Office of the Mayor and Council Update
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Wednesday June 3 COVID-19 emergency
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Today I, as part of Halton’s elected representatives, issued a statement requesting urgent financial assistance for municipalities from the Government of Canada.
Together, MP Pam Damoff, MPP Adam van Koeverden, Regional Chair Gary Carr, Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, Mayor Rick Bonnette, Mayor Gordon Krantz and I acknowledged that Monday’s announcement by the Federal Government for fast-tracking Gas Tax Funds that municipalities receive annually provides immediate liquidity for municipalities, which are experiencing an operating deficit in every region. And we appreciate the Prime Minister acknowledges that more is needed.
In our full statement, which you can read below, we highlight the revenue shortfalls from transit and other fee-based services and tax deferrals and how without joint financial support from the Provincial and Federal governments we are going to see substantial property tax increases, reduced services and more layoffs, all of which would undermine economic recovery.
We, as your locally elected representatives, are dedicated to that recovery and reopening in a responsible way. To see where we are in that process, please see the updated timeline at the end of this email.
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Items in this update:
- COVID case counts
- COVID-19 deaths per million
- Ontario reports 338 new cases
- Canadian company developing palm-sized, 20-minute COVID test
- Statement from Halton's elected representatives
- What matters to Oakville this week
- Town of Oakville news
- COVID testing for residents with disabilities
- Provincial Government announcements
- Ontario extends declaration of emergency
- Ontario improving broadband and cell service for rural communities
- Ford says extending emergency is putting reopening on hold
- Ontario health apologizes after COVID-positive tests not reported
- Identifying 'code red' homes could tip them off to surprise inspections
- Federal Government announcements
- New measures for the use of face coverings in Canadian transportation sector
- Liberals detail change to COVID-19 aid
- Trudeau positions Canada as champion of co-ordinated global recovery plan
- Bank of Canada holds interest rate
- Wuhan tests millions, finds few cases
- In other COVID-related news
- Federal aid for care home systems needed ahead of second wave
- This is what you can expect from gyms as they begin to reopen
- COVID-19 response highlights major differences between U.S. and Canada
- Amid COVID-19, the safest place is often your own home — until the virus finds a way in
- Scientist admits Sweden could have battled virus better
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Total confirmed cases in Halton increased by 6 from 649 to
655
(with 1 pending confirmed case) with 1
new confirmed case in Oakville, from 217 to
218.
There were
2
reported recoveries in Oakville, from 205 to
207
and
2
recoveries in Halton Region from 608 to
610
. That leaves 8 active cases in Oakville.
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Ontario’s regional health units are reporting another 349 new COVID-19 cases today with a total of 30,481 confirmed and probable cases, including 2,358 deaths.
As of today Canada had 93,039 confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases, with 50,684 of the cases considered recovered or resolved.
According to Johns Hopkins University and Medicine, which has been tracking coronavirus cases, there are nearly 6.4 million cases worldwide, with more than 380,000 deaths.
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COVID-19 deaths per million
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Ontario reports 338 new cases of COVID-19
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Ontario is reporting 338 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, a slight decrease after several days of rising numbers.
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Canadian company developing palm-sized, 20-minute test
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An Ontario company says it is developing a new saliva-based test for COVID-19 that will fit in the palm of the hand and be able to detect if someone is infected with the virus in a matter of 20 minutes.
The test, which is currently in its research phase, is the brainchild of Deep Biologics, a Guelph-based company. The federal government recently award the company $300,000 through the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) in hopes of turning the idea into a reality.
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Today, Halton's elected representatives and I made a joint request for urgent financial assistance for municipalities from the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario.
Our statement, which can be read in full by clicking the image, acknowledges that Monday’s announcement by the Federal government was a good first step as it provides immediate liquidity for municipalities by fast-tracking Gas Tax Funds that municipalities receive annually on a per-capita basis.
We appreciate the Prime Minister acknowledging that more is needed.
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What matters to Oakville this week
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This week on Oakville Matters, Councillors Sean O’Meara and Pavan Parmar join me as we discuss what matters to residents, which is the responsible reopening of the town.
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Testing for residents with disabilities
While both Care-A-van and conventional transit offer service to the hospital, residents who specifically request transportation for COVID testing are advised to contact the Assessment Centre to coordinate transportation to avoid risk of transmission to other passengers and to drivers.
