Canada Public Health warns of strong Delta resurgence trajectory, calls for more vaccination, especially among 18-39-year-olds
Since the previous longer-range modelling forecast on July 30th, 2021, the Delta-driven wave has continued to accelerate along the strong resurgence trajectory. The updated longer-range modelling forecast shows that cases could continue to increase quickly in the coming weeks, but strengthening measures to reduce spread, including for example reducing our contacts by 25%, could slow acceleration. Although Canada has made significant progress in increasing vaccine coverage, the latest modelling highlights an urgent need for more 18-39 years olds to get vaccinated and to speed up the overall rate of vaccination across the eligible population groups.
Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 1,507,051 cases of COVID-19 and 26,991 deaths reported in Canada.
The latest national 7-day average of 3,486 new cases reported daily (Aug 27-Sep 2) is an increase of 22% over the previous week. After several weeks of rising case counts, national severity trends have begun to increase, primarily involving unvaccinated people. From December 14, 2020 to August 14, 2021, 0.04% of fully vaccinated people became infected, with the majority of recent cases and hospitalizations occurring in unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people.
Click here for more information.
Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines here.
Click here for information and resources to help reduce your risk of infection.
Government of Canada issues reminder: foreign travelers will be allowed from September 7 for non-essential trips
The Government of Canada will allow fully vaccinated foreign nationals meeting the conditions to enter Canada for discretionary (non-essential) purposes starting on September 7, 2021. Foreign nationals looking to travel for discretionary reasons before 12:01 am EDT on September 7 will not be allowed to enter Canada. The Government of Canada continues to advise Canadians to avoid non-essential travel outside of Canada – international travel increases your risk of exposure to COVID-19 and its variants, as well as of spreading it to others. It is also important to note that not all countries are allowing discretionary (non-essential) travel by Canadians.
Click here for more information, including requirements for foreign travelers.
Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines here.
Brock student welcome and academic orientation will take place virtually
As the beginning of the Fall Term approaches, thousands of Brock students are invited to kick off their studies by attending the University’s Virtual New Student Welcome and Academic Orientation.
The online event will take place live on the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 7 at 9 a.m. on the Welcome virtual event platform, where speeches from Interim President Lynn Wells and other members of the Brock community will welcome students and offer key pointers on how they can best maximize their Brock experience.
Click here for more information.
Niagara College reminds students and employees of mandatory vaccination policy
Niagara College has implemented a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy in response to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases, in consultation with public health authorities and at the direction of the province of Ontario. You can view Niagara College’s COVID-19 vaccination policy here. The policy applies to all students, employees contractors and official visitors who are attending a Niagara College campus as of September 7, 2021.
Click here for more information.
Niagara Regional Police ask drivers to be mindful of children and school buses next week
As students head back to school, following a prolonged absence due to COVID-19 closures, there will be a marked change on the Region’s roadways with school buses, pedestrians and vehicles making their return for another school year.
The Niagara Regional Police would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the need to follow the rules of the road for everyone’s safety. Members of the Niagara Regional Police Service will be out across the Niagara Region in school zones in order to remind drivers and pedestrians of student’s return to school. Officers will be paying close attention to school zones and their posted speed limits, child restraint systems, school bus safety, aggressive driving and distracted driving concerns.
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 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: Growing a prosperous economy
Canadians are hardworking and innovative, so it is no surprise SMEs are Canada’s biggest employers. The next Parliament must ensure an environment that helps Canada’s entrepreneurs grow and create jobs.
The GNCC is calling on all parties to develop a Small Business Net-Zero Strategy. This strategy will provide Main Street SMEs with incentives and opportunities to participate in Canada’s plan to achieve net-zero emissions.
Click here to read more about the GNCC’s Niagara Prosperity Plan.
Early Canada election call backfires on Trudeau, who now trails in polls
Reuters
Canada’s Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finds himself behind in polls ahead of a snap election he called hoping his management of the COVID-19 crisis would propel him to victory.
Trudeau called the Sept. 20 election last month, two years ahead of schedule. At the time, his Liberals were well ahead and looked likely to regain the majority in parliament they lost in 2019. His main rival, Conservative leader Erin O’Toole, has repeatedly attacked him for calling a vote during the pandemic.
The latest polls by Nanos, Ekos and others show Liberal fortunes have faded as voters have grown fatigued with Trudeau, 49, who has been in power since 2015. One Liberal strategist said on Friday the early-vote call had backfired as it was seen as “wrong” and “greedy” by electors.
In first leaders debate, Trudeau hints at another election in 18 months if denied majority
National Post
Liberal leader Justin Trudeau came out swinging against the Conservative, New Democrat and Bloc Québécois leaders, who criticized his decision to plunge Canada into an election and attacked him whenever possible during two hours of the first “decisive” debate in French.
The debate, organized by Quebecor-owned TV network TVA, was the first of three hosting Trudeau, Conservative leader Erin O’Toole, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh and Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet in this election. There were three themes for the evening: the pandemic, social issues, and the “Canada of tomorrow.”
Reading Recommendations
Alberta to offer $100 incentive to get vaccinated against COVID-19
CBC News
Faced with surging cases and the lowest vaccination rate in the country, Alberta will begin paying $100 to people who get a first or second dose of COVID-19 vaccine, Premier Jason Kenney announced Friday.
The move is part of a suite of new measures announced by the province, including making masks mandatory for all indoor public spaces and workplaces starting Saturday.
Alberta is the first province in Canada to offer a financial incentive for vaccinations, though the tactic has been used in the United States, Kenney told a news conference in Edmonton.
Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines here.
Canada on course for worst wave of COVID-19 yet, new modelling data shows
CTV News
Reported daily COVID-19 caseloads in Canada could reach unprecedented highs later this month if current levels of virus transmission are not reduced, new federal modelling data shows.
On the eve of the Labour Day weekend, chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam took aim at young adults, describing an “urgent need” for more people between the ages of 18 and 39 to get vaccinated in order to prevent a rapid worsening of Canada’s COVID-19 situation.
“The moment you get people back indoors … we will see accelerations,” she said Friday at a press conference.
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 28, 2021
Click here for definitions of terms used in this table.
There are currently 10 patients admitted to Niagara Health with COVID-19, of which 8 are unvaccinated, 0 are partially vaccinated, and 2 are fully vaccinated. 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 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: 665,759
New daily doses administered to Niagara residents: 1,781
Last updated: September 2, 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.
