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June 24th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
It is the richest, most powerful country in the world. But look at the numbers; the number of people infected, the number of people who have died – and it is far from over yet. The man leading the country stands a chance of being re-elected. Imagine that.  All one can do iis shakes their head when they review the numbers. 
June 24th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON  Tough year for the boating community. The boats will not be going into the water.
In an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the safety of volunteers and boaters, the boards of directors for the LaSalle Park Marina Association (LPMA) and the Burlington Sailing and Boating Club (BS&BC) have announced the LaSalle Park Community Marina and BS&BC sailing programs will not operate for the 2020 summer season. The decision to close the marina made sense – it puts into stark relief the decision to use $4 million from the Hydro Reserve fund to pay for the building of the wave break. Talk about unintended consequences. The decision to close the marina was made by the LPMA and the BS&SC, who took the following into consideration: • Volunteer safety – in order to install the docks at the marina, volunteers are required to work within small boats where physical distancing is not possible. • Shortened boating season – construction of the new wave break at the LaSalle Park Community Marina was delayed due to impacts from COVID-19. While the wave break is now completed, the LPMA estimates the installation of the docks and placement of boats in the water would take four to five weeks, resulting in a significantly shorter boating season. • Financial impacts – with COVID-19 precautions and a shortened boating season, many boaters have indicated they will not be launching their boats, impacting the funding needed to operate the marina. Public Boat Launch Residents are still able to use the marina area to enjoy views of the water, bird watching and to launch canoes and kayaks that are not on a trailer. Lurking in the background is the matter of how will Burlington manage to renew the lease they have on property owned by Hamilton and used as both a public park and the Marina Association. Two years left on that lease.
June 24th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Service arrested a massage therapist who was working at a clinic in Burlington. The incident occurred in February 2020 and the victim was a client. Dominic Carrasco (53) of Burlington has been charged with one count of Sexual Assault. Police believe there may be additional victims.
Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers. “See something? Hear something? Know something? Contact Crime Stoppers” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.
June 24th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON The Burlington Food Bank was recently contacted by Feed Ontario to help the provincial government get a better understanding of the effects of the Pandemic on Food Banks in regards to client usage and community support since Covid-19 took effect.  Robin Bailey, Executive Director of the Burlington Food Bank Robin Bailey, Executive Director of the Food Ban said “They also wanted to know what we were doing to prepare for the long term needs that many in our community will face. “For us at the Burlington Food Bank, we have seen an increase in usage and an increase in new clients and have also recognized great community support through Food Drives and financial donations. “We have been able to support everyone that has called us for help, increased the fresh produce and other food we distribute and in addition, when local food agencies ask us for assistance, we do our best to support them as well. One of the other results of the current state is we have seen an increase in the number of people in Burlington offering to volunteer with us which has been a huge help in managing the extra work. “So we are in excellent shape to support more clients as needed and we are now preparing for a transition in delivery method options as we see the City moving towards Phase 3.  The volunteers that make the place work every day of the week. “We have been able to support everyone that has called us for help, increased the fresh produce and other food we distribute and in addition, when local food agencies ask us for assistance, we do our best to support them as well. Nice to see them asking for our numbers and seeing that they are coordinating with all city Food Banks in Ontario. If you are in need or know of someone who could use our help PLEASE have them email us at info@burlingtonfoodbank.ca or call 905-637-2273 to make arrangements to have food dropped at their door or they can now PICK IT UP. If you live in Burlington, we are here to help.
June 24th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
Visiting Lowville Park will look different than it did prior to the COVID-19 pandemic; the City of Burlington is putting measures in place to help visitors have a safe park experience during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Parking lot capacity has been reduced to 50 per cent to allow for physical distance spacing and prevent overcrowding. The entrance will be monitored and vehicles may be turned away when parking has reached capacity. Street parking is not permitted, parking enforcement will be in effect. Illegally parked vehicles will be tagged and/or towed.  Bronte Creek runs through the park where the salmon spawn and children get to play. What’s open and closed in Lowville Park The playground portion of the park remains closed. Staff levels are reduced so please clean up your area and put waste in receptacles or take it home for disposal.
Reduce the spread  View of the park from thee steps of the school house. Visitors are reminded to continue to be vigilant about public health practices and provincial directives to reduce the spread of COVID-19, including: Maintaining 2 metre physical distance from others The Lowville Park is a neighbourhood park during the week in the off season. During the summer it is a place where large families gather and cook meals on hibachis and enjoy their food. On occasion there are several large families that become an event for everyone. There will have to be some adjusting as we give people a place to enjoy themselves, respect the safety requirements and make allowances for each other. Walt Rickli, often the spokesperson for the Lowville community, reported on their meeting with the Mayor and the ward councilor. “A number of Lowville residents”, reported Rickli, ” had expressed concerns about the potential for over-crowding, traffic management and the ability to adhere to Covid regulations, as we lead into Canada Day. As a result of these concerns, the city advised us that over the short term they will be employing the follow measures for weekends and holidays when the park is most used:  Walt Rickli, on the left, is often the spokesperson for the Lowville community. “The city will be hiring two off-duty police officers. One will be situated at the corner of Guelph Line and Lowville Park Road to control traffic coming in and out of the park. If the park is full, traffic will not be allowed to enter Lowville Park Rd. The second officer will be patrolling the park to ensure visitors are abiding by Covid social distancing requirements as well as park rules. There will also be several Park Ambassadors to help out. “The parking lot will only be permitted to fill to 50% of capacity. To ensure this, there will be a parking enforcement/by-law officer at the entrance to Lowville Park. As well, 1/2 the parking lot will be barricaded to prevent parking there. “The children’s playground will be cordoned off to abide by current Covid regulations. Garbage cans which were removed during the Covid lockdown, will be returned. “And finally, as per provincial Covid regulations, the washrooms will be manned and supervised to limit the number of people allowed in at any given time, and will be frequently cleaned and sanitized. “During the meeting, a few points were raised that the city will be getting back to us to confirm. First are the hours the park will be manned on holidays and weekends ? Residents advised that traffic on weekends and holidays often goes from 7:30 am to well into the evening. The second point was regarding picnic tables. Currently picnic tables are all grouped together which does not facilitate social distancing. A suggestion was to remove some of the tables to ensure all are appropriately distanced from each other. “Over-crowding has been an ongoing issue for Lowville Park, so the Mayor and Ward Counselor also advised us that a pilot project is in the works to help ease the stress on the park environment and the surrounding community over the long term. They are looking at following a similar approach to what Conservation Halton has done with their parks, which would include installing a gatehouse with an arm among other things. This will replace the above measures once Covid regulations are reduced.”
