Ontario issues stay-at-home order except for essentials

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Some passengers arriving at Pearson violating Quarantine Act
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
John Chidley-Hill
Publishing date:Feb 25, 2021 • 13 hours ago • 2 minute read • comment bubble75 Comments
The flight arrival lineup at Pearson International Airport located in Terminal One on February 22, 2021.
The flight arrival lineup at Pearson International Airport located in Terminal One on February 22, 2021. PHOTO BY JACK BOLAND /Toronto Sun
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Several international travellers arriving at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport have refused to comply with a new rule requiring a three-day hotel quarantine, local police said Wednesday.

Peel Region police said that while most cases were resolved after conversations with officers, some people refused to follow the rules that took effect this week and were fined $880 under Ontario regulations.


Police said they will not detain anyone for breaking the hotel quarantine rule unless there are aggravating circumstances involved, such as a criminal offence.

They added that the Public Health Agency of Canada would be responsible for any further potential fines under the Quarantine Act, which states that anyone arriving in Canada must stay in an isolation hotel for three nights. Travellers may only leave after a negative COVID-19 test, but are expected to self-isolate for a total of 14 days.

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The Public Health Agency of Canada said Wednesday that it was “aware of the situation” and looking into it.

“Travellers are legally obligated to follow the instructions of a Screening Officer or Quarantine Officer through the 14-day period, whether in regards to testing, transit to locations, their mandatory hotel stopover or during quarantine at home or other suitable location,” it said.

“If they do not follow the instructions, there are penalties including a maximum fine of up to $750,000 or imprisonment for six months.”

Dr. Lawrence Loh, Peel Region’s medical officer of health, said Wednesday that the quarantine measures are in place to protect the public.

“It’s unfortunate (…) that this might be occurring,” said Loh. “Please remember that it’s a disease that spreads from person to person and it takes all of us to do our part.”


Patrick Brown, the mayor of Brampton, Ont., just north of the airport, said that people who choose to ignore the regulations are being selfish.

“By not being mindful that you can bring dangerous variants into the country, you’re being selfish to your neighbours, to your city,” said Brown. “I hope that people do abide by the new stricter guidelines.”

Meanwhile, RCMP in Vancouver, which has another international airport where travellers can land, said they had no reports of people not complying with the new rules.

Federal officials have said that staying in a government-approved isolation hotel could cost up to $2,000 for the three-night stay. Rates at some of those hotels, however, indicate that the stay could cost far less.

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The hotel stays, which must be paid for by the travellers, are among a series of measures that came into effect on Monday to limit the spread of COVID-19 and more contagious variants of the virus.

Most incoming air travellers will need to get tested for the virus upon arrival and again toward the end of their mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Travellers arriving at land borders will be given self-swab kits, and testing will be provided on-site at five high-volume border crossings.

The new rules are in addition to previous orders that require a negative test result within 72 hours of arrival. Travellers will need to complete a second test on Day 10 of their self-isolation period.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said the tighter border controls are meant to keep everyone safe.

— with files from Denise Paglinawan
 

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Fired travelling London, Ont. hospital boss seeking another $1M in damages
Author of the article:Jennifer Bieman
Publishing date:Feb 24, 2021 • 21 hours ago • 4 minute read • comment bubbleJoin the conversation
Paul Woods (File photo)
Paul Woods (File photo)
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London Health Sciences Centre’s former chief executive is seeking another $1 million in damages after he was ousted for travelling abroad during the pandemic, alleging the hospital engaged in “reprehensible” and “malicious” conduct.

In an amended statement of claim filed Friday in Ontario Superior Court, Paul Woods is seeking an additional $1 million in punitive damages for his termination from LHSC, bringing his total claim to $3.5 million.

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Woods’s previous statement of claim, filed just days after he was fired Jan. 11, was seeking $2.5 million in damages, including $1.4 million in compensation, $1 million damages for alleged harm to his reputation and $100,000 for unproven breaches to Ontario’s Human Rights Code.

The amended statement is seeking $1 million in punitive damages, money awarded to a plaintiff that is meant to punish a defendant or deter the defendant or others from similar actions in the future.

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In the amended claim, Woods alleges LHSC’s conduct was “reprehensible, malicious, oppressive, high-handed, and a marked departure from the ordinary standards of decent behaviour to merit condemnation.”

“Punitive damages in the amount of $1,000,000 are necessary, reasonable, appropriate, and rationally required to punish the defendant and to meet the objectives of retribution, deterrence, and denunciation,” the amended statement of claim says.

Statements of claim, and defences filed in response, contain allegations not yet tested in court.

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Dr. Paul Woods, CEO of London Health Sciences Centre, is pictured during a 2018 interview. (Derek Ruttan/The London Free Press)
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Dr. Paul Woods, CEO of London Health Sciences Centre, is pictured during a 2018 interview. (Derek Ruttan/The London Free Press)
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Dr. Paul Woods, CEO of London Health Sciences Centre, is pictured during a 2018 interview. (Derek Ruttan/The London Free Press)
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Dr. Paul Woods, chief executive of London Health Sciences Centre, spoke with The London Free Press editorial board in May 2018. Derek Ruttan/The London Free Press
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Dr. Paul Woods, chief executive of London Health Sciences Centre, spoke with The London Free Press editorial board in May 2018. Derek Ruttan/The London Free Press
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LHSC announced Jan. 8 that Woods had travelled to the U.S. to see immediate family five times between March 2020 and the week before Christmas.

The disclosure that Woods had travelled several times to the United States while the federal government was advising Canadians to avoid non-essential travel to limit the spread of COVID-19 was made nearly two months after he sent an email to hospital staff scolding employees for flouting public health rules on masking and physical distancing during breaks.

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The hospital’s board initially said it was keeping Woods in his role, but reversed its decision days later amid backlash from the public and LHSC unions.

In his statement of claim, Woods alleges his trips to the U.S. during the pandemic to see his immediate family were sanctioned by the board’s former chairperson Amy Walby, who resigned shortly after Woods filed his lawsuit.

The claim also slams the statement by LHSC’s board announcing Woods’s firing, contending it “created the impression that Dr. Woods was not forthright and candid with the board.”

In doing so, the statement of claim alleges LHSC damaged Woods’ reputation by putting him in the “same negative light” as some politicians who vacationed abroad despite public health advice discouraging it.

