August 5 Office of the Mayor and Council Update |
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3rd day in a row with fewer than 100 cases in Ontario |
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We have come a long way from having high COVID-19 case numbers this spring in Ontario to having less than 100 cases province-wide for a third day in a row this week. Today the Federal Government announced agreements to secure millions of doses of potential COVID-19 vaccines.
Our local Oakville MP and Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand struck the right tone in managing expectations in her press conference: "These vaccine candidates are very promising and we all look forward to the day when restrictions can be lifted entirely. However there is more work to do. Any potential vaccine candidate will take time to develop, properly test, mass manufacture and distribute."
The vaccines that were mentioned in the Federal government announcement are currently in Phase 3 of the clinical trial process. And as Minister Anand stated, it will “take time” for the vaccine to reach the distribution stage in Canada. In the interim we can continue to build on the progress we have made during the pandemic by following follow public health guidelines and the three Cs of COVID-caution: avoid closed spaces, crowded places and close-contact settings.
Please scroll to the end of this email for the updated pandemic timeline.
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Items in this update:
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COVID case counts
- Canada inks deals with Pfizer, Moderna for coronavirus vaccine candidates
- Health Canada expands list of recalled hand sanitizers to more than 45 products
- Canada to release mask guidelines for children, recommend them for kids aged 10+
Oakville and Halton
- Town of Oakville to gradually reopen fitness centres
- Region of Halton - Halton Region is offering printed mask posters
Provincial Government announcements
- Ontario Supporting Non-Profits as Province Recovers from COVID-19
Government of Canada announcements
- Government of Canada announces major steps in treating and preventing COVID-19 through vaccines and therapies
- Infrastructure program expands to support COVID-19 community resilience
National News
- Canadian company urges human trials after COVID-19 vaccine in mice blocked virus
- Families will need to re-evaluate their social bubbles once the kids go back to school
International News
- Australia's Queensland shuts state border to stem COVID-19 second wave
- Coronavirus: UK made serious mistake over border policy, say MPs
In related news
- Another cruise ship in Norway stalled over virus cases
- How scientists aim to make a safe COVID-19 vaccine in record time
- Northern B.C. border town pushes for international bubble with Alaskan neighbours
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Oakville Town Council represents seven wards with a Town and Regional and Town Councillor in each riding.
Find and connect with your Councillor by clicking the link below.
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Confirmed cases in Halton increased by +3 from 828 to 831 with +1 new confirmed case in Oakville, from 272 to 273.
There is currently 1 COVID-19 patients being cared for at OTMH and 6 active cases in Oakville.
There were 0 reported recoveries in Oakville, total remains at 292 and +2 recoveries in Halton Region, from 869 to 871.
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In Ontario there are 86 new cases today, bringing the total to 39,714, 35,747 of which are resolved. There have been 2,782 deaths in the province. Currently there are 66 COVID patients in Ontario hospitals, 30 of whom are in ICU with 15 of those on a ventilator.
There are 118,913 confirmed cases in Canada as of today with 104,058 resolved and 8,986 deaths.
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COVID-19 deaths per million |
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Canada inks deals with Pfizer, Moderna for coronavirus vaccine candidates |
The federal government has entered two agreements to secure millions of doses of potential COVID-19 vaccines.
Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand announced that Ottawa has signed deals with the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and biotechnology firm Moderna. Pfizer will supply its BNT162 mRNA-based vaccine candidate, while Moderna will provide its mRNA-1273 vaccine candidate.
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Health Canada expands list of recalled hand sanitizers to more than 45 products |
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The agency first announced recalls of some hand sanitizer products on June 6 due to the presence of industrial-grade ethanol or denaturants that are not acceptable ingredients for use in hand sanitizers in Canada.
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Canada to release mask guidelines for children, recommend them for kids aged 10+ |
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Federal and Ontario privacy commissioners have concluded their review of the country’s new COVID-19 exposure notification app and say they support its use following initial privacy and security concerns.
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Town of Oakville announcements |
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Town of Oakville to gradually reopen fitness centres |
Workouts must be pre-booked to ensure health guidelines are met
With Halton now in Stage 3 of Ontario’s Framework for Reopening the Province, the Town of Oakville is gradually reopening fitness centres for workout sessions by appointment only, starting with Glen Abbey and Iroquois Ridge on Friday, August 7. Trafalgar Park will reopen Monday, August 24, and Queen Elizabeth Park and River Oaks will reopen Tuesday, September 8.
“We recognize how eager residents are to get active again and we’re excited to welcome you back into our fitness centres,” said Mayor Rob Burton. “Enhanced safety measures will be in place to ensure the well-being of our residents and staff. All fitness centre users must follow our new guidelines, which includes successfully passing our COVID-19 screening process before entering the facility.”