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Provincial Government announcements
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Ontario extends Declaration of Emergency
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In consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Ontario is extending the provincial Declaration of Emergency to June 30. The decision supports the government's efforts to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak and protect the health and safety of Ontarians as the province reopens in a measured and responsible way. The extension, under s.7.0.7 of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, was approved by the Ontario legislature yesterday.
As Ontario charts a path to recovery, the Declaration will support the continued enforcement of emergency orders that give hospitals and long-term care homes the necessary flexibility to respond to COVID-19 and protect vulnerable populations and the public as the province reopens.
Current emergency orders include allowing frontline care providers to redeploy staff where they are needed most, enabling public health units to redeploy or hire staff to support case management and contact tracing, limiting long-term care and retirement home staff to working at one home, and preventing unfair pricing of necessary goods.
The Declaration of Emergency may be further extended with the approval of the legislature, as set out in the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.
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Ontario
improving broadband and cell service for rural communities
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As Ontario safely and gradually begins to reopen, the provincial government is investing $150 million in reliable broadband and cellular service. This funding will help create even more economic and educational opportunities in rural, remote and underserved areas of the province. This is part of the province's $315 million initiative called
Up to Speed: Ontario's Broadband and Cellular Action Plan
.
The new Improving Connectivity in Ontario, or ICON, program, when leveraged, has the potential to result in an investment of up to $500 million in total partner funding to improve connectivity in underserved and unserved areas. Applicants, including telecom companies, municipal governments, First Nation communities, and non-profits, will be invited to submit innovative proposals and lend their investment, expertise and experience to improve connectivity in communities across Ontario. The province will fund a portion of each approved project.
Access to broadband is a core component of the province's Learn at Home plan. Reliable Internet, particularly in rural and regional areas, is essential to supporting students' success in school. The provincial government recently called on the federal government to take immediate action to improve Internet connectivity for Ontario students.
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Doug Ford says extending the COVID-19 state of emergency doesn’t mean ‘reopening is on hold’
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Ontario will remain under a state of emergency for another month, but Premier Doug Ford stresses that “does not mean that reopening is on hold.”
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Ontario Health apologizes after 485 positive COVID-19 tests, mostly from Etobicoke, missed being reported
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The province’s health agency cited a “breakdown in communication” for the oversight in reporting the positive tests to local public health units.
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The Ontario government says it won’t reveal a list of nursing homes in “code red” status struggling with COVID-19 because it could tip them off.
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Federal Government announcements
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New measures for the use of face coverings in the Canadian transportation sector
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To reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19, Transport Canada and the transportation industry have implemented a layered system of measures, such as increased sanitization, health checks for passengers, and allowing passengers to remain in their vehicles on ferries. However, there are still points in the transportation system where workers must be in close proximity to co-workers and travellers.
This approach for workers complements recent regulations and guidelines for passengers to use face coverings in certain circumstances when travelling by air, marine and rail to reduce the risk of the virus transmission. It also puts in place a more a comprehensive approach for face coverings that strengthens the protection of everyone involved in the transportation system.
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Liberals detail changes to COVID-19 aid as they ask MPs to OK billions in new spending
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The Trudeau Liberals are detailing to parliamentarians a plan that would shift tens of billions in pandemic-related aid, sending more toward a key COVID-19 emergency benefit for workers after seeing demand skyrocket from original estimates.
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Trudeau positions Canada as champion of
co-ordinated global recovery plan
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will continue Wednesday to make the case for a co-ordinated global response to cushion the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world's poorest countries.
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Bank of Canada holds interest rate
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It says the impact of the pandemic on the global economy appears to have peaked, although uncertainty about how the recovery will unfold remains high
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Wuhan tests millions, find few infections
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The Chinese city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus was first detected late last year, has tested nearly 10 million people in an unprecedented 19-day campaign to check an entire city.
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In other COVID-related news:
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Federal aid for care home systems needed ahead of second wave, advocates say
The federal government must do more to help provinces prepare long-term care homes for the next wave of COVID-19, the Ontario Long Term Care Association says.
This is what you can expect from gyms as they begin to reopen
Advanced bookings and limited members: A look inside Winnipeg’s Brickhouse Gym in the first week of reopening offers a glimpse of what Ontario’s gyms might look like when they’re allowed to reopen.