LHSC denies Woods’ allegations in its statement of defence. The hospital is not expecting to file an amended statement of defence in response to Woods’ updated claim, LHSC’s lawyer Brian Gover said Tuesday.

“It (the amended statement of claim) doesn’t change our analysis of the case,” Gover said.

In its statement of defence, LHSC claims senior hospital executives repeatedly raised concerns about Woods’s travel. It also claims Woods wrongfully said his travel was approved by the board chair when he was met with the objections.

The statement of defence contends the outrage from hospital staff and the public about Woods’s U.S. travel weeks after the email was a catalyst to his termination.

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“Board members had received significant feedback from staff, physicians, donors and other stakeholders expressing outrage over Dr. Woods’s decision to travel,” the statement of defence said.

“It quickly became clear that Dr. Woods had lost the moral authority to lead the hospital and his employment was terminated.

“To the extent that Dr. Woods’ reputation has been harmed, it is a result of his own poor judgment and hypocrisy,” LHSC’s statement of defence alleges.

Woods’ lawyer, Michael Wright, asked LHSC to provide additional details about the allegations it made in its statement of defence, including the date and exact nature of the alleged concerns from the senior hospital executives.

The demand for particulars was denied by LHSC.

“Our position is that they had sufficient information to plead their case, as we’ve seen. They’ve amended their pleadings without further particulars from us,” Gover said.

“They can get further information through the discovery process, which is really what discoveries are for.”

jbieman@postmedia.com

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Ontario issues alert to health-care workers about counterfeit N95 masks
Author of the article:Antonella Artuso
Publishing date:Feb 26, 2021 • 20 hours ago • 1 minute read • comment bubbleJoin the conversation
A 3M N95 mask.
A 3M N95 mask. PHOTO BY FILE PHOTO /Reuters
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Counterfeit N95 masks may have been handed out to Ontario health-care workers.

In a memo Friday, the Ministry of Health asked its health system partners to review their current inventory and quarantine suspect products.



“3M has advised the public of potential counterfeit N95 masks — models 8210, 1860, 1860S and 1870+ — with specific lot numbers being flagged,” the memo says. “The Ministry of Health is currently reviewing all inventory in its warehouses to identify any affected product.”

A statement says some of the masks were sent from the provincial stockpile to health-care providers, and are now being removed from the system out of an abundance of caution.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is obtained from known, reliable vendors whenever possible, the statement says.

“The Ministry of Health is urgently reviewing all inventory in its warehouses to identify any affected product,” it says. “We have also alerted our federal partners at Health Canada of the situation by 3M and have been working with them to address the issue.”

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There has been incredible global demand for PPE throughout the pandemic.


Penny Wise, president of 3M Canada, said in a statement that the company has been receiving increasing reports of fraudulent products.

These counterfeits may not meet the quality standards of authentic 3M products, she said.

“3M has recently assisted the government of Ontario and other provincial authorities in confirming that N95 respirators purchased from distributors with no relationship to 3M are not authentic 3M products,” Wise said.

“3M distributes products through a network of authorized distributors, and recommends that customers purchase 3M respirators from a 3M authorized distributor, as this provides the greatest assurance of receiving authentic product.”

aartuso@postmedia.com
 

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India, Germany top sources for COVID-infected flights to Canada
89 of the 112 flights since Feb. 14 landed at Toronto

Author of the article:Bryan Passifiume
Publishing date:Mar 02, 2021 • 14 hours ago • 1 minute read • comment bubble8 Comments
International Arrivals at Terminal 1 at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Jan. 26, 2021.
International Arrivals at Terminal 1 at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Jan. 26, 2021. PHOTO BY ERNEST DOROSZUK /Toronto Sun
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More than three-quarters of the 112 international flights arriving at Canadian airports with COVID-infected passengers since Feb. 14 landed in Toronto.

Information posted online by Health Canada shows 89 of those flights landed at Pearson International Airport with most of the overseas flights originating from Delhi.


Data shows that 19 flights arrived from the Indian capital, followed by eight from Frankfurt, seven from London, six from the United Arab Emirates, and five from Istanbul.

Four came from Pakistan, three each came from Mexico City and Paris, and the remainder from cities, including Qatar, Amsterdam, China, Egypt, Jamaica, and Addis Ababa.

Infected flights from Mexico and the Caribbean have all but ceased since the Jan. 31 halt of flights to sun destinations, although airlines are still permitted to operate flights to bring Canadians home.

Canada saw 21 fights with infected passengers from U.S. destinations, with Charlotte seeing the most — five.

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Newark had four flights, followed by Fort Lauderdale, Chicago and Newark with three each.


As of Feb. 14, travellers over the age of five who enter Canada via air are required to provide proof of a negative molecular COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure.

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That requirement was extended to those entering via land border crossings on Feb. 21, the same day Canadian air travellers returning from abroad were required — at their own expense — to quarantine for three days in a government-mandated hotel.

Those arriving by land can quarantine at home.

bpassifiume@postmedia.com
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WARMINGTON: Lousy, expensive food sparks COVID hotel furor
Author of the article:Joe Warmington
Publishing date:Mar 02, 2021 • 13 hours ago • 3 minute read • comment bubble85 Comments
There were long lines of passengers heading to hotels to quarantine on March 1, 2021. Veronica Henri/Toronto Sun/
There were long lines of passengers heading to hotels to quarantine on March 1, 2021. Veronica Henri/Toronto Sun/ PHOTO BY VERONICA HENRI /Toronto Sun
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After seeing pictures of the food served to COVID hotel inmates, it’s not a surprise there was a prison riot!

After seeing the prices detainees are being charged, it’s also no wonder hotel management asked security to kick us off the property when asking about it.


Charging $47.23 for a bowl of chili, rice, salad, and a Diet Pepsi is not easy to defend.

“This is criminal,” tweeted Ray Truesdale.

And people locked down in these hotels are being treated like criminals.

“It is prison-like,” said Joe, from Willowdale. “I do feel like I am in jail. I say I am in Cell 6 … instead of the room number.”

Joe — enduring the third day of his forced stay at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel at Terminal 3 — said his chicken and rice added up to about the same amount as Ray’s when you throw in the tip, delivery charge, and tax.

If the food tasted good, that might have at least made the situation palatable.

“The food is border-line acceptable, but it is very expensive,” said Joe, who returned to Toronto from Florida where he helped his pregnant daughter.

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Well-documented on social media over the weekend, things bubbled over at Sheraton with tempers flaring as many starving for food came to the lobby to yell about it.

