OTTAWA — The federal government has temporarily expanded eligibility for two COVID-19 benefit programs to aid those affected by measures imposed in response to the spread of the Omicron variant. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement Wednesday as provinces tighten restrictions on businesses in response to a countrywide surge of COVID-19 cases. “We’re going…
Category: Community News
Toronto opens thousands of vaccination slots over holiday weekend
Clinics will be open December 25, 26 and 27 The City of Toronto is opening thousands of appointment slots for COVID-19 vaccine clinics on December 25, 26 and 27. The city said that as of Tuesday morning, just over 6,660 new appointments for the holiday weekend were added to the province’s vaccine booking system. “Team Toronto is…
Public Health didn’t keep track of travellers in quarantine hotels
Politics Insider for Dec 10, 2021: Public health flubs; Canada is taking the back seat in Ukraine; and Marc Miller takes a stand against Bill 21 A report from the auditor general on Thursday revealed that the Public Health Agency of Canada struggled to keep track of whether travellers ordered to stay in quarantine hotels…
ONA Petition: To Support Newmarket Nurses
Ontario nurses need your support and solidarity as they fight to protect quality patient care. This petition calls for a number of specific measures to be taken at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, where ICU nurses have been and continue to work in desperately understaffed conditions. As this is a hard-copy petition, please consider…
With rules constantly changing due to COVID-19, travel is as stressful as ever. Here’s how to cope
When John Clark and his family boarded an Air Transat flight to England at the end of October, it was their first time on a plane in more than two years. Because of COVID-19 they had decided to postpone their vacation until it was safer to travel and, by this fall, they finally felt comfortable….
Everything you need to know about where to get a rapid COVID-19 test kit in Ontario
While Ontarians prepare for another pandemic holiday — this time with the uber-contagious Omicron variant hastily spreading across the province — the race for the RATs (rapid antigen tests) is on. To help curb transmission and “provide an additional layer of protection” the government has begun distributing the rapid tests at high-traffic locations including malls,…
Scramble for boosters for Ontarians over 18 leaves many out of luck
By 3 p.m., around 186,000 appointments had been booked through the provincial booking system, but some people had to book in February or find nothing in their areas. Ontarians eager to book their booster shots on Monday morning were disappointed, as a surge in demand for a third COVID-19 vaccine forced local public health units to temporarily…
‘Pharmacies are bearing the brunt’: Drug stores scramble to meet overwhelming COVID-19 booster demand
More than one million people in Toronto alone were allowed to begin booking third dose appointments Monday and drug stores play a key role. With eligibility expanded Monday to those 18 years and older, Ontario’s pharmacies are scrambling to meet the surge in demand for third doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. At his Kingston Road…
Ontarians cancelling plans, hunkering down for the holidays: poll
A new study by Forum Research provided exclusively to the Star suggests Omicron is forcing families to pare down festive gatherings. Cancelling flights, paring down gatherings and wrangling rapid tests and booster shots have become the new hallmarks of the 2021 holiday season as the highly contagious Omicron variant has led to an explosion of…
Surge in COVID-19 tests across Ontario delaying other medical test results
At least 2 hospitals have reported delays processing cancer tests, head of lab workers’ association says An increase in demand for COVID-19 tests is stretching laboratories thin across Ontario and delaying the processing of other important medical tests. Michelle Hoad, CEO of the Medical Laboratory Professionals’ Association of Ontario, said at least two hospitals have reported delays in cancer test results…