Niagara identified as “hot spot” in Phase Two of COVID-19 vaccine plan
The Ontario government is preparing to move into Phase Two of its COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan next month, with a focus on vaccinating populations based on age and risk. This approach is designed to save lives, protect those at risk of serious illness and to stop the virus from spreading. Niagara has been identified as a “hot spot,” along with twelve other regions, and will receive additional doses.
With vaccine supply stabilizing and over two million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine expected from the federal government before the end of March, the province to enter Phase Two of its vaccine rollout. Between April 2021 and July 2021, up to nine million Ontarians will be vaccinated.
During Phase Two, groups that will receive the vaccine include:
- Older adults between 60-79 years of age;
- Individuals with specific health conditions and some primary caregivers;
- People who live and work in congregate settings and some primary caregivers;
- People who live in hot spots with high rates of death, hospitalizations and transmission; and,
- Certain workers who cannot work from home.
Toronto, Peel and North Bay Parry Sound District move out of shutdown
The Ontario Government is transitioning Toronto, Peel and North Bay Parry Sound District public health regions out of the shutdown and into the revised and strengthened COVID-19 Response Framework: Keeping Ontario Safe and Open (the “Framework”), with the Stay-at-Home order no longer in effect. Seven other public health regions are being moved to new levels in the Framework. All changes will be effective Monday, March 8, 2021 at 12:01 a.m. Niagara remains in Red-Control.
Ontario invests $47 million in apprenticeships
The Ontario government is investing $47 million in 2021-22 to hire more apprentices, improve the quality of training and help them complete their training and certification through the new Achievement Incentive Program and the expanded Apprenticeship Capital Grant. These programs are designed to support those who train apprentices, such as businesses, colleges and other training organizations, providing more young people with high quality training that will lead to successful careers.
Ontario’s $23 million Achievement Incentive Program will provide over 11,000 employers in the construction, industrial, service and other sectors with up to $4,000 in funding per apprentice as they reach key training milestones. For example, a hair salon, restaurant, childcare centre or autobody shop could receive a $1,000 payment once their apprentice reaches a new in-class training level or receives the highest level of trade certification. Employers, especially small businesses, are critical to training the next generation of workers in the skilled trades, and Ontario wants to encourage more of them to participate in apprenticeship programs.
Additionally, the government is investing $24 million – a $10 million increase from last year – through the Apprenticeship Capital Grant to help colleges, unions and apprentice training providers upgrade their equipment and facilities to ensure apprentices are learning and using state-of-the-art infrastructure during their in-class training. Examples include new virtual reality training equipment and simulators, new tools or upgraded accessibility supports, all of which help apprentices acquire the skills they need to be job ready.
Health Canada authorizes Janssen COVID-19 vaccine
Yesterday evening, Health Canada announced that it had authorized the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Janssen Inc.
Health Canada received an application from Janssen Inc. for authorization of its COVID-19 vaccine on November 30, 2020. After a thorough, independent review of the evidence, the Department has determined that the vaccine meets Canada’s stringent safety, efficacy and quality requirements.
The Janssen vaccine is the first single-dose COVID-19 vaccine to be authorized in Canada, and can be stored and transported at refrigerated temperatures (from 2˚ to 8˚C) for at least three months, facilitating distribution across the country. The vaccine is authorized for use in people over 18 years of age, and is a viral vector-based COVID-19 vaccine.
The vaccine was authorized with terms and conditions under Health Canada’s Interim Order Respecting the Importation, Sale and Advertising of Drugs for Use in Relation to COVID-19. This process allowed Health Canada to assess information submitted by the manufacturer as it became available during the product development process, while maintaining Canada’s high standards.
10% of businesses report they can continue operating for less than 12 months
The Canadian Survey on Business Conditions for Q1 2021 has revealed that over half (51.3%) of businesses did not know how long they could continue to operate at their current level of revenue and expenditures before considering closure or bankruptcy, while one-tenth (10.3%) of businesses reported they could continue for less than 12 months. Nearly one-quarter of businesses in accommodation and food services (24.9%) and arts, entertainment and recreation (23.3%) reported they could continue to operate at their current level of revenue and expenditures for less than 12 months before having to consider closure or bankruptcy.
Nearly half (46.4%) of businesses did not know how long they could continue to operate at their current level of revenue and expenditures before considering laying off staff, while over one-fifth (21.3%) reported they could continue for less than 12 months.
Over two-fifths (41.8%) of all businesses and almost three-fifths (56.4%) of businesses in accommodation and food services expected their profitability would decrease over the next three months. Conversely, 8.3% of businesses expected their profitability would increase, most notably in wholesale (13.3%) and retail (12.8%) trade.
Close to one-third (30.6%) of businesses expected their sales would decrease over the next three months. Nearly half of the businesses in accommodation and food services (49.2%) expected sales to fall.
Over one-tenth (14.0%) of businesses expected they would raise prices over the next three months, down from nearly one-fifth (18.1%) of businesses last cycle. Businesses in wholesale trade (27.5%), manufacturing (23.3%) and retail trade (21.2%) were the most likely to expect they would raise prices.
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Policy, Dr. Trevin Stratton, remarked that “the light at the end of this pandemic tunnel is still a long way off for most Canadian businesses… Looking forward, Canada must find new answers to manage the pandemic until vaccination rates increase. We simply cannot afford to take the same approach we’ve seen used over the past year. We need a viable reopening plan that takes a holistic approach with a focus on tools like rapid-testing and robust contact tracing.”
Niagara Health to begin vaccinating hospital patients 80 years and older against COVID-19
In the coming days, Niagara Health will begin booking appointments to vaccinate patients who are 80 years of age and older and are currently admitted to a hospital bed or have been admitted and stayed overnight in the last six months. This will include patients at all sites of Niagara Health and at Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre.
In addition to vaccinating the 80+ age group noted above, the Niagara Health clinic will continue to vaccinate healthcare workers. Thus far, a total of 16,660 vaccines have been administered at the clinic to patient-facing healthcare workers such as long-term care and retirement home workers, hospital staff and physicians, primary care providers, dentists and other specialists, as well as medical first responders (paramedics, police and firefighters).
A full list of eligible community healthcare workers is available here. Healthcare workers who do not provide direct patient care are not yet eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Reading recommendations
Why aren’t people getting mental health support?
Jim Wilson, Canadian HR Reporter
Even though 60 per cent of Canadians are having mental health issues, more than half (54 per cent) have not sought medical support, according to a survey by Sun Life.
Why? Many people feel they don’t need medical help (31 per cent) while 25 per cent say they can’t afford it and 23 per cent are embarrassed to ask for help. Slightly more women (62 per cent) than men (56 per cent) are experiencing mental health troubles. And among age groups, gen Z and millennials (both 74 per cent) are the most affected, followed by 40- to 55-year-olds (64 per cent) and baby boomers (40 per cent), finds the survey of 1,000 Canadians in January.
Eleven per cent more antidepressants were filled last year, according to a separate report.
The Canadian Senate briefly reached gender parity — here’s why it matters
Elizabeth McCallion, The Conversation
At the end of 2020, Canada quietly reached a milestone: our first-ever gender-equal house of Parliament, the Senate. Sen. Frances Lankin noted in December that there were 47 women and 47 men in the Senate. The balance shifted back in favour of men following the retirement of Lynn Beyak and the death of Elaine McCoy.
But given the Senate’s institutional structure, the high number of women legislators generally allows for a strong representation of women’s interests in the upper house — which is why Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should make strides to return it to gender parity with his next Senate appointments.
Niagara COVID status tracker
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 drawn daily from 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.
| 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% |
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
