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Canada bringing back mandatory random COVID-19 testing for international travellers

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The federal government is bringing back mandatory random COVID-19 testing for travellers who arrive in Canada by plane.

It will apply to those who are fully vaccinated and passing through four major Canadian airports starting next Tuesday.

The airports are in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, and Toronto.

However, the testing will be carried out at nearby locations instead of at the airports directly.

Travellers can head to pharmacies or book a virtual self-swab appointment.

The initiative was paused in June after airport officials called on the government to drop the program due to lengthy delays.

Government says it remains a vital tool for tracking the virus and identifying new variants.

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Detailed Cellphone Data Used To Track Canadians During The Pandemic

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It seems that big brother really is always watching.

Peoples travel habits were tracked, in detail, by their phones during the past two years of the pandemic.

Trips to grocery stores, liquor stores, pharmacies and other locations were monitored by third parties and shared with a Toronto based company called BlueDot.

What is BlueDot? Via their website and LinkedIN page;

…Using artificial and human intelligence, BlueDot’s outbreak risk platform tracks over 150 infectious diseases globally in 65 languages, around the clock and anticipates their spread and impact. They empower national and international health agencies, hospitals, and businesses to better anticipate, and respond to, emerging threats.

BlueDot was among the first in the world to identify the emerging risk from, and publish a scientific paper on, COVID-19, and delivers regular critical Insights to its partners and customers worldwide to mobilize timely, effective, efficient, coordinated, and measured responses.

BlueDot was founded in 2013 by Dr. Kamran Khan, a practicing infectious disease physician, and Professor of Medicine with the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Toronto. Motivated by his experiences as a frontline healthcare worker during the 2003 Toronto SARS outbreak, Dr. Khan has been studying the outbreak of infectious diseases over the past 15 years to lay the scientific foundation for BlueDot’s early warning system.

Public Health Agency of Canada received data, with redacted personal information, that mapped the travels of individuals and movement habits over the course of the last two years of living with COVID-19.

An ethic committee within parliament received a similar report, as it is looking into cellphone data and how it’s used at Public Health.

This data was used to see how long people were travelling in and away from their neighbourhoods, even over specific time periods (like the Christmas holidays or long weekends) as well as logging specific locations and how many visits that location received.

On May 4, 2022, the ethics committee decided that Canadians should be aware if the federal agency is collecting data and provide an option to opt out.

Canada had originally announced the partnership with BlueDot in March 2020, a timeline of the key events can be read here.

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Federal Green Party Leader Steps Down

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Annamie Paul has stepped down as leader of the Green Party of Canada.

Speaking Monday morning in Toronto, Paul told reporters that with a leadership review looming she won’t spend any more time playing politics.

“I just will not spend any more time focused on political games as opposed to public policy,” says Paul, “Which is what I entered politics for in the first place, particularly at a time when it is so needed.”

She says that with what she calls a struggle for the soul of the party going on, she just doesn’t have the heart to continue.

“I just asked myself whether this is something I wanted to continue. Whether I was willing to continue to put up with the attacks I knew would be coming, whether to continue having to fight and struggle just to fulfil my democratically-elected role as leader of this party.”

Paul tells us that she knew it would be an uphill battle as leader from the moment she took on the role.

“When I was elected and put in this role I was breaking a glass ceiling. What I didn’t realize at the time was that I was breaking a glass ceiling that was going to fall on my head and leave a lot of shards of glass that I was going to have to crawl over throughout my time as leader.”

She explains that she knew the pressure was there on Election Day even hours before the polls closed.

“On the day of the election itself, in the morning, the only email that I received from our council…the president of our council…was an email calling for an emergency meeting to launch a leadership review.”

On election night Paul finished third in her riding of Toronto Centre.

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Christopher Plummer Dead At 91

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A Canadian Oscar-winning actor has died at the age of 91.

Christopher Plummer’s wife Elaine confirmed her husband’s passing peacefully just two weeks after suffering a fall in their Connecticut home.

The Toronto born actor won an Academy Award for his performance in the 2010 film Beginners, which made him the oldest-ever Oscar winner in an acting category.

He is survived by his third wife Elaine and daughter, actress Amanda Plummer.

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Region To Enter Phase 3 Of Re-Opening Friday

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Northwestern Ontario is included in the regions that will be included in Phase 3 of re-opening.

Premier Doug Ford announced 24 regions would be allowed to go to the next phase of opening the economy as of this Friday, July 17th at 12:01 am.

He says that includes most businesses that have been closed like dine-in restaurants, bars, gyms and fitness centres, most personal care services, live shows, performing arts and movie theatres.

As well, casinos, recreation facilities and activities, teams sports and live sporting events and tour and guide services can also open.

Ford says they will also increase the number of people allowed to gather.

“This will mean expanding the limits on public gatherings in regions as they enter stage three. The new limits will allow up to 100 people to gather outdoors and up to 50 people indoors,” Ford explains.

