The number of people at the Prescott-Russell Residence in Hawkesbury to die from COVID-19 has increased to nine.
There were at last report, 72 active cases, including 45 residents and 27 employees.
To date, 21 people in the region served by the Eastern Ontario Health Unit have died due to the coronavirus.
There are currently 203 active cases in the region; eight patients are hospitalized; two are in intensive care.
The Upper Canada District School Board has been harshly criticized by leaders of three unions for its school reopening plan which, the unions say, “prioritizes money” over health.
Here is an open letter sent to trustees by the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, Canadian Union of Public Employees, and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation.
“On behalf of all ETFO, CUPE, and OSSTF employees of the UCDSB, we formally request that the UCDSB recognize the overwhelming negative effects of their Reopening Plan on the 27,000 students and over 4300 employees.
This pyramid-like reopening plan leaves students and employees at the bottom of the pyramid, shouldering the weight of an educational design that prioritizes money over the best interests of the education and the health and wellness of all. UCDSB’s plan violates the quality of education promised by the Minister of Education.
The problems at the core of the implementation include:
• Disregard of employee professional opinions
• Lack of regard of the increasing destruction of student and staff mental and physical health
• Disregard of significant health and safety obligations and the impact on both students and staff
• Violation of collective agreements
• Failure to continually and actively advocate publicly for the resources required to ensure a successful reopening
UCDSB trustees and senior administration must acknowledge the inadequacies of the Reopening Plan and work with the unions that collectively represent more than 4,300 voices in this school board. These voices know their students, know their professional responsibilities, and know what needs to be done to repair education in this board, even within the restraints of the pandemic. We believe that collaboratively, we can continue to provide the educational needs of all students. We insist that these discussions happen and that improvements be implemented.”
NOTICE OF COUNCIL MEETING REGARDING DRAFT CLEAR CUTTING BY-LAW
The Planning Department of the Township of North Glengarry is hosting a Council Meeting regarding the DRAFT Clear Cutting By-law.
The public is invited to attend the Council Meeting on: Wednesday, November 4th, 2020 at 1 PM.
The meeting will be held at the Glengarry Sports Palace, upstairs, located at: 170 McDonald Blvd, Alexandria.
Please note that capacity will be capped to the gathering limits prescribed by the Eastern Ontario Health Unit at the time of the meeting.
A copy of the by-law can be accessed online at https://www.northglengarry.ca/.../draft-clear-cutting-by...
Please pre-register your attendance for the meeting by emailing planner@northglengarry.ca. Attendance will be for viewing purposes only.
Building, By-law and Planning Department
Corporation of the Township of North Glengarry
90 Main Street South
Alexandria, Ontario KOC lA0
Tel: 613-525-1116
Fax: 613-525-1649
Five deaths caused by COVID-19 have been reported at the Prescott-Russell Residence in Hawkesbury.
There are now 64 active cases, including 36 residents, at the facility that administered by the United Counties of Prescott-Russell.
Of the 112 cases to date, 43 cases have been resolved.
Meanwhile, two students at Holy Trinity Catholic High School in South Glengarry have tested positive for the virus.
The Eastern Ontario Health Unit will likely impose new restrictions on bars and restaurants next week in a bid to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
The numbers from last week indicated that seven-day case rates in the region served by the EOHU were among the top five health units in Ontario, Chief Medical Office of Health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis writes in an October 22 e-mail to local municipalities.
“Our initial indicators and data suggested that if the numbers continued to rise, the government would put the EOHU region into Modified Stage 2, along with Ottawa, Toronto, Peel and York. However I have heard from a lot of municipalities and businesses that going into modified Stage 3 (closing restaurants and gyms, etc.) would be devastating to our community.”
Dr. Roumeliotis had earlier told a press briefing that the regulations for bars and restaurants would be the same as they are in Ottawa. “After reviewing the data and looking at very recent trends, I have recommended to the cabinet through the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David Williams (who supports my recommendation), other steps to avoid going into Modified Stage 2,” Dr. Roumeliotis writes.
“Although overall our numbers are high, they are really driven by Prescott-Russell/Ottawa connection and the large number of LTC positives in Residence Prescott-Russell, overall we are now in a moderate zone of transmission.”
“I believe this approach that will avoid closures is the best at this time. Of course if we see numbers increasing or outbreaks occurring, we will reassess,” Dr. Roumeliotis says in his e-mail.
A 19-year-old Alberta man was killed in a single vehicle accident Thursday night on County Road 15 at Duffs Corner Road in North Stormont.
The crash occurred when a southbound vehicle left the roadway and struck a home.
There were no injuries to anyone in the home.
The driver, from Redcliff, Alberta was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident which is being investigated by the Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry Ontario Provincial Police detachment.
County Road 15 between County Road 43 and Rush City Road, was closed for several hours, but has since re-opened.
A woman in her 80s at The Palace retirement home in Alexandria has died from COVID-19, bringing to 14 the number of lives lost to the virus in the region served by the Eastern Ontario Health Unit.
Twelve of the deaths occurred at a long-term facility in Plantagenet, while one resident at The Prescott-Russell Residence in Hawkesbury.
There are now 150 active cases in Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry and Prescott-Russell. This number includes 13 in South Glengarry and 12 in North Glengarry.
North Glengarry council will hold a special Zoom meeting Thursday, Oct. 22, at 1 p.m. to review comments it solicited from the public this summer on its draft Clear Cutting By-law.
The public can watch but is not allowed to make any comments.
Visit https://www.northglengarry.ca/en/town-hall/council-meeting-information…
Look under the Virtual meeting heading.
Police are seeking two suspects, one of whom may have been bitten by a dog, in an early-morning home invasion that occurred October 14 in South Glengarry.
Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry Ontario Provincial Police officers were called to the home on First Street shortly after 1:30 a.m.
The resident, who was alone in the house, was assaulted by two males after they had broken into the residence.
It's believed at least one of the individuals was bitten by a dog in the home before they fled on foot. The resident was not seriously hurt.
The OPP Canine Unit and OPP Forensic Identification Services Unit are assisting the SD&G OPP Crime Unit with the investigation.
The attackers are described as being dressed identically in black cargo pants, black hoodies and red face coverings. Both are believed to be white with slim builds.
If you have any information on this incident, please call SD&G OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Seaway Valley Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. You can also submit a tip online at www.seawayvalleycrimestoppers.ca
The 20-39 age group accounts for 30 per cent of the confirmed COVID-19 cases in Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry, according to figures compiled by the Eastern Ontario Health Unit.
With 107 cases recorded in September, the incidence of the virus in the region served by the health unit continues to increase.
Hydro One has advised us that service to a section of downtown Alexandria, including The News office, will be interrupted from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. October 8 so a pole on Centre Street can be replaced.
Due to the outage, The News office will be closed as of 3 p.m. October 8 but we will be back on the job Friday at 8:30 a.m.
