Ontario returning 27 Public Health Regions to strengthened COVID-19 Response Framework |
| Published February 12, 2021 In consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Ontario government is transitioning twenty-seven public health regions, including ours, out of the shutdown and into a revised and strengthened COVID-19 Response Framework: Keeping Ontario Safe and Open (the "Framework"). The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit region will be moving back to the Orange-Restrict guidelines of the Framework on Tuesday, February 16, 2021 at 12:01 a.m. and will no longer be subject to the Stay-at-Home order. For more details on what Orange-Restrict means for us, please read our Health Unit's Guide. Read the press release. |
Ontario extending Stay-at-Home Order across most of the province to save lives |
| Published February 8, 2021 In consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the government is moving to a regional approach and maintaining the shutdown in the majority of the public health regions in Ontario, including the Stay-at-Home order and all existing public health and workplace safety measures. When it is safe to do so, the province will gradually transition each region from the shutdown measures to a revised and strengthened COVID-19 Response Framework: Keeping Ontario Safe and Open (the "Framework"). The Stay-at-Home order will continue to apply to 28 public health regions, including ours, until Tuesday, February 16, 2021. Read the press release. |
Ontario expands case and contact management workforce |
| Published January 15, 2021 The Ontario government has hired more case managers and contact tracers, building the provincial workforce to 1,600 by February 15, 2021. Along with staff who work in or have been redeployed within public health units, this support brings the total number of case and contact tracers in the province to nearly 5,600 staff. These people are vital in helping to isolate new cases of COVID-19 and stopping the spread of the virus in communities across Ontario. Read the press release. |
Applications now open for Ontario's Small Business Support Grant |
| Published January 15, 2021 The Ontario government has opened applications for the new Ontario Small Business Support Grant. The grant, first announced in December, provides a minimum of $10,000 to a maximum of $20,000 to eligible small businesses who have had to restrict their operations due to the Provincewide Shutdown. The tightened restrictions were put in place to help stop the alarming rise of COVID-19 cases in Ontario. Read the press release. |
Ontario to vaccinate up to 8.5 million people in phase two |
| Published January 13, 2021 Groups eligible to receive vaccines as part of Phase Two of the Ontario immunization program will include:
- Older adults, beginning with those 80 years of age and older and decreasing in five-year increments over the course of the vaccine rollout;
- Individuals living and working in high-risk congregate settings;
- Frontline essential workers (e.g., first responders, teachers, food processing industry); and
- Individuals with high-risk chronic conditions and their caregivers.
Phase Two is expected to be completed by end of July 2021 and Phase Three for the general population could begin as early as August 2021, pending availability of vaccines. Vaccination of populations in Phase One will continue until all vaccinations are complete. Read the press release. |
Ontario declares second provincial emergency to address COVID-19 crisis and save lives |
| Published January 12, 2021 Province issues stay-at-home order and introduces enhanced enforcement measures. Read the press release. |
Province extends shutdowns across Ontario until January 25 |
| Published January 8, 2021 This includes extending online teacher-led learning until January 25, 2021 for elementary school students in the 27 Southern Ontario public health unit regions and extending the shutdown in Northern Ontario for another 14 days, aligning with the shutdown period in Southern Ontario. Read the press release. |
Ontario supporting forestry jobs and worker safety |
| Published January 6, 2021 Funding will help forest sector businesses offset the cost of COVID-19 safety measures. Read the press release. |
Province accelerates vaccinations for Long-Term Care Homes in priority regions |
| Published January 5, 2021 All residents, health care workers and essential caregivers at long-term care homes in the priority regions of Toronto, Peel, York and Windsor-Essex receive a COVID-19 vaccination by January 21, 2021. Read the press release. |
Ontario releases Ethical Framework for COVID-19 vaccine distribution |
| Published December 30, 2020 Framework will guide vaccine prioritization in future phases of the province’s implementation plan. Read the press release. |
Changes to Municipal operations due to the province-wide shutdown |
| Published December 23, 2020 Effective December 26, 2020 at 12:01 a.m., the Municipal Offices in Wilberforce and the Building Department in Gooderham will be closed to the public until further notice. These closures will be in effect as a response to the province-wide lockdown that is being implemented surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. The Municipality’s number one priority is the health and safety of the public and staff. Learn more. |
Ontario welcomes Health Canada's approval of Moderna vaccine |
