patients, and they showed that antibodies, the same ones — the IgGs —last for six months. So the six months data is as much as have right now across the world. — JG

A recent study from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that people with COVID-19 who were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms had a robust T-cell response to the virus. What does that mean?

Both T cells and antibodies will fight the virus. The study said that even if you’re asymptomatic, you’re going to make a T-cell response to the virus, which is great news. And that result is consistent with another paper by my colleague that is not yet peer reviewed. She also showed that asymptomatic or COVID-19 patients with mild illness make a good T-cell response, which like antibodies, may provide immunity to the virus. — JG

Vaccines

What is it about vaccines that so far show they will work?

Data that’s been generated in primates demonstrates that some vaccines are capable of eliciting an effective immune response that prevents reinfection. That is, when the immunized animals were challenged with the virus, they don’t get sick. That’s good — and suggests the vaccine may also work in us. And then there are also these phase two trials that have shown that people that were given the vaccine could make good immune responses based on analysis of the vaccinated persons blood.

It’s not until we do a phase three trial that we get a full sense of the safety and efficacy of the vaccine that we can make any conclusions, but so far there have been some candidates that look promising. —JG

Mortality

An early study of more than 40,000 confirmed cases of the virus by the China Centre for Disease Control and Prevention Institutional Review Board found that the case fatality rates was around 2.2 per cent. What do we know about case fatality rates now and how Canada compares?

In Canada, based on the confirmed cases until April 22, 2020, the case fatality rate was estimated to be 4.9 per cent. On the other hand, in Italy, where 12 per cent of all detected COVID-19 cases and 16 per cent of all hospitalized patients were admitted to the intensive care unit, the estimated case fatality rate was 7.2 per cent in mid-March. Other studies in China, including a joint World Health Organization-China fact-finding mission, have said the case fatality rate ranged from 5.8 per cent in Wuhan to 0.7 per cent in the rest of the country. —ES

Proportion of asymptomatic cases

An early study linked to an outbreak on a cruise ship off Japan estimated that about 18 per cent of people were asymptomatic. Is that the proportion in the general population or has research shown the number to be much higher?

In a more recent Italian study, it was estimated that the proportion of asymptomatic infection is 42.5 per cent, based on data from two large cohorts that identified cases through population-based testing. Also, in a smaller COVID-19 outbreak within a skilled nursing facility in Washington state, U.S, 27 of the 48 residents (56 per cent) who had a positive screening test were asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis, but 24 of them ultimately developed symptoms over the next seven days.

Nevertheless, for more accurate estimation of asymptomatic proportion, we will need longitudinal followup to assess for symptom development, which has not yet been performed. Additionally, the definition of “asymptomatic” may vary across studies. —ES

COVID-19 in children

Has there been new research into transmission of the virus in children?

A more recent finding is that kids younger than 10 are not as affected by COVID-19 as older individuals. So they are apparently less susceptible or they are able to mount an innate immune response that is able to quickly fend off the virus. They also seem to be less transmissible. They are not as effective spreaders as older kids.

We don’t really know why. It could be they’re getting the coronavirus and have a very mild infection or may even be asymptomatic, and their innate immune system is able to quickly clear them.

But we don’t have good data on the proportion of children that are asymptomatic because schools are not at 100 per cent capacity and fortunately a number of social distancing measures have been put in place, so we don’t have enough information to know if they are more asymptomatic or less asymptomatic than older people.

There’s still needs to be much more data to quantify the relative susceptibility and infectiousness of young kids, particularly those younger than 10 years in the transmission dynamics. —GC

Airborne transmission

Is there new evidence on aerosol transmission?

It has becoming increasingly clear that transmission of the virus in enclosed spaces is very important, particularly in spaces not well ventilated which increases the concentration of the virus and the likelihood that individuals will inhale the virus and get exposed to it. That’s very well established.

