• Today, Health Canada announced the COVID-19 vaccine from U.S. biotech firm Moderna is safe for use in Canada. The vaccine is the second to be greenlit in Canada, following the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine on Dec. 9. Moderna anticipates starting shipments to Canada within the next 48 hours. Up to 168,000 doses are set to arrive by the end of December, and two million by the end of March. Canada is to get 40 million doses of Moderna’s vaccine in 2021, enough to vaccinate 20 million people, or about two-thirds of the Canadian adult population.
• The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, announced that the Government of Canada will provide up to an additional $70 million to the Canadian Red Cross (Red Cross) to support its ongoing relief efforts. Specifically, the Government of Canada will provide federal funding this fiscal year (April 1 to March 31) to the Red Cross for the following:
  • up to $35 million for Red Cross personnel to support Outbreak Crisis Management activities; and,
  • up to $35 million for testing-related activities led by the Red Cross COVID-19 Testing Assistance Response Teams (CTART).
• Statistics Canada reported that Canada’s economy expanded more than forecast in October. The numbers suggest economic activity in October was about 96 per cent of output levels in February. Real GDP grew for the sixth consecutive month, up 0.4 per cent in October following a 0.8 percent increase in September. Both goods-producing (+ 0.1 per cent) and service producing industries (+0.5 per cent) were up as 16 of 20 industrial sectors posted increases in October. A more detailed report can be found here.
• Today, Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries announced that the Ontario government is providing nearly $41 million to help 486 non-profit organizations across the province to rebuild and recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. These grants are part of the first round of funding through the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s new $83-million Resilient Communities Fund. The Resilient Communities Fund provides grants of up to $150,000 to eligible non-profit organizations. They can apply for a broad and flexible range of needs, such as mental and physical health and wellbeing supports for staff or volunteers, identify new health and safety processes or purchasing of new technology and personal protective equipment. For more information on the OTF’s Resilient Communities Fund, and for a full list of recipients, please visit the OTF website.
• Effective immediately, Niagara Health will provide temporary management support to Oakwood Park Lodge, a long-term home in Niagara Falls that is in a home-wide outbreak of COVID-19. The outbreak was declared on December 12, 2020. A total of 97 residents have tested positive for COVID-19. Eight residents who tested positive have passed away. In addition, 91 staff have tested positive as part of surveillance testing. Dr. Mustafa Hirji, Acting Medical Officer of Health at Niagara Region Public Health, issued an order pursuant to Section 29.2 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act due to concerns with the outbreak. Niagara Health is awaiting confirmation of next steps from the Ministry of Long-Term Care. In-person visiting restrictions are in place at Oakwood Park Lodge. Only essential caregivers are permitted at this time.

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