Ontario releases guidance for businesses on Proof of Vaccination Policy
Today the government released the regulations and guidance for businesses and organizations to support them in implementing proof of vaccination requirements, which take effect on September 22, 2021. Requiring proof of vaccination will help increase vaccination rates, protect individuals in higher-risk indoor settings, and keep businesses open.
In advance of September 22, all Ontarians can print or download their vaccination receipt from the provincial booking portal.
Click here for more information.
Canada Employment Insurance Commission sets the 2022 Employment Insurance Premium Rate
The Canada Employment Insurance Commission (CEIC) today made available the Actuarial Report and its summary for the 2022 Employment Insurance (EI) premium rate. The rate is set at $1.58 per $100 of insurable earnings for employees and $2.21 for employers who pay 1.4 times the employee rate, which is unchanged from the 2020 and 2021 premium rate.
Click here for more information.
Eligibility for third vaccine doses expanded
The province will begin offering third doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to additional vulnerable populations. Individuals in these groups can receive their third dose at a recommended interval of eight weeks following their second dose and will be contacted by their health care provider such as their primary care provider, specialist, or their hospital specialty program when they are eligible to receive the vaccine.
Click here for more information.
Regional Chair Bradley issues statement condemning vandalism and harassment of those in the public realm
The recent vandalism committed to the vehicle of Liberal candidate Chris Bittle, the spitting on and hurling of vile insults to Conservative candidate Krystina Waler, and racial insults being directed at campaign volunteers, are all examples of clearly despicable behaviour during an electoral contest. Most recently, the vandalistic attack on the residence and vehicle of Mayor Walter Sendzik represent yet another unacceptable action taken against an individual in the public realm.
I will be clear: I condemn all of these actions in the strongest possible terms.
Click here for more information.
Port Colborne Council approves COVID-19 vaccine policy for staff
At last night’s Council meeting, staff recommended creating a vaccine policy consistent with the City’s corporate values, collective agreement language, the Ontario Human Rights Code, and all applicable legislation to be drafted and implemented. In a unanimous vote, Council approved creating a vaccine policy and have asked City staff to present a finalized document at the next council meeting in a closed session.
The Election Section
Niagara federal vote projections
Seats (Projection)
| 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 and the CBC 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.
Niagara’s Prosperity Matters: Build a modern economy
The post-COVID economy will need to be more flexible and responsive, with better data and support for resilient and non-traditional business models.
The GNCC is calling on all parties to provide world-class data. Statistics Canada should be transformed into an arm’s-length organization, like Elections Canada, and fully funded to provide economic and social data that is the equal of that offered in Europe and the United States.
Click here to read more about the GNCC’s Niagara Prosperity Plan.
Election results will move the needle for Canada’s economy
Financial Post
Reading Recommendations
Record-high U.S. inflation looking a little more transitory as rate cooled in August
CBC News
The U.S. inflation rate rose at its slowest pace in seven months in August, far less than economists were expecting and a hopeful sign that inflation pressures may be cooling.
The U.S. consumer price index rose at 0.3 per cent in August, down from a 0.5 per cent increase in July and a 0.9 per cent surge in June, the Department of Labour reported Tuesday. It was the smallest increase since the 0.3 per cent rise clocked in January.
The August slowdown in prices was seen as offering some hope that Americans were finally starting to see some relief from a price surge earlier in the year.
The pandemic highlights the importance of walkable and wheelable neighbourhoods
The Conversation
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of neighbourhoods and how they fare in terms of walkability and wheelability.
Neighbourhood walkability and wheelability are defined as the “measure of how well a neighbourhood fosters active forms of transportation.” Very walkable and wheelable neighbourhoods have built environments, or human-made surroundings, that support physical and social activity.
Built environment design features that characterize walkable and wheelable neighbourhoods can include sidewalks, curb cuts and pedestrian traffic signals. When appropriately constructed, these features can support inclusion and in many cases, neighbourhoods that are designed with this in mind are good for everyone.
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: September 4, 2021
Click here for definitions of terms used in this table.
On September 13, there were 12 patients admitted to Niagara Health with COVID-19, of which 11 were unvaccinated, 0 were partially vaccinated, and 1 was fully vaccinated. There were 3 patients with COVID-19 in a Niagara Health Intensive Care Unit.
Over the last 28 days, a Niagara resident vaccinated with 1 dose was 3.7 times more likely to contract COVID-19, and an unvaccinated person was 8.4 times more likely.
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: 679,425
New daily doses administered to Niagara residents: 1,493
Last updated: September 14, 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.
Through the Daily Updates, the GNCC aims to deliver important business news in a timely manner. We disseminate all news and information we feel will be important to businesses. Inclusion in the Daily Update is not an endorsement by the GNCC.
