Up to and including May 31, there have been 316,049 doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered in Halton Region, a huge increase over last month’s figure. The numbers include first and second doses given. According to Halton Region’s data posted online, Burlington currently has 101 active COVID-19 cases, significantly better than last month.

Joseph Brant Hospital’s website indicates that they are currently caring for five confirmed cases of COVID-19. It is great news that this number is so much lower than it has been.

We called Halton 311 on April 25 to clarify some information we’ve seen in a variety of locations, including the region’s website. Those who received their first Astra-Zeneca vaccination between March 10 and 19 are able to book their second Astra-Zeneca vaccine. Those who received their first Astra-Zeneca vaccination on March 20 or more recently are asked to wait for further health advice before booking their second shot.

There are limited groups of people who may book an earlier second vaccination. These include the highest priority groups, such as health care workers, organ transplant recipients, and a limited group of others. Earlier vaccinations are available on specific dates at a variety of locations. Call 311 if you are eligible for the earlier second vaccination and need assistance booking your appointment. For most of us, our second shot will remain scheduled for 16 weeks after our first shot, at the location where we received our first shot, and using the same type of vaccine as the first shot. To clarify, not everyone is currently eligible for earlier timing on their second vaccination.

Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are now available at local pharmacies; the Pfizer vaccine for those 12 years old and older, and Moderna for those 18 years and older. See https://covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations for pharmacy locations.

The Johnson and Johnson vaccine, which could be available as a one-shot vaccination, is not being provided in Halton at this time.

Now open, just in time for June, which is Recreation and Parks Month!

  • Splash pads throughout the city (except LaSalle and Nelson splash parks), including a new one at Brant Hills Park
  • Golf courses and driving ranges
  • Grass sports fields including baseball diamonds, soccer fields, etc., for casual use, not for organized sports or recreational classes
  • Outdoor courts such as tennis, pickleball, and basketball courts. When there are people waiting to use a court, we are being asked to keep our time to a maximum of 30 minutes
  • BMX and skate parks
  • Public boat launch at LaSalle Park Community Marina
  • Beachway Park, with weekend parking fees. This change has had a rocky beginning and updated information is difficult to find. On Instagram, @cityburlington says they “will be bridging the gap between the launch of paid weekend Beachway parking and the free permit program this July. Temporary paper permits will be implemented for Halton residents until the online exemption form is developed…Please see a City of Burlington ambassador about free parking passes.” The plan as originally announced was: scan the QR code on parking lot signage or use the HONK mobile app to pay for parking from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends, until September 25. No dashboard tickets required. Burlington residents have ten free days of parking per year at Beachway Park. Complete a parking exemption form when you arrive at the beach and park in a legal parking spot.

Still closed

The Canada-U.S.A. border remains closed until June 21 and the mandatory three-day hotel quarantine for air travellers to Canada is still in place. We have heard a variety of stories about people returning from their winters in the U.S.A. and finding ways to avoid a hotel quarantine. As of May 21, all travellers to Canada must enter their information into ArriveCAN, the official Government of Canada online platform for this purpose, within 72 hours before their arrival in Canada. ArriveCAN is free and is available as an app or online.

Some positives

We’ve learned to host or join Zoom meetings and participated in virtual baby and wedding showers. We’ve connected with friends and family online and played cards and trivia games. We’ve attended webinars and many of you have adapted to online school on a daily basis. Most recently, we joined almost 200 others in watching a family wedding that was held with 11 in-person guests present due to COVID-19 restrictions. Who could have imagined that so many of us would use technology in so many ways?

Much of the information we read online about COVID-19 is negative. Who could have done what, when, and how to avoid the extensive spread of the virus and the ever-changing restrictions impacting businesses, residences, and families. Without a doubt, the number of people who have died, and the number of long-term care facilities in Ontario who failed to prepare for a pandemic and responded poorly when faced with one, are tragedies.

In this article, we continue to give you the most up-to-date-information. We also want to draw your attention to some of the positive things we’ve seen during the past fourteen months. Because, wow, have there ever been some strides forward in a variety of ways. At local-news.ca, we believe Burlington has potential to become an even better community. We see wonderful things happening as a result of engaged citizens who care. We are a city that is growing and that growth poses challenges as well as opportunities. We would love to hear what positives you have experienced as a result of COVID-19 over the past fourteen months. We encourage you to share some positives you’ve experienced by commenting on Facebook @localnewsburl.

Here are a few of our positives.

We launched https://local-news.ca! Since most of our work at this point is done by volunteers, to be able to post news and community information online through our webpages and on social media channels is a dream come true. We have met so many fabulous people who care about Burlington and are prepared to spend their time and energy serving this community. Sure, we’ve met by phone and email and Zoom, but we wouldn’t have connected if we didn’t get started.

We have been impressed with local businesses who have adjusted to support staff working from home whenever possible. The flexibility that offers to employers and employees is a lasting benefit to all of us. The impact on the community is significant even when you consider transportation: our roads and highways have been freed up of a great deal of traffic.

Restaurants that shifted to outdoor dining and pick up and delivery options now have a wide range of models for future operation. Most people I know enjoy outdoor dining and being able to pickup an order from such a wide range of local restaurants has been great.

Grocery stores and drug stores that stayed open throughout the most demanding times. Providing spacing indicators for lineups, arrows to guide safe traffic flow, hand sanitizer for customers, additional cleaning of carts, counters, and conveyor belts, greeters to monitor the number of shoppers at any one time: all so essential in keeping Burlingtonians “in stock” with needed supplies. Retail stores that provided numbered parking spaces for pickup, phone service on arrival, and great signage have shown that there are other options for great customer service. And your staff made us feel welcome. We hope some of these services extend into future operations.

Government at all levels showed focus and follow-through. They needed to continue essential services, and needed to maintain improved ongoing communication with citizens to keep us up-to-date on their plans. To note a few highlights, the Region of Halton COVID-19 information about cases and vaccines has been top-notch. Their rollout of the vaccine clinics has been clear, professionally implemented, and impressive.

School boards, teachers, parents, and students all adapted to learning in new ways. Families adapted their home environments and their working lives to coordinate and support children in remote learning. While this has not been an easy transition for many, we know that some students have thrived. Everyone has a new appreciation for being able to walk or ride to their school, meet in-person with their teacher, and enjoy time playing with friends.

We all learned a lot about what we take for granted every day. Enjoying family and friends in person. Caring for our loved ones who need family support.

Sources:

Government of Canada, 2021. Use ArriveCAN to Enter Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/arrivecan.html (accessed May 31, 2021).

Government of Canada, 2021. COVID-19 Current Border Measures and Requirements. Url: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/arrivecan.html (accessed May 29, 2021).

Government of Ontario, 2021. COVID-19 Pharmacy Vaccine Locations. Url: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations (accessed May 25, 2021).

Halton Region, 2021. Status of COVID-19 Cases in Halton. Url: https://www.halton.ca/For-Residents/Immunizations-Preventable-Disease/Diseases-Infections/New-Coronavirus/Status-of-COVID-19-Cases-in-Halton (accessed May 31, 2021).

Joseph Brant Hospital, 2021. COVID-19. Url: https://www.josephbranthospital.ca/en/quality-and-performance/covid-19.asp?_mid_=33500 (accessed May 31, 2021).