Ontario is reporting 1,426 cases of #COVID19. Locally, there are 468 new cases in Peel, 384 in Toronto, 180 in York Region, 63 in Durham and 62 in Hamilton. There are 886 more resolved cases and over 36,700 tests completed.
The 27 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Ottawa on Wednesday bring the city’s pandemic total to 7,634 laboratory-confirmed cases.
In the past seven days, Nov. 5 to 11 inclusive, OPH reported 361 new cases in total, for an average of 51.6 new cases per day. In the seven days before that, Oct. 29 to Nov. 4, the average was 71.5 new cases per day.
Two new deaths were reported on Wednesday as well, bringing the city’s death toll from COVID-19 to 349.
HOSPITALIZATIONS IN OTTAWA
The number of people in Ottawa hospitals with COVID-19 complications fell on Wednesday, after hitting 60 on Tuesday, the highest so far during the second wave.
OPH says there are 56 people in Ottawa hospitals with COVID-19 and seven in intensive care.
Of the people in hospital, one is between the ages of 10 and 19, three are in their 30s (two in the ICU), two are in their 40s, three are in their 50s, eight are in their 60s (one in the ICU), 13 are in their 70s (two in the ICU), 18 are in their 80s (two in the ICU), and eight are 90 or older.
ACTIVE CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA
The number of known active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa fell to its lowest level since September.
OPH says there are 490 active cases of COVID-19 in the city, down from 537 on Tuesday.
This is the first time since Sept. 20 that the number of active infections in Ottawa was below 500.
The number of active cases is the number of total laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 minus the numbers of resolved cases and deaths. A case is considered resolved 14 days after known symptom onset or positive test result.
TESTING
Public Health Ontario says 36,707 COVID-19 tests were performed across Ontario on Tuesday. There are 34,460 people waiting for COVID-19 test results.
Local testing figures from the Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce will be available after 4 p.m. today.
CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA BY AGE CATEGORY
Here is a breakdown of all known COVID-19 cases in Ottawa by age category:
0-9 years old: Three new cases (492 cases total)
10-19 years-old: Five new cases (865 cases total)
20-29 years-old: Four new cases (1,571 cases total)
30-39 years-old: Nine new cases (1,014 cases total)
40-49 years-old: One new case (970 cases total)
50-59 years-old: Five new cases (896 cases total)
60-69-years-old: One new case (599 cases total)
70-79 years-old: Zero new cases (394 cases total)
80-89 years-old: Zero new cases (495 cases total)
90+ years old: Zero new cases (338 cases total)
The age of one person with COVID-19 that was previously unknown has been assigned.
CASES OF COVID-19 ACROSS THE REGION
The Eastern Ontario Health Unit reported seven new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday.
Two new cases were added by Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Public Health.
The Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit reported four new cases on Wednesday.
Two cases have been removed from the count of the Renfrew County and District Health Unit.
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health reported zero new cases on Wednesday.
The Quebec government reported 11 new cases of COVID-19 in the Outaouais region, which includes Gatineau. There have been 2,831 cases of COVID-19 in the Outaouais and 59 deaths.
INSTITUTIONAL OUTBREAKS
Ottawa Public Health is reporting COVID-19 outbreaks at 36 institutions in Ottawa, including long-term care homes, retirement homes, daycares, hospitals and schools.
New outbreaks were declared at St. Patrick School, an unidentified shelter, an unidentified supportive housing location, and a ward of the Ottawa Hospital Rehab Centre.
Outbreaks ended at the St. Bernadette “Petit pas a trois” childcare centre, the Bridlewood Retirement Home, Extendicare New Orchard Lodge, Hope Living – Ottawa, Sophia House, and The Ottawa Hospital General Campus 5N.
An outbreak listed Tuesday at Esther By Child Care Centre has been removed from the OPH dashboard.
There are four active community outbreaks at four unidentified workplaces.
The schools and childcare spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:
Cornerstone Children’s Centre – Heatherington Nursery School
École élémentaire catholique Des Pionniers
École secondaire publique Louis Riel
École secondaire publique Omer-Deslauriers
Ottawa Islamic School
St. Mother Teresa High School
St. Mother Teresa High School (2)*
St. Patrick School (NEW)
*NOTE: There are two ongoing but unrelated COVID-19 outbreaks declared at St. Mother Teresa High School.
The long-term care homes, retirement homes, hospitals, and other spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:
Alta Vista Manor
Beacon Heights retirement home
Bridlewood Trails Retirement Home
Garden Terrace
Glebe Centre
Hôpital Montfort 4C Med
Innovative Community Support Services (Barnwell)
Longfields Manor
Lord Lansdowne retirement home
Maison Acceuil-Sagesse
Medex
Park Place
Riverpath Retirement
Robertson House
Rockcliffe Retirement
Rooming house location
Shelter location (NEW)
Sisters of Charity retirement home
St. Patrick’s Home
St. Vincent Hospital (3 South)
Starwood
Stirling Park Retirement Home
Supportive Housing location (NEW)
The Ottawa Hospital General Campus 6W
The Ottawa Hospital Rehab Centre – Special Rehab – Ward B (NEW)
The Ravines
Valley Stream Retirement Home
West End Villa
A single laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19 in a resident or staff member of a long-term care home, retirement home or shelter triggers an outbreak response, according to Ottawa Public Health. In childcare settings, a single confirmed, symptomatic case in a staff member, home daycare provider, or child triggers an outbreak.
