COVID-19: Potential exposure at Halloween event at Rideau Street venue; Ontario reports 438 new cases - Ottawa Citizen

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COVID-19: Potential exposure at Halloween event at Rideau Street venue; Ontario reports 438 new cases – Ottawa Citizen

Published

2 years ago

November 4, 2021

Harry Miller

Anyone who attended a “Back from the Dead” Halloween event at Mavericks on Rideau Street last Saturday between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. may have been exposed to COVID-19

Author of the article:

Taylor Blewett

File: In Montreal, a man wears a face mask as he cycles by a mural defaced by graffiti objecting to mask usage to protect against the spread of COVID-19 Photo by Graham Hughes /THE CANADIAN PRESS

Ontario reported 438 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, with 279 cases in people who were not fully vaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown, and 159 in fully vaccinated people.

The seven-day average for new cases sat at 383, up slightly from 366 a week earlier, and down from 565 at the same time last month.

Those in hospital testing positive for COVID-19 numbered 234, while the number of people in ICU due to a COVID-related critical illness was 130 (including 24 patients from Saskatchewan), dropping to 109 if you include just those still testing positive.

A week ago, those totals were 197 and 104, respectively, for hospitalizations and those in ICU testing positive.

Five more COVID-19 deaths were reported in Ontario in the previous 24 hours.

In terms of active cases, the five most affected public health unit regions in Ontario as of Thursday were Sudbury & District (85.4 cases per 100,000 people), Haldimand-Norfolk (45.6) Chatham-Kent (44.2), Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (39.5) and Niagara Region (38.5).

In health unit regions near the capital, the case count rose by 17 in Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington, four in Eastern Ontario, three in Renfrew County and District, two in Hastings Prince Edward, and one in Leeds, Grenville & Lanark.

COVID-19 news in Ontario

Opposition politicians and some health care associations in Ontario are not pleased with Premier Doug Ford’s Wednesday decision to continuing leaving it up to individual hospitals to establish their own mandatory vaccination policies for staff, rather than imposing such a policy province-wide.

Doris Grinspun, head of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, called the decision “a disgrace to patients and to the great majority of health-care workers who desperately are supporting mandatory vaccination.”

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said she was skeptical of Ford’s figure about the scale of the potential worker shortage.

“If the government’s making decisions based on facts then they should be showing people what it is that they’re making their decisions on.”

COVID-19 news in Ottawa

Ottawa Public Health reported 30 new COVID-19 cases and no additional deaths Thursday.

There were 193 active cases city-wide, a number that rose through the late summer and early fall, before peaking at more than 700 in mid-September. It’s been trending down since.

Eleven Ottawans were in hospital with an active COVID-19 infection, none of whom were in ICU.

Two new COVID-19 outbreaks were reported Thursday: one involving three residents at supported independent living home, and the other involving two student cases at Connaught Public School. There are now 11 ongoing outbreaks at schools or child care centres, and four in health care or congregate living institutions.

There are no known outbreaks in community settings.

According to the OPH vaccination dashboard, 87 per cent of Ottawa’s 12 and older population is fully vaccinated, while 90 per cent has at least one dose.

Ottawa Public Health is ramping up service at its four community vaccination clinics to seven days a week to help deliver booster shots to those eligible.

Eligible are those 70 and older, health-care workers, essential caregivers in congregate settings, people who got two doses of AstraZeneca or one of Janssen, and First Nations, Inuit and Métis individuals aged 16 and older as well as their non-Indigenous household members.

They can book third-dose appointments through the provincial online system or call centre starting Saturday at 8 a.m. They can only get the shot at least six months after their last dose.

The OPH community clinics are located at the University of Ottawa’s Minto Sports Complex, JH Putman School, Eva James Memorial Centre, and Orleans Ruddy Family YMCA-YWCA.

Some pharmacies will also be providing third doses (the province has a pharmacy locator online) and according to OPH, many health-care workers and eligible first responders will be able to get their third dose through their employer.

And FYI – getting a third dose won’t impact your flu shot, OPH said. COVID-19 vaccines can be given at the same time, or before or after other vaccines.

Speaking of vaccine mandates, the new Treasury Board president, Ottawa–Vanier MP Mona Fortier, said that 99.7 per cent of bureaucrats in what’s called the “core public administration” have attested to their vaccination status.

(The PMO said last month that Crown corporations and separate agencies were being asked to implement their own, equally stringent vax policies.)

Public servants had until Oct. 29 to complete the attestation, with the federal government stating that those who weren’t willing to disclose their vaccination status or to be fully vaccinated would be placed on leave without pay as early as Nov. 15.

Fortier said 95 per cent of this 268,000-strong federal public service workforce has said they are fully vaccinated, a number that rises to 98 per cent if you include those with one shot. Approximately one per cent of employees are seeking accommodation, according to Fortier, and these requests are “being assessed on a case-by-case basis in departments.”