Some waited six hours to be fed. This might be why some started ordering food from delivery apps.

“I just don’t understand why a so-called secure bubble is allowed to be breached like that,” said Joe. “Doesn’t it open up everybody to be exposed to the virus with outside food being delivered?”

Well, it’s cheaper than the hotel grub. And tastier.


While the manager didn’t answer questions about their gouged, starving population, we also could see the kind of stress he and his team were under with this ridiculous forced quarantine arrangement thrust on them during the never-ending pandemic.

It’s really not their fault. Truth is, this is an exceptional hotel. This is unusual because the food and service at that fine hotel establishment during non-pandemic times are stellar.

But these are not normal times.

These are difficult times — for the hotels as well as travellers subject to COVID restrictions.

And judging by the lineup to check into the hotel on Monday, it does not look like it’s going to get any easier.

Snaked all the way from the catwalk from Terminal 3 to inside the hotel were people waiting in a slow-moving line to get checked in.

Accompanied by photographer Veronica Henri, we saw lots of families with children and pregnant women, as well.

“It makes you embarrassed for the country,” said Joe.

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Marisse Bamba, who came home after several months in the Philippines, told us the forced stay was going to cost her $1,100 — problematic for a student. “I didn’t know of this rule.”

Now before people start wagging their finger, what I have found in most cases are compelling personal reasons for people who decided to travel during the pandemic.

Whether it’s a family crisis or death or for school, it’s mostly not the kind of thing that people should be punished for.

And people are being punished with this unconstitutional mandated solitary hotel confinement.

“It’s not safe either,” said Joe.

This was obvious by just looking at this lineup at the Sheraton where no one could possibly social distance and no one was helping them achieve it.

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The whole thing is inappropriate for a country with rights and freedoms.

lf the hotel jail program isn’t scrapped immediately, at least put on better meals at a better price to prevent another uprising.
 

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Steer clear of T.O. raccoons after 62% rise in bites, scratches: City
The city received 13,712 service calls for these animals in distress, compared to 4,172 received in 2019

Author of the article:Jenny Yuen
Publishing date:Mar 02, 2021 • 19 hours ago • 2 minute read • comment bubble8 Comments
A trash panda is seen going through trash.
A trash panda is seen going through trash. PHOTO BY HANDOUT
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This includes no raccoon selfies.

Toronto Animal Services is advising people avoid contact with raccoons after a 62% increase in bites and scratches between Jan. 2020 and last month, compared to the two-year average between 2018 and 2019.

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There are also a significant increase of sick and injured raccoons in 2020 — the city received 13,712 service calls for these animals in distress, compared to 4,172 received in 2019, likely because residents are home more than usual or spending more time exercising in their neighbourhoods because of COVID-19.

“While the risk of rabies is low in Toronto, the disease is fatal if left untreated,” the city said Tuesday in a news release.

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“Residents are urged to avoid contact with wild animals and to take steps to protect themselves and their pets from exposure.”

Rabies affects the nervous system of warm-blooded mammals, including humans.

The rabies virus, which is found in the saliva of infected animals, can be transmitted through animal bites that break the skin, saliva entering an open wound or saliva entering the mouth, nose or eyes.

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The city is reminding residents to stay away from wild animals, and not to feed them or keep them as pets, even if they appear tame, injured or sick.

They also recommend keeping pets’ rabies vaccinations up to date, always keep dogs on a leash and don’t feed pets outside.T

Household waste should be disposed properly, so raccoons don’t go digging through green compost bins.

If anyone finds themselves in the unfortunate position of being bitten, scratched or exposed to a raccoon or any other wild animal, the city recommends immediately washing the wound with soap and water for at least 15 minutes, apply an antiseptic and seek medical help.

“Treatment to prevent rabies, if necessary, is most effective if started promptly after the exposure,” said the city.


“The rabies vaccine is extremely effective but must be administered before symptoms appear. The need for rabies treatment is assessed by healthcare providers and will depend on a number of factors such as the type of animal involved and the reason for exposure.”

The most recent case of wildlife with rabies in Toronto was in 1997, said the city.

No raccoons have since tested positive for rabies in Toronto, largely due to interventions to prevent the spread of raccoon rabies.

While the risk of rabies remains low in Toronto, raccoons are still considered to be a higher risk species for rabies transmission in Canada.

jyuen@postmedia.com
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WARMINGTON: St. Catharines barber cut from her own reality show
Niagara's hair salon reopenings doesn't include barbering 'studio' that defied lockdown

Author of the article:Joe Warmington
Publishing date:Mar 03, 2021 • 2 hours ago • 3 minute read • comment bubble21 Comments
Alicia Hirter, owner of the closed-down Chrome Artistic Barbering in St. Catharines, Ont. on Tuesday, March 2, 2021.
Alicia Hirter, owner of the closed-down Chrome Artistic Barbering in St. Catharines, Ont. on Tuesday, March 2, 2021. PHOTO BY ERNEST DOROSZUK /Toronto Sun
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ST. CATHARINES — It’s like barber Alicia Hirter’s scenes have been cut from her own movie!

For the first time in months, hair stylists, salons and barbershops here are open again for business.


Just not Hirter’s studio. The outspoken owner had earlier taken officials to task for the economy-destroying business shutdown.

“I actually don’t think it’s ironic,” said Hirter, owner of Chrome Artistic Barbering on Lake St.

She thinks it’s payback and vengeance.

As Niagara moved into the red zone, Hirter has run into red tape with a shut-down order from the public health department.

“If I defy this I could end up detained,” she said.

“I have an 11-year-old son. I can’t go to jail.”

Actually, Hirter did not violate earlier orders as she found a loophole allowing her barbershop to operate as a film studio, as we highlighted on the front page of the Toronto Sun Jan. 21.


People loved how she created an audition-on-video during the haircut, becoming a performance and exempt from the shutdown order like the film companies.

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Even the man in charge at the St. Catharines bylaw office left her a voicemail of approval, she said.

Many got a kick out of it, including Newstalk 1010’s John Moore and Jim Richards.

She found a way to beat “The Man” while taking coronavirus prevention very seriously.

The “COVID police” were not amused.