Some political agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been hesitating on whether they want to make this statement very strong and clear or not. But politics is interfering. — GC

(The CDC posted a warning about aerosols but on Sept. 21, replaced it with previous information that warned only about droplets and advised people to stay six feet apart. On Oct. 5, it updated its website to say that “COVID-19 can sometimes be spread by airborne transmission.”)

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‘We love helping out the community’: Sisters raise money for Bradford food bank

Aug 17, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Sarah and Emily Dahlgren know how to make an impact.

The sisters from Bradford are raising money for the Helping Hand Food Bank’s Christmas Hamper program through a campaign they’ve called A Bradford Christmas.

This isn’t their first time helping their local food bank. Last year, they hosted over 20 fundraisers to raise money to fill 167 Christmas hampers. 

The idea came to them after Emily received the Junior Citizen of the Year award in 2019, and they wanted to give back to the community. With Sarah winning the same award in 2020, it gave them another reason to help fundraise.

“We wanted to give back,” Sarah said.

The first year of A Bradford Christmas was so successful that they were asked to fundraise this year too, but they knew they would have to take a different approach considering the COVID-19 pandemic.

So far, the Dahlgrens have raised $14,000 of their $50,000 goal through a variety of fundraising efforts, including a silent auction, selling Christmas decor and fundraisers through several local businesses. 

“We collected over 80 donations from local businesses,” Emily said. “All the events have done well so far.”

Sarah, 17, volunteers around Bradford while Emily, 15, runs a small business.

“I love (volunteering). I work with little kids, worked at the library, dance, baseball, hockey,” Sarah said. “I’ve always loved helping out.”

Sarah said they’ve always been motivated to help out in Bradford. 

“Our first ever food bank contribution was when we were seven and nine,” Sarah said. 

The girls helped organize fundraisers to try and help the food bank stay open that time and raised $700.

“We love helping out the community,” Sarah said. “It’s been fun. A Bradford Christmas has been fun. We’ve learned a lot, a lot more than people learn at our age.”

For the sisters, who’ve lived in Bradford their whole lives, it’s natural to want to take care of people in their town. 

“We’ve always felt the love of Bradford. We always felt like this is our community, they’ve always given to us,” Emily said. “When we had a hard time, Bradford was there to give us a hug, so we want to hug them back.”

Carolyn Khan, president of Helping Hand Food Bank, said the Dahlgrens are doing an “amazing job” fundraising for the food bank.

“They aren’t just asking for donations, though – it’s more than that – they’re asking community members to make a difference,” Khan said. “They are making a difference in the lives of people here in our small town who struggle with food insecurity. They are giving people something to look forward to when things are uncertain everywhere.”

Khan said Sarah and Emily are the food bank’s “Christmas angels” and she is blessed, humbled and grateful for their support.

For more information or to donate, email .

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Reporter Laura Broadley heard about Sarah and Emily Dahlgren raising money for the Helping Hand Food Bank in Bradford and wanted to find out how it started and their progress.

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Jason Kenney rejects notion he’s to blame for Alberta’s COVID-19 struggle

Aug 17, 2021 , , , , by shlf

For weeks, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has preached personal responsibility as COVID-19 cases in his province have climbed.

On Tuesday, it was a question about whether he would take responsibility — for Alberta’s pandemic situation — that drew his ire.

“That sounds a lot more like an NDP speech than a media question,” Kenney said, speaking to Sammy Hudes, a reporter from the Calgary Herald. “I reject the entire premise of your question.”

The question, about whether Kenney would take ownership of an approach that seems not to have worked from a health perspective, came at the tail end of an announcement by the premier of new public health measures in a province that has long-resisted them. It prompted an irritated-looking Kenney to recount his early calls to close the borders, and provide the free masks through .

His approach has been “balanced,” Kenney said, at a time when “folks … are doing drive-by smears on Alberta.”