| Published December 23, 2020 The Moderna vaccine is a real gamechanger as it does not need to be stored at extremely cold temperatures and is more mobile. This means health staff can administer this vaccine onsite at long-term care homes, retirement homes, congregate care settings, rural and remote locations, and other places where the most vulnerable populations live. Read the press release. |
Safe at home programs provide relief to Ontario families |
| Published December 22, 2020 The province is expanding the Support for Learners program to include secondary school students and lowering electricity prices to a discounted off-peak rate 24/7 for all time-of-use and tiered customers. Read the press release. |
Ontario cancelling road tests across Ontario |
| Published December 22, 2020 As a result of the Province-wide Shutdown, on December 26, the Ontario government will cancel all in-vehicle passenger tests across Northern Ontario until January 9 and for all 27 public health unit regions in Southern Ontario until January 23. This action is being taken to stop the spread of COVID-19. Read the press release. |
HKPR Health Unit offers guidance on Ontario's 28-day emergency shutdown |
| Published December 22, 2020 As of 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, December 26, a province-wide shutdown will come into effect to reduce the spread of COVID-19. All of the HKPR District Health Unit region (which includes Northumberland County, Haliburton County and the City of Kawartha Lakes) will be under maximum protective public health measures. Widespread closures and revised ways of doing business will now be in effect for at least the next 28 days. People are strongly encouraged to stay home during the shutdown, except for essential items such as groceries and medical matters. Read the key highlights published by the HKPR Health Unit. |
Ontario announces province-wide shutdown to stop spread of COVID-19 and save lives |
| Published December 21, 2020 As COVID-19 cases continue to rise at an alarming rate, the Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and other health experts, is imposing a Provincewide Shutdown. Additional restrictions will be put into place and reinforce that Ontarians should stay at home as much as possible to minimize transmission of the virus and prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed. The Provincewide Shutdown will go into effect as of Saturday, December 26, 2020, at 12:01 a.m. Read the press release. |
Province expands COVID-19 vaccine locations |
| Published December 18, 2020 Ontario will be distributing additional doses of the Pfizer vaccine to 17 more hospital sites over the next two weeks, including regions with the highest rates of COVID-19 infection. This is part of the initial phase of the government's three-phase vaccine implementation plan that began on December 14 with the initial vaccinations administered at Toronto's University Health Network (UHN), followed by the launch of the pilot project at UHN and The Ottawa Hospital on December 15. Read the press release. |
Ontario declares Santa Claus an essential service |
| Published December 17, 2020 Premier Doug Ford issued the following statement on Santa Claus' annual delivery of gifts, "As children across Ontario count down the days to Christmas with excitement, I want to reassure all the boys and girls out there that Santa is still coming this year despite the COVID-19 pandemic." Read the press release. |
Province begins COVID-19 vaccine rollout |
| Published December 11, 2020 The Ontario government has developed a three-phase implementation plan to receive, store and administer COVID-19 vaccines to Ontarians as soon as they are received. Phase One will begin on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 with a pilot project in Toronto and Ottawa which will include the vaccination of over 2,500 health care workers with the Health Canada approved Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Read the press release. |
Ontario extends COVID-19 orders |
| Published December 10, 2020 The Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, is extending all orders currently in force under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 (ROA) until January 20, 2021. This extension will support the safe delivery of health care and other critical services until COVID-19 vaccines are approved and widely available. Read the press release. |
Ontario identifies key groups for initial vaccine distribution |
| Published December 8, 2020 The province has identified key populations to receive the vaccine first, including long-term care and retirement home residents and the staff who provide care to these groups. Read the press release. |
Ontario moving Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit to new levels in COVID-19 response framework |
| Published December 4, 2020 Effective Monday, December 7, 2020 at 12:01 a.m. our public health region will move into the Yellow-Protect level of the province's COVID-19 response framework. Two other regions in Ontario will move into the Orange-Restrict level:
- Middlesex-London Health Unit; and
- Thunder Bay District Health Unit
What Yellow-Protect means for us
The Yellow-Protect level that is in effect for our area includes additional restrictions and safety measures that need to be followed. To learn more about what Yellow-Protect means for us, please use our health unit's Current Colour Code for HKPR Area web page that details all the changes and information.
