Niagara Health announces mandatory vaccinations for new hires
As of Sept. 7, Niagara Health will require mandatory vaccination for new hires. This is in addition to last week’s announcement that Niagara Health, along with the other hospitals in our region, will be implementing a mandatory vaccination policy by Sept. 7 as per provincial directive. This program will require staff, physicians, contractors, learners/students, and volunteers to provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or written proof of a medical reason for not being fully vaccinated or to participate in mandatory education about the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination. Hospitals will also be required to implement regular and mandatory testing of individuals who are not fully vaccinated.
Click here for more information.
Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines here.
Welland Transit to increase service in September
Riders of Welland Transit can expect a return to full services beginning Sunday, September 5. Transit, operating under reduced services during the recent steps of the province’s Roadmap to Recovery plan, brought 30-minute service back within the city during peak blocks on August 15.
Welland Transit continues to offer free rides to individuals travelling for their COVID-19 vaccination appointments.
Click here for more information (PDF link).
One in five Canadians were victims of crime in 2019
One in five Canadians—19%, or nearly 6 million people 15 years and older—reported that they or their household had experienced at least one of the crimes measured by the GSS in 2019, Statistics Canada has reported. In total, there were more than 8 million incidents of criminal victimization, including sexual assault, robbery, physical assault, break and enter, theft of motor vehicles or parts, theft of household or personal property, and vandalism.
Heat warning will remain in effect for Niagara through Thursday
Heat and humidity expected to continue today and possibly into the middle of this week. Daytime maximum temperatures are 30 to 33 degrees Celsius, with humidex values of 38 to 44. Slightly cooler conditions are likely closer to the Great Lakes. Nighttime minimum temperatures are 19-22 degrees Celsius.
Click here for more information.
The Election Section
Niagara federal vote projections
| Niagara Centre | Niagara Falls | Niagara West | St. Catharines | Canada (338canada) | Canada (CBC) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloc Quebecois | 7% (32 seats) | 6.8% (31 seats) | ||||
| Conservative Party | 30% | 38% | 46% | 32% | 31.4% (126 seats) | 31% (119 seats) |
| Green Party | 3% | 3.7% | 3.9% | 3.5% | 3.4% (2 seats) | 3.5% (1 seat) |
| Liberal Party | 35% | 31% | 29% | 36% | 31.9% (148 seats) | 31.5% (155 seats) |
| New Democratic Party | 24% | 21% | 14% | 23% | 19.3% (31 seats) | 19.1% (32 seats) |
| People's Party | 7.6% | 6% | 6.5% | 5.8% | 6% (0 seats) | 7% (0 seats) |
| Christian Heritage | - | - | 1.1% | - | - | - |
Data are provided by 338canada.com using an aggregate of polls. Projections are updated daily. Click here for more information and margins of error.
Download the Canadian Chamber’s policy tracker, which summarizes party commitments made to date.
GNCC Niagara Prosperity Plan: Getting everyone over the COVID finish line
Many small enterprises and businesses in the hardest-hit sectors, including tourism, travel and hospitality, will not recover until public health restrictions are lifted and economic activity returns to normal. Until that time comes, these fellow Canadians require ongoing support.
The GNCC is asking all parties to create a replacement program for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS). The program should be exclusively available for businesses that are still hurt by pandemic-related public health restrictions. It should cover the period from October 2021 until spring 2022. The revamped version must retain at least the 75% (CEWS) and 65% (CERS) subsidy rates, in line with what businesses in other sectors had access to until they were permitted to recover.
Click here to read more about the GNCC’s Niagara Prosperity Plan.
Why this federal election is expected to have a record price tag
CTV News
When Canadians head to the polls on Sept. 20, they’ll be casting a ballot in what is expected to be the most expensive federal election campaign to date.
The estimated cost of the 44th federal election is $610 million, about $108 million more than the $502.4-million price tag for the 2019 election.
Why is it so expensive? Blame it on COVID-19 and a growing population.
Students tell Elections Canada to do more after it cancels Vote on Campus program
CBC News
Post-secondary students are telling Elections Canada staff to do “as much as they can” to encourage students to cast ballots after the agency cancelled the Vote on Campus program for the 2021 federal election.
Elections Canada (the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer) said it’s not offering Vote on Campus this September for logistical reasons: the pandemic and a minority government made it too difficult to plan anything on a campus.
Reading Recommendations
Air Canada mandates COVID-19 vaccination for all employees
Reuters
Air Canada (AC.TO) said on Wednesday it would require all employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19, as the fast-spreading Delta variant drives an increase in infections.
The move by Canada’s largest carrier was in line with a government mandate that workers in the transportation sector be vaccinated by the end of October and follows similar moves by other major companies, including United Airlines.
Workers who are not vaccinated by Oct. 30 will face termination or be sent on unpaid leave, Air Canada said. It has also made full vaccination a condition of employment for new employees. However, the carrier will accommodate workers who cannot be vaccinated for reasons such as medical conditions.
Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines here.
Delta Air Lines will soon charge unvaccinated workers $200 a month health premium
CBC News
Delta Air Lines will charge employees on the company health plan $200 US a month if they fail to get vaccinated against COVID-19, a policy the airline’s top executive says is necessary because the average hospital stay for the virus costs the airline $40,000 US.
CEO Ed Bastian said that all employees who have been hospitalized for the virus in recent weeks were not fully vaccinated.
The airline said Wednesday that it also will stop extending pay protection to unvaccinated workers who contract COVID-19 on Sept. 30, and will require unvaccinated workers to be tested weekly beginning Sept. 12, although Delta will cover the cost. They will have to wear masks in all indoor company settings.
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 18 | December 25 | January 1 | January 8 | January 15 | January 22 | January 29 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive number | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| New cases per 100,000 | 101.2 | 267.3 | 469.8 | 575.8 | 507.1 | 295.5 | 250.6 |
| New cases per day (not including outbreaks) | 60.7 | 178.7 | 311.7 | 376.9 | 325.4 | 182.7 | 145.7 |
| Percent of hospital beds occupied | 97% | 95.2% | 98.2% | 103.2% | 104.5% | 103.6% | 106% |
| Percent of intensive care beds occupied | 78.8% | 77.3% | 87.9% | 87.9% | 90.9% | 89.4% | 93.9% |
| Percentage of positive tests | 6.1% | 15.6% | 28.1% | 28.6% | 26.6% | 21.2% | 16.2% |
Last updated: August 21, 2021
Click here for definitions of terms used in this table.
There are currently 4 patients admitted to Niagara Health with COVID-19. There are currently 2 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 dose | Percentage of population fully vaccinated | |
|---|---|---|
| Niagara | 82.7% | 78.2% |
| Ontario | 84.6% | 79.1% |
| Canada | 84.7% | 78.6% |
| United States | 75% | 64% |
| United Kingdom | 78% | 72% |
| Germany | 76% | 74% |
| France | 80% | 77% |
| Italy | 83% | 76% |
| Japan | 80% | 79% |
| World | 63% | 53% |
Total doses administered in Niagara: 654,899
New daily doses administered to Niagara residents: 1,168
Last updated: August 25, 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.