June 23rd, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
A seasoned commercial real estate developer bought a home in Burlington in 3Q 2019. He and his wife and their child were looking forward to the move but before the moving trucks were called the met with an architect who drew up some plans they wanted to make to the house, The architect met with the appropriate people in Burlington’s Planning department where the plans had to be approved before a Building Permit could be issued.  City of Adjustment counter at city hall during a festive season. There was a bit of confusion that got cleared up. The Planners weren’t the problem. The property owner needs a building permit which he can’t get until there is a decision from Committee of Adjustment (CoA). The planner’s hands are tied. An application was made to the CoA for a minor variance– that was turned down. The property owner understood, he knew the rules and was more than prepared to abide by whatever those who gave permissions required. The plan for the addition to the newly purchased house were revised again and ready for the second submission to the CoA early in March Then Covid19 hit – and everything came to a grinding halt. The problem for the homeowner who now owned the Burlington residence was that he had sold his home elsewhere in the GTA. The need to get before the Burlington CoA took on a new urgency. The problem was made more complex when the CoA found that it could not give dates for hearing that were going to be virtual. Hamilton was able to hold Committee of Adjustment hearings but none of the smaller municipalities were ready. The homeowner met with a real estate agent in Burlington looking for a home that could be rented. He found one that would meet what was becoming a pressing need. The home that was being sold was due to close at the end of June – which was fast approaching. All the homeowner could get from Burlington’s Committee of Adjustment was that they expected to begin holding hearings in July – not when in July – just July. The homeowner wanted to know where he stood in the pecking order – was he number 1 or number 101. Everyone is being polite – what isn’t understood is – what is taking the Burlington CoA so long to get to the point where they can hold virtual hearings. No one seems to have an answer. The property owner wasn’t able to get much from the ward 4 Councillor. He got a bit more from the ward 1 Councillor who was more attuned to development issues Burlington city council has been doing business virtually for a couple of months. The Regional government has been doing things virtually for several months. Why not the Committee of Adjustment? No one is talking. The property owner needs to know how long he has to rent for. He is currently looking at a year. Yikes!
June 22nd, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
Alex Don, a Burlington native, a graduate of Assumption High school and a Member of the Upper Canada Law Society with a legal education that took place in France, England and McGill University, has created a not-for-profit organization that is offering pro bono legal services across Canada using a network of 400 volunteers.  Alex Don, founder of the National Canadian Lawyers Initiative. While studying in Strasbourg France Don served as a Clerk for a Judge with the Court of Human Rights where he became much more aware of the need to respect the rights and needs of ordinary people within the Judicial system. When he began to practice law he chose the field of insolvency and corporate reorganization as his specialty. Don first saw the need for help for those who were hit by the impact of Covid19. They needed legal help but didn’t have the funds needed to retain a lawyer but more importantly – they didn’t know where to look for the help they needed. For many their normal income stream had dried up. When Alex Don started receiving calls from people who were encountering legal problems as result of the COVID-19 crisis, but were unable to provide a retainer because their income had been affected he decided to create an organization that could meet the needs of several groups. The National Canadian Lawyers Initiative (NCLI), which currently has an office in Burlington, was founded on April 28 and received approval from the Law Society of Ontario to provide pro bono legal service on May 14.
“When I started receiving calls” said Don ” I soon realized there was a very large unmet need. That was when the idea for a national organization took for in my mind. “We created a platform where this help could be made available “The volunteer lawyers, many of whom are law students, do not go to court to defend people. They are there to listen and document the legal problem and then prepare a short brief which is sent along to lawyers who are in a position to take on cases. “The volunteer can and have spent up to as much as five hours talking to people with legal problems. They focus on identifying the problems and then do what they can to pair them up with a lawyer Don reports that NCLI has gotten as many as 100 calls some days. The Law Society does have a program that gives a 30 minute conversation with a lawyer at no cost to the caller. Few senior lawyers take on this type of Law Society volunteer work. Ontario has a Legal Aid service that involves a means test that many people don’t qualify for – they aren’t poor enough. They have jobs but they don’t know where to turn to for the kind of help they need. At the same time there are hundreds of lawyers who have been called to the bar but don’t have much in the way of experience – they know the law, they can write applications but they don’t have clients. Don decided there was an opportunity to help people and reached out to various colleagues to create an online platform that could do just that. “People need help with contracts that are not working out, lease agreements that have to be renewed or employment matters – there are legal problems everywhere. Don saw a need during the Covid19 crisis and then realized that the need was a lot bigger. He wants to grow the organization and once it is proven begin looking for funding to make it part of the legal infrastructure.  Some of the members of the National Canadian Lawyers Initiative. “This is why our team of volunteers have started this not-for-profit, to help the people in our communities. Our mission is simple: To launch a web-based platform that will match law students and newly-called lawyers to seasoned legal professionals who together will provide the much-needed legal advice in their communities, quickly, efficiently and most importantly free of charge.” There is currently as lot of federal funding in place; some of which Don thinks might be available to fund NCLI adding “we might be able to help people determine if they are eligible for financial support. Alex Don started out seeing the NCLI initiative as a temporary 12-month program that could help people in all areas of law, with the exception of criminal law. NCLI is an attempt to pair law students or men and women recently called to the bar, with mentors who can guide them. “A lot of law students lost their summer placements,” said Mark Mejia Kuznetsova, a vice president at NCLI. “There are a lot of students with a lot of time on their hands and not much to do during the summer months … This way they will get some experience and give back to society.” The NCLI operates on a first-come, first-served, triaged basis.
June 20th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON The Gazette web site, we call it our press room, is undergoing a security upgrade. The content has been hacked into several times and someone is playing with the comments section. Thus, unfortunately, the comments section will not be available until security is solid enough to prevent people from removing what you want to say. The city came out of its ‘lockdown” yesterday; people walked the streets and had a beer or a glass of wine and met with neighbours and friends. Some of the distancing rules didn’t stick as well as they perhaps should have. Earlier in the week city council decided they would go all out to give the hospitality sector all the help they could. The rules for pop up patios were relaxed; fees were waived and there was staff in place to process applications. Citizens saw how city hall could move when it wanted to. There was no bureaucracy to trip over. The pictures tell the story.  The Queen’s Head was open for business and the suds flowed – masks for all the staff.  Joe Dogs made sure you understood the rules – happy hands during the Happy Hours.  Social distancing strictly observed.  Did they check her ID? She could walk home if it came to that. Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns checking on the hospital sector on the first night of limited re-opening.  In the up close and personal services market – everyone wears masks. Getting appointment with a hair dresser is not as simple as a single phone call.  Not everyone bounced back right away. The Back Porch at Emma’s looks abandoned.
