 By Pepper Parr
April 27th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
It does sound a little ass-backwards – but they are on the right path.
The hospitality and entertainment sectors are hurting – they are bleeding.
With the weather beginning to look nice the idea of being on a patio in the afternoon when the work is done sounds very inviting.
Team Burlington gets it – not yet – but soon IF you stay home so that they can eventually get back into business.
 The curve is far from flat. The virus that is infecting people is being passed from person to person – not from someone from China. They are calling this initiative their STAY HOME to Get Back to Business campaign – they are encouraging people to support local business by staying home and practicing physical distancing which will ultimately help businesses open their doors sooner.
It isn’t just the hardest hit industries that are feeling the impacts of the global pandemic. Businesses of all sizes and across all industries are experiencing unprecedented challenges, including significant and unforeseen revenue loss, the need to lay off staff, supply chain disruptions, and uncertainty about the future of their business and when they will be able to reopen. Simultaneously, businesses are also facing tremendous pressure to digitize and shift existing business models to include online and contactless pick-up and delivery options.
Team Burlington recognizes these challenges and plans to leverage their audience and networks to help get Burlington businesses open as soon as possible. The STAY HOME(to Get Back to Business) campaign reinforces the message that is consistent with public health officials — the sooner people STAY HOME, the sooner the business community can open their doors and get back to business.
 Brian Dean, Executive Director of Burlington Downtown Business Association “Businesses of all sizes are being impacted by COVID-19″ said Brian Dean, Executive Director of Burlington Downtown Business Association, one of Burlington’s two Business Improvement Areas (the other being Aldershot Village BIA). “We hope this campaign will help Burlington residents understand that their actions and choices during this time have direct consequences on our business community.
We are getting asked a lot about how people can support their local businesses. One of the things you can do is stay home and practice physical distancing as much as possible.”
Craig Kowalchuk, Owner of Emma’s Back Porch and the Water Street Cooker and President of the Burlington Restaurant Association echoed Brian’s sentiment. “Temporarily laying off staff and closing down the restaurant has been one of the most difficult things I’ve had to do in my twenty-eight years of operations.” He went on, “You can help us get back to business by staying home, reduce your trips to the store and minimize contact with others. We can’t wait to welcome you back, for our twenty-ninth summer, but we can’t do that until everyone stays home.”
The STAY HOME campaign will be launched across social media, as well as through window decals displayed in the windows of downtown businesses. A video campaign featuring local business owners from across Burlington will also help spread the message.
Give Team Burlington credit for doing the right thing, the responsible thing. And remember all this when they are able to open their doors again.
By Pepper Parr
April 27th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
We asked the two women who are providing Gazette readers with an ongoing commentary on how things are going in their households with the schools being closed. The province’s decision to keep the schools closed until the end of May might create situations that will be difficult for many parents.
Ashley Worobec, the Chiropractor who runs long distances when she can find the time, said she “didn’t have much to say – It really doesn’t change anything for us- we were expecting the date to be delayed, which it has been, and we’re prepping ourselves mentally for the possibility that the next extension will end the school year entirely.
 The Worobec family created a mammoth Task list to give the new approach to education some structure. “I do like how they’ve decided to watch and wait instead of just cancelling the school year entirely like some other provinces have, as that’s given us hope instead of looking ahead to months and months without school. At least this way, there’s still a glimmer of hope.”
Ashley’s two children seem to be coping quite well – the task list picture tells part of the story for their household.
Nicki St George said she “finds it frustrating to be stuck at home while the school closure date keeps getting pushed back further and further. It only serves to foster more uncertainty for myself and the kids. We are fortunate to have the time and technology available to facilitate learning from home but many people do not.
 Getting them outdoors where they can burn off some of that energy. “Considering the preliminary data which suggests that school closures will have little impact on the spread of the virus, I think that the harms of keeping schools closed (specifically elementary schools) will likely outweigh the benefits.”
Mixed views.
One of the major issues during the months of short term school strikes was the number of On-line courses students were going to be required to take – with the strikes now settled teachers find themselves delivering every hour of instruction on-line.
Something ironic about how that turned out – teachers will get to learn that some courses can be done very well on-line and some parents might come to the realization that on-line instruction can be very effective in some situations.
The school boards take direction from the province. However, the school boards are the people that are going to have to deal with the disruption in the delivery of an education. They also have to look at the impact of the disruption on the quality of the education they deliver.
Moving from the end of elementary school and on into high school is a major right of passage for students. But what if high school starts with an hour in front of a computer monitor?
That’s an issue that senior school board staff find themselves thinking about.
By Staff
April 27th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
While we are not yet out of the woods – not by any stretch of the imagination, all four Mayors in Halton Region, Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville have formed the Halton Mayors Recovery Coordination Group
The four Mayors, Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette, Milton Mayor Gord Krantz and Oakville Mayor Rob Burton will coordinate and work together to prepare for a successful transition to a post COVID-19 emergency, reopening and recovery, and living with the changes it has brought.
 This curve has not flattened – the focus should be on getting the curve to change direction – creating a Group to Plan for a Recovery looks like a chance for a photo-op. While this does not mean that emergency measures put in place by the province, the region or individual cities and towns to slow the spread of COVID-19 are expected to be lifted in the near-term, it is prudent to begin to look ahead so that our plans can be ready to execute when the time comes.
The final phases of the pandemic response include the potential reopening of municipal facilities and the implementation of recovery efforts over the balance of the year. The dates of when recovery might begin are contingent on the continued slowing of the spread of the virus and the province lifting its emergency orders and restrictions, including those related to businesses and physical distancing.
“From the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, we have stayed in contact as we collectively responded to the situation at hand, so it makes sense that we remain aligned as we plan for the post-COVID-19 recovery phase in our communities,” said Mayor Marianne Meed Ward.
 “All four Mayors have made the commitment to keep each other apprised of decisions being considered in each respective municipality, share best practices, and coordinate when it comes to the recovery planning. They will also ensure a continued close linkage with Halton Region, with the chair Gary Carr as an invited guest to our group when his schedule permits.”
