Ontario Government Releases Provincial Reopening Plan With Eased Outdoor Restrictions For Victoria Day Weekend

The Government of Ontario has lifted outdoor activity restrictions for the Victoria Day weekend and a “road map to reopen” in a press conference at Queen’s Park held on Thursday.

Premier Doug Ford, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health were present to discuss the province’s reopening plan.

On Saturday, outdoor recreational amenities can reopen such as golf course and tennis courts to safely celebrate the Victoria Day long weekend said Elliott.

Outdoor gathering limits have been expanded to five people. The government urges the province to continue following health guidelines and get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The road map to reopen is the proposed way out of the pandemic and a clear path forward to carefully and safely reopen in a three-step plan according to Elliott.

• Step one: Initial focus on resuming small-crowd outdoor activities including pools, splash pads, fitness classes, zoos and religious services. Retail stores can be open with restrictions.

  • Outdoor gatherings can be up to 10 people.

  • Outdoor dining up to four people per table.

  • Non-essential retail at 15 per cent capacity.

• Step two: Further expands outdoor activities and continue limited indoor services with face coverings worn.

  • Outdoor gatherings of 25 people

  • Outdoors sports and leagues permitted

  • Non-essential retail open up at 25 per cent capacity

  • Public libraries and personal care services where face coverings can be worn and with capacity limits

• Step three: Expand access to indoor settings with restrictions including large numbers of people and where face coverings cannot always be worn. This includes but not limited to gyms, cinemas, performing arts facilities, indoor dining and museums with capacity limits.

The province plans to be in step one around the week of June 14 and will be in each step for at least 21 days. The three weeks allow time to evaluate the impacts and determine if Ontario can move to the next step.

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Ontario Government Extends Shutdown For Another Two Weeks

The shutdown has been extended for another two weeks until June 2 announced by Ontario Premier Doug Ford in a public address at Queen’s Park announced on Thursday.

Screenshot.

The shutdown is to help combat the overflowing ICU numbers that remain in hospitals and to have “the most normal July and August possible.”

The stay-at-home-order started back on Apr. 3 has been extended by a full month since the original declaration. The shutdown was set to expire on May 20.

Ford was accompanied by Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Solicitor General Sylvia Jones and Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health.

During the shutdown, daily cases have gone down from 4,000 to 2,750 but the goal is less than 1000 for several days before considering looser restrictions according to Williams.

“Everybody thinks that’s great from where we came from, and that’s true but we still have a ways to get back down because we didn’t get all the way out of the second before we went into the third wave,” explained Williams. “We do not want to repeat that again.”

Starting May 31, youth aged 12 to 17 and their family members who have not received a vaccine will be able to book an appointment for the Pfizer vaccine.

Publicly funded and private elementary and secondary schools will continue remote learning.

Sports and outdoor recreational activities will remain closed. Ford agrees that golfing is not the issue but it is the post-golfing gatherings that are a concern.

“There’s nothing wrong with golfing, the problem is the mobility,” he said. “Then after golf, they go back, they have a few pops. That’s the problem.”

As of Thursday, 6.6 million residents have had vaccinated with at least the first dose with over 407,000 receiving their second dose.

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford Announced Four-Week Province-Wide "Emergency Brake"

Ontario will go into at least a four-week, province-wide shutdown on Saturday as Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced an “emergency brake” to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 variants.

The announcement was made Thursday afternoon in a live stream at Queen’s Park in Toronto.

“This is a new pandemic,” said Ford. “We’re now fighting a new enemy. The new variants are far more dangerous than before. They spread faster and they do more harm than the virus we were fighting last year.”

The shutdown will take effect on Saturday, Apr. 3 at 12:01 a.m.

