July 24 Office of the Mayor and Council Update
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Oakville enters Stage 3 in Ontario's safe restart plan
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After many months of lockdown, the last few weeks have moved quickly as our safe restart began.
This week alone saw much change, including the implementation of the region-wide mandatory mask by-law and our entrance into Stage 3 today.
Now we gather in groups up to 50 indoors while maintaining physical distance and groups of 100 outdoors while maintaining physical distance. Following public health advice remains key to keeping everyone safe and everything open.
Stay home if you feel unwell, cover coughs and sneezes, wash and/or sanitize your hands frequently and maintain physical distance of two metres. Masks are mandatory in public indoor spaces and outdoors when physical distancing can’t be maintained.
There has been much debate about the use of masks and while much of our country is on board with wearing masks to protect others, while understanding doing so isn’t a substitute for the other public health measures, we are starting to see the shift to the south of us, too.
As of yesterday, the Centre for Disease Control has changes its position on mask-wearing and declared that wearing masks, in their view, are now “important”. There is also an
article in the Journal of Internal Medicine
that reports a study that says that people that are masked and catch COVID tend to have a milder case of it.
These two things were accompanied this week by an appearance on national television in the United States by the National Advisor Kellyanne Conway saying that the Trump administration now advises people strongly that they should be wearing masks.
Please remember there are exemptions to the mandatory mask by-law and be kind to each other as we navigate our reopening.
Please also continue to follow my three Cs of COVID-caution to continue to flatten our curve: avoid crowded places, closed spaces and close-contact settings.
We’ve come a long way in the recovery – scroll to the end of this email for the updated timeline and see where we are in recovery, too.
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Items in this update:
- COVID case counts
- Blood tests for coronavirus antibodies reveal undetected infections in Canada
- National contact tracing app begins beta testing after delay
- Why err on the side of caution as COVID-19 looms in health-care workplaces
- Council appoints new Chief Administrative Officer
- Indoor dining in Stage 3 update
- OFFA and Alzheimer Society team up for premier event
- HEN summer students create salad planters for Oakville residents
- Halton had 12 overdoses in 11 days in July
- Provincial Government announcements
- Ontario building and expanding schools across the province
- Correctional officers complete redesigned training program
- Ontario delays decision on whether Toronto, Peel and Windsor can move to Stage 3
- Government of Canada announcements
- Funding to support child care for returning workers
- Sharp rise in COVID-19 cases a wake-up call for Alberta
- Almost 1,000 in isolation after COVID-19 exposures at Kelowna events
- B.C. imposing more limits as COVID-19 cases rise
- Masks now required in Britain
- Uptick in French cases
- Indian deaths rank sixth in the world
- In other COVID-related news
- Don't let fear of COVID-19 keep you from getting dental treatment
- How Hamilton researchers are contributing to the fight against COVID-19
- Niagara Region passes mandatory mask bylaw
- Markham mayor has concerns about bars, gyms as part of GTA enter Stage 3
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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
+6
from 818
to
824
with
+3
cases in
Oakville from
267 to
270
.
There are currently
2
COVID-19 patient being cared for at OTMH and 10 active cases in Oakville.
There were 0 reported recoveries in Oakville, total recoveries remains at
285
and
+5
recoveries in Halton Region from 844 to
849
.
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Ontario reports 195 new cases of coronavirus in the province today. That’s almost double yesterday’s 103 cases, again mostly in the under 40 age group. That brings the total cases in Ontario to
38,405
, 34,100 of which are considered resolved with 2,758 deaths. There are currently 141 COVID patients hospitalized in the province, 31 of whom are in ICU and 20 on a ventilator.
As of today, Canada has seen 112,671 confirmed coronavirus cases. Provinces and territories listed 98,519 of those as recovered or resolved and a total of 5,244 still active.
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COVID-19 deaths per million
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Blood tests for coronavirus antibodies reveal 'undetected infections' in Canada
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Testing of recently donated blood reveals little evidence of widespread infection by the novel coronavirus, scientists said Thursday.