As of Wednesday, August 5, workout sessions can be pre-booked up to one-week in advance at active.oakville.ca. Spaces for the 60 or 90 minute sessions are very limited to comply with safety guidelines and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Individual admission for a workout session is $7.90 + tax for seniors and youth, and $9.90 + tax for adults and must be pre-paid online. In-person drop-ins, cash payments and complimentary passes are not accepted at this time.
Monthly fitness memberships will be available for purchase in mid-August for a September 8 start. All previous fitness memberships were cancelled with prorated refunds backdated to March 13, 2020. Please call 905-815-2000 for membership inquiries or support with alternate payment options.
The number of people allowed to workout at each fitness centre will depend on the capacity of the facility to maintain safe distancing. Participants are reminded to follow proper health precautions, including the use of a non-medical mask or face covering, use of hand sanitizer to clean hands frequently, practice physical distancing, and to stay home if feeling unwell.
In line with Halton Region’s mandatory mask by-law, participants are required to wear a mask when in common areas such as entering or exiting the building, walking to and from the fitness facility, or using the washroom facilities. Masks are not required when participants are actively working out, but can be worn if the participant chooses to.
Fitness centre users are encouraged to review the detailed Fitness Centre FAQs to ensure they are aware of the health and safety protocols in place, and to assess their comfort levels before pre-booking a workout time.
The town plans to offer group fitness drop-in programming and personal training sessions in the near future. Additional reopening plans will be shared with the public in the coming weeks.
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Halton Region is offering printed mask posters |
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Halton Region is offering printed mask posters to ensure COVID-19 public health measures are posted in businesses.
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Region of Halton looking for feedback
on Regional Official Plan
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The Region is seeking community feedback by September 28, 2020, in two ways:
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Take the general questionnaire: Provide high-level feedback on theme areas relating to the Regional Official Plan.
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Complete the technical questionnaire: Provide detailed feedback on theme areas relating to the Regional Official Plan. The technical questionnaire contains questions on each of the five discussion papers. It is designed to enable participants to only answer those questions for which they have an interest.
You can access the Regional Official Plan discussion papers and other related information on the Regional Official Plan Review at:
LPS52-20 - Regional Official Plan Review - Natural Heritage Discussion Paper
LPS53-20 - Regional Official Plan Review - Rural and Agricultural System Discussion Paper
LPS54-20 - Regional Official Plan Review - Climate Change Discussion Paper
LPS55-20 - Regional Official Plan Review - North Aldershot Planning Area Discussion Paper
LPS56-20 - Regional Official Plan Review - Regional Urban Structure Discussion Paper
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Provincial Government announcements |
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Ontario Supporting Non-Profits as Province Recovers from COVID-19 |
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The Ontario government is investing $83 million through the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) to provide grants to help eligible non-profit organizations, including food banks, child and youth programs and Royal Canadian Legion branches, recover from COVID-19 and continue the delivery of vital programming in their communities.
The announcement was made today by Premier Doug Ford and Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries.
"I am proud of the hundreds of volunteer organizations and thousands of volunteers who have stepped up over the last few months and shown the Ontario spirit in caring for others through these difficult times," said Premier Ford. "Our local non-profits, including our local Legion branches and food banks, are the bedrock of our communities and their work will be absolutely critical in helping people to rebuild their lives as we restart our economy and reopen the province."
The OTF's Resilient Communities Fund will provide grants of up to $150,000 to help eligible non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19 with support for:
- Equipping board members and employees with supports to implement new approaches, prepare for change and build resiliency (e.g. organizational training and coaching, strategic planning and implementation, research & development, mental and physical health and wellbeing supports);
- Improving and increasing ability to access financial resources and develop new and/or alternative sources of revenues (e.g. develop fundraising plans, identify fundraising and financial technology resources, seek opportunities for public-private partnerships and social finance);
- Adapting or re-imagining the delivery of programs and services to meet the needs of the community, employees and volunteers (e.g. identify new health and safety processes and required personal protective equipment, technology supports, staffing and volunteer recruitment and training);
- Procuring equipment or renovating spaces to meet the changing needs of the organization, its programs and services, and adapt to new ways of working (e.g. equipment and/or renovations to meet changing technology health and safety, and service delivery requirements); and
- Creating and/or adopting new approaches for organizations to work together to meet the needs of communities (e.g. peer learning, professional development, networking, resource, knowledge and data sharing).
"The Resilient Communities Fund is a tremendous example of the innovation and flexibility of Ontario agencies," said Minister MacLeod. "While we work towards the province's economic and social recovery, we're proud to support programs like the OTF Resilient Communities Fund that are making a positive contribution in communities across Ontario."
"Due to the significant impacts of COVID-19 on the non-profit sector, the Ontario Trillium Foundation saw an opportunity to respond to the needs of non-profit organizations that have been struggling to deliver their programs and services," said Katharine Bambrick, CEO of the Ontario Trillium Foundation. "The Resilient Communities Fund will support the recovery and rebuilding of non-profits and help them as they return to building healthy and vibrant communities."