A closed notice at the entrance to Chrome Artistic Barbering in St. Catharines, Ont. on Tuesday, March 2, 2021. ERNEST DOROSZUK/TORONTO SUN
A closed notice at the entrance to Chrome Artistic Barbering in St. Catharines, Ont. on Tuesday, March 2, 2021. ERNEST DOROSZUK/TORONTO SUN PHOTO BY ERNEST DOROSZUK /Toronto Sun
The cancel culture crowd went to work and suddenly she had all of these men in uniforms crowding around her in her tiny shop.

Things got even heavier after Hirter sent out a meme on social media calling for the region’s medical officer of health to be fired, which garnered death threats against him and a Niagara Regional Police Service investigation. Niagara Police spokesman Stephanie Sabourin told the Sun the investigation into the threats against Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Mustafa Hirji has concluded. “In consultation with Dr. Hirji, at this time criminal charges are not being laid,” she said. “As no charges have been laid, it would be inappropriate to comment further on this matter.”

“I felt terrible that people did that,” said Hirter. “I am sorry he went through that.”

She knows what it’s like.

She’s had threats against her, too, which Niagara Police are also investigating.

They will get to the bottom of all of it but whatever comes next, things need to calm down in St. Catharines.

There is no room for vindictiveness or settling scores.

Dennis Costantini, owner of Evolution Salon in St. Catharines, Ont. on Tuesday, March 2, 2021. ERNEST DOROSZUK/TORONTO SUN
Dennis Costantini, owner of Evolution Salon in St. Catharines, Ont. on Tuesday, March 2, 2021. ERNEST DOROSZUK/TORONTO SUN
Over at the Evolution Salon and Spa, Dennis Costantini is concerned about how Alicia has been treated.

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“They have really had it out for her and it is not right,” he said.

“I feel she is being targeted. I did all of the same things with my operation. I made videos of performances, posted protest signs in front of my business and while I have received bylaw tickets, I have not had the same kind of response Alicia has been forced to endure.”

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Alicia Hirter is pictured in her St. Catharines salon with customer Nick Malsai on Jan. 21, 2021
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Alicia Hirter, owner of Chrome Artistic Barbering in St. Catharines, Ont. on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021.
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Alicia Hirter, owner of Chrome Artistic Barbering in St. Catharines, Ont. on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021.
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People need to cool it. All these people are trying to do is not go bankrupt and to save the local economy.

Unless there’s proof of a deadly virus inside Hirter’s Lake St. studio/barbershop, that closure notice should be pulled down and she should be able to save her business.

If barbershops are allowed to be open in St. Catharines, let Alicia at Chrome yell ‘action’ once again.

jwarmington@postmedia.com
 

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Conservative MP David Sweet joins Baber in speaking out against Ontario lockdown
Author of the article:Antonella Artuso
Publishing date:Mar 03, 2021 • 1 hour ago • 1 minute read • comment bubble32 Comments
Conservative MP for Flamborough-Glanbrook David Sweet
Conservative MP for Flamborough-Glanbrook David Sweet PHOTO BY @DAVIDSWEETMP /Twitter
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Conservative MP David Sweet is adding his voice to that of independent MPP Roman Baber in opposition to Ontario’s lockdown.

Baber was booted out of the Ontario PC caucus after he went public with his view that the Doug Ford government’s solution to the pandemic was more damaging than the illness.

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Sweet, the first federal Conservative MP to express this view in public, held a joint media conference with Baber Wednesday to call for the entire province to move into the green stage of the COVID-19 framework.

“It is becoming increasingly evident that we are not able to contain the virus by a strategy of severe lockdowns, yet the physical, psychological and sociological consequences to the young and old are crippling in nature” Sweet said in a statement. “Government should focus its efforts on protection of the vulnerable in long-term care homes and similar congregate settings.”

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York Centre MPP Roman Baber.
BABER: The mental health impact of lockdown on Ontario's youth
Dr. Richard Schabas sits in his office at Hastings Prince Edward Public Health in Belleville November 5, 2014.
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York Centre MPP Roman Baber and Ontario Premier Doug Ford, right.
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Baber said many elected Conservatives share the same view.

“The attitudes toward the lockdown have changed and we are seeing more people publicly speaking out against it,” Baber said in a statement. “We should move the entire province into Green, while securing infection control and adequate staffing in long-term care homes.

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Pandemic takes $8B toll on Toronto tourism
Toronto's meeting and events industry alone sees $833 million hit

Author of the article:Bryan Passifiume
Publishing date:Mar 04, 2021 • 16 hours ago • 1 minute read • comment bubble6 Comments
Jason Priestley waves the green flag to start the Honda Indy in Toronto on Sunday, July 15, 2018.
Jason Priestley waves the green flag to start the Honda Indy in Toronto on Sunday, July 15, 2018. PHOTO BY FRANK GUNN /The Canadian Press
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As with many destinations around the world, Toronto’s tourism industry has been dealt a heavy blow by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Data released Thursday by Destination Toronto shows an $8.35-billion hit due to lost visitor spending — a number that increases to over $14 billion across the entire GTA.

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The city’s retail sector took the biggest hit, losing $1.67 billion during the pandemic, followed by bars and restaurants at $1.3 billion, hotels at $1.2 billion and area attractions at $707 million.

The state of emergency was declared a year ago essentially halted Toronto’s tourism industry — closing restaurants, shuttering tourist attractions, restricting out-of-country visitors and cancelling high-profile events considered big tourist draws, including the 2020 and 2021 Toronto Pride parade, Toronto International Film Festival and the Toronto Caribbean Carnival.

The meeting and events sector, which saw 463 conferences cancelled throughout the pandemic — an $833 million loss in the sector alone, said Destination Toronto CEO Scott Beck.

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“Simply stated, 380,000 attendees didn’t come to Toronto over the past year,” he said.

“Prior to the pandemic, Toronto had been riding a wave of momentum and experienced annual growth in visitor spending for over a decade. ”

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Sporting draws such as Blue Jays, Raptors, Argos and Maple Leafs games were all either relocated or barred spectators, and the 2020 Honda Indy Toronto was also cancelled — with all eyes on if conditions will improve in time for this year’s race, scheduled for July 9-11.

