Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 (nCoV-2019)

[AlbertC]

Public transit will be critical to Toronto's COVID-19 recovery, but will it be safe for riders?

Physical distancing will soon be impossible on its vehicles, TTC warns

May 22, 2020

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-transit-recovery-covid19-1.5578487?cmp=rss

 

[picard102]

Even to the point of people saying it's exaggerated by the government and really nothing; just a typical flu.

There isn't enough long term data to show people definitively that it is worse if they are not in a high risk category.

 

[AlbertC]

Ontario records highest number of new COVID-19 cases in two weeks

Friday, May 22, 2020

TORONTO -- Ontario has recorded the highest daily number of new COVID-19 cases in two weeks as the death toll surpasses 2,000.

On Friday, health officials reported 441 new cases of the disease, bringing the total to 24,628.

Ontario premier calls highest jump in COVID-19 cases in two weeks 'concerning'

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said it is "concerning" that the province has recorded the highest daily number of new COVID-19 cases in two weeks, adding that he's "up all night" thinking about the recent upward trend.

toronto.ctvnews.ca

 

[Jasmine18]

People complain there is a lack of tests but if people are to scared to go get a test what do you do?

Like i think a lot of people wont get tested randomly unless they are really sick.

 

[AlbertC]

'This is not business as usual': You may start seeing a COVID-19 surcharge on your receipts

Friday, May 22, 2020

TORONTO -- As small businesses begin the arduous task of reopening amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, some have opted to tack on a COVID-19 surcharge to their receipts in an effort to recoup funds spent on new sanitation and physical distancing measures.

The so-called "COVID fee" is designed to help cover the cost of personal protective equipment (PPE) for employees, increased sanitation measures, or income lost from reducing the number of customers a business is allowed to serve based on physical distancing measures.

Hair salons and restaurants are among the first to embrace the surcharge in provinces where they have been allowed to reopen, such as British Columbia, but experts warn it’s a delicate balance to strike at a time when consumers are wary about spending.

'This is not business as usual': You may start seeing a COVID-19 surcharge on your receipts

As small businesses begin to reopen, some have opted to tack on a COVID-19 surcharge in an effort to recoup money spent on sanitation and physical distancing measures — a move experts warn may deter consumers from spending at all.

www.ctvnews.ca

 

[Towered]

'This is not business as usual': You may start seeing a COVID-19 surcharge on your receipts

Friday, May 22, 2020

TORONTO -- As small businesses begin the arduous task of reopening amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, some have opted to tack on a COVID-19 surcharge to their receipts in an effort to recoup funds spent on new sanitation and physical distancing measures.

The so-called "COVID fee" is designed to help cover the cost of personal protective equipment (PPE) for employees, increased sanitation measures, or income lost from reducing the number of customers a business is allowed to serve based on physical distancing measures.

Hair salons and restaurants are among the first to embrace the surcharge in provinces where they have been allowed to reopen, such as British Columbia, but experts warn it’s a delicate balance to strike at a time when consumers are wary about spending.

'This is not business as usual': You may start seeing a COVID-19 surcharge on your receipts

As small businesses begin to reopen, some have opted to tack on a COVID-19 surcharge in an effort to recoup money spent on sanitation and physical distancing measures — a move experts warn may deter consumers from spending at all.

www.ctvnews.ca

Curious to see how much that fee will add to the overall bill. Could affect my choices as a consumer.

 

[AlbertC]

Curious to see how much that fee will add to the overall bill. Could affect my choices as a consumer.

The place that my brother goes to for haircuts have already notified customers on social media that they're going to charge an extra $10 per cut when they open up again. So from $35 to 45.

 

[PinkLucy]

Ontario records highest number of new COVID-19 cases in two weeks

Friday, May 22, 2020

TORONTO -- Ontario has recorded the highest daily number of new COVID-19 cases in two weeks as the death toll surpasses 2,000.

On Friday, health officials reported 441 new cases of the disease, bringing the total to 24,628.

Ontario premier calls highest jump in COVID-19 cases in two weeks 'concerning'

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said it is "concerning" that the province has recorded the highest daily number of new COVID-19 cases in two weeks, adding that he's "up all night" thinking about the recent upward trend.

toronto.ctvnews.ca

Almost two weeks after Mother's Day -- there was quite a bit of speculation that there would be an increase about now.

 

[AlbertC]

Almost two weeks after Mother's Day -- there was quite a bit of speculation that there would be an increase about now.

I'm curious to see a breakdown of details for these numbers in what kind of setting did these cases occur. The situation remains critical in LTC homes of course, however the numbers there should be relatively stable now compared to the peak from few weeks ago.

I'd imagine that a fair portion of newer cases are from healthcare and other front line workers. While community infection in the general public remains a risk.

 

[W. K. Lis]

People complain there is a lack of tests but if people are to scared to go get a test what do you do?

Like i think a lot of people wont get tested randomly unless they are really sick.

Reasons an employee may take infectious disease emergency leave

From link.