According to the Government of Ontario, they are urging Ontario to take these safety measures:

You should:

• Stay home as much as possible

• Limit close contact to your household (the people you live with) and stay at least two metres apart from everyone else

• Limit trips outside your home to necessities, such as:

  • Getting food or medication

  • Going to medical appointments

  • Supporting vulnerable community members

  • Child care

  • Getting exercise or walking pets

Always:

• Stay home if you have symptoms, even if they are mild

• Stay two metres apart from people you don’t live with

• Wear a mask or face covering in indoor public spaces or any time physical distancing is not possible

Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health outlines the restrictions of the “emergency brake.”

• Prohibiting indoor organized public events and social gatherings but outdoor gatherings are limited to a five-person maximum

  • Gatherings with the same household members or one-household gatherings can meet with one other solo household member

• A 50 per cent capacity limit for, grocers, convenience stores, indoor farmers' markets, pharmacies and other stores that primarily sell food

  • A 25 per cent limit for all other retailers including big box stores

• No personal care services.

• No indoor or outdoor dining however take out, delivery and drive-thru options are permitted

• No indoor or outdoor sports, sports facilities and recreational fitness, with very limited exceptions

• Day camps are not permitted

• Limiting capacity at funerals, weddings and religious services to 15 per cent occupancy per room indoors and to those who can social distance two metres outdoors. Social gatherings affiliated with these services such as receptions, which are not permitted indoors and are limited to five people outdoors are not included.

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Hospice Peterborough Implements New Health And Safety Measures

Hospice Peterborough has announced it is boosting its health and safety measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic by participating in a Ministry of Health pilot program.

The Employer Antigen Screening program provides antigen testing for all staff who enter the building from February 1st to March 26th. It involves a regulated healthcare professional taking a nasopharyngeal swab and delivering results on site within 15 minutes. Any staff with a preliminary positive will not be allowed to return to the building until they have a confirmed negative test. This test may provide false negatives 30 percent of the time.

“Although it’s not perfect, this test provides another layer of protection as it may identify an individual infected with COVID-19 who might’ve gone undetected through regular screening protocols,” says Hospice Peterborough Executive Director, Hajni Hős.

Photo via Hospice Peterborough Facebook page

Other heightened safety precautions at Hospice include: requiring all new residents from a hospital to have had a negative COVID-19 swab within 24 hours prior to admission and isolating these new residents for at least 72 hours. Residents admitted from the community will be isolated and tested in admission and remain in isolation. All residents will be tested again for COVID-19 on their fourth day after admission.

To limit the number of people coming into the building, all community programs and services are taking place via Zoom web-conferencing or phone.

Residents are permitted two essential visitors within a 24-hour period and all visitors will be screened including temperature and required to wear a medical-grade mask. Currently, each resident may have a total of six essential visitors who can rotate through, two at a time, every 24 hours. This could change at any time.

“We sincerely apologize that due to COVID-19 restrictions and our emphasis on keeping residents and staff safe, our usual open-door policy for visitors is restricted,” Hős says. “For those residents in the last days or hours of their life, Hospice Peterborough will carefully and compassionately consider allowing more essential visitors as well as visiting beyond regular visiting hours.”

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RBC Foundation Grants $10,000 In Support Of YWCA Crossroads Shelter & Nourish Food Programs

A $10,000 donation from RBC Foundation is helping YWCA Peterborough Haliburton address the growing need for gender-based violence supports as well as nutritious food in Peterborough and surrounding area.

“RBC Foundation’s generous donation is helping to ensure that women who experience violence continue to have a safe space to turn for refuge and support at YWCA Crossroads Shelter, while also supporting Nourish’s critical work in providing nutritious food and innovative programming to battle the chronic issue of food insecurity in the Peterborough community,” says Ria Nicholson, Major Gifts Officer with YWCA Peterborough Haliburton’s.

“This year has presented our community with unparalleled challenges, specifically for our most vulnerable, so when we heard about these programs, we knew we had to help,” adds Scott Mancini, Vice-President of Commercial Banking at RBC. “The work being done by the YWCA and their partners is providing support where the need is greatest. We thank these organizations for making our community stronger.”