The fiery moment came from a premier in the hot seat. Kenney has said repeatedly that lockdowns violate individual rights, but almost a third of Canada’s active cases are now located in his hard-hit province; ; and the number of people in intensive care has grown 600 per cent in six weeks.

In a swift reversal of earlier policy, Kenney announced Tuesday that Alberta will face its strictest rules yet, including a provincewide mask mandate for the first time, and a ban on all indoor and outdoor gatherings.

Retail and places of worship will stay open, but with more restrictions on capacity.

For at least a month, a swath of personal-care services will shutter, as restaurants, bars and cafés move to takeout only.

Even Christmas gatherings are off the table, with new restrictions expected to last through the new year.

Albertans will not be allowed to socialize outside their households unless they live alone and it is with one of their two designated contacts.

“We simply cannot let this Christmas turn into a tragedy for many families. And so, with great reluctance, we are asking Albertans to limit their holiday gatherings to the members of their household, or to to close contacts for people who live by themselves,” Kenney said.

“If stronger action is not taken now, we know that hundreds, or potentially thousands more Albertans could die. We cannot let that happen. We will not let that happen. We must act to protect lives,” Kenney said.

It marks a departure for Kenney, who has largely resisted the sort of public health restrictions that have become common in other provinces and around the world.

For weeks, the premier and his government have heard from the Opposition NDP and hundreds of physicians and infectious-disease specialists urging Alberta to lock down for a short period to avoid swamping the health-care system. Instead, the government has repeatedly appealed to residents to exercise their personal responsibility.

The same day as the new restrictions, Alberta racked up another 1,727 new cases Tuesday, once again beating out Ontario, a province with three times the population.

The last time Kenney introduced new rules — restrictions that limited the hours of restaurants and outlawed personal indoor gatherings but allowed bars, casinos and even waterparks to remain open — he commented that he hadn’t gone into politics to put limits on people and spoke out against lockdowns that he said violated charter rights.

But as cases have risen, so too has pressure to act.

The mayors of Edmonton and Calgary have both warned they would use whatever emergency powers they have to bring in their own added measures if the province failed to further steps. A recent poll suggested that half of Albertans disapprove of the way their government has handled the pandemic.

On Monday, chief public health officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw said the measures have stopped the numbers from getting much worse, but have failed to bend the curve downward, so tougher restrictions are needed.

But even while introducing new rules, it was clear that, as Kenney put it, these were not a first resort, but the very last.

Before outlining new rules he touted Alberta’s “admirable” response in the early days of the pandemic.

For most of the year, Alberta had lower relative levels of infections, hospitalizations and fatalities “than the other large Canadian provinces, all the U.S. states and pretty much all of the European countries,” he said.

“Let’s not forget that the NHL recognized Alberta’s leadership. By choosing Edmonton as the centre for the NHL playoffs of dozens of cities across North America.”

The surge Alberta was seeing was “typical” as winter approached, Kenney said. Ontario and Quebec both had higher death rates, he added.

He reiterated that some people just don’t understand what small businesses are up against.

“Those of us in government, who frankly have secure paycheques, can too easily make the mistake of thinking of these policies as abstractions. It’s too easy to think of them as just words on a piece of paper,” he said.

“But behind every one of these restrictions lies crushed dreams and terrible adversity.”

Alex Boyd is a Calgary-based reporter for the Star. Follow her on Twitter:

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Rapid at-home COVID testing remains a dream for Canadians

Aug 17, 2021 , , , , by shlf

The dream of at-home rapid testing for COVID-19 in Canada remains just that: a dream.

Health Canada has not received any applications for at-home testing kits, though says it has proactively reached out to manufacturers of such tests and encouraged them to apply.

The FDA granted emergency authorization last week to the first home-based rapid test in the United States, but the company behind it — which was approached by Health Canada — says it has no plans for now to expand into Canada.

Some health experts — as well as opposition politicians — have said what Canada needs is inexpensive and rapid home-based testing, which could lessen the need for long testing lineups and lockdowns.