Read the press release. |
Province providing additional financial support for young learners |
| Published November 30, 2020 Starting today, parents or guardians residing in Ontario can complete a simple online application through the Support for Learners web page to receive a one-time payment of:
- $200 for each child aged 0 to 12; or
- $250 if their child or youth is aged 0 to 21 with special needs
Applications will remain open until January 15, 2021. Read the press release. |
Ontario moving regions to new levels in COVID-19 response framework |
| Published November 27, 2020 Based on the latest data, the following public health regions will move from their current level in the framework to the following levels effective Monday, November 30, 2020 at 12:01 a.m.:
- Red-Control: Windsor-Essex County Health Unit
- Orange-Restrict: Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit
- Yellow-Protect: Hastings Prince Edward Public Health, Lambton Public Health, and Northwestern Health Unit
All other public health regions will remain at their current level. Please visit Ontario.ca/covidresponse for the full list of public health region classifications. Read the press release. |
Celebrate the Holiday Season safely |
| Published November 25, 2020 The province is asking everyone to stick to their own households when celebrating the holidays this year. Avoid big barties or large family dinners to help stop the spread of this deadly virus. By following this public health advice, we can all have a safe and fun holiday season. Read the press release. |
Ontario deploys rapid testing to support COVID-19 response |
| Published November 25, 2020 The Ontario government has deployed new COVID-19 rapid tests to provide faster results in regions of high transmission and rural and remote areas. As an additional tool to help keep essential workers safe, rapid tests will also be used to screen staff in long-term care homes and select workplaces. These new tests will provide Ontarians with more access to innovative testing options and will help to quickly identify and manage outbreaks to stop the spread of COVID-19. Read the press release. |
Ontario taking further action to stop the spread of COVID-19 |
| Published November 20, 2020 In consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, local medical officers of health, and other health experts, the province is moving certain public health unit regions to new levels in the Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework, which includes moving Toronto and Peel into Lockdown. These necessary measures are being taken to limit community transmission of COVID-19 in order to keep schools open, safeguard health system capacity, and protect the province's most vulnerable populations. Read the press release. |
Ontario extends COVID-19 orders |
| Published November 20, 2020 The Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, has extended all orders currently in force under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 (ROA) until December 21, 2020. Read the press release. |
Ontario updating COVID-19 Response Framework to help stop the spread of COVID-19 |
| Published November 13, 2020 In consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and the Public Health Measures Table, the Ontario government is taking immediate action to respond to the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases and is updating the Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework, by lowering the thresholds for each level in the framework. These necessary updates will help limit the spread of COVID-19 while keeping schools open, maintaining health system capacity, protecting the province's most vulnerable, and avoiding broader lockdowns. Read the press release. |
2020 Budget provides more resources to strengthen frontline health care, support people and employers, and lay the groundwork for Ontario’s recovery |
| Published November 6, 2020 Finance Minister Rod Phillips released Ontario's Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover — the next phase of a comprehensive action plan to respond to the serious health and economic impacts of COVID-19. Ontario's Action Plan now sets out a total of $45 billion in support over three years to make available the necessary health resources to continue protecting people, deliver critical programs and tax measures to support individuals, families and job creators impacted by the virus, and lay the groundwork for a robust long-term economic recovery for the province. Read the press release. |
Ontario investing nearly $1 billion to expand and improve broadband and cellular access |
| Published November 4, 2020 The Ontario government is making a historic investment of nearly $1 billion over six years to improve and expand broadband and cellular access across the province. The $680 million being announced today is on top of the $315 million to support Up to Speed: Ontario's Broadband and Cellular Action Plan. This funding will be used for shovel-ready projects starting in 2019-20, will create jobs, and connect unserved and underserved communities during COVID-19 and beyond. Read the press release. |
Ontario releases COVID-19 Response Framework to help keep the province safe and open |