Anyone who attended a “Back from the Dead” Halloween event at Mavericks on Rideau Street last Saturday between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. may have been exposed to COVID-19, says Ottawa Public Health.

Two people who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 attended the event during the period when they were contagious.

All attendees are being told by OPH to monitor for symptoms for 10 days, and to self-isolate and get tested if they develop any. When presenting for testing, OPH asked that attendees provide this testing number: 490723.

“Ottawa Public Health has assessed the nature of this event and determined that individuals who attended the event are at an increased risk of COVID-19 exposure as there were several opportunities for transmission to occur,” the health unit wrote, in a public statement.

Attendees with questions can find more information at Ottawapublichealth.ca/Mavericks

COVID-19 news in Quebec

Quebec reported 588 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, and no additional deaths.

Of the newly reported cases, 377 were in people who weren’t fully vaccinated and nine were logged in the Outaouais.

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across the province dropped by seven, to a total of 241, while ICU occupancy decreased by seven, to 63.

According to the province, unvaccinated people faced a 18.5 times higher risk of hospitalization compared to the fully vaccinated, using data from the last month.

In Quebec’s 12-and-older population, 90 per cent have at least a first dose and 87 per cent are fully vaccinated.

COVID-19 news in Canada

Pricey and “irrational” COVID-19 tests, along with “discriminatory” quarantine policies for kids, are making it difficult for families to travel even when all adults are fully vaccinated, according to members of the Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable

All travellers over the age of five, regardless of citizenship or vaccination status, must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 molecular test in order to enter the country. Rapid antigen tests are not adequate under Canada’s rules.

That can cost between $150 and $300 for each test, making it prohibitively expensive for many families.

Meanwhile, children can’t attend school, camp or daycare, be in crowded places or take public transportation for 14 days once they return home to Canada.

“It’s irrational,” said Perrin Beatty, president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, who is also co-chair of the roundtable. “It simply doesn’t make sense.”

Beatty joined members of the travel and tourism industry at a press conference Thursday to call on the federal government to remove “unnecessary and non-science-based” obstacles to international travel for families.

In a press release, the roundtable called for children to be able to return to school post-travel after being tested rather than quarantining until a vaccine for those under 12 is approved, and for an end to the pre-departure PCR testing requirement for fully vaccinated travellers.

The latest figures from the Public Health Agency of Canada show that of all COVID-19 tests completed at the border on vaccinated travellers between Aug. 9 and Oct. 21, only 0.18 per cent were positive.

For unvaccinated and partially vaccinated travellers, 0.91 per cent were positive.

Last week, chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said test requirements at the border are “very much a live issue,” but that she still believes pre-departure tests are an important layer of protection to prevent COVID-19 cases being imported to Canada.

“For now, we haven’t shifted that policy, but we’re reviewing that on an ongoing basis,” Tam said Oct. 29. “Especially during a period of time when Canada is still, in many areas, battling the fourth wave.”

-With files from The Canadian Press

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New technology to advance women’s cancer care at Southlake

Published

8 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Harry Miller

NEWS RELEASE
SOUTHLAKE REGIONAL HEALTH CENTRE
**************************
This Cancer Awareness Month, Southlake is adding advanced technologies to detect and treat breast cancer and other women’s cancers thanks to generous community donor support, most recently through the HERE is Where Cancer Meets its Match campaign. New cancer care technology, including new mammography machines, the MyoSure System and the MOLLI 2® System will make a measurable impact in diagnosing and treating women’s cancers in the communities Southlake serves.

Southlake is installing three new mammography machines to expand its breast cancer screening program to 1,500 more women each year. Two of these machines have new biopsy capabilities that will reduce the number of cancelled exams due to equipment failure, ensuring timely care for women. Women ages 40 to 49 years old will be able to self-refer for publicly funded mammograms through the Ontario Breast Screening Program starting this fall.

“Early detection is critical when treating breast cancer and other women’s cancers,” said Lorrie Reynolds, Director, Regional Cancer Program at Southlake. “We treat more than 1,700 breast cancer patients at Southlake every year. By adding advanced technology, like the new mammography machines, we’re ensuring women have the best experience at Southlake.”

Southlake is also introducing the MyoSure System, an innovative technology that can help detect female reproductive cancers. Damaged tissue in a woman’s uterus such as fibroids and polyps can now be removed in a precise, minimally invasive procedure that leaves the rest of the uterus intact. This will improve the overall patient experience by supporting faster recovery, reducing the risk of infection and giving more women the option to have children. An estimated 200 women per year will benefit from the MyoSure System.

The new mammography machines and the MyoSure System build on Southlake’s recent investment in the MOLLI 2® System, a made-in-Canada wire-free breast localization technology. This technology is considerably less invasive and more accurate when compared to wire-guided localization, resulting in a better patient experience and improved cosmetic outcomes. More than 200 women each year will benefit from this innovative medical device as they are treated for breast cancer at Southlake.