Canadian Blood Services and Canada's COVID-19 Immunity Task Force revealed that less than one per cent of the 10,000 samples tested thus far have come up positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, which are present in anyone who has fought off the virus.
Although the percentage is small, it is still concerning because it suggests there are "several undetected infections" for every confirmed Canadian case of COVID-19, task force co-chair Dr. David Naylor said
in a press release.
More than 112,000 Canadian cases had been confirmed as of Thursday morning, representing about 0.3 per cent of the total population.
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National contact tracing app
begins beta testing after delay
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A Canadian smartphone app meant to warn users if they’ve been in close contact with someone who tests positive for
COVID-19
is now in beta testing.
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Why err on the side of caution
as COVID-19 looms in health-care workplaces
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Hospitals, long-term care homes and other workplaces in Canada need to err on the side of caution or risk being paralyzed in the face of uncertainty from COVID-19, some doctors say.
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Council appoints new Chief Administrative Officer
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At yesterday’s second Special Council meeting my Council colleagues and I unanimously appointed Jane Clohecy as the the Town of Oakville’s CAO.
I congratulate Council on this very strong choice. Ms Clohecy has long stood out to me as a woman who knew what she was doing and was capable of making a difference. And over the years, I have found her to be an extremely positive and constructive person to work with and she has been really invaluable during our COVID-19 pandemic.
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I think this bodes well for the future of our town as we continue to work as hard as we can to make Oakville Canada’s most livable town.
Ms Clohecy's appointment comes following the retirement of Ray Green who enjoyed a long and successful
career with the Town of Oakville, including nearly 15 years as CAO.
It is impossible for Council to give enough thanks to Ray Green for his leadership and commitment to serving Council and the community. Ray has worked for the town for more than 44 years, including the last 14 years as CAO. I cannot think of a more exemplary public servant. On behalf of Council, I offer him my sincere thanks and congratulations on a well-deserved retirement.
We are very fortunate to have an excellent successor within the organization in Ms. Clohecy who has served as Commissioner of Community Development at the town for the past 14 years. As the town’s Acting CAO since last November, Ms. Clohecy has successfully managed the town’s response to the global COVID pandemic and demonstrated a thorough understanding of what it will take to prepare this organization for future challenges.
Ms. Clohecy brings more than 30 years of broad municipal experience to her new role. Prior to joining the Town of Oakville, Ms. Clohecy held senior planning positions at the Region of Halton, the City of Markham and City of Toronto.
“I am very honoured to take on this new challenge,” said Ms. Clohecy. “I have benefitted from working closely with Ray Green, Mayor Burton, Council, the community and staff over the past 14 years, and I am looking forward to this new challenge. Oakville is a great organization and a great community, and I look forward to seeing what we can achieve by working together.”
Ms. Clohecy’s vision and commitment to innovation will be critical in helping the town address the challenges it is facing. Council and I look forward to working with Jane to ensure a smooth transition in leadership for residents and staff. I am confident that the skills and experience she brings to this role will be essential to help guide the organization through this challenging period.
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Indoor dining in Stage 3 update
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From Halton’s Medical Officer of Health comes some information about indoor dining in Stage 3.
All restaurants and bars must follow O Reg 364/20. This means keeping physical distancing requirements between patrons at 2 metres while seated unless there is a partition between tables that is impermeable (e.g. plexiglass). Stage 3 gathering limits (i.e., no more than 50 people indoors, 100 outdoors) do not apply to settings such as restaurants and bars, but measures to enable physical distancing may limit capacity at any given time. Also, there is no “percentage allowed inside” limit that restaurants and bars must abide by at this time. It is currently up to all business operators to make decisions on capacity based on physical distancing requirements.
In Halton’s updated COVID-19 Public Health Guidelines for restaurants (posted on the
Reopening webpage
), there is guidance for how to maintain physical distancing in restaurants and bars.
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Weather permitting, stone work completion is scheduled for end of next week, followed by the installation of street furniture.
