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Trent University Requires First Vaccine For Students In Residence Living
/Trent University has announced students living on campus in residence this fall will be required to have at least their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine according to a press release issued Tuesday.
Trent University in Peterborough is divided into five separate colleges: Lady Eaton, Gzowski, Champlain, Otonabee and Traill. File Photo.
“The University is committed to keeping our residences and communities safe as we plan to return to in-person terms this September,” says Dr. Leo Groarke, Trent president and vice-chancellor. “Requiring vaccines for students living in residence will be an important way to ensure that we avoid residence outbreaks and are able to offer our residence students the transformative on-campus experiences students have learned to expect from Trent.”
With the support from Peterborough Public Health, the University will ask students to book and arrange their first-dose vaccine prior to moving into residences at both the Peterborough and Durham GTA campuses.
The University’s Housing Services will help students who are unable to receive a vaccine prior to arrival attain their first dose when they move into the residence. Residence students will also be asked to commit to a second dose of the vaccine on a schedule that will be subject to availability. Exemptions will be allowed in cases in which students require accommodation for medical or other reasons.
Mandating vaccines for all residence students will safely allow for near-full occupancy of residences on both Trent campuses according to the release. As an added precaution, the University also plans to reserve a small number of residence spaces for isolation, if needed.
“We know living in residence can be a valuable part of the first-year student experience at Trent,” says Dr. Nona Robinson, Trent associate vice president of Students. “We also know the health and safety of our campus and local communities is our shared responsibility. Congregate living areas, such as residences, are at higher risk for transmission due to people living closely together. We are delighted that vaccines are now available for the age group of most of our first-year students. This vaccine requirement will help minimize risk, as we offer a positive residence experience for new students this fall.”
The vaccine requirement for residence students will be part of a wide range of the University’s COVID-19 health and safety measures to ensure a safe return to in-person learning on campus.
Other measures may include masking, physical distancing requirements and mandatory self-screening, as well as enhanced cleaning. On-campus testing, as well as vaccine clinics for students and employees in Peterborough, may also be implemented based on the recent success of pop-up clinics.
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Omemee Woman Gives Open Invite for Heart Health Awareness Fundraiser With Physical Activities
/What started as a personal goal has developed into a worldwide movement and fundraiser for Annie Smith with the 3rd annual Annie's Pace Global Adventure (APGA) in a four-day event starting Friday.
Photo Courtesy of Annie Smith.
The event’s purpose is to raise heart health awareness, test people’s physical limits and promote activity with the motto, “Your heart is worth an hour a day.” Anyone is encouraged to do anything that gets them moving such as sports, walks or even as simple as gardening.
“Moving the body is number one,” said Smith.
Smith was diagnosed with cardiac sarcoidosis in 2016; an invisible, rare, incurable and life-threatening disease. Since the diagnosis, her physical capabilities have become limited.
Merchandise such as t-shirts and wristbands were made in past events. T-shirts have sold out but wristbands still remain available by contacting Smith. Photo Courtesy of Annie Smith.
Her campaign encourages others to post their heart stories and/or weekend activities on Smith’s Facebook or Instagram page while tagging themselves during the event.
Smith trekked 161 kilometres in 2019 through four days and 180 kilometres in 2020. This year, she will go an abridged distance on a treadmill due to her physical capabilities for Friday, Sunday and Monday. She will do a 26-kilometre walk with two friends starting from Jackson’s Park to Reaboro on Saturday.
“I don’t want it to be about me, I want it to be able to be about the people and bringing that awareness,” said Smith. “I want the world to unite for four days for heart disease awareness.”
Her inspiration came from her cardiologist Dr. Heather Ross who raised almost $1 million with Test Your Limits. She began APGA to aid in that goal for heart disease and heart failure research. Smith wants to raise $16,000 through three years where she already raised $10,875 in the first two ($5,500 in 2019 and $5,375 in 2020).
Not only has Canada partaken in the event, but it has also gained worldwide recognition including reaching countries as far as Hong Kong, Scotland, Greece, USA, Switzerland and Australia.
“I was crying the first day I started,” said Smith. I woke up and saw Hong Kong that already sent their video. It blew my mind. It was so much fun for me seeing them all doing it.”
Donations are accepted online or at Sunset Grill in Peterborough from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
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Ontario Government Releases Provincial Reopening Plan With Eased Outdoor Restrictions For Victoria Day Weekend
/The Government of Ontario has lifted outdoor activity restrictions for the Victoria Day weekend and a “road map to reopen” in a press conference at Queen’s Park held on Thursday.
Premier Doug Ford, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health were present to discuss the province’s reopening plan.
On Saturday, outdoor recreational amenities can reopen such as golf course and tennis courts to safely celebrate the Victoria Day long weekend said Elliott.
Outdoor gathering limits have been expanded to five people. The government urges the province to continue following health guidelines and get the COVID-19 vaccine.
The road map to reopen is the proposed way out of the pandemic and a clear path forward to carefully and safely reopen in a three-step plan according to Elliott.
Step one: Initial focus on resuming small-crowd outdoor activities including pools, splash pads, fitness classes, zoos and religious services. Retail stores can be open with restrictions.
Outdoor gatherings can be up to 10 people.
Outdoor dining up to four people per table.
Non-essential retail at 15 per cent capacity.
Step two: Further expands outdoor activities and continue limited indoor services with face coverings worn.