“I believe that Canada would have the capacity to make home tests if the government pointed its focus that way in regards to funding them,” said Dr. Funmi Okunola, president of Kojala Medical Enterprises Ltd, and a Vancouver-based family physician and COVID-19 medical adviser.

Okunola advocates for the development and use of inexpensive, rapid paper-based COVID-19 tests similar to pregnancy tests, but instead of urine they would use mucus or saliva.

And she says the federal government should be directing more funding at their development, similar to what they’ve done with vaccine research, to scale up production and ultimately bring down costs for individuals.

“Providing there was a comprehensive strategy implemented alongside these home tests and proper education, then if they were used, really in my opinion they would turn the tide of the pandemic, and would buy us time and reduce the spread of COVID-19 while we’re waiting for the vaccines,” she said.

Such tests have been the focus of research both in the United States and in Canada, including work being conducted by Professor Alexandre Brolo in the department of chemistry at the University of Victoria.

“We are working on it,” Brolo said. “It’s a team of very talented researchers. I sometimes look at the news and people are saying ‘We need more tests.’ We are trying. It’s not easy, but I think that we have some encouraging results and I’m hoping that we will be able to contribute to the pandemic at some point.”

In the meantime, a first-of-its kind home-based COVID-19 detection test was given emergency-use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week.

The Lucira All-in-One Test Kit allows individuals to collect their own swab, place it in the test unit (which is a single-use device) and learn the results in under 30 minutes.

According to a company news release, a trial involving more than 100 individuals which compared Lucira results with one of the FDA’s high-sensitivity tests showed positive results agreed 94.1 per cent of the time across all samples, and 98 per cent of the time for negative results.

The test is only authorized to be used by individuals with a prescription, and for now will only be made available in some health-care settings on a limited basis to prescribe to patients for use at home. The company said in a news release that it plans to scale up production so that the kits — which retail about $50 (U.S.) — would be available nationally by spring 2021.

A company spokesperson said they have no plans for now to expand into Canada.

“We have been singularly focused on the FDA, because that’s the foundation for being able to go out there and start manufacturing,” said spokesperson Kevin Knight. “We’re focused on lining up production right now.”

A handful of other firms in the U.S. have been given emergency authorization since the spring to sell home-based collection kits, which allow individuals to take their own nasal or saliva samples but still requires them to send it to a lab for results.

No such home-based collection kits are currently authorized in Canada, and Okunola said it would require already-backlogged labs to ramp up capacity even more to process the results.

At least two American firms with emergency authorization to sell saliva-based home collection devices — Spectrum Solution and P23 Labs — told the Star they also applied to Health Canada months ago, but have yet to get a final decision.

P23 Labs, which received emergency authorization from the FDA in May for its saliva-based home-collection kit, said it was approached by Health Canada in August to submit an application, and the company did so in September.

The company said the process to apply to Health Canada is not as clearly defined as the process for applying to the FDA.

“Nothing from the FDA carries over. The paper trail and documentation required is more difficult. We are stuck as they will not accept the letters of reference from our manufacturers of some of the kit components,” the company said in a statement to the Star.

“P23 Labs is eager to make our at-home COVID19 test kit available and accessible to Canadian customers, as a means to make testing easier and more convenient, and to lessen potential exposure to and spread of the virus.”

Spectrum Solution said it began the process with Health Canada in June. The company said it found the FDA’s and Health Canada’s processes to be “very similar,” though they said unlike Health Canada, the FDA provided a clear estimation of the time the process would take.

Health Canada told the Star it is “working closely” with manufacturers, including P23 Labs and Spectrum Solution, “to determine whether their devices meet safety and effectiveness requirements.”

The regulator said it has received multiple “interim order” applications for several types of saliva collection kits, including some that are home-based. It said it has yet to receive applications for devices that combine saliva collection with COVID-19 testing at home.

