As the province of Ontario continues to see an increase in COVID-19 case numbers, more tickets for private gatherings continue to be handed out across the Region of Waterloo.
According to CTV News, over 23 tickets have been issued since April 23rd.
This weekend, Waterloo regional police confirmed that nine tickets were issued to those leaving a service at Woolwich Township’s Trinity Bible Chapel. Church-goers were in violation of the Reopening Ontario Act, as the church had set up a large, black tarp that covered the back half of the area for the Sunday morning service.
In response to the province’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan, 42 staff at the Waterloo-based daycare, Emmanuel at Brighton Child Care, walked off the job last Monday to call on provincial officials to move child-care workers up on the vaccination priority list. According to those staff, since they are working with children between 16 months and five years old, many of whom aren’t able to wear a mask, childcare workers are concerned about possibly exposing themselves to COVID-19 at work.
On April 23, Ontario Premier Doug Ford held a new conference and promised viewers that his government was working on creating a paid sick leave program than the one provided by the federal government in 2020.
Throughout the entirety of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ford ignored demands from the province’s science advisory table, as well as many health experts, mayors and political leaders, to create a program for workers to avoid work if they are feeling ill or sick with COVID-19 symptoms.
However, it was reported on Monday that a Liberal MPP’s bill which would have guaranteed 10 paid sick days for all Ontario workers was voted down 20-55 at Queen’s Park in Ottawa.
On April 21, Waterloo Public Health announced that they had opened up pre-registration for vaccines for a group of individuals who need to leave home for work, including those working in the school system as well as daycare workers, This group will also include teachers, janitorial staff, school bus drivers and office staff.
The Region of Waterloo has released a list of those eligible for the vaccine on their website here.It was reported by the Waterloo Region that it has hit its highest COVID-19 increase since mid-January. As of April 26th, the Region of Waterloo has confirmed 13,999 cases of COVID-19, including 251 deaths and 13,086 resolved cases.
Kaitlyn Severin
Student Journalist of the Year - JHM award winner, Kaitlyn has worked previously as The Cord’s senior news editor. She’s also published articles for VICE and Shameless.