“The foundation of our past success, rooted in the quality of our city’s experience, gives us confidence in the inevitable recovery of our industry,” Beck said.

bpassifiume@postmedia.com
On Twitter: @bryanpassifiume
 

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Ontario-developed graphene face mask passes Health Canada tests
The made-in-Canada mask is expected to be on the market by April

Author of the article:Bryan Passifiume
Publishing date:Mar 05, 2021 • 13 hours ago • 1 minute read • comment bubble17 Comments
This undated transmission electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2, also known as novel coronavirus, the virus that causes COVID-19, isolated from a patient in the U.S.
This undated transmission electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2, also known as novel coronavirus, the virus that causes COVID-19, isolated from a patient in the U.S. PHOTO BY NIAID-RML /Handout via REUTERS
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The product of collaboration between two Canadian companies, a new facemask technology based on graphene is set to enter the market.

The all-Canadian four-ply masks, to be produced in Collingwood, Ont. by Trebor Rx Corp., use filters treated with a biocidal coating based on graphene — a revolutionary form of carbon that’s finding uses in a number of new and emerging technologies.

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The graphene ‘ink’ coating is produced by Thunder Bay-based Zen Graphene Solutions — which according to lab testing is 99% effective in rendering aerobic bacteria and viruses inert, including SARS-2 Coronavirus.

“This is a breakthrough,” Trebor CEO George Irwin told the Sun. “We (Trebor and Zen) will be the first company to have something of this nature in a mask, anywhere in the world.”

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Graphene is a two-dimensional lattice of a single layer of carbon atoms, where each atom is bonded to three of its neighbours.

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The material is a good electrical conductor and has great strength — opening up new technological possibilities ranging from batteries, power cells and quantum computing to aircraft deicing, waterproofing and machine lubrication.

And now, biocidal solutions for PPE.


Irwin, who heads venerable Canadian toy manufacturer Irwin Toys, said the new four-ply masks will come in two versions — one with the graphene biocidal layer near the outside to protect against potentially-infectious persons from spreading the virus, and a second with the layer closer to the mouth, designed to protect tested-negative frontline workers from inhaling airborne pathogens.

“That’s an extra layer of protection,” he said. “We’re making two masks for very different purposes.”

Earlier this year the two companies brokered a deal to apply the graphene coating to Trebor’s line of nitrile gloves, meant to protect against touch-transfer of pathogens from surfaces.

Trebor plans on bringing the masks to market by April.

bpassifiume@postmedia.com
On Twitter: @bryanpassifiume
 

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Defiant unmasked nurse refuses COVID testing, quarantine at Toronto airport
Jessica Faraone returned home after volunteering at a medical clinic in Tanzania for a month

Author of the article:Liz Braun
Publishing date:Mar 06, 2021 • 17 hours ago • 3 minute read • comment bubble223 Comments
GTA nurse Jessica Faraone, seen here in Tanzania where she volunteered at a medical for a month, recorded video of herself defiantly refusing to wear a mask, get tested for COVID-19 or be quarantined upon arriving at Pearson airport in Toronto from Tanzania on Thursday, March 4, 2021.
GTA nurse Jessica Faraone, seen here in Tanzania where she volunteered at a medical for a month, recorded video of herself defiantly refusing to wear a mask, get tested for COVID-19 or be quarantined upon arriving at Pearson airport in Toronto from Tanzania on Thursday, March 4, 2021. PHOTO BY JESSICA FARAONE /Instagram
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A registered nurse from the GTA has taken to social media to air her opposition to official COVID restrictions.

Jessica Faraone returned to Toronto from Tanzania on March 4 and in a post on Instagram claims she got into a screaming match with Canadian border officials upon landing at Pearson for her refusal to wear a mask, have a COVID test or undertake the mandatory three-day stop at a quarantine hotel.

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Faraone’s defence — as per her Instagram statement — is that she can refuse to follow the rules because she is “a Canadian citizen.”

In her Instagram video she is also heard telling officials she is a frontline worker and later explaining that she simply walked out of the airport and went home.

“I didn’t even get a f—ing ticket,” she states, noting officials told her a ticket would be mailed to her.

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Faraone was in Tanzania — a no-go zone during COVID — volunteering for a month at a medical clinic (for which she started a GoFundMe campaign).

As the BBC reported last month, the government of Tanzania insists there is no COVID-19 there and the country has no plans for vaccination. The British government has banned all travellers arriving from Tanzania, while the U.S. Centre for Disease Control has issued a warning against travel there.

President John Magufuli declared the country COVID-free last summer and he and other officials have since mocked masking and other efforts made by neighbouring countries to stem the COVID tide.


Religious leaders in Tanzania have had to ask the public to use masks and follow anti-COVD health protocols, citing an increase in requests for burial services.

Faraone’s behaviour at Pearson and her insistence on no mask or quarantine flies in the face of COVID guidance offered by the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) for the last 14 months.

Input from the RNAO has been crucial to the public’s understanding of what is required to stay safe during COVID. Masking, distancing and hand hygiene have been emphasized throughout, a simple strategy for COVID that has facilitated a big decrease in cases of influenza and all-cause pneumonia during the pandemic.

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In an Instagram posting from March 5, Faraone (previously employed by a plastic surgeon) states that during COVID she had been working in long-term care homes and hospitals.

According to the CNO website, she was employed at one nursing home in Woodbridge for an unspecified period in 2020. (The website notes: The content is based on information the nurse or nurse’s employer reports to CNO.)

In the video Faraone says: “It’s been a year. We know that COVID is not as deadly as we thought it was.”

She then mentions the 22,000 deaths from COVID in Canada.

Later in the posting, Faraone reads from the CDC page for adverse vaccine event reporting, focusing on the death of a 73-year-old man post-vaccine and discussing the “deadly things” associated with the COVID vaccine.

lbraun@postmedia.com


RNAO DUBS NURSE’S BEHAVIOUR OFFENSIVE, UNPROFESSIONAL

In response to a request for comment on the situation with Jessica Faraone, the RNAO issued the following statement on Saturday:

“Ms. Faraone, who was an RPN and is now an RN, displays offensive behaviours that are unprofessional and that contravene public health measures.

“If she is a practising nurse in Ontario, the College of Nurses of Ontario should deal with this matter as they are obligated to do.

“To have this video surfacing on social media at the same time thousands and thousands of RNs, RPNs, NPs and other health professionals are working 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week protecting Ontarians and trying to save lives is unfathomable.

“Further, we have the public’s trust and respect and having any health professional acting in this way compromises our collective efforts to mitigate the damage caused by COVID-19.

