Press "Enter" to skip to content

Tag: Ontario

Topic: Waterloo RegionView all posts for the topic: Waterloo Region

COVID-19 outbreaks on the rise in Waterloo Region

Published December 29, 2023

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: Waterloo Region Record
Published on:

The number of active COVID-19 outbreaks in high-risk settings increased by more than 50 per cent this past week, according to the Waterloo Region public health unit’s weekly dashboard update.

There are 15 outbreaks in high-risk settings — up from seven last week — including two in congregate settings, such as group homes or shelters, one in hospital and 12 in long-term care/retirement homes.

One new death was reported. So far this year, COVID-19 has been a direct or contributing cause in 41 deaths reported by public health in the region.

Continue readingCOVID-19 outbreaks on the rise in Waterloo Region
Comments closed
Topic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario

BCHU winds down COVID-19 vaccination clinics

Published December 27, 2023

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: The Brantford Expositor
Published on:
By Expositor staff

Community COVID-19 vaccine clinics operated by the Brant County Health Unit are winding down at the end of this month due to cessation of provincial funding.

Starting January 2, the BCHU will only offer COVID-19 vaccine appointments for children ages six months to 12 years of age. Bookings for that age group can be made online at bchu.org/covid-19-vaccines/.

Continue readingBCHU winds down COVID-19 vaccination clinics
Comments closed
Topic: Waterloo RegionView all posts for the topic: Waterloo Region

Waterloo region’s COVID booster rate lags behind national average

Published December 26, 2023

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: CBC News
Published on:
By Kate Bueckert

The number of people in Waterloo region who have received their most recent COVID-19 booster shot is just under 11 per cent, which is below the national average.

The region’s vaccination dashboard shows 10.9 per cent of people in the community are up-to-date on their vaccinations as of Dec. 7. The region notes “up to date” means a person has completed their primary series and received a booster dose within the previous six months.

The number of people who have received the updated XBB.1.5 COVID-19 vaccine sits at 10.8 per cent, the region told CBC News in an email.

Continue readingWaterloo region’s COVID booster rate lags behind national average
Comments closed
Topic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario

Almonte General Hospital temporarily closing ER Saturday afternoon into Sunday morning

Published December 23, 2023

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: CTV News
Published on:
By Ted Raymond

The emergency department at the Almonte General Hospital in Almonte, Ont. will be temporarily closed Saturday.

The Mississippi River Health Alliance (MRHA) said in a news release Saturday that the closure would be in effect from 3 p.m. Saturday until 7 a.m. Sunday. The rest of the hospital will remain open and care for patients continues.

The emergency department will be closed because of a staffing shortage, the hospital says.

Continue readingAlmonte General Hospital temporarily closing ER Saturday afternoon into Sunday morning
Comments closed
Topic: Hamilton RegionView all posts for the topic: Hamilton Region

HHS closes urgent care for two days amid staff shortages, congestion at hospitals

Published December 21, 2023

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: The Hamilton Spectator
Published on:
By Joanna Frketich

Staffing shortages will close a Hamilton urgent care centre for two days at the same time city emergency departments are becoming increasingly congested with flu, COVID-19 and RSV patients.

With just 13 per cent of Hamiltonians getting a COVID shot in the past six months, local hospitals are bracing for the viral surge to continue climbing over the holidays.

Continue readingHHS closes urgent care for two days amid staff shortages, congestion at hospitals
Comments closed
Topic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario

RVH implements universal masking amid rising respiratory illness rates

Published December 20, 2023

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: CTV News
Published on:
By Kim Phillips

Simcoe County’s largest health centre is taking action to protect patients, visitors and its staff from the increasing rates of respiratory illnesses in the region by returning to universal masking.

On Wednesday, officials with Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) in Barrie announced that visitors would be required to wear a hospital-issued mask upon entry, effective immediately.

