COVID 19: No new deaths in Ontario on Monday – Ottawa Sun

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THE LATEST COVID-19 NEWS IN ONTARIO

Ontario colleges and universities should prepare for all in-person classes and activities to resume this fall without capacity limits or physical distancing requirements, the government says.

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However, the Ministry of Colleges and Universities has told the institutions to have plans for how learning will continue in the event of COVID-19 outbreaks.

“While we must remain vigilant and responsive to the trajectory of COVID-19, I am optimistic that the (post-secondary education) sector will resume many of the cherished in-person experiences that have been on pause for so long,” deputy minister Shelley Tapp wrote in a recent memo to the institutions.

Tapp said it’s “anticipated” that all in-person instruction and on-campus activities will be allowed again this fall, after more than a year since they were paused due to the pandemic.

Universities and colleges will still have to follow all public health and workplace safety rules, including requiring masks indoors, Tapp said.

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The schools will still have flexibility to offer teaching in a variety of ways that best suit their needs, Tapp wrote, including virtual and hybrid models.

In case of COVID-19 outbreaks, institutions must have a “continuity of education” plan ready by September, including information on health protocols in the event of an emergency and how instruction will continue if in-person learning is disrupted.

Specific guidance from the ministry on measures such as masks, screening and cleaning is set to be issued in early August.

The ministry is encouraging schools to use rapid antigen testing for routine screening of asymptomatic people, as well as wastewater surveillance for levels of COVID-19.

Universities and colleges across the country adopted a mostly-remote model starting in March 2020.

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In a statement released on Friday as Ontario moved into Step 3 of its roadmap to reopen, the University of Ottawa said as government regulations and public health measures evolve and as Canada’s vaccination program progresses, the university is “ramping up its planning efforts in support of a progressive return to on‐campus activities for both students and employees this coming fall.

“Naturally, the situation will remain unpredictable during the coming weeks and months and we will continue to provide an iterative, agile, and flexible approach to ensure continued compliance with public health and safety requirements,” said the university.

A Carleton University working group concluded last spring that the COVID landscape would look very different in September and recommended that a significant proportion of courses, in particular seminar courses, labs, experiential learning and smaller classes, are expected to be offered on campus in a safe way — but some online offerings will be available to provide flexibility. The recommendation was confirmed by the university senate on April 30.

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“We recommend that students return to Ottawa for fall 2021, recognizing that medical reasons or travel restrictions may limit the ability of some students to do so,” Carleton stated on its website.

“Where possible online options will be available for those students who are unable to travel to Ontario and/or return to campus.”

In a statement to the college community released Thursday, Algonquin College’s president and CEO Claude Brulé said the college’s leadership team is examining Step 3 regulations to determine how they may affect Algonquin’s existing plans by increasing the number of students.

“As for employees, in mid-August we will be in a better position to update you on what activities and who will be returning onsite for the fall term. For now, if you are working remotely, your position will continue to work remotely until your manager communicates the plans for your program or service.”

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NEW CORONAVIRUS CASES IN OTTAWA AND ONTARIO

Ontario reported 130 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and no new deaths on Monday, the 11th consecutive day in which COVID cases numbers in the province have remained below 200.

Six new deaths were reported Sunday across the province, with 177 new confirmed cases.

In total, there have been 548,347 confirmed cases and 9,294 deaths in the province since the pandemic began.

As of Monday morning, 115 were in hospital and 151 were in ICU due to COVID-related illness, with 94 in ICU on a respirator.

According to the Ontario figures, Toronto had the most new cases with 18 confirmed cases followed by 17 in Peel Region, 16 in the Waterloo region, 10 in Grey Bruce and 10 in Middlesex-London.

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So far, more than 18.2 million doses of vaccine have been administered in Ontario, including 91,320 doses administered as of 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Ottawa Public Health reported only two new cases on Monday, down from five new cases reported on Sunday and seven new cases reported on Saturday.

