Ontario Confirms First Two Cases of Omicron Variant

Today, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health issued the following statement:

“Today, the province of Ontario has confirmed two cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Ottawa, both of which were reported in individuals with recent travel from Nigeria. Ottawa Public Health is conducting case and contact management and the patients are in isolation.

The best defence against the Omicron variant is stopping it at our border. In addition to the measures recently announced, we continue to urge the federal government to take the necessary steps to mandate point-of-arrival testing for all travellers irrespective of where they’re coming from to further protect against the spread of this new variant.

Omicron variant patients have ‘very mild symptoms,’ doctor says

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86 stillbirths in 6 months in fully vaccinated mothers in Waterloo, Ontario

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COVID surge, driven by unvaccinated citizens, overwhelms St. Thomas hospital

St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital has diverted at least two COVID-19 patients to a London hospital due to dire lack of capacity to care for them, a situation driven by a case surge that’s among the worst in the province.

In a couple days they will retract the ‘unvaccinated surge’ claim.

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Ontario Science Table to release new COVID-19 projections as cases rise

A group of scientists advising the Ontario government on COVID-19 is to release its latest pandemic projections today.

The COVID-19 Science Table is expected to publish its modelling at 11 a.m.

It comes amid a resurgence of COVID-19 cases that prompted the province to put further reopening plans on hold.

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Doug Ford’s surprise minimum wage hike somehow angers both workers and restaurants — which warn higher prices are on the way

Doug Ford’s latest election ploy appears to have missed its mark.

Businesses and workers are angry about his surprise plan to raise the minimum wage in two months: businesses want more time to prepare while labour advocates say the bump in pay is hypocritical and years too late.

The Star reported Monday that Ontario Premier Doug Ford plans to raise the province’s minimum wage from $14.35 to $15 an hour starting Jan. 1, eliminate the liquor server wage, and tie an annual minimum wage increase to inflation each October. Other workers who are paid subminimum wages, such as students under 18, will also receive pay bumps Jan. 1.

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Ontario won’t issue retroactive long-term care fines over pandemic violations

Hefty new fines for Ontario long-term care providers won’t be applied retroactively for violations earlier in the pandemic when new legislation from the Progressive Conservatives takes effect, despite concerns that the worst offenders haven’t been held to account.

The Ministry of Long-Term Care said it has not issued a single fine to operators who broke the rules during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has so far killed more than 4,000 people in long-term care and infected more than 15,000 nursing home residents.

The bulk of those deaths — which make up 40 per cent of all virus deaths in the province — occurred during the first two waves of the pandemic, before most residents in long-term care could be vaccinated. Inspection reports and eyewitness accounts from homes with virus outbreaks described horrific conditions and a failure to follow measures meant to control the spread of COVID-19.

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Ontario won’t add COVID-19 to list of nine diseases that elementary and secondary students must be immunized against: official

Ontario’s top public health official says that the province won’t add COVID-19 to the list of nine diseases that public school students must be immunized against after concluding that doing so would place “an additional burden” on public health agencies.

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Ontario could see 50,000 education workers fired if COVID-19 vaccines mandated: Lecce

Ontario’s education minister says 50,000 people could lose their jobs if the province mandated COVID-19 vaccines for education workers.

Responding to the NDP in question period today, Stephen Lecce said such a policy would mean pink slips for tens of thousands of educators when Ontario already faces staffing challenges.

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