Ottawa’s truck occupation and other protests, both locally and across the country, against Canada’s COVID-19 restrictions are creating unhelpful discord among citizens, said Brant’s acting medical officer of health.
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
“This kind of division is not constructive,” said Dr. Rebecca Comley during her weekly media briefing on Tuesday.
Comley said the Ontario government is making “steady progress” toward the gradual re-opening of the province and the focus should be on that and not the “divisions these protests have created.”
On Monday, the province announced that beginning on Thursday, four days ahead of schedule, capacity limits will be lifted at most indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is required. This includes restaurants, meeting and event spaces, gaming establishments and “non-spectator areas” of gyms and cinemas.
Social gathering limits will increase to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors. Seating capacity at sport and concert venues, as well as movie theatres, will be 50 per cent.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford also announced on Monday the province’s proof-of-vaccination requirements will be lifted on March 1 at all non-essential businesses.
“As Brant begins to reopen, it is important that we do so cautiously and gradually to make sure we are evaluating and understanding our local context and conditions,” said Comley.
“The lifting of capacities allows for greater opportunities for close contact interactions. I encourage everyone to continue to practice public health measures, such as wearing a face covering and getting vaccinated. This will help ensure we are entering this next stage safely and protecting the progress that we, as a collective, worked so hard to achieve.”
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
The Brant County Health Unit reported on Tuesday the area’s 61st COVID-19 death, a woman in her 80s who was part of an outbreak at Brantford General Hospital.
The Brant Community Healthcare System reported on Tuesday that 13 patients were in hospital with COVID-19, two of them in critical care.
On Tuesday, the health unit reported 11 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours. However, the numbers are likely underreported because of limited testing.
The province has expanded booster dose eligibility to those ages 12 to 17, six months or 168 days after a second dose. Boosters are being offered to this age group at all health unit-led immunization clinics. Appointments can be booked or walk-ins are welcome at local community clinics. Appointment and clinic information can be found on the health unit’s website.
“Child and youth vaccination remains an effective method to provide protection to children, their classmates, households and communities,” said Comley. “Children and youth who are vaccinated are less likely to get infected with COVID-19, which minimizes potential disruptions to both educational and extracurricular activities.”
In Brantford-Brant, 83.07 per cent of residents age five and over have received one dose of the vaccine and 79.06 per cent have received two or more doses.
Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, 8,163 local residents have tested positive for COVID-19, with 7,958 of them recovered.