“We ask Ontarians to understand that this is unwelcome and isolated behavior, and we urge the public to continue to follow, in the strictest of ways, all public health measures as advised by the province and its public health officials.”
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After a year of COVID, the workplace has changed forever
Author of the article:Liz Braun
Publishing date:Mar 07, 2021 • 13 hours ago • 3 minute read • comment bubble5 Comments
Empty cubicles could remain commonplace many days a week, according to some prognosticators.
Empty cubicles could remain commonplace many days a week, according to some prognosticators. PHOTO BY GAVIN YOUNG /Postmedia
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Ready to go back to the office?

After a year of COVID-19, that landscape has changed forever.

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At a minimum, expect heightened health protocols, regardless of where you’re employed. There may be a temperature check at the door, and requirements to keep your distance and keep your mask on.

And bring a thermos of coffee with you — Starbucks has closed 33 Toronto locations since COVID started.

If you’re an office worker who has successfully worked remotely over the last year, you may never go back to the office full-time. Turns out both employers and employees are pleased with the virtual scenario, with bosses noting increased productivity and staff enjoying a more flexible work day — no commute, no dressing up, less stress overall.

On the other hand, many workers miss the daily contact with others. Work provides an important social environment.

“I need that human interaction. I need people around me to get energized for work,” says Andrew Caldwell, an HR specialist at Peninsula Canada.

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Caldwell believes we’re moving toward a new hybrid arrangement whereby people will be in the office two days a week and working from home the other three, or some variation on that theme. It’s a scenario that allows the best features of both at-home and in-office work.

“People will still work a 40 hour week and the work will still get done,” said Caldwell. “It just may not be organized 9 to 5.”

The hybrid arrangement covers workers who moved to Barrie or Whitby or Collingwood during COVID in search of bigger and better space, too, making any commute occasional only.

With this new hybrid model, videoconferencing and video interviews will become permanent, both time and money savers in the realm of marketing meetings, business conferences and remote hiring. Digital engagement is not going away; at the same time, those in-person hours at the office are still necessary for the mentoring, on-boarding and talent development that really need to be done in person.

One obvious change wrought by working part-time from home will be many firms’ reduced need for commercial space.

Businesses will ask, “Do we really need all that space?” said Caldwell. “Can we shrink our footprint, get hotel desks, put people on a rotational schedule?”

That may have profound implications for real estate in the city centre — that thicket of semi-empty bank towers in particular — perhaps one of the reasons Mayor John Tory and a consortium of planners, business owners, landlords and others are planning a careful reopening of the downtown area. It’s not just about COVID safety.

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Caldwell does not foresee a wasteland of empty buildings and believes people really do want to go back to work. His focus is on small and medium sized businesses — “They will jump start the economy faster than big business,” — and he knows what’s at stake for the ancillary businesses that rely on the workforce returning.


All the talk about this new employment picture where people get to work from home at least part of the time ignores one major issue — only about 40% of the work force is involved.

As Elisabeth Reynolds, the Executive Director, Task Force on the Work of the Future, Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently told the BBC, the greatest challenge is what happens to the 60% who can’t work from home.

What happens to the workers remote jobs leave behind?

That decline in daily commuters and business travellers affects the many other workers whose jobs support office workers.

“A full one-in-four workers are in the transportation, food service, cleaning and maintenance, retail and personal care industries,” said Reynolds. “These jobs, often concentrated in cities and lower paid, are disappearing or are at risk of disappearing in the near term.”

Part of the solution, she said, will be to find ways to help people improve their skills and increase access to education and training for these workers. That’s not a short-term fix, obviously.

Bottom line — COVID has wrought changes in the workplace that will prompt more and greater change for years to come. Consider work a “work in progress” for the foreseeable future.
 

spaminator

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LILLEY: We never could have imagined this year 365 days ago
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Publishing date:Mar 07, 2021 • 13 hours ago • 2 minute read • comment bubble12 Comments
One year ago Pearson airport was still busy, before everything changed.
One year ago Pearson airport was still busy, before everything changed. PHOTO BY DAVE ABEL /Postmedia files
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A year ago we didn’t know that this would be the last normal weekend before COVID-19 became an all-consuming part of our lives. Borders were wide open as were businesses, professional sports leagues had yet to take a break and schools were getting ready for March Break.

We were told there was not much to worry about in Canada. Ontario had entered the weekend with 28 total cases of COVID-19, British Columbia had 21 and Quebec had two confirmed cases.

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Dr. Theresa Tam continued to state “the risk of spread within Canada remains low” even though the World Health Organization had elevated the risk level to very high.

“I can reassure Canadians the risk remains low,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had said while visiting Halifax.

Two days later, speaking in Toronto on March 5, Trudeau was asked about Canada following in the footsteps of the United States and Australia in putting travel restrictions on people arriving from COVID hotspots. He dismissed the idea.

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“There is a lot of knee-jerk reaction that isn’t keeping people safe,” Trudeau said.

By the end of the week, the world as we know it would be upside down.

It all started to unravel in the unlikeliest of spots, an NBA game in Oklahoma City between the Thunder and the visiting Utah Jazz was cancelled after Jazz centre Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. The Toronto Raptors had played Utah two days earlier and were ordered into isolation.

The NBA later announced the suspension of the season. That same night, actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson announced they had tested positive for coronavirus.

Suddenly, it seemed, the population of all of North America was ready to take COVID seriously. The NHL suspended their season on March 12 and other professional sports leagues followed suit.

Premier Doug Ford went from telling families to enjoy their March break on the morning of March 12 to announcing that schools would be closed for two weeks as a precautionary measure. Office workers were increasingly told to work from home and businesses saw a steady decline in customers even before shutdown orders were instituted.

None of us were expecting this on our last known weekend of freedom, none of us could contemplate what was to come.

In the year since we have changed our lives in ways few of us could conceive of at the time.

The masks that were common in parts of the Chinese community went from being a novelty to common to mandatory in a matter of weeks. Common greetings — the handshake, the hug, the kiss on the cheek have given way to elbow bumps or a simple nod.

The freedom to travel, move around, visit family and friends has been greatly reduced. Pretty much every aspect of our lives have been impacted.

One thing that we didn’t think we would have a year ago is thankfully now being deployed and will help in the still too slow return to normal. Vaccines are arriving, in still too small numbers, but they are arriving and having an impact.

Our two weeks to flatten the curve has become a year and it isn’t over yet but at least now we can see hope and a brightening light at the end of the tunnel.
 