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OFFA and Alzheimer Society team up for premier event
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The Oakville Festival of Films and Art, in support of the Alzheimer Society of Brant/Haldimand Norfolk/Hamilton and Halton, is hosting an exclusive premier event next Tuesday, July 28. The event will feature the premier screening of The Cuban and VIP packages are available now.
The package includes a donation to the Alzheimer Society, VIP parking (seating), beverages and snacks and a special Q&A session with the director, writer, producer and lead actress.
If you prefer regular tickets to the Five Drive In without VIP benefits, you can get them
here.
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Halton Environmental Network summer students create salad plants for Oakville residents
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Town of Oakville staff worked with summer students from the Halton Environmental Network to create salad planters for Oakville residents at risk of social isolation. This past week, 20 planters were delivered to Sir John Colborne Recreation Centre and distributed to Oakville residents at risk of isolation, including those who participate in the Friendship Luncheon.
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Halton had 12 overdose cases — two of them fatal — in just 11 days in July
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Halton recorded 12 suspected opioid overdose cases in the space of 11 days in July, according to Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS).
In a news release on Friday, HRPS said two of the overdoses were fatal and involved unknown substances.
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Provincial Government announcements
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Ontario building and expanding schools across the province
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The Ontario government is investing over $500 million to build 30 new schools and make permanent additions to 15 existing facilities, supporting over 25,000 student spaces across the province. These new, modern schools will create the foundation for a 21st century learning environment for thousands of students across the province. This investment will also generate nearly 900 new licensed child care spaces to ensure families across the province are able to access child care in their communities.
The government is investing over $12 billion in capital grants over 10 years, including over $500 million invested in this year alone to build critical new school capital projects and permanent additions. Today's announcement continues to build upon the government's commitment to invest up to $1 billion over five years to create up to 30,000 licensed child care spaces in schools, including 10,000 spaces in new schools. These new projects will also result in the creation of new jobs in the skilled trades as over $500 million of major infrastructure projects break ground in short order.
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Ontario is strengthening its correctional system by hiring 59 new correctional officers who have completed the redesigned Corrections Foundational Training. This modernized training program places increased emphasis on key areas such as human rights, mental health, health and safety, and teamwork. These recent graduates are part of the government's commitment to invest more than $500 million over five years to hire over 500 new correctional workers and modernize outdated infrastructure.
The training took place virtually and in-person, providing officers with institution-based training, including more job-specific case studies and scenario-based learning with an emphasis on anti-Black racism, Indigenous cultural training and inmate management techniques. This new approach builds critical-thinking, decision-making and problem-solving skills so graduates are better prepared to respond to real life situations. The training also focuses on improved communication and de-escalation skills.
The graduates will be assigned to 11 different institutions across Ontario near their home regions:
- Nine graduates will support the Northern region at Central North Correctional Centre, Thunder Bay Correctional Centre, and Thunder Bay Jail.
- Nine graduates will be working in the Western Region at Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre, and Sarnia Jail.
- Eighteen will work in the Central Region at Maplehurst Correctional Complex, Niagara Detention Centre, and Vanier Centre for Women.
- Twenty-two will work in the Toronto Region at Toronto East Detention Centre and Toronto South Detention Centre.
- One graduate will support the Eastern Region at Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre.
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Ontario delays decision on whether
Toronto, Peel and Windsor can move to Stage 3
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Premier Doug Ford says that public health officials “have asked for a little more time” to analyze the data before deciding whether Toronto can move to Stage 3 of Ontario’s reopening plan.
The province typically provides an update at the start of every week on the status of the regions that have been held back from entering the final stage of its reopening plan.
Ford, however, said during a briefing on Friday afternoon that a decision has been made to push back that update until next Wednesday so that public health officials can have a little more time to study the data.
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Government of Canada announcements
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Funding to support child care for returning workers
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The Government of Canada has been working closely with provinces and territories to ensure all families have access to affordable and high quality child care. The COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges, including temporary closures and loss of critical revenue from placement fees, which have put the sector at risk.
Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, announced $625 million in federal support for Canada’s child care sector to help ensure that safe and sufficient child care spaces are available to support parents’ gradual return to work. Along with the agreements under the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework, this investment means the Government of Canada will invest almost $1.2 billion to support child care in 2020-2021, a 67% increase over the next highest year in history, 2005-2006, when $700 million were announced.
This investment through the Safe Restart Agreement will help address the key priorities agreed upon by Canada’s First Ministers for the safe restart of Canada’s economy over the next six to eight months.
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Sharp rise in COVID-19 cases a 'wake-up call' for Alberta, province's top doctor says
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Two weeks ago, seven patients with COVID-19 were being treated in Alberta ICU beds. On Thursday, there were triple that number.
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Almost 1,000 in isolation after
COVID-19 exposures at Kelowna events
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More than 70 people have contracted
COVID-19
and close to 1,000 others across British Columbia are in self-isolation after packed events and parties recently in
Kelowna
, B.C.
Provincial Health Officer
Bonnie Henry
said Wednesday that the nearly 1,000 people, who are in every health authority in B.C., are in self-isolation because of exposure to people confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus at those events.
“This means these people are unable to work, to see friends, to leave their homes to enjoy the summer like the rest of us,” she said.
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B.C. putting limits on rental properties,
houseboats as COVID-19 cases rise
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B.C. will limit the number of people allowed on rental properties and boats, including houseboats, as COVID-19 cases continue to climb in the province, officials said Thursday.
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Masks now required in Britain
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Britain is requiring citizens to wear face coverings in shops effective Friday, joining a long list of countries that have made masks mandatory under some circumstances in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
After weeks of prevarication and days of confused messaging, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government laid down the mask edict on July 13 due to "growing evidence that wearing a face covering in an enclosed space helps protect individuals and those around them from coronavirus."
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France is reporting a sharp uptick in coronavirus cases, with more than 1,000 new infections on Thursday.
Health authorities say cases on the French mainland have surged by 66 per cent in the past three weeks, with a 26 per cent increase in the last week alone. Concerns about rising cases had already prompted the government to make mask-wearing mandatory in all indoor public spaces this week.
In their daily update on France's outbreak that has already killed 30,182 people, health authorities said people aren't taking as much care to physically distance and that "our recent habits have favoured the spread of the virus for several weeks now."
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Indian deaths rank sixth in the world
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India has surpassed 30,000 deaths and its COVID-19 fatalities are now sixth in the world.
The Health Ministry on Friday added 740 deaths due to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, increasing the toll to 30,601. The total now exceeds France's toll, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally.
India also registered a record 49,310 new cases. As cases surge, the Home Ministry advised all government offices, states and officials to avoid congregations for Aug. 15 Independence Day celebrations.
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In other COVID-related news:
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Got a toothache? Don't let fear of COVID-19 keep you from getting treatment, dentists warn
Dentists say they are seeing more serious dental emergencies because people are worried about catching COVID-19 during routine checkups and cleanings. But infectious disease experts say the risk of catching the new coronavirus at the dentist's office is very low.
How Hamilton researchers are contributing to the fight against COVID-19
From nasal swabs to wastewater, here's a look at how researchers are tackling the virus.
Niagara Region passes mandatory mask bylaw
In a very short discussion, the bylaw passed with only two 'no' votes.
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Halton Environmental Network is launching Pop-up Clean-ups! The socially distanced clean-ups are a safe and fun way to enjoy the outdoors while making a difference in your community. Not only will you be cleaning up litter, but you’ll be tracking the waste you find. The collected data will empower our community to make informed decisions on how to protect our environment.
You can either lead a clean-up or take part in one! Students also have the opportunity to gain volunteer hours for school credit with each clean-up they do. If you are interested, please register
here
.
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Food Banks experiencing record demand
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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. I
f you know or are aware of someone who is struggling, call 211 and get help to navigate the network of health, community and social service programs. This service is offered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and has interpretation for over 150 languages. And, if you are able, please consider supporting the Meals on Wheels effort by making a donation.
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Call the COVID-19 hotline
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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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