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 By Staff
April 25th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Getting into spring and thinking about summer is going to be harder this year than it was last.
 No camping in provincial parks – Maybe in June? The province announced on Friday that the government is extending the closure of Ontario’s provincial parks and conservation reserves to May 31, 2020.
This includes car camping, backcountry camping, roofed accommodations, day use opportunities, access points and all public buildings.
Provincial parks and conservation reserves will continue to remain fully closed to all recreational activities.
Reservations for arrivals up to, and including, any further closure extension date will be automatically cancelled and reservation holders will receive a full refund with no penalty. We are also providing penalty-free refunds to reservation holders who wish to change or cancel their 2020 camping reservation, regardless of arrival date.
This is part of the drive to keep us apart and not have groups of more than five people congregating in one place.
 This is the infection curve for Halton – it hasn’t begun to flatten yet. That curve of COVID-19 infections is not flat enough – this kind of direction is going to be necessary until the number of infections stop increasing.
The virus that is now loose in the community is being passed from person to person – we know that. What we don’t know is who has it and who are they passing it to.
 By Pepper Parr
April 25th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Region Public Health unit produces data on the status of the COVID-19 infection and the rate at which infections have grown and the number of people believed to have died as a result of the virus.
Cases over time
466 COVID-19 cases among Halton residents to date (410 confirmed + 56 probable)
 Figure 1: COVID-19 cases, by episode date, Halton Region, Mar. 1-Apr. 22, 2020  Cumulative COVID-19 cases, by episode date, Halton Region, Mar. 1-Apr. 22, 2020 Figures 1 and 2 show the 466 COVID-19 cases among Halton residents reported by end of the day on April 22. Unlike past reports, all cases have now 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, 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 epi-linked cases, which means they are presumed to have COVID-19 because they are symptomatic close contacts of cases or returning travelers who have COVID-19 symptoms.
Case demographics
70 cases were residents or patients of an institution experiencing an outbreak (15% of all cases)
64 cases work in health care (14% of all cases)
 Figure 3: COVID-19 cases, by age and sex, Halton Region, 2020 Figure 3 shows that by end of the day on April 22, the most COVID-19 cases were among Halton residents aged 40-59 (with 171 cases, or 37%). 272 cases (59%) were female. Please note this figure excludes two cases with sex information pending.
 Figure 4: COVID-19 cases, by municipality of residence, Halton Region, 2020 Figure 4 shows that by end of the day on April 22, the greatest number of COVID-19 cases were among residents of Oakville (with 148 cases, or 32%). 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. The figure excludes one case with municipality information pending.
Case exposure source
 Figure 5: Percentage of COVID-19 cases, by exposure source, Halton Region, 2020 Figure 5 shows that by end of the day on April 22, 188 of Halton Region’s COVID-19 cases (40%) had no known travel or contact history, and therefore were believed to have acquired the virus within Ontario, making them community cases. 160 cases (34%) had contact with a confirmed case that was believed to be the source of their infection. 91 cases (20%) 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 27 cases (6%).
Case outcomes
60 cases who have ever been hospitalized to date (29 listed as currently in hospital)
217 cases who have recovered to date
18 cases who have died to date (9 of the deceased were residents or patients of an institution experiencing an outbreak)
Institutional outbreaks
9 confirmed institutional outbreaks of COVID-19 are currently ongoing in Halton
12 confirmed institutional outbreaks of COVID-19 reported to Halton Region Public Health to date
Among the 12 confirmed institutional outbreaks reported to date, six (50%) have been in retirement homes, four (33%) have been in long-term care homes, and one each have been in a hospital and a group home. Nine of the outbreaks remain ongoing. Please note these counts do not include any suspected outbreaks that remain under investigation.
Lab testing
>6,000 Halton residents are known to have been tested for COVID-19 to date
Comparison to Ontario
12,879 total confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Ontario to date
 Figure 6: Age-specific rates of COVID-19 (per 10,000 population), Halton Region and Ontario, 2020 Figure 6 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 similar to the provincial rates for all age groups except for residents aged 80+.
Halton has 30.1 cases per 10,000 residents aged 80+, which is statistically significantly lower than the 41.5 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 April 23, 2020, to reflect data entered by the end of the day on April 22, 2020
Halton lab data: COVID Data Information System, extracted on April 20, 2020.
Ontario case data: Public Health Ontario, Epidemiologic Summary, COVID-19 in Ontario: January 15, 2020 to April 22, 2020, posted on April 23, 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
All cases of diseases of public health significance diagnosed in Ontario are entered into iPHIS by local public health units. iPHIS is the Integrated Public Health Information System. It is a dynamic disease reporting system which allows ongoing updates to data previously entered. As a result, data extracted from iPHIS represent a snapshot at the time of extraction and may differ from previous or subsequent reports as data are updated.
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.
Figure 1 distinguishes between lab-confirmed and probable cases. Since April 7, probable cases are defined as epi-linked cases, meaning they are symptomatic close contacts of cases or returning travelers who have COVID-19 symptoms and therefore are presumed to have COVID-19. 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 and 2 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 contact of a case or neither. A hierarchy has been applied as follows: Travel-related > Close contact of a confirmed case > Neither (indicating community acquisition) > Information pending.
Case outcomes (hospitalizations, recovery, deaths) reflect the latest available information reported to Halton Region Public Health and recorded in iPHIS by the extraction time.
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 reported to Halton Region Public Health and entered into CDIS. There may be more residents who have been tested but not reported to Public Health.
For daily Halton case tables and up-to-date information about how to protect yourself and others, please visit halton.ca/covid19
For daily provincial epidemiologic summaries and more information on COVID-19 in Ontario, please visit Ontario.ca/coronavirus
For national information on COVID-19 in Canada, please visit Canada.ca/coronavirus
 By Staff
April 23rd, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Austin Horton, a Grade 9 student from Georgetown District High School, is using his personal 3D printer to make dozens of personal protective equipment (PPE) to help medical professionals stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
When Austin read about the need for PPE on social media in early April, he didn’t hesitate to fire up his 3D printer at home to start making plastic face shields.