Jan 20th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
Wearing a mask we are told is now what we should be doing to prevent the Covid virus from being transmitted from person to person. Many of the handmade masks are quite creative and many retail locations now have a supply.  Kim Reid and Lisa Faria use sign language to communicate and rely on being able to read the faces of people they are communicating with. The masks allow their mouths to be seen. Both are at the Bob Rumball Canadian Centre of Excellence for the Deaf What about segments of the population – particularly the deaf who depend on the facial expression of the person they are “talking” to?  The masks are made of 100% cotton and come in bright patterns. A former Milton Town Council member, Jan Mowbray, who led the making of 3,000 masks for Burlington residents serves as a Board member of the Bob Rumball Canadian Centre of Excellence for the Deaf. She was acutely aware of the problems deaf people have and designed and then made 400 masks for Rumble residents.  Jan Mowbray at her sewing machine stitching the ties for the masks Mowbray worked out a design, then created a template from which she cut the fabric and then glued in the piece of plastic that covers the mouth. “It was long painstaking work” said Mowbray, who went through several designs to come up with what she was finally satisfied with. Kim Reid and Lisa Faria are delighted with the masks they now have. Note: Anyone wishing to purchase masks made for those who are hard of hearing and need to be able to read the lips of those they are communicating with please be in touch with: seamstress@hwkp.com
June 18th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON We are not where we want to be yet – the objective is going to be to ensure that it doesn’t get any worse. People will be out mixing with other people. Be careful – pay attention and realize what we are up against. If there is a spike in infections at the end of the month the province will have to take away the play time we’ve been given. Beating this virus is a job that we all share – don’t blow it. This is the first Public Health Unit report where Burlington has not had the lowest number of infections in the Region. Halton Hills is the lowest – just by one. Cases over time 789 83  Figure 1: COVID-19 cases, by episode date, Halton Region, Mar. 1-Jun. 17, 2020
Figures 1 and 2 show the 789 COVID-19 cases among Halton residents reported by end of the day on June 17. All cases have been graphed according to their episode date, which is used to estimate the date that symptoms began. Figure 1 shows the number of new cases per day, while Figure 2 shows how cases have accumulated over time. Counts for the past 14 days should be interpreted with caution (indicated using the grey shaded area on the graph), since there is a delay between when a person becomes infected and when they develop symptoms, get tested and are reported as a case. Please note the large increase on April 11 is due to expanded testing and identification of COVID-19 among asymptomatic individuals at Mountainview Residence. Individuals who are lab-confirmed cases are shown in green. Individuals who are probable cases are shown in orange. Probable cases are individuals presumed to have COVID-19 because they have symptoms of COVID-19 and are travelers returning from an affected area, have had close contact with a confirmed case and/or lived/worked in a facility experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak, or have indeterminate test results.
For each day, Figure 3 shows the average number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past seven days, including only those cases that are not staff or residents/patients associated with an outbreak in an institutional or congregate care setting. Cases have been graphed according to their collection date, which is the date that a sample was taken from them to be tested for COVID-19. The graph suggests that the average number of new cases per day was highest in late March/early April, with another increase in mid-May. Counts for recent days should be interpreted with caution (indicated using the grey shaded area on the graph), since there is a delay between when a person is tested and when their test results are reported to Public Health and entered into the system. Case demographics 78 111  Figure 4: COVID-19 cases, by age and sex, Halton Region, 2020  Figure 5: COVID-19 cases, by municipality of residence, Halton Region, 2020 Figure 4 shows that by end of the day on June 17, the most COVID-19 cases were among Halton residents aged 40-59 (with 284 cases, or 36%). 441 cases (56%) were female.
Figure 5 shows that by end of the day on June 17, the greatest number of COVID-19 cases were among residents of Oakville (with 265 cases, or 34%). Please note this figure shows counts, and therefore does not take into account the different population sizes or age structures of the four municipalities. Counts in municipalities can also be inflated by outbreaks that have occurred within institutions in their boundaries. Case exposure source
Figure 6 shows the percentage of COVID-19 cases by primary exposure category for Halton’s four municipalities and for Halton overall. For Halton overall, by end of day on June 17, 285 cases (36%) had contact with a confirmed case that was believed to be the source of their infection. 266 COVID-19 cases (34%) had no known travel or contact history, and therefore were believed to have acquired the virus within Ontario, making them community cases. 132 (17%) were residents/patients or staff associated with an outbreak in an institutional or congregate care setting. 99 cases (13%) had a history of travel that was believed to have been the source of their infection. Information on exposure source was pending for the remaining 7 cases (1%). These proportions vary by municipality. It is important to note that cases can have multiple exposures, and these data reflect only their primary exposure category based on information gathered during case investigation. Case and contact follow-up  Figure 7: Percentage of COVID-19 cases reached by Public Health within one day of being reported, Halton Region, cases reported Jun. 11-Jun. 17, 2020  Figure 8: Percentage of COVID-19 community contacts reached by Public Health within one day of being reported, Halton Region, contacts identified Jun. 11-Jun. 17, 2020 Figure 7 shows that 100% of Halton cases reported over the past seven days (June 11-17) were reached by Halton Public Health within one day of being reported, which exceeds the provincial goal of 90%. Similarly, Figure 8 shows that Halton Public Health reached 100% of contacts identified over the past seven days (June 11-17) within one day, compared to the provincial goal of 90%. Case outcomes 97 682 cases who are recovered/resolved 24 Institutional outbreaks 19
Figure 9 shows the 19 confirmed outbreaks of COVID-19 in Halton institutions reported by end of the day on June 17. Institutions are defined as long-term care homes, retirement homes and hospitals. 18 of the outbreaks have resolved, and one is ongoing. Among the 19 confirmed institutional outbreaks reported to date, 11 (58%) have been in long-term care homes, seven (37%) have been in retirement homes and one has been in a hospital (5%). Lab testing >3,100 >24,400
The green bars in Figure 10 show the number of Halton residents who were tested for COVID-19 each week, beginning the week of March 1-7. Data for the most recent week (June 7-13) is incomplete due to reporting lags. The number of people tested decreased the week of May 17 compared to past weeks as mass testing of institutional residents was completed. The number of people tested then began to increase again, as the provincial government permitted more widespread testing. The orange line in Figure 10 indicates the percentage of tested Halton residents who were positive for COVID-19. The percent positivity was highest the week of March 29-April 4, when 8.2% of Halton residents who were tested for COVID-19 had positive results. In the most recent week (June 7-13), 0.8% of people tested for COVID-19 tested positive, although this number is subject to reporting delays. Comparison to Ontario 32,917
Figure 11 shows age-specific rates of COVID-19 for Halton and Ontario. Rates take into account the population size of each age group to make it possible to compare between different areas. Halton’s age-specific rates are currently significantly different from the provincial rates for all age groups except youth aged 0-19. For example, Halton has 36.4 cases per 10,000 residents aged 80+, which is statistically significantly lower than the 84.3 cases per 10,000 residents aged 80+ in Ontario overall. It is important to note that these rates will fluctuate as numbers increase throughout the pandemic and that differences between age groups may reflect differences in the likelihood of developing symptoms and being tested. Data limitations and data sources Halton case data: integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), extracted at 7:00 AM on June 18, 2020, to reflect data entered by the end of the day on June 17, 2020 Halton lab data: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Number of individuals who were confirmed positive for COVID-19, COVID-19 Testing Period: 15 Jan 2020 to 13 June 2020. Received on June 15, 2020. Ontario case count overall: Public Health Ontario, Epidemiologic Summary, COVID-19 in Ontario: January 15, 2020 to June 17, 2020, posted on June 18, 2020 to https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus. Denominators for Halton and Ontario age-specific rates: Population projections [2020], IntelliHEALTH Ontario, extracted on April 8, 2020. Data notes The data only represent cases reported to public health and recorded in iPHIS. As a result, all counts will be subject to varying