“As a clinician caring for women with cancer in our community, I’m incredibly proud of the work Southlake is doing to advance women’s health and improve patient experiences,” said Sara Temple, MD, Surgical Oncologist and Chief of Surgery at Southlake. “Women who visit Southlake can be confident that they are receiving leading edge care, close to home when they need it most.”

The World Health Organization anticipates a 77 per cent increase in cancer diagnoses by 2050. Southlake serves some of the fastest growing communities in Canada and anticipates that the number of patients requiring cancer care will grow. By investing in new technology, Southlake is ensuring that women in the communities it serves have access to leading edge cancer care. All of these investments were funded with support from community donors who generously gave to Southlake to support investments into women’s health at the hospital.

“The generosity of our donor community and the impact they have made for women receiving cancer diagnosis and treatment at Southlake is something we can all take great pride in,” said Jennifer Ritter, President and CEO of Southlake Foundation. “From our Women’s Health Initiative donors supporting new mammography machines, to the Ladies in Philanthropy for Southlake funding the MOLLI 2 System, to our long-standing partners The Edge Benefits and Pheasant Run Golf Club enabling the introduction of MyoSure System through their joint annual charity golf tournament, we are incredibly lucky to share a vision of access to exceptional care for everyone who depends on Southlake when they need us most. Thank you, to every donor who contributed to these important upgrades to care for women.”

Southlake Foundation’s HERE is Where Cancer Meets its Match campaign supports the Stronach Regional Cancer Centre at Southlake. For more information or to make a donation, visit: southlake.ca/HERE.

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Pasteurized milk includes remnants of H5N1 bird flu, U.S. officials say

Published

9 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Harry Miller

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that samples of pasteurized milk have tested positive for remnants of the bird flu virus that has infected dairy cows.

The agency stressed that the material is inactivated and that the findings “do not represent actual virus that may be a risk to consumers.” Officials added that they’re continuing to study the issue.

“To date, we have seen nothing that would change our assessment that the commercial milk supply is safe,” the FDA said in a statement on Tuesday.

The announcement comes nearly a month after an avian influenza virus that has sickened millions of wild and commercial birds in recent years was detected in dairy cows in at least eight states. The Agriculture Department (USDA) says 33 herds have been affected to date.

FDA officials didn’t indicate how many samples they tested or where they were obtained. The agency has been evaluating milk during processing and from grocery stores, officials said. Results of additional tests are expected in “the next few days to weeks.”

WATCH | Bird flu spread in U.S. cows:

Bird flu is spreading in cows. Are humans at risk? | About That

15 days ago

Duration 8:54

For the first time ever, avian influenza, or H5N1 bird flu, was detected in roughly a dozen dairy cow herds across the U.S. About That producer Lauren Bird explores why scientists and public health officials are concerned about the cross-species transmission and whether humans are now at higher risk.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) lab test the FDA used would have detected viral genetic material even after live virus was killed by pasteurization, or heat treatment, said Lee-Ann Jaykus, an emeritus food microbiologist and virologist at North Carolina State University

“There is no evidence to date that this is infectious virus, and the FDA is following up on that,” Jaykus said.

Officials with the FDA and the USDA had previously said milk from affected cattle did not enter the commercial supply. Milk from sick animals is supposed to be diverted and destroyed. Federal regulations require milk that enters interstate commerce to be pasteurized.

Tests for viable virus underway, agency says

Because the detection of the bird flu virus known as Type A H5N1 in dairy cattle is new and the situation is evolving, no studies on the effects of pasteurization on the virus have been completed, FDA officials said. But past research shows that pasteurization is “very likely” to inactivate heat-sensitive viruses like H5N1, the agency added.

The agency said it has been evaluating milk from affected animals, in the processing system and on the shelves. It said it is completing a large, representative national sample to understand the extent of the findings.

The FDA said it is further assessing any positive findings through egg inoculation tests, which it described as a gold standard for determining viable virus.

Matt Herrick, a spokesperson for the International Dairy Foods Association, said that time and temperature regulations for pasteurization ensure that the commercial U.S. milk supply is safe. Remnants of the virus “have zero impact on human health,” he wrote in an email.

Scientists confirmed the H5N1 virus in dairy cows in March after weeks of reports that cows in Texas were suffering from a mysterious malady. The cows were lethargic and saw a dramatic reduction in milk production. Although the H5N1 virus is lethal to commercial poultry, most infected cattle seem to recover within two weeks, experts said.

To date, two people in the U.S. have been infected with bird flu. A Texas dairy worker who was in close contact with an infected cow recently developed a mild eye infection and has recovered. In 2022, a prison inmate in a work program caught it while killing infected birds at a Colorado poultry farm. His only symptom was fatigue, and he recovered.

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Remnants of bird flu virus found in pasteurized milk, FDA says

Published

10 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Harry Miller

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that samples of pasteurized milk had tested positive for remnants of the bird flu virus that has infected dairy cows.