 Grade 9 student Austin Horton saw a need for Face Shields – went into production and has delivered 80 so far. “I found the design online and slightly adjusted it for my printer,” he said. “It feels good to be doing this. I’ll keep doing this for as long as we have materials and it’s necessary.”
He has printed 80 shields so far. Each one takes about an hour and he prints around a half dozen a day. Austin leaves the PPE in a sealed bag at the front of his home and it is picked up by St. John Ambulance twice a week. He says the shields are being distributed to non-hospital medical professionals.
Michael Gallant, Principal at Georgetown District High School, said Austin’s PPE effort brings important hope to the local community.
“Like the residents of Georgetown, GDHS students and staff look for ways to support and improve their community and are committed to the success of all,” he said. “It is this dedication to the welfare of others that makes Georgetown such a special place. Find a way to do something that helps others and you will spread the hope and positivity that will get us through this challenge.”
Austin’s parents Krista and Shaun are very proud of their son’s effort to help people during these challenging times.
“Austin has always been very generous with his 3D printer,” Shaun said, noting he has made items to sell to fundraise for charities. “When it comes to helping others, he is always willing to assist wherever he can.”
“As soon as he was advised of the call for help, Austin offered to help immediately,” Krista said. “We thank (frontline workers) for taking time away from their family and friends to care for those who are not well and unable to have their families with them.”
Tim Bauer, Executive Director of St. John Ambulance, Halton-Hamilton Region, is grateful for Austin’s effort to help.
“The incredible work (Austin) is doing will go a long way toward ensuring public safety in this time of crisis,” Bauer said. “St. John Ambulance sincerely thanks him for understanding the need for PPE and for choosing to make an impact in the Halton community during a time of such great need in the battle against COVID-19.”
 By Staff
April 23rd, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Service’s Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Unit (CASA) and Halton Children’s Aid Society (Halton CAS) are urging residents to remain vigilant in reporting suspected child abuse.
The majority of suspected child abuse reports normally come from third-party sources, increased levels of isolation in the past weeks have resulted in a marked decrease in the number of reports of suspected child abuse/neglect.
 Children trust – learning not to trust takes their childhood away from them. “We normally receive concerns from schools, friends, other parents, coaches and daycare providers,” says Halton Regional Police Service Detective Sergeant Crystal Kelly. “With social distancing measures in place and increased stress on families, there is little opportunity for children to interact with or reach out to those they trust.”
The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) has responded to eight (8) calls in April, 2020 regarding suspected child abuse, compared to 30 calls during the same time period in April, 2019, a 73 per cent decrease year over year.
Similarly, the Halton CAS has observed as 27 percent decrease in calls in April 2020 compared to 2019. Since the beginning of April, 2020, only 85 new cases have been opened by Halton CAS, compared to 169 during the same period in April, 2019, a 50 per cent decrease year over year.
“At Halton Children’s Aid Society, we are concerned about the increased risk of child abuse and neglect due to families being isolated from the community,” says Jennifer Binnington, Director of Protection Services at the Halton Children’s Aid Society.
“We understand this is a very stressful time for many families and we want you to know that we are an essential service and are open to assist and support children, youth and families 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please call us if you have any concerns or worries about a child during this time.”
 The HRPS and Halton CAS are asking that everyone remains mindful of the welfare of their neighbours, their children’s friends and classmates, and their relatives. It is crucial that residents also speak to their children about what to do if a friend confides in them that they are not safe at home.
Victims or friends/family of victims are encouraged to contact the Halton Regional Police Service, Halton Children’s Aid Society or other community resources if child abuse or neglect is happening.
Help is available.
The following is a list of valuable support services and resources in Halton Region for victims of child abuse:
• Halton Regional Police Service Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Unit 905-825-4777
• Halton Children’s Aid Society 905-333-4441 or 1-866-607-5437
• Kid’s Help Phone 1-800-668-6868 (24-hour crisis line)
• Radius Child & Youth Services 905-825-3242 (Oakville) or 1-855-744-9001
• Halton Women’s Place 905-878-8555 (north) or 905-332-7892 (24-hour crisis line)
By Staff
April 23rd, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
 Next COVID-19 Virtual Business Support Forum will be held at DeGroote – on the South Service Road. The Business Strategy & Planning session with DeGroote School of Business on April 28 has been rescheduled to May 5.
The event is part of the Team Burlington COVID-19 Virtual Business Support Forum Series.
By Staff
April 22nd, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
 Food Banks are now serving the needs of a much different demographic. Robin Bailey, Chief Cheese at the Food Bank, is shouting out a big thanks to the people who are helping get hampers of food to people who for a number of reasons aren’t able to get out of the house to shop for themselves.
The number of people who need support means needing more food, which we are fortunate enough to have – the amount coming in to meet this new demand needed a place to be stored –Access Storage donated space and is even managing the delivery for us as volunteers themselves. It was perfect timing too with the Feed Ontario support coming in this week.
We had a few clients let us know in advance that they have been diagnosed with or are potential cases for the COVID-19 virus. We let our volunteer drivers know that there is that potential for certain homes and allow them to opt-out of doing the delivery if they don’t feel comfortable.
What we do is drop off food at the door (and we don’t knock) then the driver goes back to their car and phones the client to let them know it is ready at their door and then they come out to get the food – that way there is absolutely no contact. Please let your friends and neighbours know that we are here for them and ask them to reach out to us. Deliveries are up but we are prepared.
If you are in need or know of someone who could use our help have them email us at info@burlingtonfoodbank.ca or call 905-637-2273 to make arrangements to have food dropped at the door. If you live in Burlington, we are here to help.
Robin is a member of the Mayor’s Task Force. “They met last night via Zoom” said Bailey, ” it took hours – so much to deal with right now. We really have a good group on the board that want to do everything they can for the community; nice to see such wonderful people working so hard together but apart.”
Visual update
Donations are the lifeblood of the Food Bank – keep them in mind.