COVID-19 response highlights major differences between U.S. and Canada: U.S. profs
Two professors at universities in New York State says the recent closure of the U.S.-Canada border because of the coronavirus underscores a growing divide between the two countries.
Amid COVID-19, the safest place is often your own home — until the virus finds a way in
While hunkering down can keep you safe, households are also hot beds for COVID-19 transmission once one person gets infected — particularly in a city like Toronto where crowded apartment units and multi-generational housing is a common facet of life in certain neighbourhoods.
Scientist admits Sweden could have battled virus better
Sweden's chief epidemiologist showed contrition Wednesday as criticism mounted over the Scandinavian country's hotly debated method of fighting the coronavirus, which has resulted in one of the highest death rates per capita in the world.
Sweden has stood out among European nations and the world for the way it has handled the pandemic, not shutting down the country or the economy like others but relying on citizens' sense of civic duty. Swedish authorities have advised people to practice social distancing, but schools, bars and restaurants have been kept open the entire time. Only gatherings of more than 50 people have been banned.
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Sunset Cinema @ Home: June 19
Stay home, stay healthy, and support Oakville Hospital healthcare heroes! Join
the Oakville Hospital Foundation
for Sunset Cinema @ Home, the perfect summer movie night on Friday, June 19 at 7pm.
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Webinar: Preparing to reopen your agri-business or agri-tourism business in Halton
June 3, 2020 | 11 a.m. to noon
Register
This webinar is part of our larger “Reopening your business in Halton” series, designed to provide helpful advice and tips to make sure your business is ready to reopen safely.
To learn more about this series and other webinars, visit our Small Business page on
halton.ca
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The virtual edition of the Walk to End ALS event will take place June 21. ALS partner, Brain Canada, is offering a dollar for dollar match of up to $1 million to invest in promising ALS research.
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Tuesdays & Thursdays • 10 am
Family Storytime on Instagram Live
Get moving with stories, songs and fun during Family Storytime! Hosted virtually on Instagram Live. Follow
@oakvillelibrary on Instagram
.
Tuesdays & Thursdays • 2 pm
Kids Library Club
Join us on Tuesdays and Thursdays as we explore fun activities in the fields of science, technology, art and more! Tuesday's session is all about
Exploring Nature and History in
National Parks
and Thursday is
Digital Painting
. Limited spaces.
Register
Wednesday, June 3 • 3 pm
Virtual Book Club:
The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose
Our Virtual Adult Book Club meets every Wednesday!
Join us on
Zoom
(Meeting ID: 946 8682 1877) or call 1-647-558-0588.
Details
Thursday, June 4
•
11 am
Let's Talk About Books, Movies & More: Legal Thrillers
This week, we'll discuss our favourite books, movies and more that relate to Legal Thrillers. "Let's Talk About" are weekly, virtual sessions that explore different themes in arts, culture and literature.
Join us on
Zoom
(Meeting ID: 919 0809 0975) or call 1-647-558-0588.
Details
Friday, June 5 • 10 am
Virtual Crafty Bees Meetup with The Hive
An informal, weekly craft meetup to share what you’re working on, and gather inspiration from fellow craft enthusiasts.
Join us on
Zoom
(Meeting ID: 940 3637 9535, Password: Hive) or call 1-647-558-0588.
Details
Fridays and Saturdays • 10 am
Family Storytime on YouTube
Follow
OPL on YouTube
and enjoy pre-recorded Family Storytime on Fridays and Saturdays at 10 am. Remember to subscribe to our YouTube page so you don't miss out!
Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Staff Book Recommendations on YouTube
Listen to over 100 short book reviews from OPL staff, uploaded weekly on
YouTube
.
Daily
Virtual Tech Help
Book a virtual one-on-one session for basic technology assistance. Limited sessions.
Register
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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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Downtown Oakville Instagram live series
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On Wednesday, May 6 Downtown Oakville will be launching a weekly Instagram Live Series hosted by different Downtown businesses. The live events will allow you to purchase products, participate in fitness classes, attend workshops, and more!
Follow @oakvilledowntown on Instagram to learn more and tune in.
Schedule
June 3 at 2 p.m. - Lakeshore Yoga
June 10 at 1 p.m. - Makers Mojo
June 17 at 2 p.m. - Must Boutique
June 24 at 7 p.m. - Dr. Adrienne, Naturopathic Doctor
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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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