Scott Mancini, Vice-President, Kawartha Lakeshore Commercial Financial Services, Royal Bank of Canada, and Karalee Murray, Community Manager, Peterborough Lakefield, Royal Bank of Canada, present a $10,000 donation to Ria Nicholson, Major Gifts Officer, YWCA Peterborough Hailburton (Photo courtesy YWCA Peterborough Haliburton)

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Nourish has been working diligently with local agencies to get nutritious food to those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19. Home deliveries of food boxes (both free and subsidized) have fed more than 225 families on a weekly basis since April.

YWCA Crossroads Shelter has remained open and continues to provide essential resources, safety and information around the clock for women and their children in our community. They are currently able to provide shelter for up to 8 families while still allowing for proper physical distancing and other safety protocols such as deep cleaning shared spaces between uses and allowing for an area of isolation should someone become sick.

Members of the community who wish to add their support for YWCA crisis and support services are encouraged to contact the office at 705-743-3526. Those interested in learning more about corporate and community partnership opportunities are asked to contact Ria Nicholson directly at 705-743-3526 x113.

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Provincial Funding To Keep Municipal Transit Safe In City And County Of Peterborough

Dave Smith, MPP for Peterborough-Kawartha, has announced that the province is keeping transit riders and operators safe by providing the City and County of Peterborough with funding to cover additional cleaning costs of municipal transit systems due to COVID-19.

This funding is part of $15 million in provincial support for 110 municipalities across the province towards enhanced transit cleaning as the province gradually reopens. The City of Peterborough will receive $77,481 and the County of Peterborough will receive $29,964.

Photo by Peterborough Transit

Enhanced municipal transit cleaning funding builds upon the recommendations in the recently released safety guidance for public transit agencies and supports safe and reliable transit public transit that will get people moving, reduce congestion, and drive economic growth.

“Municipalities such as the City of Peterborough have had to make changes to how their transit systems operate to reduce crowding and ensure the safety of staff and passengers,” says MPP Dave Smith. “Working in partnership with municipalities is critical if we are to keep our communities clean, safe and healthy. This funding is another necessary step in that direction.”

“Peterborough Transit is adapting to continue to provide public transit service during the pandemic in a way that helps protect the health and wellbeing of customers, employees, and the community,” Mayor Therrien says. “Additional funding from the Province to assist with enhanced cleaning measures will support providing this key service for our community during this time."

“We are very pleased with the investment in Peterborough County through our Community Care specialized transit bus,” adds J. Murray Jones, Warden, Peterborough County. “The investment will support the enhanced cleaning needs in our Caremobiles to ensure rider safety.”

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UPDATE: The Alert Sent Regarding Pickering Nuclear Generating Station Sent In Error

BREAKING: According to Ontario Power Generation, which runs the station, the alert was sent in error.

Important update: the alert regarding #Pickering Nuclear was sent in error. There is no danger to the public or environment.

— Ontario Power Gen (@opg) January 12, 2020

The Pickering Fire Chief confirms to CP24 that the mass alert was sent out erroneously by the Ontario government on Sunday morning, and a retraction alert (see below) went out about 9 a.m.

This updated non-emergency alert was sent out updating the alert…

We have confirmed that there is no emergency or incident at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, and that there is no danger to the public. The emergency alert issued by the Province earlier this morning was sent out in error.

— City of Pickering (@CityofPickering) January 12, 2020

———————————————

ORIGINAL POST…

Many Ontarians woke up to this alert on their phones regarding an incident at the PIckering Nuclear Generating Station in Pickering.

Emergency crews were dispatched to the station to the deal with the unspecified situation.

JUST IN: Province of Ontario says 'an incident was reported' at Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, but 'no abnormal release of radioactivity has been reported.' Emergency crews have been dispatched to the power plant.

— CP24 (@CP24) January 12, 2020

The power plant, run by Ontario Power Generation, has been in service since 1971 and is slated to be decommissioned in 2024, CP24 reports.

“The province said an incident was reported at the station, off of Montgomery Park Road in Pickering, sometime on Sunday and emergency crews are at the power plant,” CP24 reports.