By Pepper Parr
April 22nd, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Anita Cassidy, Executive Director of the Burlington Economic Development Corporation gave city council and very thorough briefing on just what the commercial sector was up against.
The focus was on the hospitality and tourism sectors.
It was not a pretty picture.
 Anita Cassidy, Executive Director of the Economic Development Corporation. Cassidy reviewed just how that wave that has engulfed us got here. It all started in China last November. We have all heard the rate at which this spread and the impact it has had – what’s important at this point is to realize that this pandemic is going to change the way we do business – quite what that shape the change takes is something we will be determining.
November 2019 – First Case Wuhan China
March 14, 2020 – Burlington Parks & Rec Facilities and Agencies closed to public.
March 16 – All City Facilities closed to public,
March 17 – Ontario declared emergency and closed
• All bars and restaurants to take out only
• Schools and Childcare
• Recreation facilities, libraries and theatres
March 21 – Federal Government Closed Border to non-essential travel
March 21 – Mayor Meed Ward Declared an Emergency in City of Burlington
March 24 – Province mandated closure all non- essential businesses for 14 days.
March 30 – Province extended mandated closure all non-essential businesses until April 13.
April 3 – Province reduced list of essential businesses.
Less than three weeks and the world as we knew it had been turned upside down.
The Premier moved into overdrive and has been transparent in making information available.
Cassidy, relying heavily on Toronto Board of Trade, set out what we know and what some people expect.
 Well over half don’t think they can last more than three months.
Speaking for what is being called Team Burlington – representing the Chamber of Commerce, the Burlington Downtown Business Association, the Restaurant and Hospitality group and the Economic Development Corporation Cassidy pointed to the Team Burlington COVID-19 Virtual Business Support Forum Series, a video conference series to provide businesses of all sizes with an opportunity to ask questions and hear from subject matter experts, as well as key leaders and decision-makers from all levels of government.
Business Strategy & Planning with DeGroote School of Business – April 28.
 Ward 6 Councillor Angelo Bentivegna Angelo Bentivega, a small business operator and the Councillor for ward 6 asked Cassidy how council could help. “I realize,” he said “that for many of the small business owners that this is not only their business that is at risk – their major investment is also at risk.”
Everyone realizes that some operations that locked their doors three weeks ago may never get to open those doors again.
Moral support is about all the city can offer – the province and the federal government have programs – they all seem to ave strings attached to them.
By Staff
April 22nd, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Senior City staff provided an update on the financial impacts of COVID-19 to a city council that was meeting virtually. The Mayor, the City Clerk and a third person in the audio visual room were in the Council Chamber.
Council was asked to endorse a three-month strategy that prioritizes City services to be provided through to the end of June 2020 to maintain critical and essential services for the city.
Council also approved the recommendation that Committee of the Whole meetings be scheduled to help City business continue and moving forward, virtual delegations will now be allowed for members of the public at City Council meetings.
In addition, Council also approved adding an increased penalty of $250 to specific parking infractions that violate COVID-19 bylaws and orders.
Financial impacts of COVID-19
The strategic management of the City budget and finances continues to be a priority. City Council and staff remain committed to fiscal responsibility and accountability and are focused on offsetting all of the COVID-19 related City revenue losses to June 30, 2020 and are looking ahead past July 2020 to mitigate a shortfall at 2020 year-end. The City is closely monitoring and carefully managing the financial impacts of the COVID-19 emergency while at the same time ensuring taxpayers receive good value for City services that continue, as outlined in the three-month work plan.
The city expects to spend less due to facility closures, not having to pay part time workers plus a significant amount on discretionary spending. They will incur costs of $300,000 on COVID-19 costs
That story is best told in chart form.
 These are funds the city will not be getting due to the shut down of city hall and the closing of many of the services.
 These are funds the city will also not get but for which there are reserves that can be drawn upon.  These are operational savings. Gapping is money budgeted for a job that is vacant.  This suggests the city is short just $200,000
 Projections are just that – projections. There are all kinds of things that can happen between now and July. Canada Day has been cancelled. Keep in mind – these numbers get us to end of June – early July.
Will the curve be flattened by then or will the virus make a return when people are permitted to congregate?
Municipalities are required to approve a budget that is balanced, however, the City can have a shortfall or surplus in a given year. A shortfall can be offset by:
• using reserve funds
• increasing taxes in the next year; or
• reducing expenditures during the year of the anticipated shortfall. This is what Burlington is attempting to do to mitigate a shortfall at year-end.
Three-month work plan for COVID-19 Emergency Response Strategy
The City of Burlington COVID-19 emergency response strategy defines the City’s resource needs over the next three-month operating period, to June 30, 2020, to deal with the effects and impacts of the virus on our community and staff. The COVID-19 emergency response strategy and the three-month work plan will be reviewed on a regular cycle to ensure relevancy for operations given the situation and circumstances of this dynamic environment.
Increased parking fines
Council also approved adding an increased penalty of $250 to specific parking infractions that violate COVID-19 bylaws and orders. Current parking penalties related to public health and safety issues such as blocking fire routes, accessible parking, idling and blocking snow operations range from $120 -$400. The add-on $250 penalty is in line with this range and is meant to act as a deterrent to parking in areas that are closed under the City’s COVID-19 State of Emergency. Enforcement officers have been given authority to decide when to apply the additional fee with the goal being education and compliance.
Virtual delegations
At the April 20 meeting, City Council also approved a recommendation to allow virtual delegations from members of the public at Council meetings, beginning in May 2020. For future council meetings, delegates can make a request to delegate to council using the online form or send an email to clerks@burlington.ca. Delegate speaking notes will need to be submitted to Clerks before the meeting in case there are connectivity issues. Delegates will speak to council virtually via phone or internet connection.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, City Council meetings will continue to be held virtually. During this Council meeting, Mayor Meed Ward was the only member of Council present in Council Chambers along with the City Clerk/designate and an information technology technician. All members of Council participated in the meeting remotely and no members of the public were in attendance.