Employees have the right to take unpaid, job-protected infectious disease emergency leave if they are not performing the duties of their position because of specified reasons related to a designated infectious disease. This leave is available to all employees who are covered by the Employment Standards Act.

Employers cannot threaten, fire or penalize an employee in any other way because the employee took or plans on taking an infectious disease emergency leave.

The only disease for which infectious disease emergency leave may be taken at this time is COVID-19. Although the Employment Standards Act was amended to include infectious disease emergency leave on March 19, 2020, the leave entitlements for COVID-19 are retroactive to January 25, 2020.

Reasons an employee may take infectious disease emergency leave

Employees can take infectious disease emergency leave if they will not be performing the duties of their position because of any of the following reasons:

1. The employee is under individual medical investigation, supervision or treatment related to a designated infectious disease.The medical investigation, supervision or treatment can be in Ontario or in another province, territory or country
2. The employee is following a COVID-19 related order issued under section 22 or 35 of the Health Promotion and Protection Act.
3. The employee is in quarantine, isolation (voluntary or involuntary), or is subject to a control measure, and the quarantine, isolation or control measure was implemented as a result of information or directions related to a designated infectious disease that was issued by:
   1. a public health official. This means a public health official of the Government of Canada or any of the following people within the meaning of the Ontario Health Protection and Promotion Act:
      • the Chief Medical Officer of Health or Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health
      • a medical officer of health or an associate medical officer of health
      • an employee of a board of health
   2. someone who is qualified to practice as a physician or a nurse either in Ontario or in the jurisdiction where the employee is located (for example, another province, territory or another country) and who has provided care or treatment to the employee, whether or not the care or treatment was related to the designated infectious disease (such as an employee who has an immune deficiency was told by his physician to self-isolate and not go to work during the infectious disease outbreak)
   3. Telehealth Ontario
   4. the Government of Ontario or Canada
   5. a municipal council in Ontario
   6. a board of health
4. The information or direction may be issued:
   
   • to the public (in whole or in part)
   • to one or more people, and
   • through any means, including print, electronic or broadcast (for example, television or radio)
5. The employee is under a direction given by his or her employer in response to the employer’s concern that the employee might expose other individuals in the workplace to a designated infectious disease.
   For example, this would include the employer directing the employee to stay at home for a period of time if the employee has recently travelled internationally and the employer is concerned the employee may expose others in the workplace to a designated infectious disease.
   
6. The employee is providing care or support to any of these individuals because of a matter related to a designated infectious disease:
   • the employee’s spouse (of the same or opposite sex, whether or not married)
   • a parent, step-parent or foster parent of the employee or the employee’s spouse
   • a child, step-child or foster child of the employee or the employee’s spouse
   • a child who is under legal guardianship of the employee or the employee’s spouse
   • a brother, step-brother, sister or step-sister of the employee
   • a grandparent, step-grandparent, grandchild or step-grandchild of the employee or the employee’s spouse
   • a brother-in-law, step-brother-in-law, sister-in-law or step-sister-in-law of the employee
   • a son-in-law or daughter-in-law of the employee or the employee’s spouse
   • an uncle or aunt of the employee or the employee’s spouse
   • a nephew or niece of the employee or the employee’s spouse
   • the spouse of the employee’s grandchild, uncle, aunt, nephew or niece
   • a person who considers the employee to be like a family member, provided the prescribed conditions, if any, are met (currently there are no prescribed conditions)
   • any individual prescribed as a family member for the purposes of this section (currently, there are no additional prescribed family members)
7. This includes an employee taking leave to care for their child whose school or day care was closed because of a designated infectious disease (in this case, COVID-19).
   
   Examples include:
   
   • an employee who is providing care to an aunt who is sick with COVID-19
   • a babysitter who is in quarantine or isolation because of a designated infectious disease, or is sick because of it
   • a summer camp that the employee’s child was scheduled to attend closed down to help prevent the spread of a designated infectious disease
   • an employee’s 10-year-old brother, who was visiting the employee from another city without his parents, was unable to return home because of travel restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of a designated infectious disease
8. The employee can be providing the care or support in Ontario or in another province, territory or country.
   
9. The employee is directly affected by travel restrictions related to a designated infectious disease and, under the circumstances, cannot be reasonably expected to travel back to Ontario.
   For example, this would include an employee who is on a cruise ship that is not permitted to dock in any country because of the concern that passengers are infected by a designated infectious disease.
   
   There may be some situations where an employee is affected by travel restrictions (for example where there are no international commercial airline flights available) but the employee has other options available to travel back to Ontario. This condition will be met if it would not be reasonable to expect the employee to use alternative options.
   
   What is reasonable will depend on the circumstances. For example, an employee was vacationing in Mexico City when Canada banned all flights from Mexico for two weeks. The employee could rent a car or take a series of buses and trains to return to Ontario but that would not be a reasonable expectation in the circumstances.
   
   This provision applies only where the employee is directly affected by the travel restrictions. In other words, it applies only where the employees travel back to Ontario is affected.
   