| Published November 3, 2020 In consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and other health experts, the Ontario government has developed the Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework. It ensures that public health measures are targeted, incremental and responsive to help limit the spread of COVID-19, while keeping schools and businesses open, maintaining health system capacity and protecting vulnerable people, including those in long-term care. Download the Framework Read the press release. |
Ontario hiring hundreds more contact tracers and case managers |
| Published October 19, 2020 The Ontario government is taking immediate action to expand case and contact management to help track, trace and isolate new cases of COVID-19. The province has hired 100 new contact tracers, many of whom are starting work this week, with up to 500 more recruits expected to be hired by mid-November. These new positions are part the province's fall preparedness plan, Keeping Ontarians Safe: Preparing for Future Waves of COVID-19, which dedicates $1.376 billion to enhance and expand testing and contact tracing in the province. Read the press release. |
Province issues safety guidelines for Halloween |
| Published October 19, 2020 Ontario public officer of health has recommended that people in Stage 2 regions should not participate in traditional trick-or-treating activities and those in other areas should do only outdoor, physically distant trick-or-treating. Read the press release. |
Ontario implementing additional public health measures in Toronto, Ottawa and Peel Region |
| Published October 9, 2020 Modified Stage 2 restrictions will be for a minimum of 28 days and reviewed on an ongoing basis. Read the press release. |
New COVID-19 precautions and long-term care homes |
| Published October 6, 2020 The province has updated its visitor policy to address areas where there is higher community spread of COVID-19. Starting Wednesday, October 7, 2020, general visitors will not be allowed in long-term care homes in the following communities. Only essential visitors, including up to one caregiver per resident, will be allowed to visit. If the home is experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19 the local public health unit will provide direction on further visitor restrictions and other measures. Read the press release. |
Ontario implementing additional public health and testing measures to keep people safe |
| Published October 2, 2020 Provincial government is tightening public health measures in response to the second wave of COVID-19 and in preparation for the cold winter months, the government is taking action to reduce testing turnaround times while prioritizing those who are at the greatest risk. Read the press release. |
Province provides $461 million to temporarily enhance wages for personal support workers |
| Published October 1, 2020 The Ontario government is supporting personal support workers (PSWs) and direct support workers in the home and community care, long-term care, public hospitals, and social services sectors by investing $461 million to temporarily enhance wages. This investment will help the province attract and retain the workforce needed to care for patients, clients and residents in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the press release. |
Ontario revises COVID-19 screening guidance for schools and child care |
| Published October 1, 2020 The school and child care screening guidance is being updated with two sets of questions about symptoms and information to help parents make informed decisions about whether their children should attend school or child care, need to consult a health care provider, or get tested for COVID-19. The guidance can be found immediately at the COVID-19 Screening Tool for Children in School and Child Care, and the refreshed online tool will launch on Friday, October 2 for download. Read the press release. |
Highlands East issues reminder of State of Emergency and urges caution as we all prepare for second wave |
| Published September 30, 2020 Highlands East is reminding residents and visitors of new lower limits to private social gatherings (10 people at an indoor event or gathering and 25 people at an outdoor event or gathering) as well as asking that we all continue to follow these every steps to help stop the spread:
- Stay home when ill or keeping children home from school when ill, even with mild symptoms;
- Maintain physical distance by keeping at least two metres from others outside of your social circle;
- Wash hands regularly with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available; and
- Wear a face covering when physical distancing is a challenge or where it is mandatory to do so.
Testing and tracking are important tools Testing is available at your local assessment centre or participating pharmacies to those who fall under the updated COVID-19 testing guidelines. You can visit www.ontario.ca/covidtest to find the closest assessment centre or pharmacy in your area. We also encourage everyone to use the COVID Alert App to help stop the spread and assist with contact tracing and early detection. Be safe this Thanksgiving Mayor Burton states, “Thanksgiving weekend will soon be upon us and we want to ensure that everyone remains safe and healthy. It is imperative, now more than ever that we all do our part and remain vigilant to reduce the risk of transmission. We must all do our part to ensure we stay the course”. Read our media release. |
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