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BRAUN: Nurse tells why she refused to wear mask, COVID test at airport
Author of the article:Liz Braun
Publishing date:Mar 08, 2021 • 19 hours ago • 3 minute read • comment bubble488 Comments
Toronto nurse Jessica Faraone is pictured on the balcony of her condo on March 7., 2021. She is in quarantine at home after returning last week from Tanzania where she volunteered at a medical clinic. Photographer Jack Boland took this picture from the ground while Faraone stood on her fourth-floor balcony.
Toronto nurse Jessica Faraone is pictured on the balcony of her condo on March 7., 2021. She is in quarantine at home after returning last week from Tanzania where she volunteered at a medical clinic. Photographer Jack Boland took this picture from the ground while Faraone stood on her fourth-floor balcony. PHOTO BY JACK BOLAND /TORONTO SUN
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Jessica Faraone is the nurse who attracted a firestorm of criticism when she arrived at Pearson and refused to wear a mask, take a COVID test or go to a hotel.

On Sunday, Faraone was invited to tell her side of the story.


Some background: Faraone, 29, has been a nurse for 10 years. She has worked in long-term care (LTC) homes and hospitals and has worked in surgery, plastic surgery, and as a recovery room nurse.

Most recently she worked in a hospital’s acute brain injury and stroke ward.

She wears full personal protective equipment on the job and is not a COVID denier. However, Faraone is against masking children in school and doesn’t see the point of public masking in general.

Before returning home from Tanzania, Faraone had two COVID tests that were negative before she was permitted to board the flight.

“I did not think it was sensible or reasonable to get another invasive test or go to a government-approved hotel instead of my own home,” she said.

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In Tanzania, Faraone lived among the general population and with zero COVID health protocols — no masking or distancing required. The issues where she was were malaria, dehydration, typhoid, parasitic infections and wounds; COVID is in the country, but she didn’t see any cases.

She and two other medical volunteers started a GoFundMe campaign to help the hospital where they worked.

What were you expecting on the way home to Pearson?

I started to get anxiety about having to go back home and living a completely different way (a restricted mask-wearing way) than I was used to, being free in Tanzania. After seeing (prominent GTA anti-lockdown advocate) Chris Sky’s video of not having to do a COVID test, or wear a mask, and him shedding light on the fact that many of these measures go against our rights as Canadians, I started to look more into the Charter of Rights and the guidelines of the Quarantine Act. Chris Sky took a stand for Canada along with many other health-care workers and Canadian doctors; it was time I took a stand for what I actually believed in.


I’m not saying COVID isn’t real. I’m disputing the measures the government is putting in place for a virus that has a 98% survival rate. The interventions should not be worse than the actual virus itself. I have worked in the hospitals and more than ever I’m seeing suicide, depression, strokes, heart attacks, addiction issues. Masking people and children, oppressing health-care workers’ opinions that go against the grain, socially isolating people, and instilling fear into Canadians … is not how we solve this problem.

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If we really care about the vulnerable people dying from this, we need to fix our LTC system.

Nurse Jessica Faraone went to Tanzania to volunteer at a medical clinic.
Nurse Jessica Faraone went to Tanzania to volunteer at a medical clinic. PHOTO BY INSTAGRAM /Toronto Sun
Did you think you’d be allowed to just leave the airport?

I knew I would be able to leave the airport because of my Canadian Charter of Rights. Border security asked me what hotel I booked, I replied, “None, I’m going to my perfectly good home as this violates my Charter of Rights, including taking another invasive COVID test (this violates section 14.1 of the Quarantine Act).”

The border officer …started yelling at me because I was telling other Canadian citizens that they could go to their homes and not stay in a hotel or do another COVID test. He got angrier and wanted to silence me from telling people their rights as Canadians. It felt like I was in a bad horror movie.I’m a frontline worker, I’m a Canadian citizen and above all, I’m a human being, and I’m here being muzzled at the airport for telling people their rights. Once the police officers and public health nurses got wind that I’m a registered nurse, they started shaming me, saying, “I hope you lose your job,” and making me feel like crap for having an opinion that did not line up with the storyline of the government or what they were trying to do at the airport.

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GTA nurse Jessica Faraone, seen here in Tanzania where she volunteered at a medical for a month, recorded video of herself defiantly refusing to wear a mask, get tested for COVID-19 or be quarantined upon arriving at Pearson airport in Toronto from Tanzania on Thursday, March 4, 2021.
Defiant unmasked nurse refuses COVID testing, quarantine at Toronto airport
Fatim Ali holds her baby Motinsar, after arriving from Sudan at Terminal 1 at Toronto Pearson International airport on Feb. 22, 2021.
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Are you concerned about being disciplined by the College of Nurses of Ontario?

I have yet to hear from them. I would be genuinely disgusted if my license got taken away for having an opinion and exercising my rights … The people who know me know I’m a damn good nurse, I genuinely care about the well-being of, and have compassion for, those in my care. That is why I’m speaking up.
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spaminator

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For heaven's sake, admit more people to church: Collins
Author of the article:Liz Braun
Publishing date:Mar 08, 2021 • 9 hours ago • 1 minute read • comment bubble8 Comments
Toronto Archbishop Cardinal Thomas Collins
Toronto Archbishop Cardinal Thomas Collins PHOTO BY CRAIG ROBERTSON, TORONTO SUN /Toronto Sun
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Churches are calling for equal treatment during COVID.

While stores are permitted to open at 25% capacity as of Monday, most churches, mosques, synagogues and other houses of worship are still hard-capped at a maximum of 10 people inside — regardless of how big or small the edifice may be.


A new letter from Toronto Archbishop Cardinal Thomas Collins outlines this inequity and asks that the faithful write to their MPP about the issue. Collins promises to share any letters with Premier Doug Ford, as well.

In the letter, Collins recounted a recent incident that underlines his concerns. A movie shoot wanted to use the basement of one of the diocese churches, and had a dispensation from the province for a crew of 50 people.

Ouch. Later in the week, the priest at that parish presided at a funeral in the same church, limited to 10 people inside, himself included.

“Which of these do we consider more essential?” wrote Collins.

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He is not making light of the pandemic, and recognizes the 22,000 who have died.

“I do not believe that our elected officials and medical officers of health consciously intend to suppress religious freedom; I realize that they are in an extremely difficult position,” he wrote.


“We do, however, ask to be treated equitably. In recent days, it is becoming more difficult to believe that is happening.”

The archbishop asked that churches get a fair shake — so if stores can welcome 25% capacity, churches should be able to also.