While the alert said no one is in danger, it was disconcerting to Ontarians to wake up to as you can see in this Twitter thread…

Breaking: Incident reported at Pickering Nuclear Generating station. pic.twitter.com/uQbY6GrLtQ

— PTBO_CANADA 🇨🇦 (@Ptbo_Canada) January 12, 2020

CBC reports that Pickering Nuclear Generating Station is one of the largest nuclear generating stations in the world and produces 14 percent of the province's electricity.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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Watch: Great Back To School Road Safety Tips From Peterborough Police's Traffic Sergeant

It's that time of year again, as student and school bus safety becomes paramount.

Peterborough Police want you to have a safe and happy school year ahead, and that includes being extra diligent in school safety zones.

Traffic Sergeant Ryan Wilson

Peterborough Police Traffic Sergeant Ryan Wilson provides great back-to-school tips for motorists with you in this video he filmed with us.

Watch it (and share) on Facebook here…

Or Twitter here…

PSA: Please share this great advice, tips and info regarding students and school bus safety from @PtboPolice Traffic Sergeant Ryan Wilson. pic.twitter.com/NPRPWV2MZQ

— PTBO_CANADA 🇨🇦 (@Ptbo_Canada) August 28, 2019

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City Of Peterborough Issues Release Regarding Weather Forecast & Wellbeing Of Those Living In Tent City

The City of Peterborough, which is looking for a new space for overflow shelter beds in the city, has issued a release regarding the 7-day forecast as concern grows for the wellbeing of those living in the Tent City at Victoria Park.

“The 7-day forecast includes a strong probability of thunderstorms and extreme heat,” the media release says. “A very large branch recently fell close to tents in Victoria Park. With the number of large trees in Victoria Park, it, along with any City park, can be unsafe during a thunderstorm. For your own safety, we urge those who have alternative places to go that are indoors to please move to alternative shelter.”

The City is asking people not to camp in the park. “If you are homeless, check with emergency shelters (Brock Mission, Cameron House and YES) daily as bed availability changes every day and talk to our outreach workers who are committed to assisting you in accessing alternative shelter.”

While emergency shelters and overflow shelter beds are currently needed, the City recognizes that:

• Housing first is the goal rather than people living in shelters

• Living in a tent is not a safe and stable option for you

• Living in a tent does not provide you with the access to the services and supports that we want everyone in our community to be able to access

• Public spaces are shared by the entire community.

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Pilots Spot Drones In Close Proximity To Aircraft At Peterborough Airport

Twice last week at the Peterborough Airport, drones were spotted by pilots in close proximity to aircraft while they were flying around the airport, according to Peterborough Police.

“This is a concern for the safety of the aircraft and the safety of the pilots,” says Lisa Davidson, Peterborough Airport Manager. “If a drone is struck in flight, resulting in a mid-air collision, it could cause the pilot to lose control of the aircraft, or seriously damage the plane causing an emergency situation.”

“The safety at the airport is jeopardized every time a person operates a drone, disregarding the rules that allow both planes and drones to operate safely,” adds Davidson. “Drones are not allowed to be operated within 5.6 km of an airport.”

The drone was spotted at approximately 1000′ above the ground both times it was spotted and was operating dangerously close to aircraft flying in the circuit.

“In one instance the drone was noted to be black and orange in colour with flashing lights, which shows how close the drone was to the pilot in that case,” says Davidson. In both instances, Peterborough Police were called and responded to the airport to assist with trying to find the location of the drone operator.

“Flying drones in close proximity to an airport and other aircraft is extremely dangerous, irresponsible and illegal,” says Inspector John Lyons, Operations Division, Peterborough Police Service.

“We encourage anyone with information regarding persons engaged in this behaviour to contact police or Crime Stoppers,” adds Lyons.

Transport Canada states that drones are aircraft—which makes the person operating the drone a pilot. When flying the drone, you’re sharing the skies with other drones and aircraft. Before flying, the public needs to understand the rules. For more information on drone safety, click here.

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