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Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce

Daily Update: August 10th, 2021

The Government of Canada has established an MOU with Moderna, Inc. to build a state-of-the-art mRNA vaccine production facility in Canada.

Moderna, Inc. to build mRNA vaccine facility in Canada

Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced that the Government of Canada has established a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with leading COVID-19 vaccine developer Moderna, Inc. to build a state-of-the-art mRNA vaccine production facility in Canada.

Click here for more information.


Government of Canada launches consultations on proposed Luxury Tax

A proposed Luxury Tax would apply on the sale of new luxury cars and aircraft with a retail sale price over $100,000, and new boats over $250,000. The tax would be calculated at the lesser of 20 per cent of the value above these thresholds ($100,000 for cars and aircraft, $250,000 for boats) or 10 per cent of the full value of the luxury car, boat or aircraft. The tax is proposed to come into force on January 1, 2022.

Today, through the Department of Finance, the Government of Canada is launching consultations with stakeholders on the design of the proposed Luxury Tax. Interested parties are invited to send written submissions on the proposed elements to the Department of Finance Canada, Tax Policy Branch, on or before September 30, 2021, at fin.luxury-luxe.fin@fin.gc.ca.

Click here for more information.


Chief Public Health Officer of Canada: COVID-19 cases up 58% week-over-week

The latest national 7-day moving average of 1,294 new cases reported daily (Aug 3-9), is an increase of 58% over the previous week. With early signs of a Delta-driven wave beginning and the fall approaching, efforts to increase the proportion of fully vaccinated Canadians and reinforce individual precautions per local public health advice are crucial to reducing virus spread and lowering the risk of a resurgence that could lead to healthcare capacity being exceeded this coming fall and winter.

Click here for more information.


Government of Canada targets zero emission bus transportation with launch of new fund

Today, the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities announced the launch of a $2.75 billion Zero Emission Transit Fund − a five year national program that will help communities invest in zero emission public transit and school transportation options by switching to cleaner electrical power and supporting the purchase of zero emission public transit and school buses and associated infrastructure.

Click here for more information.


Wainfleet passes development charges by-law

The Council of the Township of Wainfleet passed municipal-wide development charges By-law No. 025-2021 on the 27th day of July, 2021 under section 2(1) of the Development Charges Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.27, as amended.

Please click here to read the full notice.


Heat warning in effect for Niagara

Hot and humid conditions continue this week, with humidex values reaching 40 expected for the next 3 days..

Daytime temperatures will reach the high twenties to low thirties Wednesday and Thursday. These high temperatures will combine with high humidity to result in humidex values near 40 each day. High temperatures Friday may also reach the upper twenties with humidex values again approaching 40.

Cooler and less humid air is expected to arrive Friday or by this weekend.

Click here for more information.


Reading Recommendations

Long delays as Canada opens border to fully vaccinated American tourists after 16 months

Reuters

Long delays were reported at the border on Monday as Canada finally opened to fully vaccinated American tourists for the first time in 16 months, causing a rush of travelers during the busy summer season – and bottlenecks for a desperate tourism industry.

Prior to the pandemic, tourism was the fifth-largest industry in Canada, contributing C$105 billion ($83.4 billion) to GDP and providing one in 10 jobs, according to the Tourism Industry Association of Canada.


Regions in Alberta, Manitoba reporting lowest vaccination rates across Canada

CTV News

As Canada enters the beginning of a Delta-variant-driven fourth wave, health officials across the country are saying its severity will depend predominately on vaccine uptake.

And there are some rural or remote areas where vaccination rates are lagging compared to other parts of the country, stifling efforts to control the virus.

While Canada’s vaccination rates are among some of the highest in the world, some of the country’s lowest can be found in the Prairies.


Niagara COVID-19 statistics tracker

These data show the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in Niagara. The Province of Ontario is now using a provincewide approach to reopening, and these data no longer have any influence on Niagara’s restrictions. Lower numbers are better in all metrics.

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%

Last updated: July 31, 2021

Click here for definitions of terms used in this table.

There are currently 0 patients admitted to Niagara Health with COVID-19. There are currently 0 patients with COVID-19 in a Niagara Health Intensive Care Unit.

Data are drawn from Niagara Region Public Health and Niagara Health.


Niagara COVID vaccination tracker

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

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%

Total doses administered in Niagara: 636,256

New daily doses administered to Niagara residents: 1,693

Last updated: August 10, 2021

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


Free rapid COVID-19 testing kits are now available to businesses. Visit gncc.ca/workplace-self-screening-kits to learn more and reserve kits for your organization.

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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