(Interim order applications mean that “products that may not fully meet Canadian regulatory requirements but are manufactured to comparable standards may be imported,” according to Health Canada’s website.)

The opposition Conservatives have been adamant that rapid and at-home testing capabilities must be scaled up in Canada to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, something they’ve accused the federal government of dropping the ball on.

“What we need…is widespread access to frequent, rapid and at-home tests so that we can have targeted isolation measures that more effectively prevent the spread of COVID-19 rather than simply asking Canadians to sit at home for months and months on end without any hope or clarity of how this is going to come to an end,” Conservative health critic Michelle Rempel Garner told reporters this week.

Physician epidemiologist Dr. Nitin Mohan said in an at-home testing scenario, there could be concerns with the test’s sensitivity or whether the individual has properly collected their sample.

He said such concerns could be tempered if a screening tool was included as well. For example, ETIO Public Health Consultants, of which Mohan is partner, recently joined forces with Ontario-based firm Virocule to help launch a testing device that detects loss of smell, a common COVID-19 symptom. The device received Health Canada authorization last month.

He said a screening protocol could include not just the smell testing device, but also whether the person has a fever or other COVID-19 symptoms, prior to taking the actual test for the virus.

“It diminishes the risk of a false negative (test),” said Mohan. “We’re not eliminating it, but we’re dropping that risk down by the time you actually get the test done.”

Jacques Gallant is a Toronto-based reporter for the Star. Follow him on Twitter:

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Orillia OPP takes aim at internet luring

Aug 17, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Orillia’s OPP detachment commander is encouraged that area youth are reporting instances of internet luring, saying their efforts are sparking investigations and leading to arrests.

Insp. Veronica Eaton raised the issue while cataloguing the range of crimes investigated by police during a November meeting of the city’s police services board.

“As much as it’s a sad story that that’s happening, it is a good news story that those young people know to report it and that it’s wrong,” Eaton told the board’s members. “I’m trying to see the positive out of that one.”

Eaton’s statistical report painted a picture of the crimes investigated within the area patrolled by the local detachment from July through September.

Over that time, police responded to 47 sexual assaults with 40 per cent of cases cleared, 10 of them by charges.

Four victims declined to move forward with an investigation and seven of the cases remain under investigation, Eaton said.

In the remaining cases police did not have enough evidence to proceed with a charge, she added. Diving deeper into the data, Eaton said the incidents included internet luring for sexual purposes.

One charge was laid in July in relation to the offence, while two more in August and September remain under investigation.   

“We did have a few occurrences where people were trying to lure minors over the internet that ultimately got reported to police,” Eaton said.

Police over the same three-month period responded to more than 240 reports of domestic violence that ranged “from verbal to criminal in nature,” Eaton said.

Slightly less than 30 per cent of those cases involved a criminal act, she added.

One abduction was reported over the same period.

“That was in relation to human trafficking and we did apprehend the person responsible for that,” Eaton said.

Police also investigated 107 assault cases over the same period, 76 of which were cleared by charges.

“Five of those cases were actually (involving someone) assaulting a police officer,” she said.

Orillia OPP responded to five robberies during the three-month period, with police laying a charge in one case and continuing to investigate the others.


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Ontario’s retreat to Phase 2 feels like a slap in the face to restaurant and bar industry

Aug 16, 2021 , , , , by shlf

When she heard the news that indoor dining at restaurants and bars is being shut down again to battle , Marcelle Aleid felt like she’d been slapped in the face.

“I just lost it and started crying. It feels like I’m working 16 hours a day just to survive,” said Aleid, owner of Zezafoun, a neighbourhood Syrian restaurant near Yonge and Davisville.

“Now we’ll have to switch back to focusing on takeout and that means I’ll need less staff. It’s awful. They’re like family,” said Aleid.