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Government of Canada announces major steps in treating and preventing COVID-19 through vaccines and therapies |
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The Government of Canada is aggressively pursuing the purchase and development of COVID-19 vaccines, treatments and related supplies to protect Canadians and is working to strengthen Canada's biomanufacturing sector. This includes engaging with international and domestic scientists and with businesses and manufacturers that are stepping up to fight COVID-19. The Government of Canada is investing in projects that will position Canada at the forefront of the global race to find a treatment and a vaccine for COVID-19, while building domestic capabilities to fight future pandemics.
The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry (ISED), and the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Public Services and Procurement (PSPC), today announced several measures being taken by the Government of Canada to secure a future supply of COVID-19 vaccine and therapies.
Minister Bains unveiled the members of the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, who are advising the Government on how best to support vaccine research in Canada and help ensure Canadian leadership in vaccine development, related bio-manufacturing and international partnerships to secure access for Canadians to safe and effective products.
The Vaccine Task Force includes vaccine and immunology experts, as well as industry leaders with a proven ability in developing and commercializing vaccines. The co-chairs are Joanne Langley, Head of Infectious Diseases at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax and Professor in the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology at Dalhousie University, and J. Mark Lievonen, former President of Sanofi Pasteur Limited in Canada.
Task Force members have reviewed vaccine and bio-manufacturing applications from domestic candidates for which it has provided advice to the ministers of ISED and Health on the most promising options aimed at providing Canadians with safe, effective vaccines as soon as possible, as well as a robust manufacturing sector to increase secure access to vaccine production. The Task Force has also provided scientific and technical advice to the government on a portfolio of leading international vaccine candidates.
Minister Anand announced that, following the careful review and recommendation of the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, the Government of Canada has entered into two agreements with Pfizer and Moderna to secure millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccine candidates. Pfizer will supply its BNT162 mRNA-based vaccine candidate, while Moderna will provide its mRNA-1273 vaccine candidate. All potential vaccines will require Health Canada regulatory approval prior to being used to vaccinate Canadians. Active negotiations with other potential vaccine suppliers are also under way.
The Government is negotiating and signing agreements with a number of leading pharmaceutical companies to establish a guaranteed supply base of potential vaccine candidates.
PSPC is also procuring the equipment and supplies that will be needed to perform the final manufacturing and packaging stages of vaccine production in Canada, as well as the materials needed to support safe, efficient immunization such as syringes, needles, alcohol swabs and other supplies.
In addition, following the recommendation of the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, Minister Bains announced an investment of up to $56 million to support clinical trials for a COVID-related vaccine candidate from Variation Biotechnologies Inc. (VBI) through the Strategic Innovation Fund. VBI's project is in direct response to the global fight against COVID-19 and contributes to Canada's ability to secure an effective vaccine. This investment is funded from the Government's $600 million to support COVID-19–related vaccine and therapy clinical trials led by the private sector and to support Canadian bio-manufacturing opportunities. Other projects are still under consideration.
Minister Bains also announced the members of the COVID-19 Therapeutics Task Force. The Therapeutics Task Force is providing expert advice to the Government on the development of COVID-19 treatments, including how best to prioritize financial support for promising COVID-19 treatment projects. The Task Force includes experts drawn from research and industry who have a proven ability to develop and bring new therapies to market in Canada. The Therapeutics Task Force is co-chaired by Nancy Harrison, Director and Past Chair of LifeSciences BC, and Cédric Bisson, Partner at Teralys Capital.
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Infrastructure program expands to support COVID-19 community resilience |
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Canada’s communities are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic and need immediate assistance to make their public infrastructure safe for use during the pandemic.
Today, the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, is announcing new steps to help provinces and territories deal with the pressures brought on by the COVID-19 health and economic crisis.
The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program is being adjusted so that provinces and territories can use federal funding to act quickly on a wider range of more pandemic-resilient infrastructure projects. Whether retrofitting schools to allow kids to go to school safely, upgrading hospitals and long-term care homes to deal with social distancing requirements, building new parks, cycling and walking paths to help Canadians get access to nature to stay healthy, active and safe, or disaster mitigation projects that protect against floods and fires, these changes will help get more projects underway faster, and support longer-term goals of sustainable, economically healthy, low-carbon, and inclusive communities.
Under a new COVID-19 Resilience funding stream worth up to $3.3 billion, projects will be eligible for a significantly larger federal cost share – up to 80 per cent for provinces, municipalities and not-for-profit organizations in provinces, and raising it to 100 per cent for territorial and Indigenous projects designated under the new stream. A simplified funding application process will ensure that projects can get underway as soon as possible, and accelerated approvals will ensure that provinces and territories can address pressing needs in a timely manner.