degrees of underreporting due to a variety of factors, such as disease awareness and medical care seeking behaviours, which may depend on severity of illness, clinical practice, changes in laboratory testing, and reporting behaviours. Cases are included if their “diagnosing health unit” in iPHIS is Halton Region, which means counts include only individuals whose primary residence is in Halton Region. The case may not necessarily have been managed by Halton Region, if they were temporarily residing elsewhere during their case management period. Cases managed by Halton Region who normally live elsewhere but who were managed by Halton Region staff because they were temporarily residing in Halton during their case management period have not been included. Cases for which the Disposition Status in iPHIS was reported as ENTERED IN ERROR, DOES NOT MEET DEFINITION, DUPLICATE-DO NOT USE, or any variation on these values have been excluded. Cases are considered “currently active” if they are open in iPHIS. Figures 1 and 2 distinguish between lab-confirmed and probable cases. Probable cases are defined as epi-linked cases, which means they are presumed to have COVID-19 because they have symptoms compatible with COVID-19 and have travelled to an affected area; have had close contact with a confirmed case; and/or lived in or worked in a facility known to be experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19; or have indeterminate test results. All other figures and numbers include both confirmed and probable cases combined. Figures 1 and 2 use episode date, which is a field that is intended to approximate the symptom onset date for each case. It is calculated hierarchically, using symptom onset date if available; when it is not available, specimen collection date is used; if neither symptom onset nor specimen collection date are available, the lab test date is used; and finally, if none of these other dates are available, the date the case was reported to Public Health is used. In subsequent reports, counts in Figures 1-3 may increase as cases are added from past dates as individuals become symptomatic, get tested, and their results are reported to Halton Region Public Health, as well as any past results are added due to delayed data entry or new arrival of lab results. Cases are considered to be patients or residents of an institution experiencing an outbreak if they are linked to a confirmed Halton institutional outbreak in iPHIS, and they are not known to be a staff person at the institution. Cases are considered to work in health care if they are known to have an occupation that involves caring for patients, e.g. physician, nurse, occupational therapist, recreational therapist, chiropractor, paramedic, midwife, orderly, etc. Individuals who work in health care settings but do not provide direct care to patients (e.g. managers, cleaning staff) have not been included. Exposure type is determined by examining the exposure and risk factor fields from iPHIS to determine whether a case travelled, was a resident/patient or staff member in an institution or congregate care setting experiencing an outbreak, was a contact of a case or neither. A hierarchy has been applied as follows: Travel-related > Associated with institutional or congregate care setting outbreak > Close contact of a confirmed case > Neither (indicating community acquisition) > Information pending. It is important to note that cases can have multiple exposures, and these data reflect only their primary exposure category. Numbers are relatively low, and differences between municipalities have not been assessed for statistical significance. Known cases reflect only individuals who were prioritized for testing, which means that differences between municipalities are currently difficult to ascribe to other factors. Case outcomes (hospitalizations, recovered/resolved, deaths) reflect the latest available information reported to Halton Region Public Health and recorded in iPHIS by the extraction time. Cases are considered to have been reached within 24 hours if their investigation start date and case reported dates in iPHIS are no more than one day apart. Contacts are manually tracked to determine if they were reached within one day. Any contacts referred to Public Health Ontario for follow up have not been included. Institutional outbreaks include outbreaks of COVID-19 in settings such as long-term care homes, retirement homes, hospitals and prisons. Lab testing data reflects only lab tests that have been assigned to Halton Region based on the methodology used by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. There are several known limitations associated with this data which result in the numbers being underestimates:
June 18th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
A week from today school would have closed for the academic year. We just didn’t have all that much of an academic year. Parents and students adjusted to the changes – not always easily. There are still grade 12 students who are working with their teachers to get to the point where they can graduate. The Premier and his Minister of Education promised that every student who put in the effort would graduate – and if that required extra tutoring then extra tutoring would be available. Now what ? Does school start again in September? School will start – just what form it takes is far from clear. The Province has said they will announce their plans for the Boards of Education across the province by the end of the month.  Stuart Miller, Halton District School Board Director of Education speaking to parents at Central High School. Stuart Miller, Director of Education for the Halton District School Board isn’t leaving anything to chance. He has appointed a Task Team co-chaired by two of his top Superintendents to take a deep look at what educators are up against and what the possible options are. Terry Blackwell and Scott Podrebarac are co-chairs of the Task Force. Scott Podrebarac was the Superintendent that oversaw the implementation of the Board decision to close two of Burlington’s seven high school. He didn’t get much in the way of brownie points for that job. His job was to do what the Board of Trustees determined – it did get a little messy when the decision to close Central High School was rescinded and Bateman high school was closed instead. That decision did not go well with the Bateman parents.  Terry Blackwell Terry Blackwell was the Superintendent tasked with creating an iStem program for Aldershot High School that turned out to be an amazing success. Miller and his staff were not at all sure that the parents in the Region would take to the idea.  Superintendent Terry Blackwell and Director of Education during the night parents showed up to register their children for the iStem program at Aldershot High School. Registration was much higher than expected and while the first year, made up of grade nine students, wasn’t a full academic year, the students did very well. The Gazette covered those iStem classes on several occasions – they are an amazing bunch of students. The plan is for a second iStem program to be opened in Milton.  Scott Podrebarac Scott Podrebarac showed an ability to handle a very tense situation over a long period of time. Blackwell sounded every stakeholder she could think of as the listened to the community and what they thought a more science based high school program should look like. Her listening tour was extensive – the most extensive we have seen within any organization during the ten years we have been reporting on Burlington. These two Superintendents will be looking at possible directions the delivery of an education can take. Will there be more “on-line learning”? Can students adapt to the change and how much of a change is necessary. One hope that at some point there will be an opportunity for the public to have significant input on a critical public service. In commenting on what the province meant when the Premier said there would be a plan in place for September, Miller said “We don’t know what it means.”  Director of Education Stuart Miller – never to far from a cup of coffee Everything hinges on the number of new infections that are reported – and that number, according to what the science community tells us, is dependent on people staying far enough apart so that the infection is not transferred person to person. There are a lot of unknowns – which Miller said creates a huge challenge for staff and a lot of uncertainty for parents. The school closures resulted in less spending on facility operations but very large sums had to be spent on technology and software so that teachers could communicate with their students and get them through the course load. Miller said that the Educational Assistants were able to work the telephones and keep in touch with the students – in what we learned was a much needed support role.  Some of the Halton District School Board principals and vice principals at a PARC meeting. These people had to administer schools that weren’t open and support staff they could not meet with. Asked what was the biggest challenge he has had to face Miller replied with: Everything was a challenge and we certainly made some mistakes. It wasn’t a day by day situation – in the early phases it was hour by hour. Internet access turn out to be a big problem, teachers were not sure what the best approach was in many given situations. Students, as well as parents, were concerned that their children were not getting the education they needed and deserved but everyone realized that the classrooms were closed for very good reasons. Miller realizes that this situation isn’t over nor is he at all sure what direction it is going to go in. “We have great students and great teachers” said Miller. “I am fortunate to have a senior staff that comes through day after day.