Why should places of worship, regardless of whether they seat 100 or 1,000 people, remain at a hard cap of 10 people?

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A sign seen from a church after movement restrictions came into effect due to COVID-19 in the border town of Cornwall, Ont., March 25, 2020.
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Martha Oppel, 85, displays her lockdown ticket while Pastor Henry Hildebrandt looks on.
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GTA nurse Jessica Faraone, seen here in Tanzania where she volunteered at a medical for a month, recorded video of herself defiantly refusing to wear a mask, get tested for COVID-19 or be quarantined upon arriving at Pearson airport in Toronto from Tanzania on Thursday, March 4, 2021.
Defiant unmasked nurse refuses COVID testing, quarantine at Toronto airport

He encouraged the faithful to respectfully request that any restrictions for places of worship use a percentage of capacity as opposed to an arbitrary number.

“This is an interfaith initiative with participation from many faith communities.”
 

taxme

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It will never end with these mad politicians of ours. They love the power that has been handed to them and they refuse to want to give it up. The only way to end this convid job madness is for people to say that they have had enough. Until then, there will be more chit like this on the way. Wake up people. Hello?
 

spaminator

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'RIDICULOUS POLICY': CFIB wants public apology from Premier Ford
The federation accused the Ontario government of finding a "particular carve-out" for big box stores

Author of the article:Jenny Yuen
Publishing date:Mar 08, 2021 • 3 minutes ago • 2 minute read • comment bubbleJoin the conversation
Ordering take-out coffee along Queen St. W. near Trinity Bellwoods Park in Toronto, Ont. on Sunday February 28, 2021. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia
Ordering take-out coffee along Queen St. W. near Trinity Bellwoods Park in Toronto, Ont. on Sunday February 28, 2021. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia
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Say you’re sorry.

That’s the message the president of the Canadian Federation of Small Business wants to hear from Premier Doug Ford as Peel Region and Toronto entered the province’s grey zone of the reopening framework Monday, allowing stores to open up at 25% capacity.


Up until Monday, smaller non-essential retailers had to stay shuttered while big box stores selling groceries were allowed to open.

“During the first wave of COVID in the spring, business owners were quite understanding, including retailers, were quite understanding of having patience with government, recognizing this is a brand-new thing,” said CFIB President Dan Kelly on Monday.

“Most provinces did the same thing as Ontario during the first wave. During the second wave, other provinces did lockdowns and business restrictions, but no province other than Ontario repeated its ridiculous policy of banning small businesses from selling products that they allowed big box stores to continue to sell in-person.”


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Kelly accused the Ontario government of finding a “particular carve-out” for big box stores, “and that’s what has resulted in deep anger and resentment amongst small business owners.”

Kelly tweeted his frustration: “Today also marks the end of Ontario’s disgusting policy of allowing big box stores to stay open while small retailers were forced to close. The Ford government should be deeply ashamed and issue an apology.”

In late November, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney apologized for his government’s “grave mistake” in not levelling the playing field for independent businesses.

The CFIB wants a public apology from Ford, a promise that he won’t repeat his decision to allow big box shops to open while closing small businesses and “the province needs to pony up significant compensation for businesses beyond the $10,000 to $20,000 Small Business Support Grant.


“Small retail was closed for 105 days in the second lockdown and a total of 160 days over the past year,” said Kelly. “That money may cover off a small retailer for a month. The situation is even worse for restaurants, gyms, and hair and nail salon, which remain closed or for indoor dining.”

The CFIB estimates 75,000 Ontario businesses are at risk of permanently closing because of the pandemic.


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While she offered a statement, Ford spokesperson Ivana Yelich did not say whether the premier will apologize.

“We recognize the significant impact COVID-19 has had on our small businesses, which is why we have provided over $1 billion to help eligible business owners affected by public health restrictions,” she said in a statement Monday.

“We still have a long road ahead of us, but we will get through this together and, when we do, our government will continue to be there to support our small businesses every step of the way.”

jyuen@postmedia.com
 

spaminator

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India continues upward trend of Canada-bound COVID-19 flights
27 flights landed in Canada from Delhi carrying COVID infected passengers since Feb. 12: Health Canada

Author of the article:Bryan Passifiume
Publishing date:Mar 09, 2021 • 18 hours ago • 1 minute read • comment bubble28 Comments
People walk towards Terminal 1 at Toronto's Pearson Airport after mandatory coronavirus (COVID-19) testing took effect for international arrivals February 15, 2021.
People walk towards Terminal 1 at Toronto's Pearson Airport after mandatory coronavirus (COVID-19) testing took effect for international arrivals February 15, 2021. PHOTO BY CARLOS OSORIO /REUTERS
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Over the past two weeks, nearly two flights per day arrived in Canada from Delhi carrying passengers who subsequently tested positive for COVID-19.

Publicly-available data from Health Canada shows 27 flights from the Indian capital landed at Canadian airports over the past 14 days — almost as many that landed at Toronto in the entire month of February.


All but four of those flights landed in Toronto, which sees two daily non-stop flights from Indira Gandhi International Airport.

One of those flights, Air Canada 43 from Delhi to Toronto on Feb. 21, saw nearly half of the aircraft 64 rows affected by infected passengers.

The number of infected flights from Delhi has spiked since January, increasing from one or two a month since October to 32 in February.

Toronto’s second-most common overseas destination for COVID infected passengers was Istanbul with seven, followed by six from London-Heathrow, five from the United Arab Emirates, three each from Ethiopia, Pakistan and Frankfurt, and two each from Egypt, Qatar, Amsterdam, Paris, China and Guyana.

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Health Canada’s data does not indicate where they tested positive, but passengers boarding Canada-bound flights must present a negative COVID-19 test prior to boarding, and international travellers must submit to a test upon arrival before serving a mandatory three-day quarantine at a government-approved hotel, at their own expense.


Eleven infected U.S. flights landed in Toronto since Feb. 21 — four from Charlotte, two each from Chicago, Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale, and one from Detroit.

Since Feb. 21, 104 flights landed at Canadian airports carrying passengers that tested positive for COVID-19.

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Passengers arrive at Toronto's Pearson airport after mandatory COVID-19 testing took effect for international arrivals, in Mississauga, Ont., Feb. 1, 2021.
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Health Canada doesn’t list the number of infected passengers per flight, just ranges of row numbers where passengers who subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 may have sat.

bpassifiume@postmedia.com
On Twitter: @bryanpassifiume