As of Sunday, there were 25 actives cases in Ottawa and none in hospital or ICU.
In total, there have been 27,743 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa since the pandemic began and 593 deaths.

In the past 30 days, 54 per cent of cases have been caused by a variant of concern. In total, 9,092 cases and 101 deaths have been linked to a variant of concern.

THE LATEST COVID-19 NEWS IN CANADA

Canada says it will soon ease border restrictions, thanks to a high vaccination rate, declining case counts and reduced pressure on hospitals.

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Fully vaccinated Americans will be allowed to enter for non-essential travel starting Aug. 9, the federal government announced Monday afternoon.

Then, on Sept. 7, “provided that Canada’s COVID-19 epidemiology remains favourable,” the borders will be opened to fully vaccinated travellers from other countries.

The first phase, beginning in three weeks, will only apply to American “citizens and permanent residents of the United States currently residing in the U.S.”

Canada will “allow entry of unvaccinated children under 12 years of age, or unvaccinated dependent children (due to a mental or physical condition), who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents currently residing in the U.S. and who are accompanying a fully vaccinated parent, step-parent, guardian or tutor,” the government said in a press release.

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Ottawa’s Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport will be one of five additional Canadian airports receiving international flights carrying passengers, effective Aug. 9.

The five airports, in cooperation with the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency and Transport Canada, are working to implement the measures necessary to safely welcome international passengers as soon as possible after Aug. 9, as conditions dictate, said the Public Health Agency of Canada on Monday in a statement.

The other four airports in the announcement include Halifax Stanfield International Airport; Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport; Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, and Edmonton International Airport.

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The government said that “entry to Canada will continue to be prohibited for U.S. travellers who are not fully vaccinated and for all other foreign nationals,” unless they already meet an exemption set out in the orders made under the Quarantine Act.

“To be eligible to enter Canada, fully vaccinated American citizens and permanent residents must have received the full series of a vaccine — or combination of vaccines — accepted by the government of Canada at least 14 days prior to entering Canada.”

These vaccines are approved in Canada: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson).

The government said fully vaccinated American travellers must:

* Provide COVID-19-related information electronically through ArriveCAN (app or web portal) including proof of vaccination prior to departing for Canada (subject to limited exceptions).
* Meet the pre-entry testing requirements.
* Be asymptomatic upon arrival.
* Have a paper or digital copy of their vaccination documentation ready to show a government official on request.

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The federal government Monday also announced that as of Aug. 9, Canada will eliminate quarantine requirements under which travellers arriving by air had to undertake a three-night stay at a government-authorized hotel.

The Ottawa International Airport Authority said it was “very pleased” with the announcement.

“After 16-plus months of severely restricted access, we are anxious to welcome business and leisure travelers back to Canada’s Capital Region. We have worked closely with our airport and federal government partners to ensure a safe travel process for passengers and employees alike,” said the airport authority’s statement.

“We are particularly pleased that YOW is among the airports approved for transborder and international landings and look forward to airlines returning service to YOW. Building back air service is key to our recovery and that of our tourism partners. Together, we will resume our roles as economic generators for our community.”

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Meanwhile, the government cautioned that the epidemiological situation and vaccination coverage are not the same around the world and advised Canadians to avoid non-essential travel outside Canada.

“International travel increases your risk of exposure to COVID-19 and its variants, as well as of spreading it to others. Border measures also remain subject to change as the epidemiological situation evolves.”

Meanwhile, the federal government is expecting to receive about 7.1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines this week, as it adjusts its distribution strategy amid waning vaccination rates and substantial supply.

The new deliveries will include about 3.1 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and four million doses of Moderna.

QUEBEC COVID-19 NEWS

Quebec has recorded 239 new cases of COVID-19 over the past three days, the provincial government announced this morning.

The province added 99 cases on Friday, 79 on Saturday and 61 on Sunday.

No new deaths were reported during that period. However, one new death was added to the tally; it occurred before Friday.

— With files from The Canadian Press