June 17th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
In the eyes of the Mayor the provincial reopening strategy, will allow “our beloved restaurants” to welcome customers again to dine on-site – just in time for summer! In her most recent Better Burlington Newsletter the Mayor explains that: “While indoor dining is not yet permitted, outdoor patios will be permitted to open for businesses as of this Friday, June 19th for those who are ready to reopen. “I know our restaurant owners have been deeply engaged in the health and safety guidelines that will help them reopen in ways that keep our community health, such as the Dinesafe reopening guide and checklist from the Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association and the comprehensive guidelines set out by the Province.  Will that parking lot become a pop up patio quick quick “To help our local restaurants manage provincial guidelines on physical distancing and serve as many customers as possible, the City of Burlington is working hard to enable patio expansions and pop-ups. “Our teams have been working with the Burlington Restaurant Association over the past month to better understand their interest and needs so we could be ready to quickly work together on this initiative with a one-time detailed application form and an accelerated approval process. “Restaurants can apply for patio permits that leverage city space downtown such as sidewalks or streets, and permits that expand into private property such as parking lots (in partnership with landlords) anywhere in the city. “I know we are all looking forward to spending time outside together in a new and safely distanced way, and supporting our restaurants and small business owners who are very excited to see us again. The Province’s framework for reopening includes additional details on this stage:  Will food trucks fill some of the outdoor gap? Restaurants, bars, food trucks and other food and drink establishments (e.g., wineries, breweries and distilleries) can open for dining in outdoor areas only, such as patios, curbside, parking lots and adjacent premises. Establishments must take appropriate measures to ensure physical distancing of at least two metres between patrons from different households, including: using reservations limiting number of patrons allowed in the outdoor space at one time ensuring enough space between tables, including to allow for movement access to indoor facilities is limited to patio/outdoor dining area access, food pickup, payment, washrooms or other health and safety purposes The big question is: Are you going to be able to get a table? Many people are about to find out just how much that restaurateur loves them.
June 16th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
At one minute after midnight on Friday the city will move into Phase 2 of the Emergency legislation that has determined what we can and cannot do. The following businesses, services, recreational and outdoor facilities will be allowed to reopen in Halton region with proper safety measures in place:  There will be lineups to get a seat in a pop up patio. Lingering over a drink won’t be encouraged. Outdoor dine-in services at restaurants, bars and other establishments, including patios, curbside, parking lots and adjacent properties; Select personal and personal care services with the proper health and safety measures in place, including tattoo parlours, barber shops, hair salons and beauty salons; Shopping malls under existing restrictions, including food services reopening for take-out and outdoor dining only. Tour and guide services, such as bike and walking, bus and boat tours, as well as tasting and tours for wineries, breweries and distilleries; Water recreational facilities such as outdoor splash pads and wading pools, and all swimming pools; Beach access and additional camping at Ontario Parks; Camping at private campgrounds; Outdoor-only recreational facilities and training for outdoor team sports, with limits to enable physical distancing; Drive-in and drive-through venues for theatres, concerts, animal attractions and cultural appreciation, such as art installations; Film and television production activities, with limits to enable physical distancing. WORKPLACE / PUBLIC SPACE CHANGE IN EFFECT IN STAGE 2 Community centres Community centres can re-open provided they comply with certain conditions including keeping communal kitchens and interior dining spaces closed. Gatherings in vehicles for religious services, rites & ceremonies No limit on the number of vehicles that can attend provided that conditions in Sect. 8 of Provincial Reg. 52/20 are met. Performing Arts and Cinemas Concert venues, theatres and cinemas remain closed (except for drive-ins). Food and beverages can only be sold to people in attendance at the drive-in cinema / drive-in or drive-through concert, theatrical production, performance or artistic event, if they are delivered directly to the vehicle.  The Nelson Pool Indoor and outdoor water amenities All pools can open (no waterparks). Outdoor recreational activities & attractions Outdoor activities and attractions can open. No high contact with surfaces or being physically close. Outdoor team sports training Team sport training can resume while staying physically distant (NO SCRIMMAGES OR GAMES). Access to amenities limited to equipment management and washrooms. Private & provincial parks/campgrounds Car and RV camping can resume. Limited access to comfort stations (washrooms only). Beach access and some services at Provincial parks Beach access at Ontario parks is permitted. Services and programming can resume with modified operations. WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT CAN GATHER FOR DIFFERENT EVENTS? WORKPLACE / PUBLIC SPACE CHANGE IN EFFECT AS OF JUNE 12 Organized public events Indoor weddings, funerals or religious services, rites or ceremonies Outdoor weddings, funerals or religious services, rites or ceremonies Child care Summer day camps Training centres / training delivery agents Post-secondary education institutions WHAT ARE SOCIAL CIRCLES & HOW DO THEY DIFFER FROM RULE OF 10?
