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Health Minister Christine Elliott

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Stay Tuned For Restriction Lifting Announcement…

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Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health and the Minister of Health are teasing the easing of restrictions this week.

In an update on hospital numbers Wednesday, Dr. Kieran Moore would only say that the plan would be phased, gradual and based on data.

“We’re monitoring all pediatric admissions to hospital as well as any pediatric admissions to the intensive care unit, we’re tracking that very closely,” “We’re also looking at PCR test positivity in children to have a key metric of any increased transmission risks within the school settings. We’ll be informing government of any trends in the coming days to enable them to make an informed decision on the reopening of Ontario.”

60 more people have died due to COVID-19 in Ontario, which Moore stressed are due to the Delta variant.

4,132 people are being treated in hospitals with 589 of those patients in the Intensive Care Unit.

The province put in restrictions similar to those in Step 2 of the Roadmap to Reopen on January 5th.

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January 5th Back To School

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Delaying the start to in-person learning in 2022.

Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore announced Thursday that the start of the 2022 calendar will be on Wednesday, January 5th.

Moore said the province put the two day delay in to allow time to deploy additional safety measures, including non-fit-tested N95 masks for staff in schools and licensed child care settings in addition to a supply of high-quality three-ply cloth masks.

School boards will also get an additional 3,000 standalone HEPA filter units.

Only low-contact indoor sports and safe extra-curricular activities will be permitted when schools return.

Capacity Limits

The province is also further restricting capacity limits to indoor areas of the following setting as of 12:01 a.m. Friday, December 31st:

  • Spectator areas of facilities used for sports and recreational fitness activities (e.g., sporting events)
  • Concert venues
  • Theatres

Testing, Isolation Requirements

Ontario will also only provide publicly-funded polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for high-risk individuals who are symptomatic and/or are at risk of severe illness from COVID-19, including for the purposes of confirming a COVID-19 diagnosis to begin treatment, and workers and residents in the highest risk settings, as well as vulnerable populations.

Those who have a positive result from a rapid antigen test will no longer be required or encouraged to get a confirmatory PCR or rapid molecular test.

Individuals with COVID-19 who are vaccinated, as well as children under 12, will be required to isolate for five days following the onset of symptoms. Their household contacts are also required to isolate with them. These individuals can end isolation after five days if their symptoms are improved for at least 24 hours and all public health and safety measures, such as masking and physical distancing, are followed. Non-household contacts are required to self-monitor for ten days.

Individuals who are unvaccinated, partially vaccinated or immunocompromised will be required to isolate for 10 days.

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Ontario Rolls Out Flu Shot Campaign

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Ontario is getting ready for one of the largest flu shot campaigns in its history.

Health Minister Christine Elliott says they have spent 89 million dollars to purchase the flu vaccine.

“This year we have purchased over 7.6 million doses of the flu vaccine which is 1.4 million more doses than last year,” states Elliott.

She adds the flu vaccine is compatible with another vaccine they have rolled out.

“I would also like to note that the National Advisory Committee on Immunization or NASI has recommended that the COVID-19 vaccines may be given at the same time as the flu vaccine.”

Elliott is encouraging anyone who hasn’t had a first or second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, do so with their flu shot.

She confirms that residents in long-term care homes have already been vaccinated and everyone else will be able to get a flu shot starting next month.

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NWHU Active COVID Cases Drop Over Weekend

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The Northwestern Health Unit says there is one new case of COVID-19 in the region since their last update on Friday morning.

It’s one of the five total active cases within their catchment area and comes from the Rainy River district.

All of the active cases, including one hospitalization, are currently in the Rainy River health hub.

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kit Young Hoon says the health unit is continuing to monitor the COVID-19 situation in the Emo area, following an outbreak at Sturgeon Creek Alternative Program and SonShine Christian Kindergarten.

The regional health authority tells us that they’ve now administered 125,255 doses of vaccine to date.

“Our vaccination coverage rate is getting higher,” says Dr. Kit Young Hoon. “Of those in our region aged 12 and older 87.5 per-cent have had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while nearly 81 per-cent have had two doses. We do continue to offer COVID-19 vaccine appointments in many of our communities.”

Dr. Young Hoon stresses it’s important that anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 gets tested, even if the symptom is mild.

Provincially, the number for one dose is 87.1 per-cent while the two-dose rate sits at 82.4 per-cent.

To the east, the Thunder Bay District Health Unit is also reporting one new case.

Christine Elliott, Ontario’s Health Minister, says there are 390 new cases Monday across Ontario. Just under 67 per-cent of those (260) are people who are either not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccine status.

(With Files From Sarah McCarthy)