For projects that can start in the near-term, eligibility criteria in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program’s other existing streams have also been expanded. For example, mobile phone and cellular projects are now eligible under the Rural and Northern Infrastructure stream, and inter-city transit projects are now eligible.
These immediate adjustments to existing programming follow discussions with provinces, territories, municipalities and Indigenous communities. The changes are designed as short-term measures to address the current situation while we continue to work towards the long-term infrastructure objectives, including better public transit, more high-speed broadband, wastewater infrastructure and clean energy projects.
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Canadian company urges human trials after COVID-19 vaccine in mice blocked virus |
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A Canadian company is telling the government on Wednesday that its trials of a potential COVID-19 vaccine on animals completely blocked the virus, but it must conduct human trials to know whether it has found a possible cure for the pandemic.
And a leading health-care expert says the findings are promising even though they haven’t been peer-reviewed.
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Families will need to re-evaluate their social bubbles once the kids go back to school |
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Months after welcoming friends and family members, including grandparents, back into your social bubble, experts say you may have to reconsider who your children have close contact with once they go back to school.
Despite falling infection rates and ongoing discussions about how to make the return to class safe for both students and teachers, health experts warn that reintroducing kids to group environments during a pandemic will come with inherent risks.
“People have taken tremendous care to form their social bubbles, and that involved a lot of careful conversation and shared decision making which resulted in a mutual understanding of who everyone was and what their individual risk hazards were,” infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch told CTVNews.ca by phone Wednesday.
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Australia's Queensland shuts state border to stem COVID-19 second wave |
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Australia’s Queensland state on Wednesday said it would close its border with New South Wales state to hold back a second wave of COVID-19, while the country’s second-largest city Melbourne was set to shut most businesses from midnight.
A surge in coronavirus cases in Melbourne has forced the state of Victoria to impose a night curfew, tighten restrictions on people’s movements and order most businesses to stop trading from Wednesday night.
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UK made serious mistake over border policy, say MPs |
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The spread of coronavirus in the UK could have been slowed with earlier quarantine restrictions on arrivals, a group of MPs has said.
The Home Affairs committee said a lack of border measures earlier in the pandemic was a "serious mistake". It added ministers had underestimated the threat of importing the virus from Europe as opposed to Asia.
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In other COVID-related news: |
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Another cruise ship in Norway stalled over virus case
A cruise ship carrying more than 200 people docked in a Norwegian harbor Wednesday and ordered to keep everyone on board after a passenger from a previous trip tested positive for the coronavirus upon returning home to Denmark.
How scientists aim to make a safe COVID-19 vaccine in record time
Vaccine development normally takes years, if not decades. But scientific teams around the world are aiming to develop a COVID-19 vaccine in 12 to 18 months.
Northern B.C. border town pushes for international bubble with Alaskan neighbours
Residents of a small B.C. border town want permission to share a bubble with their Alaskan neighbours during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beamsville company Clean Works receives $2M from province to expand production of sanitizing device
Ford visited the facility Tuesday with Vic Fedeli, minister of economic development, job creation and trade, to announce a provincial investment of $2 million in Ontario Together funding to help the company invest in new equipment to increase the production of its Clean Flow Health Care Mini devices that eliminate 99.99 per cent of pathogens and viruses on surfaces.
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If you are interested, please register here.
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Sign the CN intermodal e-Petition now |
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This e-Petition is a collaborative effort between Milton RAIL, Milton Says No and Halton Region, to serve as the response from Halton residents during this last, vital public consultation period in the environmental assessment process.
The Review Panel Report states that the Project (CN intermodal terminal AKA Milton Logistics Hub) is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects on human health caused by air quality.
The Federal Government can still determine that the environmental effects to human health - 1,600 transport trucks on the roads every day plus the operation of a dangerous industrial facility - are justified. This would be set a devastating precedent for Canadian municipalities.
This petition is meant to ensure the Federal Government understands that significant adverse effects to human health cannot be justified.
Instructions:
1. Sign the petition
- There is no minimum age to sign
- Every signature, however, must have a unique email address (an email address may only be used once on the petition).
2. Watch for an email from the House of Commons! You must verify and confirm your signature, it will not count unless you complete this step.
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Food Banks experiencing record demand |
Oakville's food banks are in record-breaking demand. If you can donate anything, please do. Your help is needed.
Kerr Street Mission: 905-845-7485 or donate online at kerrstreet.com
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Oakville Meals on Wheels continues to operate
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Oakville Meals on Wheels continues to operate under increased safety measures.
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Call the COVID-19 hotline |
For the duration of the pandemic, if a member of the public wishes to report an incident of non-compliance with the emergency orders, they may contact the Halton Regional Police Service COVID-19 Hotline: 905-825-4722
It is critical that our residents use 911 for emergencies only.
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