COVID-19

Three COVID-19 vaccine walk-in clinics are taking place across the region today (September 23, 2021).

Two clinics will be taking place in Fort Frances, and one will be taking place in Sioux Lookout. 

Sioux Lookout residents can find their vaccine clinic at Sioux Lookout North High School between 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. 

Fort Frances residents can go for their COVID-19 vaccine at the Northwestern Health Unit from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., as well as between 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Ontarians will need to have their Vaccine Passports ready to enter a variety of local businesses by downloading documents from a provincial website, a move that’s divided many, as opponents say it infringes on their constitutional rights.

But during a live-streamed announcement at the Ontario Legislature building yesterday afternoon, Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the new tool will only be used as long as it's necessary – and not one day longer.

Cochrane High Cobras and Bow Valley Bobcats girls soccer teams kicked off their season on Sept. 21 at the Cochrane Rangers Field.

The first game since the 2019 season was a lopsided 9-0 win for the Cobras. 

Coaches and players of both teams were visibly pleased with the return to play after missing the 2020 season. The Cobras have been preparing since the second day of school, and the Bobcats have two tryouts and one practice under their belt.

Soccer programs at both schools have attracted a larger number of players. Several were groomed by Cochrane Minor Soccer.

The province has provided its latest COVID-19 update. 

Premier Jason Kenney joined chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw Tuesday (Sept. 21) evening. According to Kenney, within 72 hours of the province announcing new public health measures last Wednesday, 78,000 doses of vaccine were administered. 

If Manitoba continues to see new COVID-19 infections at the current rate, a new milestone could be hit by the weekend.

With Wednesday's 70 new COVID-19 cases, the province is likely days away from reaching a total of 60,000 confirmed infections. Currency there are 59,880 confirmed cases, and the number of active cases has lowered to 592. Manitoba's test rate is 2.2 per cent

The Northwestern Health Unit has released its daily COVID-19 case update. The health unit has a confirmed one new positive COVID-19 test result found in the region.

The newly confirmed case was found in the Kenora Health Region. 

Follow up with the person involved and their contacts has started according to protocol. Anyone who is identified as a contact for this case will be contacted directly.

Currently, there are eight active COVID-19 cases connected to the NWHU catchment area. 

Due to an outgoing issue with a shortage of bus drivers the Northwestern Ontario Student Services Consortium has announced two bus cancellations and one bus that will be delayed today (September 22, 2021).

The Consortium announced that Kenora Buses KN 20, and KN45 will be canceled tomorrow. Kenora Bus KN45 will be delayed by 30-40 minutes this afternoon. 

These cancellations are due to the ongoing issue of the NWOSSC having a shortage of bus drivers due to COVID-19. 

There was a very brief cabinet shuffle Tuesday, September 21 afternoon.

Premier Jason Kenney announced Shandro's Health Minister portfolio swap with Labour Minister Jason Copping.

Rachel Notley says while news of Shandro’s resignation as health minister “Is welcome, it’s not a solution to the urgent challenges before us.”

The urgency is telling in yet another day of rising COVID-19 numbers. 

Another 1,519 new cases were reported in the past 24 hours. 

There are 42 more people in the hospital with COVID bringing the total to 996.

As of September 20, 2021 the City of Grande Prairie has 534 active cases of COVID-19, and the County of Grande Prairie has 223 cases.

Cases of COVID-19 across the rest of the province sit at 20,917 active cases. 

Hospitalizations are currently at 996, and a total of 222 Albertans are in intensive care receiving treatment. 

The province is releasing COVID-19 school data and updating some key definitions. 

On Tuesday afternoon, Roussin and Deputy Minister of Manitoba Education Dana Rudy are sharing how COVID-19 cases in schools are defined, saying set definitions are not easy.

"Things like case management and contact definition and management is going to be directed by public health so it's not going be up to families to decide if there's an outbreak or who should or shouldn't isolate," Roussin says.