By Staff
April 20, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Public Health Unit releases data on a regular basis. This is the data up to end of day on April 19, 2020
Cases over time
37 COVID-19 cases reported to Halton Region Public Health since the last update (27 confirmed + 10 probable)
439 COVID-19 cases reported to Halton Region Public Health to date (383 confirmed + 56 probable)
Figures above show the 439 COVID-19 cases that had been reported to Halton Region Public Health by end of the day on April 19. All cases have been graphed according to the date they were reported, which is often several days after the onset of symptoms. Top shows the number of new cases per day, while bottom shows the cumulative cases over time. Among the cases in these figures, 37 were reported since the last update (meaning they were reported between April 16 and April 19, 2020).
Individuals who are lab-confirmed cases are shown in green. Individuals who are probable cases are shown in orange. Probable cases are epi-linked cases, which means they are presumed to have COVID-19 because they are symptomatic close contacts of cases or returning travelers who have COVID-19 symptoms.
Case demographics
70 cases were residents or patients of an institution experiencing an outbreak (16% of all cases)
62 cases work in health care (14% of all cases)
 Figure shows that by end of the day on April 19, the most COVID-19 cases were among Halton residents aged 40-59 (with 160 cases, or 36%). 256 of the 439 cases (58%) were female. 
 Covid cases by municipality Figure shows that by end of the day on April 19, the greatest number of COVID-19 cases were among residents of Oakville (with 144 cases, or 33%). 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 shows that by end of the day on April 19, 188 of Halton Region’s COVID-19 cases (43%) had no known travel or contact history, and therefore were believed to have acquired the virus within Ontario, making them community cases. 146 cases (33%) had contact with a confirmed case that was believed to be the source of their infection. 90 cases (21%) 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 15 cases (3%).
Case outcomes
57 cases who have ever been hospitalized to date (29 listed as currently in hospital)
188 cases who have recovered to date
16 cases who have died to date (9 of the deceased were residents or patients of an institution experiencing an outbreak)
Institutional outbreaks
9 confirmed institutional outbreaks of COVID-19 are currently ongoing in Halton
10 confirmed institutional outbreaks of COVID-19 reported to Halton Region Public Health to date
Among the ten confirmed institutional outbreaks reported to date, five (50%) have been in retirement homes, three (30%) have been in long-term care homes, and one each have been in a hospital and a group home. Nine of the outbreaks remain ongoing. Please note these counts do not include any suspected outbreaks that remain under investigation.
Lab testing
>6,000 Halton residents are known to have been tested for COVID-19 to date
Comparison to Ontario
11,184 total confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Ontario to date
 Figure 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 similar to the provincial rates for all age groups (for example, while Halton has 29.8 cases per 10,000 residents aged 80+, this is not statistically significantly different from the 34.0 cases per 10,000 residents aged 80+ in Ontario). 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.
There are people who are concerned about the validity of some of the Regional data. One resident wrote the Public Health Unit and got the following response:
Confirmed cases are posted frequently to Halton.ca. Confirmed institutional outbreaks including facility names and date outbreaks declared can be found listed below the “Current Cases in Halton” section of our webpage. Having said that the confirmed cases there are a reflection of the residents/patients within each facility. It does not reflect the staff affected in those numbers at this time. Confirmed cases are reported by municipality of their residence. Of which, there is no reporting structure that reports this without breaching privacy and confidentially mandates in protecting an individuals identity. The reporting structure now used on the Halton.ca webpages reflects changes to reporting made at the Provincial level.
Rest assured, our case numbers in Halton Region are updated daily as we conduct a risk assessment for every COVID-19 case. Based on the risk assessment, high-risk exposures are followed up on according to Ministry and Public Health Ontario guidance. Any individuals deemed close contacts of COVID-19 positive cases will be notified directly. If an outbreak is declared at the long-term care home, there are specific measures must be taken. Positive clients and their close contacts are being case managed and monitored closely by Public Health.
Your concerns are valid and I would direct you to share your ideas at the Provincial level. The government of Ontario is welcoming ideas from businesses, organizations, and individuals to help address the spread and impact of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) on our communities. Click this link to submit a proposal for ideas, other products or services to help Ontarians:https://www.ontario.ca/form/submit-your-ideas-to-help-fight-coronavirus
The demands on staff at the Public Health Unit are extreme. They are doing the best they can with what they have. A little more transparency on what is really happening at the long term care facilities would help people feel more assured.
Data limitations & data sources
Halton case data: integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), extracted at 7:00 AM on April 20, 2020, to reflect data entered by the end of the day on April 19, 2020
Halton lab data: COVID Data Information System, extracted on April 20, 2020.
Ontario case data: Public Health Ontario, Epidemiologic Summary, COVID-19 in Ontario: January 15, 2020 to April 19, 2020, posted on April 20, 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
All cases of diseases of public health significance diagnosed in Ontario are entered into iPHIS by local public health units. iPHIS is the Integrated Public Health Information System. It is a dynamic disease reporting system which allows ongoing updates to data previously entered. As a result, data extracted from iPHIS represent a snapshot at the time of extraction and may differ from previous or subsequent reports as data are updated.
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.
Figure 1 distinguishes between lab-confirmed and probable cases. Since April 7, probable cases are defined as epi-linked cases, meaning they are symptomatic close contacts of cases or returning travelers who have COVID-19 symptoms and therefore are presumed to have COVID-19. All other figures and numbers include both confirmed and probable cases combined.
In subsequent reports, counts in Figure 1 may increase as cases are added from past dates due to delayed data entry or new arrival of lab results. To minimize such retrospective changes, cases have been graphed according to case reported date, which does not reflect onset of illness.
Cases are considered to live in an institution if the name of a facility (e.g. a long-term care home, retirement home, prison) has been entered for their address in iPHIS.
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.
Exposure type is determined by examining the MISSING
By Nicki St George
April 21st, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Nicki St George is part of a Team that details how their weeks goes as parents do their best to cope with the Corono virus and take on the task of educating their kids. Nicki has two children; a nine year old boy and a six year old girl. Husband Dan is working from the house – office in the basement. Nicki has completed her chemo therapy and is happy with her cancer recovery.