Outdoor gatherings of 25 people
Outdoors sports and leagues permitted
Non-essential retail open up at 25 per cent capacity
Public libraries and personal care services where face coverings can be worn and with capacity limits
Step three: Expand access to indoor settings with restrictions including large numbers of people and where face coverings cannot always be worn. This includes but not limited to gyms, cinemas, performing arts facilities, indoor dining and museums with capacity limits.
The province plans to be in step one around the week of June 14 and will be in each step for at least 21 days. The three weeks allow time to evaluate the impacts and determine if Ontario can move to the next step.
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Fleming Students Receive Certification to Give COVID-19 Vaccines
/Twenty-six Fleming College students of the pharmacy technician program have been approved to help local pharmacies load and administer COVID-19 vaccines in Peterborough.
Photo Courtesy of Fleming College.
The Ontario College of Pharmacists issued the Emergency Assignment Registration for all pharmacy students in the province to gain certification to temporarily load and give vaccines. The emergency certification is for 60 days but is open to being extended as needed. The opportunity came after the Canadian government recognized a shortage in vaccine administers.
The second-year students received the opportunity as their practical exams as a pleasant surprise when they found out back in early March. It was a different format from what was originally planned.
“I wanted to change their practical exams on this,” said Amanda Mushynski, pharmacy technician program coordinator. “It would qualify them to give vaccines and they were ecstatic. The students jumped on it.”
Photo Courtesy of Fleming College.
Students would be dispatched to local pharmacies, public health units or mobile vaccination sites to administer the doses.
Helping these locations is a big load off pharmacists’ shoulders according to Mushynski.
“They’re trying to do their regular jobs as well as administer vaccines,” she said. “Our students can go into the pharmacies and do the injections. Some of the local pharmacies don’t have the manpower, they might hesitate but now they have a pool to choose from.”
Photo Courtesy of Fleming College.
Students are currently waiting on final confirmation from the college before getting the green light to give the vaccines during this article’s publication.
This unexpected yet positive news for the students is a rare opportunity that they took advantage of and can put them over the top says Mushynski.
Photo Courtesy of Fleming College.
“I’m so very proud of what we’ve done in the program and giving vaccines,” she exclaimed. “Flipping from face-to-face to learning online, learning from home and studying themselves. This is a group of phenomenal students. Their reward is to be able to give back.”
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Ontario Government Extends Shutdown For Another Two Weeks
/The shutdown has been extended for another two weeks until June 2 announced by Ontario Premier Doug Ford in a public address at Queen’s Park announced on Thursday.
Screenshot.
The shutdown is to help combat the overflowing ICU numbers that remain in hospitals and to have “the most normal July and August possible.”
The stay-at-home-order started back on Apr. 3 has been extended by a full month since the original declaration. The shutdown was set to expire on May 20.
Ford was accompanied by Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Solicitor General Sylvia Jones and Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health.
During the shutdown, daily cases have gone down from 4,000 to 2,750 but the goal is less than 1000 for several days before considering looser restrictions according to Williams.
“Everybody thinks that’s great from where we came from, and that’s true but we still have a ways to get back down because we didn’t get all the way out of the second before we went into the third wave,” explained Williams. “We do not want to repeat that again.”
Starting May 31, youth aged 12 to 17 and their family members who have not received a vaccine will be able to book an appointment for the Pfizer vaccine.
Publicly funded and private elementary and secondary schools will continue remote learning.
Sports and outdoor recreational activities will remain closed. Ford agrees that golfing is not the issue but it is the post-golfing gatherings that are a concern.
“There’s nothing wrong with golfing, the problem is the mobility,” he said. “Then after golf, they go back, they have a few pops. That’s the problem.”
As of Thursday, 6.6 million residents have had vaccinated with at least the first dose with over 407,000 receiving their second dose.
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Ontario Government Announces New Restrictions and Shutdown Extension
/Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his cabinet have placed tighter restrictions including a two-week shutdown extension to combat the third wave of COVID-19 announced on Friday.
The decision came after COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and intensive care unit occupancies are at their highest according to Christine Elliott, deputy premier and minister of health.
The stay-at-home order now totalling six weeks will come with tighter restrictions and are effective April 17, at 12:01 a.m.
Limiting mobility, enforcing the rules and getting vaccines are the three ways the curve will be flattened according to Ford.
Doug Ford announced the stay-at-home shutdown at April 1 which originally scheduled for four weeks. Screenshot.
The following restrictions are as follows:
Outdoor gatherings are limited to your household only, those who live alone can meet with one other household
Provincial border restriction checkpoints are placed on Manitoba and Quebec with the exception of work, medical care or transportations
International and air travel are restricted
All non-essential workplaces and construction will be closed
All outdoor recreational activities such as golf courses, soccer fields, basketball courts and playgrounds are closed
Essential retailers permitted for in-store shopping are capped at a 25 per cent capacity
Religious services, weddings and funerals have a 10-person limit indoors or outdoors
Drive-in services are permitted
Police and by-law officers will enforce public health measures during the shutdown. Police can ask for your place of residence and why you are not there. You can receive a ticket of $750 for not complying as it is breaking the law according to Sylvia Jones, solicitor general.
Vaccine supplies will increase for hotspots by 25 per cent according to Ford.
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Schools Move to Virtual Learning After Record-Breaking COVID-19 Numbers
/Ontario Premier Doug Ford has declared that all elementary and secondary schools will move to an online format after the April break indefinitely after record-breaking COVID-19 cases and ICU numbers on Monday.
The announcement was made as a preventative measure according to Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education.
“Today’s announcement is about prevention and sadly necessary precaution as we tackle the third wave of COVID-19,” he said.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford received his COVID-19 vaccine on Friday. Screenshot.