You can have a social circle abd be involved in a social gathering. The rules for social circles are different from the Rule of 10. Social gatherings can be any 10 people from outside your household, but where physical distancing of at least 2 metres should be maintained. People may now establish a family or social circle of no more than 10 people who can interact with one another without physical distancing. This could include: hugging, carpooling, enjoying a patio and sharing a meal without staying two metres apart. Social circles will also bring back supports from people outside of their household who can now help with children, seniors or those in need. Keep in mind that the virus is transferred for the most part from person to person
June 16th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON The coronavirus pandemic reached Canada quite some time ago, resulting in thousands of deaths. Despite the timely measures and restrictions that were introduced by the province, the deadly virus still managed to spread all across Canada. Moreover, the nation’s biggest trade partner and neighbor the United States remains the most severely affected country in the world as the number of total coronavirus infections exceeds a thumping 2 million mark.  Travel into the United States has been suspended for all except vital transportation of goods. When talking about the impact of the global pandemic on Canada, there are many factors that should be considered. Except for the internal issues that have emerged after the lockdown, the closure of the US/Canada border has also resulted in devastating consequences for Canadian businesses. Many gambling venues along the border were highly dependent on American visitors that would visit over the weekend and spend considerable sums of money. Yet, for almost three months now, these venues have not been able to accept even the local customers. In mid-march, the government of Canada led by the prime minister Justin Trudeau announced that due to the global pandemic, all enclosed entertainment venues would have to shut down indefinitely. This changed the country drastically over the past two and a half months. The list of affected businesses included casinos, restaurants, bars, and entertainment centers. The gambling venues ended up being one of the hardest-hit businesses in the industry. Unlike restaurants, casinos can’t deliver orders and offer takeaways. Yet, the vast majority of gambling businesses saw an alternative in moving onto the internet. The list covered all types of venues and as of now, the number of VIP online casinos in Canada is simply tremendous. This way, venues that previously hosted thousands of visitors per day can offer similar services to those loyal customers online. Obviously, this does not tackle the problem at a large scale but most certainly helps businesses survive throughout this turbulent period. Despite the fact that many gambling businesses found the idea of online casinos helpful, there are still some major operators that simply can not substitute huge revenues with just a mere fraction of it. Such companies had to abandon not only their active venues but also major projects underway in different parts of the country. Gateway Casinos and Entertainment is one of such businesses that now faces lots of obstacles on the way of getting back up and running. Gateway Casinos and Entertainment evaluating the current state of legislation in Ontario amid the pandemic ‘Gateway Casinos and Entertainment’ is one of the leading operators in the industry across Canada. It owns venues all across the nation and employs hundreds of people. Overlooking the operation of this scale, the company became one of the hardest-hit businesses over the past few months. From mid-march, Gateway casinos and entertainment along with others nationwide had to take its operations to a complete standstill. The company is still unable to operate amid the ongoing restrictions.  COVID 19 put the construction of the North Bay Casino on hold The government of Ontario has recently talked about the potential of re-opening businesses, including those that fall under the entertainment umbrella. This could mean opening up the Gateway casinos and entertainment to the public. However, there is another crucial part that comes with the process of lifting regulations. The company has its ongoing construction project in North Bay. The government has already given a green light for construction work to recommence. Yet, the company seems to be careful about spending with no casinos open at the moment. Gateway is now trying its best to reopen its casino businesses. Without the venues up and running, it will likely have trouble financing major construction works in North Bay and beyond. Despite the government’s remarks about the possible opening of certain entertainment businesses, there are still no specific guidelines or time frames about the future of the business. Casinos will have to adjust to the current state  Patrons at the Sudbury Gateway Casino where the delight in plying the slots is evident. The Sudbury casino by Gateway has 70 active employees that are ready to get back to work. However, as the capacity of venues will be significantly reduced, the likelihood of them all coming back is very low. There will most certainly be some spending cuts which might result in the reduction of the staff. Without any specific guidelines or frameworks for how casinos should operate under unprecedented circumstances, the Casino Rama Resort by Gateway in Orilla is reportedly preparing to open. The Gateway representatives say that they are cooperating with the government of Ontario regarding specific venues that could potentially open first in the row. Many ideas are being considered about how Gateway could get back to doing business actively. There were plans to expand the floor space and add a separate smoking room for the customers. Yet, the idea was scrapped as it potentially stood as a great health risk for employees. With the total coronavirus infection number globally exceeding 7 million, many new innovative frameworks are introduced for venues to operate safely. Hopefully, Gateway will be one of such innovators in the field. George Keburia is a commentator on the entertainment sector in Canada
June 15th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
Last week Oakville North Burlington MP Pam Damoff released the POST Promise. The promise is a partnering with the private sector, including the Business Council of Canada, on their POST Promise program.
I encourage all business owners – whether you have a restaurant, a tech start-up, or a boutique – to join in today at www.postpromise.com. Together, we can keep people safe and give Canadians the confidence that’s needed to restart our economy. The POST Promise is a self-declaration that a business is working to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Once completed, a business is provided with the necessary communication and implementation tools to educate employees on the five key steps to workplace safety, which were created to be consistent with what has been recommended by the Public Health Agency of Canada. Businesses who make the promise will be able to use and prominently display the POST Promise logo which is a nationally recognized symbol of a business’ commitment to doing their part to protect their customers’ and employees’ health and safety as COVID-19 restrictions ease. Participating business can also purchase a kit which will include additional communication tools like window decals, posters and tent cards which can be used to further build awareness of their commitment within their place of business.
June 15th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
The rules that will apply to the opening that begins on Friday will dribble out from the province – setting out just what will be in place in terms of social distancing, mask wearing and what the retail and hospitality sectors will be expected to do. Still a lot to be learned – stay tuned – here is what we know so far. select personal care services with the proper health and safety measures in place, including tattoo parlours, barber shops, hair salons and beauty salons; shopping malls under existing restrictions, including food services reopening for take-out and outdoor dining only; tour and guide services, such as bike and walking, bus and boat tours, as well as tasting and tours for wineries, breweries and distilleries; water recreational facilities such as outdoor splash pads and wading pools, and all swimming pools; beach access and additional camping at Ontario Parks; camping at private campgrounds; outdoor-only recreational facilities and training for outdoor team sports, with limits to enable physical distancing; drive-in and drive-through venues for theatres, concerts, animal attractions and cultural appreciation, such as art installations; and
June 15th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
The retail and hospitality sectors have been bleeding badly – they needed every break they could get. For many rent and the hydro bill were the biggest nuts they had to deal with. Many residents were finding that they were not always able to make the rent and city taxes were something they just had to put on hold. The city jiggled the due dates on property taxes for the resident section which was a help. Mayor Marianne Meed Ward put forward a motion at a Standing Committee last week asking staff to set out what things would look like under different tax relief scenarios. One was to set aside the policy of charging people interest on their outstanding taxes. The Mayor argued that it just didn’t seem fare for those who were struggling to get by during the pandemic to have to pay interest on overdue tax payments. It was like holding people down financially and insisting on collecting interest on overdue taxes just so that the city could meet its financial commitments. A little on the altruistic side but that’s part of where this Mayor comes from. What happens then with the taxes owed the city by the two large shopping venue – Burlington Centre and Mapleview Mall. The public learned last week that the two locations had not remitted taxes since mid-March but were expected to do so by the end of the month. What if they decide it is just good business to hold on paying taxes and use the cash available to get their operations up to speed and pay whatever interest was due. During the 2008 recession Burlington had a city Councillor who did just that – why shouldn’t the malls do the same thing. Would the city forgive the interest for the large commercial operators or is this proposal to apply to everyone – the big corporate interests, the small business operations and residents? Are there any unintended consequences lurking in that proposal. Can’t see this one riding all that well on the stomach of the Director of Finance. Finally, did the public have the right to know that the malls were late on their tax payments – or more correctly that they had taken advantage of a program the city put in place? Related news story. Tax collection dates shifted to ease the financial strain.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
June 15th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
A large part f the reason the Provincial government decided to open things up for the Region of Halton was the numbers that came out of the Public Health Unit work. The numbers are pretty good. Data up to end of day on June 14, 2020 was released this morning. Cases over time 787 102
Figures 1 and 2 show the 787 COVID-19 cases among Halton residents reported by end of the day on June 14. All cases have been graphed according to their episode date, which is used to estimate the date that symptoms began. Figure 1 shows the number of new cases per day, while Figure 2 shows how cases have accumulated over time. Counts for the past 14 days should be interpreted with caution (indicated using the grey shaded area on the graph), since there is a delay between when a person becomes infected and when they develop symptoms, get tested and are reported as a case. Please note the large increase on April 11 is due to expanded testing and identification of COVID-19 among asymptomatic individuals at Mountainview Residence. Individuals who are lab-confirmed cases are shown in green. Individuals who are probable cases are shown in orange. Probable cases are individuals presumed to have COVID-19 because they have symptoms of COVID-19 and are travelers returning from an affected area, have had close contact with a confirmed case and/or lived/worked in a facility experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak, or have indeterminate test results.
