Class from a Manitoulin school sent home following positive COVID-19 case
A class from a Manitoulin Island school is now in self-isolation following one student testing positive for COVID-19.
Norm Blaseg, the Rainbow District School Board Education Director says parents, staff and the bus driver were notified, and Public Health Sudbury & Districts is also contacting close contacts for testing.
Blaseg says the positive case involves a class at Central Manitoulin Public School, but in-school learning continues.
Under the auspices of the health unit, testing is underway.
And, because of the proximity to Central Manitoulin” M’Chigeeng has decided to move Lakeview School entirely to virtual learning effective today.
A new poll
A new survey shows almost half of Ontarians are reluctant to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
The poll, conducted by Campaign Research for the Toronto Star, shows that awareness of vaccines is high, with 90 per cent of respondents having heard about the Pfizer (FIE-sur) inoculations.
But only 55 per cent say they’d get vaccinated if the shots were available now.
Vaccines and allergies
Britain’s health regulator is advising those who suffer from severe allergic reactions not to get the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine right now.
The advisory comes after two hospital workers suffered a reaction to the vaccine as the country began its mass immunization campaign.
Both are said to be recovering well.
The regulator says the advisory will continue in effect until more tests on the vaccine are completed.
Vaccines and restrictions
Health Minister Christine Elliott says Ontarians will be given documentary proof that they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19…..and those who don’t want to be immunized could face restrictions.
Elliott says the government won’t make the inoculations mandatory.
But she adds certain activities, such as travel…..and access large group gatherings, such as movie theatres…..could be limited.
The minister says being vaccinated will be important for those who are in close contact with others, as the effects of the pandemic continue to be felt.
Our province is to receive its first shipment of coronavirus vaccines next week, with 2.4-million doses expected to arrive by the end of March.
That’s enough to inoculate 1.2-million people.
Government spending
Premier Doug Ford is defending his government’s decision to hold onto billions of dollars in revenue.
The provincial Financial Accountability Office says the province was sitting on 12-billion dollars in reserve funds as of the end of September…..with two of the three funds aimed at COVID-19 pandemic relief.
However, Ford says all but 2.6-billion was allocated in the budget released last month.
He says hanging on to the remainder makes good financial sense.
The budget also says any reserve funds remaining at the end of the fiscal year next spring will be used to pay down the deficit.
U.S. order not likely to affect vaccine orders
The Trudeau government doesn’t expect an order from U-S President Donald Trump will have any effect on vaccine shipments to Canada.
Trump has signed an executive order that prioritizes American deliveries of vaccines developed in the U-S.
But Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic Leblanc says he’s confident that the decision won’t affect the orders already placed by other nations with Pfizer, the company which vaccine is now being
deployed in several countries.
Leblanc notes that most of Canada’s order will be coming from Pfizer’s manufacturing plants outside the U. S.