   This provision applies only when the employee is caught by travel restrictions while outside of Ontario.
   

 

[Jasmine18]

Reasons an employee may take infectious disease emergency leave

From link.

Its not that they are scared of missing work but they get this idea a hospital or testing centre is full of sick people.

So people get this idea that 'maybe i have the virus but I am okay and have just a cough... but if i go there i may get if for sure!"

 

[W. K. Lis]

When efficiency becomes deficiency in long-term care

'Many people repeatedly believed politicians who promised that tax cuts would not hurt services and voted for them,' says reader

From link.

I have a confession to make. A few years ago, my stock broker recommended I buy shares in one of the companies operating
long-term care homes.

I remember him saying the company paid a good dividend (5%), and had growth prospects because the numbers of old folk in Ontario was increasing steadily. Of course, that number included my wife and I.

I did have a slight worry; I wasn’t sure I wanted to profit from elderly people.

Two months ago, when COVID-19 arrived in Canada, I became aware that nursing homes were affected, but I had forgotten we owned shares in such a company. A few weeks ago, I did notice and immediately told my stock broker to sell the shares.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, something is “efficient” if it is produced with minimum waste or effort. Who could object to that? An efficient woodworker can produce a dining table and six chairs for you, wasting a minimum of wood.

Working swiftly, they are able to make more dining sets each year. Working efficiently keeps the woodworking shop competitive and busy, ensuring their employees a decent income.

You, as the client want your dining set well-made and pleasing to the eye, imparting grace to your dining room. If you ordered it with a view to hosting an extended family Thanksgiving, you would want the work completed when promised or before, something an efficient shop can usually predict accurately.

If you are paying a contractor to build a house, you may be willing to pay for marble kitchen counters, a superior quality roof, plus upgraded insulation and a high-efficiency furnace to reduce heating costs.

However, a developer building a subdivision defines efficiency differently.

Bulk buying kitchen furniture, appliances, furnace, bathroom fixtures and carpets saves money, improving profits.

In other words, efficiency is defined by the person in charge.

Recently, Canadians learned that the overwhelming majority of COVID-19 deaths (over 80%) have been in long-term care homes. Canadians rightly expect our parents and grandparents to receive quality health care, but it has become clear that many do not.

A quarter century ago, Ontario Premier Mike Harris removed the minimum staffing requirement at nursing homes, and many now seem to skimp on staff numbers and qualifications. Weak regulations allow these facilities to hire part-timers who are forced to work at more than one facility to earn a living wage.

Unfortunately, this staff mobility has facilitated the unwitting transfer of COVID-19 between premises. Lax inspection allowed poor care standards to remain hidden, leading to the shockingly high mortality.

We now realize that efficiency has become deficiency.

Recently, Premier Ford announced that he would make it illegal for staff at long-care homes to work at more than one site.

Unfortunately, this sensible new regulation seems to be temporary.

Moreover, he didn’t address the other side of the issue. Not only are pay rates for personal support workers low, but employers prefer hiring people on a part-time basis to avoid paying for benefits. If we want them to work at just one long-term care home, we must ensure they are always offered the option of full-time employment!

Former premier Mike Harris also facilitated the expansion of for-profit long-term care homes by opening government contracts to competitive bidding. Winning such a contract forced “efficiency” on companies if they were to stay in business. Weakened regulations made that easier to do.

Ontario’s long-term care homes were barely coping before the epidemic hit. COVID-19 put them under a spotlight.

Measured on a per-bed basis, for-profit facilities had twice the number of cases as not-for-profit homes, and four times the number experienced by municipally run nursing homes.

Many people repeatedly believed politicians who promised that tax cuts would not hurt services and voted for them. They must understand that some of the extra money jingling in their pockets came from keeping staffing levels and wages low in long-term care facilities, and most cruelly, from residents who bore the brunt of our failure to protect them.

Shame on us for allowing this to happen!

Peter Bursztyn
Barrie

See also this link.

 

[AlbertC]

Feds readying to recommend contact tracing app

Friday, May 22, 2020

OTTAWA -- Responding to the need to increase the capacity to trace any possible contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government will soon be “strongly recommending” Canadians download a to-be-determined monitoring and exposure notification app.

In the meantime federal employees are ready to make thousands of contact tracing calls a day, seven days a week.

During his Friday morning address outlining the latest federal pandemic measures, Trudeau said that the federal government has trained federal employees who can make 3,600 contact tracing calls a day, and in addition, Statistics Canada has trained another 1,700 interviewers who can make up to 20,000 calls a day.

PM Trudeau: Feds will soon 'strongly' recommend contact tracing app

Responding to the need to increase the capacity to trace any possible contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government will soon be 'strongly recommending' Canadians download a to-be-determined exposure notification app. In the meantime federal...

www.ctvnews.ca

 

[Videodrome]

I got the expected email from the higher ups at work. We will be home another month.

 

[AlbertC]

Same here. The WFH policy has always been pretty flexible for me even before the pandemic, so I'll likely stay with this for at least the rest of the year.