For each day, Figure 3 shows the average number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past seven days, including only those cases that are not staff or residents/patients associated with an outbreak in an institutional or congregate care setting. Cases have been graphed according to their collection date, which is the date that a sample was taken from them to be tested for COVID-19. The graph suggests that the average number of new cases per day was highest in late March/early April, with another increase in mid-May. Counts for recent days should be interpreted with caution (indicated using the grey shaded area on the graph), since there is a delay between when a person is tested and when their test results are reported to Public Health and entered into the system. Case demographics 78 113
 Figure 4 shows that by end of the day on June 14, the most COVID-19 cases were among Halton residents aged 40-59 (with 283 cases, or 36%). 441 cases (56%) were female. Figure 4 shows that by end of the day on June 14, the most COVID-19 cases were among Halton residents aged 40-59 (with 283 cases, or 36%). 441 cases (56%) were female.  Figure 5: COVID-19 cases, by municipality of residence, Halton Region, 2020 Figure 5 shows that by end of the day on June 14, the greatest number of COVID-19 cases were among residents of Oakville (with 265 cases, or 34%). Two cases with municipality information pending are not shown. Please note this figure shows counts, and therefore does not take into account the different population sizes or age structures of the four municipalities. Counts in municipalities can also be inflated by outbreaks that have occurred within institutions in their boundaries. Case exposure source
Case and contact follow-up  Figure 7 shows that 98% of Halton cases reported over the past seven days (June 8-14)  Figure 8: Percentage of COVID-19 community contacts reached by Public Health within one day of being reported, Halton Region, contacts identified Jun. 8-Jun. 14, 2020 Figure 7 shows that 98% of Halton cases reported over the past seven days (June 8-14) were reached by Halton Public Health within one day of being reported, which exceeds the provincial goal of 90%. Similarly, Figure 8 shows that Halton Public Health reached 100% of contacts identified over the past seven days (June 8-14) within one day, compared to the provincial goal of 90%. Case outcomes 96 661 cases who are recovered/resolved 24* Institutional outbreaks 19 Figure 9: COVID-19 institutional outbreaks, by date outbreak was declared, Halton Region, Mar. 1-Jun. 14, 2020
Lab testing >2,300 >19,720 61% Comparison to Ontario 32,370 Figure 10: Age-specific rates of COVID-19 (per 10,000 population), Halton Region and Ontario, 2020
Data limitations and data sources: Halton case data: integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), extracted at 7:00 AM on June 15, 2020, to reflect data entered by the end of the day on June 14, 2020 Halton lab data: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Number of individuals who were confirmed positive for COVID-19, COVID-19 Testing Period: 15 Jan 2020 to 6 June 2020. Received on June 8, 2020. Ontario case count overall: Public Health Ontario, Epidemiologic Summary, COVID-19 in Ontario: January 15, 2020 to June 14, 2020, posted on June 15, 2020 to https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus. Denominators for Halton and Ontario age-specific rates: Population projections [2020], IntelliHEALTH Ontario, extracted on April 8, 2020. Data notes The data only represent cases reported to public health and recorded in iPHIS. As a result, all counts will be subject to varying degrees of underreporting due to a variety of factors, such as disease awareness and medical care seeking behaviours, which may depend on severity of illness, clinical practice, changes in laboratory testing, and reporting behaviours. Cases are included if their “diagnosing health unit” in iPHIS is Halton Region, which means counts include only individuals whose primary residence is in Halton Region. The case may not necessarily have been managed by Halton Region, if they were temporarily residing elsewhere during their case management period. Cases managed by Halton Region who normally live elsewhere but who were managed by Halton Region staff because they were temporarily residing in Halton during their case management period have not been included. Cases for which the Disposition Status in iPHIS was reported as ENTERED IN ERROR, DOES NOT MEET DEFINITION, DUPLICATE-DO NOT USE, or any variation on these values have been excluded. Cases are considered “currently active” if they are open in iPHIS. Figures 1 and 2 distinguish between lab-confirmed and probable cases. Probable cases are defined as epi-linked cases, which means they are presumed to have COVID-19 because they have symptoms compatible with COVID-19 and have travelled to an affected area; have had close contact with a confirmed case; and/or lived in or worked in a facility known to be experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19; or have indeterminate test results. All other figures and numbers include both confirmed and probable cases combined. Figures 1 and 2 use episode date, which is a field that is intended to approximate the symptom onset date for each case. It is calculated hierarchically, using symptom onset date if available; when it is not available, specimen collection date is used; if neither symptom onset nor specimen collection date are available, the lab test date is used; and finally, if none of these other dates are available, the date the case was reported to Public Health is used. In subsequent reports, counts in Figures 1-3 may increase as cases are added from past dates as individuals become symptomatic, get tested, and their results are reported to Halton Region Public Health, as well as any past results are added due to delayed data entry or new arrival of lab results. Cases are considered to be patients or residents of an institution experiencing an outbreak if they are linked to a confirmed Halton institutional outbreak in iPHIS, and they are not known to be a staff person at the institution. Cases are considered to work in health care if they are known to have an occupation that involves caring for patients, e.g. physician, nurse, occupational therapist, recreational therapist, chiropractor, paramedic, midwife, orderly, etc. Individuals who work in health care settings but do not provide direct care to patients (e.g. managers, cleaning staff) have not been included. Exposure type is determined by examining the exposure and risk factor fields from iPHIS to determine whether a case travelled, was a resident/patient or staff member in an institution or congregate care setting experiencing an outbreak, was a contact of a case or neither. A hierarchy has been applied as follows: Travel-related > Associated with institutional or congregate care setting outbreak > Close contact of a confirmed case > Neither (indicating community acquisition) > Information pending. It is important to note that cases can have multiple exposures, and these data reflect only their primary exposure category. Numbers are relatively low, and differences between municipalities have not been assessed for statistical significance. Known cases reflect only individuals who were prioritized for testing, which means that differences between municipalities are currently difficult to ascribe to other factors. Case outcomes (hospitalizations, recovered/resolved, deaths) reflect the latest available information reported to Halton Region Public Health and recorded in iPHIS by the extraction time. Cases are considered to have been reached within 24 hours if their investigation start date and case reported dates in iPHIS are no more than one day apart. Contacts are manually tracked to determine if they were reached within one day. Any contacts referred to Public Health Ontario for follow up have not been included. Institutional outbreaks include outbreaks of COVID-19 in settings such as long-term care homes, retirement homes, hospitals and prisons. Lab testing data reflects only lab tests that have been assigned to Halton Region based on the methodology used by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. There are several known limitations associated with this data which result in the numbers being underestimates: For daily Halton case tables and up-to-date information about how to protect yourself and others, please visit halton.ca/covid19
June 15th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
Premier Dog Ford will announce later today that the following parts of the province will move to Stage 2 on Friday, June 19, 2020 at 12:01 a.m.  You will be hard pressed to get a seat this weekend – city moves to Stage 2 – things open up. Informed by public health advice and workplace safety guidance, and supported by the collective efforts of businesses, workers and families to limit the potential spread of the virus, the latest public health unit regions allowed to move into Stage 2 on Friday, June 19, 2020 at 12:01 a.m. are: • Durham Region Health Department; These regions are in addition to the 24 public health regions that entered Stage 2 on June 12, 2020. Before opening, business owners need to review the workplace safety guidelines and public health advice. “Thanks to the collective efforts of our frontline health care workers and the people in these regions to stop the spread of COVID-19, more businesses will be able to open their doors and thousands of people will be able to go back to work and put food on the table,” said Premier Ford. “With the public health trends improving day by day across the province, I am hopeful all regions of Ontario will enter Stage 2 very soon. But we must remain on our guard to prevent any potential surge or secondary wave by continuing to follow the sound advice of our public health officials.” The following regions will remain in Stage 1 under ongoing assessment until trends of key public health indicators demonstrate readiness to move into Stage 2:
“Opening more regions of Ontario is another positive sign that we are making steady progress in our collective efforts to contain this deadly virus,” said Minister Elliott. “As many more Ontarians begin to work, shop and interact with others, it’s never been more important that we continue to follow public health advice, especially physical distancing with anyone outside of our social circle, so we can soon successfully and safely move into Stage 3.” Public health remains the government’s top priority. All Ontarians must continue to follow public health advice, including practising physical distancing, wearing a face covering if physical distancing is a challenge, washing hands frequently and thoroughly, and avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth. If you think you have COVID-19 or have been in contact with someone who has COVID‑19, get tested. The Chief Medical Officer of Health and health experts will continue to closely monitor the evolving situation to advise when public health restrictions can be gradually loosened or if they need to be tightened.