Continue readingRVH implements universal masking amid rising respiratory illness rates
Comments closed
Ottawa-Gatineau community update | 2023‑12‑20Photo of Parliament Hill, the Supreme Court, and the Ottawa River in Ottawa. There is snow on the ground and part of the river is covered with snow and ice. It’s a sunny day, with a blue sky.
Topic: Ottawa-GatineauView all posts for the topic: Ottawa-Gatineau

Ottawa-Gatineau community update | 2023‑12‑20

Published December 20, 2023

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

📈 The COVID-19 wastewater viral signal for Ottawa has increased substantially (+1,735%) since a low on July 12, 2023. It is extremely high.

⚠️ The percent positivity is extremely high (16.27% in Ottawa; 27.2% in the Outaouais).

🏥 Confirmed COVID-19 patients in Ottawa hospitals: 158 ( decrease of 6).

In 2023, there have been 131 COVID-19 outbreaks at Ottawa’s hospitals so far, leading to 21 deaths and 1,061 known cases of COVID-19.

Continue readingOttawa-Gatineau community update | 2023‑12‑20
Comments closed
Topic: anti-vaccine movementView all posts for the topic: anti-vaccine movement

Man charged for antisemitic threats against Ottawa family doctor

Published December 18, 2023

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: CTV News
Published on:
By William Eltherington

Ottawa-Carleton District School Board trustee Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth says she was subject to a threatening and antisemitic phone call against her which has led to a 39-year-old man from British Columbia being charged with hate-motivated offences on Monday.

In a press release on Monday morning, the Ottawa Police Service Hate and Crime Bias Unit say they charged a man with several offences for a phone call against a healthcare professional which also included mysoginistic and intimidating threats, but did not name the victim.

Continue readingMan charged for antisemitic threats against Ottawa family doctor
Comments closed
This COVID study has been tracking immunity for 3 years. Now it’s running out of moneyLogo of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)
Topic: budget cutsView all posts for the topic: budget cuts

This COVID study has been tracking immunity for 3 years. Now it’s running out of money

Published December 18, 2023

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: CBC News
Published on:
By Trevor Pritchard

A long-running study into COVID-19 immunity has unearthed promising insights on the still-mysterious disease, one of its lead researchers says — but she’s concerned its funding could soon dry up.

The Stop the Spread project, a collaboration by the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) and the University of Ottawa, has been monitoring antibody responses to COVID-19 in hundreds of people since October 2020.

Continue readingThis COVID study has been tracking immunity for 3 years. Now it’s running out of money
Comments closed
Topic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario

How deadly has COVID been in 2023? Here’s what the Ontario numbers are telling us

Published December 16, 2023

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: Toronto Star
Published on:
By Megan Ogilvie, Kenyon Wallace

More Ontarians have died of COVID-19 in a three-month span this fall than the number of people killed last year on Ontario highways — a comparison one researcher is using to illustrate the stark and ongoing toll of the virus.

Data from Public Health Ontario shows that 574 people died of COVID between Sept. 3 and Dec. 9. Last year, the Ontario Provincial Police reported that about 350 people died in motor vehicle crashes on OPP-patrolled roads.

Continue readingHow deadly has COVID been in 2023? Here’s what the Ontario numbers are telling us
Comments closed
COVID-19 overwhelms OntarioElectron microscope image of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles. Photo by: NIAID. Creative Commons CC BY 2.0 DEED Attribution 2.0 Generic license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/.
Topic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario

COVID-19 overwhelms Ontario

Published December 15, 2023

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: The Kingston Whig Standard
Published on:
By Geoffrey P. Johnston

“We have to be able to have open conversations about the reality of COVID and not pretend that it’s not there,” infectious disease expert Dr. Dick Zoutman told the Whig-Standard in a candid interview about the terrible toll that the pandemic is taking on public health.

Data published by Public Health Ontario on Dec. 7 reveals that the COVID-19 Wastewater Signal for Eastern Ontario is rising on a steep curve. In other words, SARS-CoV-2, the airborne virus that causes COVID-19, is spreading out of control, sickening adults and children alike.