Friday, the Ontario government announced a 28-day moratorium on indoor dining and drinking at bars and restaurants in COVID hot spots Toronto, Ottawa and Peel. Gyms, casinos and movie theatres will also be closed.

Aleid and other business owners say new rent and wage subsidies announced by the federal government, as well as a provincial subsidy for hydro and natural gas bills and a moratorium on property taxes, will help stem the bleeding. But they say it’s still a far cry from where they’d like to be.

For Jason Fisher, owner of Junction brew pub Indie Alehouse, it was a bittersweet day.

“My income has been taken away. To tell me I can save on some expenses doesn’t really make things better,” said Fisher.

The new will cover 65 per cent of rent for businesses whose revenue has dropped by 70 per cent. If a business is ordered to close, they get an additional 25 per cent of their rent covered. This time, the money will go straight into the bank accounts of affected businesses, unlike the recently expired Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance program, which landlords had to apply for. That’s a big plus, Fisher said.

“The fact this isn’t going through my landlord is huge,” said Fisher. Still, Fisher said, the government support isn’t a financial cure-all.

“We’ve gone from just being a brew pub to building a new brewery in Etobicoke and a new brew pub at Eataly. This doesn’t help me pay off those construction expenses. I need to be back in business,” said Fisher.

While the government support is welcome news, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business worries that it may come too late for some struggling small businesses.

“The announcements are great, but if the money doesn’t start flowing for three or four weeks that’s going to be devastating. Businesses still need to pay their rent in the meantime and some of them might not be able to afford it,” said Ryan Mallough, Ontario regional director for the federation. Mallough also called on the provincial government to reinstate a moratorium on commercial evictions, at least until the rent subsidy money starts flowing.

Restaurant workers are also frustrated by the ban on indoor dining just as patio season winds down. While the federal government upgraded Employment Insurance and created a new Canada Recovery Benefit to replace the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, the transition hasn’t exactly been seamless.

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, who sees a bleak future for the hospitality industry.

“This industry was struggling even before COVID. And if it was difficult to get a job yesterday, it’s impossible today,” said Pires.

Workers who had been collecting CERB but who wouldn’t ordinarily qualify for EI can apply for the new Canada Recovery Benefit starting Monday.

Meanwhile, the temporary closure will be devastating for fitness centres and yoga studios, and the effect will be felt long after the 28 days, says Jennifer Lau, co-owner of Etobicoke’s Fit Squad gym.

“How do we recover from governments saying we’re unsafe? They’re lumping us in with bars and restaurants. It’s a lot harder to recover from bad perceptions,” said Lau, who’s also director of the Save Health & Wellness coalition, an industry association.

The head of the country’s biggest movie theatre chain blasted the decision as excessive and unnecessary.

“Our theatres have been open in Ontario since July 3 and, in those 98 days of welcoming back movie lovers, we have had zero cases of COVID-19 traced back to our operations,” said Cineplex CEO and president Ellis Jacob in a written statement.

“We feel that these forced closures, given our proven track record, are excessive and do not take into account our teams’ efforts, of which we are very proud,” Jacob added.

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

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OPP charge boater near Midland

Aug 16, 2021 , , , , by shlf

A 36-year-old boater is facing a handful of charges after getting stopped on Georgian Bay by the Southern Georgian Bay OPP marine unit on Oct. 3.

Members of the OPP were patrolling the waters of Georgian Bay over the weekend. At about 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 3, officers went to check on a pontoon vessel, which appeared to be having difficulty near the shoreline of Snake Island. 

After assisting the boater, officers entered into a drinking and driving investigation. 

According to police, the 36-year-old operator failed a test on the roadside screening device and was transported back to the detachment for further investigation.

A Toronto man is now facing five charges including: operation while impaired, operating a boat with an open container of liquor, operating a boat without a copy of a boating licence on board, failure to have proof of competency, and fishing without a licence.

The man was issued a 90-day drivers’ licence suspension. He is slated to appear in court in Midland on Dec. 10.