June 15th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
 Sheila M. Jones, Executive Director, Strategy, Accountability In a report to Council Sheila M. Jones, Executive Director, Strategy, Accountability, explained that “the need to re-design and to be agile to respond to the time-sensitive nature of some decisions, this report serves as a template for bringing decisions and information to the Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability (CSSRA) Committee. As such, it is beneficial to provide an overview of how and what is expected in this report format.” Jones was talking about the Service Redesign that gets upgraded almost every day. By service she means the services the city delivers to the citizens of the city – something that went through a radical change when the province declared a State of Emergency and used the power behind that legislation to order that municipalities limit severely the opportunities the members of the public have to congregate the city found itself having to lay off most of the part time staff and move most of the full time staff out of city hall and have them work from hone using ZOOM and their cell phones as their method of communicating. In the early stages, mid March to near the end of April it was hectic and a close to 24/7 operation. There wasn’t much news coming out of city hall, some city Councillors felt very much out of the loop. City Manager Tim Commisso was living a constant round of meetings with the email volume almost unmanageable. The Gazette was able to get through to Commisso on a few occasions. As the calendar rolled into May we began to see some stability and staff were a little more comfortable with the way they now had to do business. The public wasn’t really aware with what senior city staff had to deal with – the change was relentless – they rarely knew was was coming at them next. There were serious financial pressures building up – huge drops in revenue and expenses piling up at the same time. Parks were closed; schools were closed. The streets were open and the public was asked to yes get out for some exercise but don’t congregate while out for a walk and stay at least six feet away from other people. Pharmaceuticals were not rationed but all you could get was a one month supply. You had to keep your dog on a leash – which turned out to be very difficult to enforce. The number of new Covid19 infections in Burlington are the lowest in the Region and the deaths at Long Term Care facilities were low – relative to the rest of the province. Commisso had to not only manage his own time and energy but he had to keep a very close eye on his senior team to ensure that they are at least coping.
Commisso doesn’t talk about how he is coping. At times he does sound a little tired and he surely must wonder if taking on the task of serving as city Mayor was the smartest career move he ever made. Burlington is now waiting hopefully for the province to announce that the GTAH – Greater Toronto Area including Hamilton can move into phase 2 which will allow, hopefully, some restaurants to open, and for more in the way of city services to be opened. The Summer Camp program for kids was cancelled and Parks and Recreation is working through some ideas for what they will be able to offer once the province moves the city into Phase 2. Thus the reporting template that Jones introduced on how the Emergency Coordination Group is going to get updates to Council. It has been a hectic three months for this group of people; many have been pushed to the limit and worked well beyond an 8 hour day. Vacations are coming up – Commisso knows that his people need that time off – but vacations are dependent on when the need to constantly adjust the programs being offered slows down a little. Getting into Phase 2 is essential – limiting the number of Covid19 infections is vital. And at this time in this world vital trumps essential.
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Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Keith Nakahara of the Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Unit at 905-825-4747 ext. 8980.
Lowville Park will partially reopen on Monday, June 29, 2020.
NCLI was created to improve the access to justice especially during the COVID19 period. Alex Don then realized that access to justice was a problem for many people long before we had to deal with Covid19.
The Province of Ontario is encouraging residents to establish social circles.
This initiative calls on businesses to commit to five key public health measures – like physical distancing and handwashing – to protect customers and employees.
Figure 6 shows the percentage of COVID-19 cases by primary exposure category for Halton’s four municipalities and for Halton overall. For Halton overall, by end of day on June 14, 312 cases (40%) had contact with a confirmed case that was believed to be the source of their infection. 234 COVID-19 cases (30%) had no known travel or contact history, and therefore were believed to have acquired the virus within Ontario, making them community cases. 131 (17%) were residents/patients or staff associated with an outbreak in an institutional or congregate care setting. 99 cases (13%) had a history of travel that was believed to have been the source of their infection. Information on exposure source was pending for the remaining 11 cases (1%). These proportions vary by municipality. It is important to note that cases can have multiple exposures, and these data reflect only their primary exposure category based on information gathered during case investigation.
Figure 9 shows the 19 confirmed outbreaks of COVID-19 in Halton institutions reported by end of the day on June 14. Institutions are defined as long-term care homes, retirement homes and hospitals. 18 of the outbreaks have resolved, and one is ongoing. Among the 19 confirmed institutional outbreaks reported to date, 11 (58%) have been in long-term care homes, seven (37%) have been in retirement homes and one has been in a hospital (5%).
Figure 10 shows age-specific rates of COVID-19 for Halton and Ontario. Rates take into account the population size of each age group to make it possible to compare between different areas. Halton’s age-specific rates are currently significantly different from the provincial rates for all age groups except youth aged 0-19. For example, Halton has 36.4 cases per 10,000 residents aged 80+, which is statistically significantly lower than the 84.1 cases per 10,000 residents aged 80+ in Ontario overall. It is important to note that these rates will fluctuate as numbers increase throughout the pandemic and that differences between age groups may reflect differences in the likelihood of developing symptoms and being tested.
In an interview with the Gazette Commisso said “I have a conversation with each of them frequently on how they are doing personally and listen very closely for signs that the stress might be getting to them.”