 Daughter – a work in progress. WEEK 5
MONDAY, April 13
Bea storms out over a disagreement about Candy Land. She says she is going to find a new home. I suggest that she pack a bag. Leo watches from the window. It’s so windy that her umbrella blows inside out. We laugh until she comes back inside and then feign concern. She is a character. She comes back inside to tell me that from now on she is going to live in the car except for meals. She will take her iPhone, but she promises not to use it until the scheduled time (3:30pm). I point out that the Wi-Fi is crap in the driveway, so she relents and has her iPhone time inside the house. Tomorrow, when Dan takes the car to the grocery store, she will ask why dad is driving away with her new home.
TUESDAY, April 14
This week I have resolved to go for peaceful walks by myself every morning when I wake up for sanity’s sake. This will last two days. I miss going for walks with my friends; it’s boring all by myself. In the afternoon, the kids insist on going for a bike ride, which I’m opposed to because it is so cold. On our ride I pass some friends of my parents and stop to say hi. Leo warns me against talking too long, in case we get a ticket like that lady whose friends drove by her house to wish her a happy birthday.
 Out at the grandparents farm where there is acres of space to run and roam WEDNESDAY, April 15
On our weekly pilgrimage to my parents’ property we listen to a podcast about Weird Al Yankovic’s appeal (I’m actually quite curious about this). My parents are having some trees cut down from their property, so we stand in the brisk, April wind and watch the men take down a tree. This is the most exciting thing that will happen to us all week. The kids nearly miss it because they are wrestling on the ground.
Every mum I talk to is tearing their hair out today. I empathize. I often wonder if Bea has been sent to test me. Our conversations go something like this:
Bea – so is the answer 3
Me – no, it’s 4
Bea – That’s what I said! Whines and storms out of the room.
THURSDAY, April 16
Dan and I finish watching Unorthodox on Netflix. I am envious of how long that girl’s hair is. (In case you haven’t seen it, it is a very short pixie cut.) Every day and I check the progress of my hair regrowth. I examine my pathetic eyelashes and eyebrow hairs which I can count individually. Then I draw on a new pair. I am tired of looking like a sick person. Bea sees me doing this and now she does her eyebrows every day too. I do really love that kid. I have my appointment at the hospital today and when I get home, I cannot be bothered to do any schoolwork with the kids. We spend the day doing a puzzle and playing Mario Kart.
 Nine now. FRIDAY, April 17
We listen to the Kidsnuz podcast and today they announce Leo’s birthday (all the way from Burlington, Ontario!). His excitement at hearing his name through my iPhone brightens my day. At 6pm, Dan emerges from his work cocoon and makes delicious homemade pizza. I prepare a foot bath and give Bea a full nail salon experience including a face mask. She is in heaven.
SATURDAY, April 18
Today is Leo’s 9th birthday. Instead of the new bike and new bed that he had been promised, we get him a couple of games for his Nintendo Switch and a few t-shirts with witty captions. He spends the day playing Roblox while on messenger with his friends. At around 1pm, a few of his friends (and their parents who are our friends) stop by and we all try to catch up while keeping our distance on our front lawn.
Leo approaches me and tells me that the closeness is making him uncomfortable and he is worried that we will get fined. Seriously where did this child come from? I sometimes forget that Leo has inherited Dan’s sensibility, but I’m grateful for it in this moment, because he is right. I politely ask everyone to get back in their cars and we slowly disperse the crowd. I think we were all so starved for some socialization and Leo’s birthday provided the perfect window to have some face to face contact.
After everyone leaves, Leo opens the gifts they brought – cupcakes, seafood, homemade cards and pictures, and some gift cards. We are all touched by the effort everyone has gone to, considering the circumstances. Later we make his meal of choice and a chocolate pavlova for dessert which we serve up over Houseparty with my extended family. Leo hasn’t complained once about his COVID19 birthday and I feel very proud of him.
SUNDAY, April 19
 The cat just seems to go with the flow. I pet the cat, do some of my puzzle, read something, knit, repeat. This is how I spend the day. I am feeling bored and restless. I want this period of social distancing to be over. I would settle for just knowing when it will be over. My newsfeed is depressing -a mass shooting in NS and idiots protesting social distancing measures in Michigan.
Bea’s behaviour has become intolerable and I refuse to live under her regime any longer. Everything is a battle with her, including the basics such as getting her to wash her hands. Dan and I decide to enact Marshall law which involves no treats, no smiles and no iPhone until there are three consecutive days of good behaviour. She is receptive so far and we have a pretty good day with Dan enlisting her help doing yard work. I guess fixing Bea will be my project for the upcoming week. She’s still a work in progress, but I guess we all are…
By Pepper Parr
April 20, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The City has put out an update on what it expects of its citizens.
The parks are closed and are going to remain closed.
City staff are focused on delivering essential services.
With the arrival of warmer weather, residents will start to see City of Burlington staff begin spring maintenance work in City parks and roads:
 Expect to see equipment like this on the streets • Street sweeping has begun on arterial roads and crosswalks with residential roads scheduled to begin mid-May
• Park and roadside litter clean up where needed prior to grass cutting
• Grass cutting will begin but will not include the usual trimming around trees and other objects
• Repair work for grass that has been damaged by sidewalk snow plows will begin the week of April 27with a contractor visiting the sites to fill areas with soil and grass seed
 City wants to keep pedestrian traffic to a minimum. Staff are only doing essential work to maintain City parks, facilities and assets until further notice. Wood chips at the Operations Centre on Harvester Road are not available for pick up during the pandemic and community gardens will remain closed as they have been deemed non-essential by the Provincial government. The City has delayed Community Garden openings until further notice.
To help keep everyone safe during the provincial emergency order, Spencer Smith Park is only available for walk-in traffic. The parking lots are closed and only walking is permitted in Spencer Smith Park, including the Promenade and the Brant Street Pier.
Visitors must keep a two-metre distance from other walkers. No other activities are permitted until further notice: no running, no rollerblading and no biking through Spencer Smith Park. This is to reduce the volume of people in Spencer Smith Park and to help walkers maintain physical distancing.
Physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most important steps everyone needs to take. The COVID-19 virus doesn’t move on its own; it needs people to move it.
Remember to:
• Keep two metres away from others – about the length of a hockey stick
• Move to the right on pathways to make room for others to pass safely
• Carry out your garbage whenever possible
Respect the caution tape and keep off playgrounds, sports fields, skateboard areas, tennis and basketball courts. The City has signage and barricades in the entrances of parking lots to block vehicles from parking. Vehicles left in parking lots will be towed at the owner’s expense.
Residents who see groups of five or more people gathering or individuals using outdoor recreational facilities can call the Halton Regional Police Service COVID hotline to file a report at 905-825-4722.
Local enforceable orders include:
• Closure of places of non-essential businesses
• Prohibiting events and gatherings of more than five people
• Closure of public places and establishments
• Closure of all outdoor recreational amenities and parks
Burlington Transit
As an essential service, Burlington Transit continues to operate on a modified schedule for essential trips only. Essential trips include going to medical appointments and picking up medication or groceries. Extra buses will be added if needed to help protect drivers and allow passengers to practice physical distancing from other riders. Please use the back doors to enter and exit the bus, keep behind the marked area and follow the recommendations of public health professionals. For more information on Burlington Transit, visit www.burlingtontransit.ca
 Not much work for the parking control people. Parking
Parking enforcement is currently limited to safety-related issues such as fire routes, accessible parking, no parking/stopping areas and blocked areas, including parking lots at Spencer Smith Park, Lowville Park and all other City parks. Time limit restrictions have been relaxed to help those working from home or self-isolating. Parking permits and exemptions are not required until further notice. For more information on parking, visit www.burlington.ca/parking.
Service Burlington
Customer Service staff are available by phone and email for residents’ questions. Online forms can also be submitted via our website. Only in-person services, such as marriage licences, are not available during the pandemic.
 Not going to tie that know this month – maybe not in June either. The City of Burlington is not issuing marriage licences while City Hall is closed. Residents needing a marriage licence can call Service Burlington two weeks before their intended marriage date and if City Hall has re-opened, will be accommodated as close to their wedding date as possible.
Municipalities issue marriage licenses on behalf of the Province of Ontario. Current legislation requires original signatures and documentation. City staff have asked the Province to review this legislation and make some interim amendments to allow for electronic signatures and documentation. Staff is also asking the Province to extend the licenses that were issued prior to the COVID-19 shutdown beyond the normal 90-day expiry dates.
In-Home Activities
The best thing residents can do to protect themselves and the community, is stay home. The City of Burlington and its partners have put together a list of activities people of any age can do while staying home at burlington.ca/programming. The list includes:
• Virtual fitness
• Free music
• Ebooks, emagazines and online resources from Burlington Public Library at bpl.on.ca
• Videos for recreation programming such as games, activities and crafts.
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward cautions people. “As the weather gets warmer we know it will be harder to follow the provincial emergency orders, and the directives from Burlington City Hall. But we must continue to stay apart, and stay in our own neighbourhoods, so we can get through this sooner. Please resist the urge to congregate in groups, stay 6 ft. away from anyone you don’t live with and please stay in your own neighbourhood and local parks for your walks.
“Walk, don’t stop, and stay off playgrounds, benches and other park amenities. In particular, please do not come downtown to the waterfront where there has been some crowding in Spencer Smith Park and Beachway Park. We have taken extra measures to restrict the use of these areas.
“We know how difficult this has been so far for our residents, but it will only get more difficult the longer we have to keep these directives in effect. The longer we stay apart now, the sooner we can safely come together.”
By Staff
April 20, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Paletta family announced a donation of $500,000 to support pandemic relief efforts that is to be split equally between Hamilton and Burlington.
 This major donation is intended to address the needs of vulnerable people and families including those experiencing homelessness and poverty, isolated seniors, people with disabilities and other marginalized communities.
It is the largest donation yet to the fund and will also support agencies to adapt their services or operations as needed, as a result of COVID-19.
“Though each of us is affected by the current crisis, the impact is far greater on some citizens than on others. We wanted to make a difference for those who are already in difficult circumstances,” says family spokesperson Paul Paletta. “We feel blessed to be able to help in this unprecedented situation.”
“This donation is just one of many examples in the Paletta’s long history of philanthropy and community leadership, of stepping up whenever and wherever they can and inspiring others to do the same. Their remarkable gift will help reduce uncertainty for our city’s most vulnerable at this critical time and in the months ahead.”
 In Burlington, the Paletta family’s donation will support Burlington Foundation’s Covid-19 Response Fund which prioritizes food security, medical assistance, mental health and safe housing.
“In this overwhelming time, remarkable generosity like the Paletta’s offers hope and inspiration,” says Colleen Mulholland, President and CEO of Burlington Foundation. “As the number of vulnerable community members needing help grows, their gift will have meaningful impact.
“It’s a challenging time for everyone but it’s also heartening to see people contributing in their unique ways,” says Paul Paletta. “We encourage everyone to step up in whatever way they can because we can only get through this pandemic together.”
By Pepper Parr
April 20th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Everyone knows who the St. John Ambulance organization is – they are the people who give the First Aid course – or is that the Red Cross?
During this time of physical distancing, their Therapy Dogs of course cannot provide their usual canine comfort and care by visiting in person. However, they can still help break the sense of isolation and show the people we service how much we care, through ‘virtual visits’.
 Therapy dogs make the days of people who are in a long term care home when they visit. In mid-March, they set up a St. John Ambulance Digital Therapy Dogs YouTube channel and invited our volunteers to submit video ‘letters’ about their dog. This was a chance to show the activities the dogs like to do when not being a Therapy Dog, as well as express how much we miss the people we’d normally visit.
The response had been tremendous, with over a hundred videos already uploaded, with more to come. We sent the word out to facility recreation program staff, and they’ve been loving the videos very much! They play them on a large screen in some cases, or help residents watch them on a tablet or computer.