Under provincial guidelines, a COVID-19 outbreak in a school is defined as two or more lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in students and/or staff in a school with an epidemiological link, within a 14-day period, where at least one case could have reasonably acquired their infection in the school (including transportation and before or after school care).
Human Resources Officers must be very busy these days what with the general turnover of employees in our retail and business sectors. It is hard enough to find skilled people let alone potential employees willing to be trained. Then after the training, a few weeks go by then they come to you and ask for a raise. You refuse as there simply is no excess money in the budget and away they fly to wherever they come from, trained but not willing to put in the time to achieve that wanted raise.
I have had potentials come in and we give them a test to see if they do indeed know how to weld, polish or work with wood. 2-10 we hire, and one of those is gone in a week or two. Ask that they want overtime, and their laughter leaving the building is loud and unsettling. Housing starts are doing well but way behind because those trades needed to finish a project simply don’t come to the site, with delay after delay. Some people’s attitudes are just too funny. A recent graduate from a Ivy League university came in for an interview. The position was mid-management potential, but when we told them a three month period was needed and then they would make the big bucks they disappeared as fast as they arrived.
Government agencies are really no help, sending us people unsuited or unwilling to carry out the jobs we offer. Handing money over to staffing firms whose referrals are weak and ineffectual. Perhaps with the Fall and Winter upon us, these folks will have to find work and stop playing on the golf course or cottaging away. Tried to hire new arrivals in Canada but it is truly difficult to find someone who has a real identity card and is approved to live and work here. Who do we hire? Several years ago my father’s firm was rocking and rolling with all sorts of work. It was a summer day when the immigration officers arrived and 30+ employees hit the bricks almost immediately. The investigation that followed had threats of fines thrown at us by the officials. Good thing we kept excellent records, photos and digital copies. We had to prove the illegal documents given to us were as good as the real McCoy.
Restauranteurs, builders, manufacturers, finishers, trades-based firms, and warehousing are all suspect in hiring illegals, yet that becomes secondary as Toronto increases its minimum wage again bringing our payroll up another $120,000. Survival in Canada’s financial and business sectors is questionable for many. Good luck Chuck!. at least your carbon tax refund check should be arriving soon.
NORMAN WELLS, N.W.T. – Imperial Oil says it will temporarily reduce its fuel prices in a Northwest Territories community that has seen costs skyrocket due to low water on the Mackenzie River forcing the cancellation of the summer barge resupply season.
Imperial says in a Facebook post it will cut the air transportation portion that’s included in its wholesale price in Norman Wells for diesel fuel, or heating oil, from $3.38 per litre to $1.69 per litre, starting Tuesday.
The air transportation increase, it further states, will be implemented over a longer period.
It says Imperial is closely monitoring how much fuel needs to be airlifted to the Norman Wells area to prevent runouts until the winter road season begins and supplies can be replenished.
Gasoline and heating fuel prices approached $5 a litre at the start of this month.
Norman Wells’ town council declared a local emergency on humanitarian grounds last week as some of its 700 residents said they were facing monthly fuel bills coming to more than $5,000.
“The wholesale price increase that Imperial has applied is strictly to cover the air transportation costs. There is no Imperial profit margin included on the wholesale price. Imperial does not set prices at the retail level,” Imperial’s statement on Monday said.
The statement further said Imperial is working closely with the Northwest Territories government on ways to help residents in the near term.
“Imperial Oil’s decision to lower the price of home heating fuel offers immediate relief to residents facing financial pressures. This step reflects a swift response by Imperial Oil to discussions with the GNWT and will help ease short-term financial burdens on residents,” Caroline Wawzonek, Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance and Infrastructure, said in a news release Monday.
Wawzonek also noted the Territories government has supported the community with implementation of a fund supporting businesses and communities impacted by barge cancellations. She said there have also been increases to the Senior Home Heating Subsidy in Norman Wells, and continued support for heating costs for eligible Income Assistance recipients.
Additionally, she said the government has donated $150,000 to the Norman Wells food bank.
In its declaration of a state of emergency, the town said the mayor and council recognized the recent hike in fuel prices has strained household budgets, raised transportation costs, and affected local businesses.
It added that for the next three months, water and sewer service fees will be waived for all residents and businesses.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
TORONTO – A new report says many Canadian business leaders are worried about economic uncertainties related to the looming U.S. election.
The survey by KPMG in Canada of 735 small- and medium-sized businesses says 87 per cent fear the Canadian economy could become “collateral damage” from American protectionist policies that lead to less favourable trade deals and increased tariffs
It says that due to those concerns, 85 per cent of business leaders in Canada polled are reviewing their business strategies to prepare for a change in leadership.
The concerns are primarily being felt by larger Canadian companies and sectors that are highly integrated with the U.S. economy, such as manufacturing, automotive, transportation and warehousing, energy and natural resources, as well as technology, media and telecommunications.
Shaira Nanji, a KPMG Law partner in its tax practice, says the prospect of further changes to economic and trade policies in the U.S. means some Canadian firms will need to look for ways to mitigate added costs and take advantage of potential trade relief provisions to remain competitive.
Both presidential candidates have campaigned on protectionist policies that could cause uncertainty for Canadian trade, and whoever takes the White House will be in charge during the review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement in 2026.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.