He says at all times in these gatherings, people will have to abide by physical distancing regulations if you aren’t in your social circle.

Ford says in Stage 3 nearly all businesses and public spaces will be able to open their doors safely.

Regions that won’t be affected are Toronto, Halton, York Region, Peel Region, Haldimand-Norfolk, Durham Region, Niagara, Windsor-Essex Lambton and Hamilton.

He adds that they will hold a press conference each Monday to announce which regions will be allowed to go to Phase 3.

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Toronto & Peel Region Reopen Wednesday

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Premier Doug Ford is finally making Toronto residents dreams come true.

He announced Toronto and the Peel region enter the second stage of reopening businesses.

However, the Windsor-Essex area won’t be able to join the rest of southern Ontario in easing COVID-19 restrictions.

“We have been working hand-in-hand with our municipal partners and local public health units to safely and gradually reopen the province. We will do everything we can to get our final region, Windsor-Essex, into Stage 2 as soon as possible. That’s why we are ramping up testing and inspections on Ontario’s farms to protect workers and keep our food supply chains strong and healthy,” Ford said.

Ford said unfortunately the COVID-19 improvements he has seen in other areas of Ontario, haven’t been seen in Windsor-Essex.

“Because of our collective efforts, we continue to make real and significant progress in stopping the spread of COVID-19,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “As a result, more regions have met the public health criteria to move into Stage 2 and reopen more services for the communities to enjoy. Just as importantly, these efforts to stop the spread have ensured that we aren’t seeing spikes in cases in those regions that have been open for well over a week now.”

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OPP In Dryden Seize Unmarked Cigarettes

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Provincial Police in Dryden have seized more illegal tobacco.

OPP stopped a vehicle on Highway 17 in Eton Township Monday afternoon for a Highway Traffic Act violation.

Officers found 135 cases of unmarked cigarettes worth an estimated $540,000.

Police say 60-year-old Jesus Martinez Aguilar of Toronto faces a total of three charges.

-Trafficking in Contraband Tobacco contrary to section 121.1
-Possess unmarked cigarettes for sale contrary to section 29(1)
-Possess unmarked cigarettes contrary to section 29(2)

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Ottawa Working To Acquire Masks, Ventilators

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The Federal Government is doing all it can to make sure our front-line workers are protected as they fight COVID-19.

The Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Anita Anand, explains that Public Services and Procurement Canada is aggressively buying in bulk from all available suppliers.

“To date, we have ordered millions of swabs, gloves, masks and other vital equipment,” says Anand, “…and have managed to secure more than 157 million surgical masks.”

She goes on to explain that those aren’t the only masks they’ve ordered.

“We have also ordered more than 60 million N95 masks, a key piece of protection for health care workers,” she adds.

When it comes to ventilators, Anand says that like the masks they are on their way.

“We have a significant order through Thornhill Medical in Toronto that’s part of the 1,570 ventilators already ordered. We’re also working on securing an additional 4,000 ventilators, and quite possibly even more,” Anand explains.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced earlier today that Canada has set aside $2 billion to buy personal protective equipment for front-line health care worker

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Bombardier In Thunder Bay Hoping For New Contract

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There is some optimism the Bombardier plant in Thunder Bay could be chosen to build an additional 60 streetcars for the Toronto Transit Commission.

Union official Dominic Pasqualino made a pitch to Toronto City Council on Tuesday.

Pasqualino says his message was well received, even my Mayor John Tory.

He says it’s important to have everyone at the table, including the provincial and federal governments.

Pasqualino believes the streetcars are needed immediately and the regional plant can get it done at the best price.

He says the TTC is expected to discuss the issue at a meeting on Monday.

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Regional Concerns To Be Presented In Toronto

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Policing, transportation, winter road maintenance, forestry and equal funding across the province will be discussed between municipal leaders and the government starting on Sunday.

Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association President Wendy Landry says they will be pressing the needs of our region at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference in Toronto.

“We have to educate the people in the southern part of the province, in that what works for them doesn’t work for areas in the north, one size does not fit all.”

She adds they know the province hears their concerns, noting it’s all about presenting solutions and not whining.

At the three day conference, NOMA plans to make more requests for northern Ontario police funding.

Landry says while the government knows money is needed, the funding still hasn’t come.

“A lot of our municipalities in the NOMA district are seeing an increase in policing costs. And I believe out of the ten top communities that have the highest policing costs in Ontario, six of them are in northwestern Ontario.”

Landry says they’ll be asking officials why money is not coming despite many requests.

Snow plowing concerns in northern Ontario is another concern.

“Our highway maintenance crews are not paid a lot of money to clear our highways. So if you’re offered a job at mine at a much higher wage, why would you take a job clearing highways?”

Landry adds funding is needed to make the job more appealing, considering the hours and hazards of the profession.

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