Some of our teams have also sent regular newsletters that are printed and shared, while others send their video directly to the home they visit, in addition to uploading it on the YouTube channel. The diversity of the ‘virtual visits’ is part of the magic – you can take a sunny walk with Buddy and Charlie at the beach, watch Harvey unroll his yoga mat, see Bailey play with Piper, laugh while Ken battles Victoria for the ball, and be smitten by Finn as he shares his talent for fashion.
Discover your favourite Therapy Dog by visiting the YouTube Channel CLICK HERE
With almost 2000 therapy dog teams in Ontario, serving over 3100 facilities across the Province the Therapy Dog Program reaches out to thousands of people on a daily basis, bringing comfort, joy and companionship to those who are sick, lonely and residing in full-time care facilities. Clients reap the therapeutic benefits of the unconditional love of these four-legged friends.
 Kids who need some distraction cab be taken away from their problems by playing with a therapy dog. “St. John Ambulance Therapy Dogs offer assistance in programs for youth at risk, and help build self-esteem for those in correctional facilities. They can provide relief and a welcomed distraction to those waiting for radiation or chemotherapy treatment, and very sick children being treated in hospitals, as well as to people who are displaced and frightened during an emergency evacuation.
“And there is no doubt that people find it easier to express their deepest emotions and put into words their hopes and fears while hugging a dog, so we find our teams working with the Military, Police and Fire Departments, social workers, psychologist and psychiatrists to help victims of critical incident stress, crime, tragedy and abuse, overcome their challenges.”
 At almost every major public event – there is a St. John Ambulance on standby. St. John Ambulance offers a free on-line First Aid Awareness course to all Ontarians. In times of social distancing, accidents and injuries can still happen in the home or at the cottage. Right now, St. John Ambulance offers a free on-line course entitled: First Aid Awareness.
Their aim is to keep First Aid knowledge fresh in the minds of those who cannot take part in classroom training. Knowing what to do in an emergency can save someone’s life, and often, that life is someone you know and love.
By Pepper Parr
April 20th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
There is a group in one of the downtown condos on Lakeshore Road who gather up the wine bottles and beer cans in the condo recycle room and regularly drop them off at the Beer Store. The money they get is a fund raiser for various Social Committee functions and events.
With the Beer Stores no longer taking in empties regularly the cans and bottles were beginning to become quite a pile.
 A resident tells us that it was his wife’s turn to take the bottles and cans in; having checked on line she learned that the only Beer Store accepting returns was the one at Upper Middle Road and Appleby Line.
After dropping off two SUVs worth of returns (This isn’t that big a condo – impressive number of cans and bottles, but I digress.), the wife came home with an interesting story.
The Beer Store had two staff disinfecting carts outside and staff inside spraying the bins.
There were two areas to line up outside – one for those purchasing and one for those returning.
 As well, there was an ability to simply drop off returns as a donation to the Joseph Brant Hospital. This helped to cut down on social distancing and the line up! Brilliant!
“Kudos to the staff at this store on Sunday April 19th at 3 pm as they were friendly, efficient and helpful – my wife managed to break two bottles in the parking lot which they quickly came out to cleaned up.
“What started out as a daunting task – there was a four week supply to return – and usually a “ho hum” journey turned out to be actually enjoyable.
“Recycling (i.e. climate change) + Potential charity + friendly Public Service seems to me to be a win-win-win”, reports a condo resident.
By Pepper Parr
April 19th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
City Manager Tim Commisso’s life has been boiled down to a single word – Risk!
 City manager Tim Commisso Everything he looks at is seen through a single lens; it is as if he is wearing a monocle.
Every decision is – what is the risk of doing something or the risk of not doing something.
His one job is to ensure the city provides the services needed to keep people safe and that staff provide the services needed to keep the city operating. It is a challenge.
Few have much in the way of an idea as to just how complex this is.
Commisso runs the show. His word is the final word. He listens and takes advice but at some point he has to make a decision and be held responsible.
He doesn’t always get it right. He had to learn to open up and ensure that members of Council were kept in the loop – aware of what was being done and why.
He is now giving Councillors a report each week.
He has the best people on the city payroll available to him at that virtual table – they communicate as a group twice a day – all by telephone.
The Mayor is reported to be the backup and takes turns chairing the Emergency Coordinating Group (ECG)
The two charts below show the ECG organizational chart that was created March 17th. The detail quality is poor – we have asked the city for a graphic with a higher resolution.
Commisso has set out the timeline he plans to follow in reporting to Council.
CSSRA is the acronym for the Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability Standing Committee that is chaired by Rory Nisan with Paul Sharman as the vice chair.
By Staff
April 20th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
This is not what we wanted to hear at the start of a new week.
“Humanity will have to live with the threat of coronavirus “for the foreseeable future” and adapt accordingly because there is no guarantee that a vaccine can be successfully developed, one of the world’s leading experts on the disease has warned.”
 David Nabarro In an interview with The Observer, David Nabarro, professor of global health at Imperial College, London, and an envoy for the World Health Organization, said the public should not assume that a vaccine would definitely be developed soon – and would have to adapt to the ongoing threat.
“You don’t necessarily develop a vaccine that is safe and effective against every virus. Some viruses are very, very difficult when it comes to vaccine development – so for the foreseeable future, we are going to have to find ways to go about our lives with this virus as a constant threat.
 Imperial College, London “That means isolating those who show signs of the disease and also their contacts. Older people will have to be protected. In addition hospital capacity for dealing with cases will have to be ensured. That is going to be the new normal for us all.”
When it comes to credibility the Observer, a British newspaper, is as good as it gets and the Imperial College, London has a sterling reputation in these matters
 By Staff
April 18th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
On a Saturday afternoon when the news world is usually quiet the Region of Halton advised that the Mountainview Retirement Residence had:
63 residents and 18 staff confirmed as COVID-19 cases, with some lab results still pending.
8 deaths
The Public Health unit became aware of problems at Mountainview on March 31st – 16 days ago.
 The Mountainview Retirement residence in Georgetown – 8 Covid19 related deaths.  Data made public on the 15th did not indicate what was behind the Halton Hills number.
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