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Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce

Daily Update: April 16th, 2021

Today’s Daily Update has been delayed to incorporate the 4 p.m. announcement from the Government of Ontario.

Premier Ford announces extension of stay-at-home order and new restrictions

In a press conference this afternoon, Premier Ford announced that, effective immediately, the stay-at-home order would be extended by two weeks, to a total of six weeks. In addition, the following new measures will be taken:

  • Effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday, outdoor gatherings will be restricted to persons from the same household. People who live alone may join one other household.
  • Effective 12:01 a.m. Monday, non-essential construction must cease.
  • Outdoor amenities, such as golf courses, playgrounds, and soccer pitches, will be closed.
  • Big-box retail capacity will be reduced further, to 25%.
  • Effective 12:01 a.m. Monday, places of worship will be limited to 10 people indoors.
  • Checkpoints will be set up at provincial borders, with travel limited to essential purposes (work and transport of goods) only, as of 12:01 a.m. on April 19th.
  • Law enforcement will be given special powers to enforce restrictions. This includes stopping pedestrians and vehicles to verify the purpose of travel. Refusal to cooperate will result in a $750 fine.
  • Workplaces and offices will be inspected to verify that stay-at-home orders are being followed. Everyone who can work from home must do so.

The Premier asked for stronger control of international borders, and implored the Government of Canada to do everything it could to increase the vaccine supply.


Regional Chair Bradley gives statement on issuance of provincial summons

I want to remind residents of the seriousness of the third wave of COVID-19 and the potential penalties that could be levied should you be found to have broken provincial directives. The provincial stay-at-home orders are designed to help protect the health and safety of residents, and willfully breaking these rules could result in serious fines and even jail time.

As Regional Chair, I fully respect an individual’s Charter right to peacefully assemble and express themselves. However, all residents are strongly reminded that such gatherings cannot breach any applicable statues or municipal by-laws.

I would encourage residents who may be planning to attend future demonstrations to seriously reconsider. Even if these residents struggle to accept the legitimate health and safety risks associated with large gatherings, I suggest they consider the potential personal repercussions of significant fines and jail time.

Click here to read the full statement.


Canadian Chamber releases Vaccine Resource Hub and Workplace Recovery Toolkit

With Canada in the midst of the third wave of COVID-19 and variants of concern accelerating, Canadian businesses want to see a plan to get us all back on track and make this lockdown our country’s last.

The Canadian Chamber released today two critical items for businesses.

  • A Vaccine Resource Hub to provide businesses with a one-stop shop to help them play their role in building vaccine confidence amongst their workforce.
  • A workplace recovery toolkit provides the latest information and best practice for businesses to operate safely.

To access the Vaccine Resource Hub, click here.

To access the Workplace Recovery toolkit, click here.

Click here to read the media release.


Niagara Health pens open letter to Niagara

Now more than ever we are #InItTogether and need to support one another as we fight through the third wave of this dreadful pandemic.

We’ve vaccinated more than 24% of Niagara’s residents, beginning with those in the highest risk populations. More than 125,000 doses have been administered in our community, and the number of COVID-19 vaccinations increases each day by the thousands.

At the same time, however, there is reason for concern. Niagara Health is experiencing unprecedented pressures and is asking for your help to protect capacity for life-saving critical care and other patient services. This is also the case for hospitals across the province and beyond.

Let’s remember the 379 people who contracted COVID-19 and died, along with their loved ones who are grieving these terrible losses. There are currently 1,405 active cases in our community, a number that’s been growing at a concerning rate over the past number of weeks.

There have been so many challenges thrown our way over the past 14 months. We know people are hurting and we know you are frustrated.

Now more than ever we need to support one another. Follow public health guidelines – masking, physical distancing, handwashing and keeping contact with members of your household only. Support local businesses – stores, restaurants, wineries and other merchants. And be kind.

We are #InItTogether

The letter was co-signed by representatives of many community organizations and leaders, including the GNCC.

Click here to read the media release and see the full list of signatories.


City of Port Colborne partners with Downtown Business Improvement Area (BIA) on Farmers’ Market

The City of Port Colborne forms partnership with the Downtown Business Improvement Area (BIA) to manage the Farmers’ Market for the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

Approved by Council early March, the Downtown BIA will manage the popular Friday morning Farmers’ Market as part of a two-year pilot project. As the City plans creative and strategic ways to boost the local economy, this is an opportunity to partner with key players like the Downtown BIA to expand and attract new businesses.

For more information, follow the Downtown Port Colborne BIA on social media or visit their website.

Click here to read the media release.


Reading recommendations

NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn’t happen this week

Associated Press

A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts.


Moderna slashing vaccine deliveries to Canada, but Pfizer steps up with 8 million more doses

David Cochrane, John Paul Tasker, CBC News

Moderna will send far fewer COVID-19 shots to Canada this month than originally planned as the company grapples with production issues at its facilities in Europe.

But its main competitor, Pfizer — which also produces a highly effective mRNA vaccine against the novel coronavirus — has said it will send millions more doses to Canada in May, June and beyond, a commitment that will more than cover the shortfall from Moderna.


Niagara COVID status tracker (April 4 – April 10)

Niagara’s most up-to-date COVID statistics, measured against the targets for the various stages of the Ontario COVID-19 Response Framework, are presented below. This does not predict government policy, but is offered to give you an idea of where Niagara is situated and how likely a relaxation (or further restrictions) may be. These data are the most recent published by Niagara Region. The Grey-Lockdown level does not have its own metrics, but is triggered when the COVID-specific measurements in a Red-Control region have continued to deteriorate.

▲: Metric has increased since last published measurement

▼: Metric has decreased since last published measurement

December 18December 25January 1January 8January 15January 22January 29
Reproductive number1.41.81.41.11.00.70.9
New cases per 100,000101.2267.3469.8575.8507.1295.5250.6
New cases per day (not including outbreaks)60.7178.7311.7376.9325.4182.7145.7
Percent of hospital beds occupied97%95.2%98.2%103.2%104.5%103.6%106%
Percent of intensive care beds occupied78.8%77.3%87.9%87.9%90.9%89.4%93.9%
Percentage of positive tests6.1%15.6%28.1%28.6%26.6%21.2%16.2%

Definitions:

  • Weekly Incidence Rate: the number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people per week
  • Percent Positivity: the number of positive COVID-19 tests as a percentage of all COVID-19 tests performed
  • Rt: the reproductive rate, or the number of people infected by each case of the virus

Niagara COVID vaccination tracker (April 16)

Niagara’s most up-to-date vaccination numbers are presented below, along with comparison data from Ontario, Canada, and G7 countries.

Total doses administered in Niagara: 125,206

Total doses administered in Niagara since yesterday: 3,769

Percentage of population with one dosePercentage of population fully vaccinated
Niagara82.7%78.2%
Ontario84.6%79.1%
Canada84.7%78.6%
United States75%64%
United Kingdom78%72%
Germany76%74%
France80%77%
Italy83%76%
Japan80%79%
World63%53%

Data are drawn from Niagara Region, the Government of Ontario, and Oxford University’s Our World in Data project.


Information on government grants, resources, and programs, policies, forms, and posters for download and use, are available here.The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.
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