Continue readingCOVID-19 overwhelms Ontario
Comments closed
Topic: convoy occupationView all posts for the topic: convoy occupation

Did the protesters mean harm? That’s at the heart of bid to toss convoy class-action

Published December 15, 2023

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: CBC News
Published on:
By Elyse Skura

A $300-million proposed class-action lawsuit filed against convoy protesters, donors and organizers on behalf of people who live or work in Ottawa is facing another challenge, with lawyers arguing the case seeks to unfairly limit fundamental freedoms.

Continue readingDid the protesters mean harm? That’s at the heart of bid to toss convoy class-action
Comments closed
‘The highest levels they’ve been ever’: Wastewater testing shows growing spread of COVID-19Photo of some white N95 respirators and blue medical masks with white straps.
Topic: Waterloo RegionView all posts for the topic: Waterloo Region

‘The highest levels they’ve been ever’: Wastewater testing shows growing spread of COVID-19

Published December 14, 2023

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: CTV News
Published on:
By Tyler Kelaher

“The levels of [COVID-19] are at the highest levels they’ve been ever […] There’s hundreds or even thousands of people that have COVID-19 right now.”

Continue reading‘The highest levels they’ve been ever’: Wastewater testing shows growing spread of COVID-19
Comments closed
Topic: Ottawa-GatineauView all posts for the topic: Ottawa-Gatineau

Ten additional COVID-19 deaths reported in Ottawa in past week

Published December 13, 2023

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: Ottawa Citizen
Published on:
By Elizabeth Payne

Ten Ottawa residents have died of COVID-19 over the past week as the pandemic wave that began in the summer continues, fueled by new sub-variants and the busy season for social gatherings.

Ottawa Public Health reported the 10 new deaths in its latest update on COVID-19, published Wednesday. A total of 1,185 Ottawa residents have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic began nearly four years ago.

Continue readingTen additional COVID-19 deaths reported in Ottawa in past week
Comments closed
Topic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario

Kingston General Hospital ‘bursting at the seams’ with COVID-19 and respiratory illness patients

Published December 13, 2023

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: CTV News
Published on:
By William Eltherington

The Kingston General Hospital says a surge of emergency department inpatients, including a day that had a near record 580 admissions, has the hospital struggling to keep up as the respiratory virus season peaks across the province.

Continue readingKingston General Hospital ‘bursting at the seams’ with COVID-19 and respiratory illness patients
Comments closed
Ottawa-Gatineau community update | 2023‑12‑13Photo of Parliament Hill, the Supreme Court, and the Ottawa River in Ottawa. There is snow on the ground and part of the river is covered with snow and ice. It’s a sunny day, with a blue sky.
Topic: Ottawa-GatineauView all posts for the topic: Ottawa-Gatineau

Ottawa-Gatineau community update | 2023‑12‑13

Published December 13, 2023

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

📈 The COVID-19 wastewater viral signal for Ottawa has increased substantially (+2,069%) since a low on July 12, 2023. It is extremely high.

⚠️ The 7-day average of percent positivity is extremely high (19.28%).

🏥 Confirmed COVID-19 patients in Ottawa hospitals: 164 ( increase of 8).

In 2023, there have been 129 COVID-19 outbreaks at Ottawa’s hospitals so far, leading to 20 deaths and 1,027 known cases of COVID-19.

Continue readingOttawa-Gatineau community update | 2023‑12‑13
Comments closed
Topic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario

Strained Kingston hospital asks sick people to skip holiday gatherings

Published December 13, 2023

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: CBC News
Published on:
By Joseph Tunney

With a surge of patients with respiratory illnesses being cared for in its hallways, the Kingston Health Sciences Centre is reminding people to stay home if they’re feeling sick to cut back the spread — even if it means missing that holiday party.

Continue readingStrained Kingston hospital asks sick people to skip holiday gatherings
Comments closed