Tag Archives: Mayor Robin Jones

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Governments Invest $2.5 Million to Grow Agri-food e-Business During COVID-19

News Release

April 24, 2020

Families will have more choice when buying food and plants online

WOODSTOCK – The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $2.5 million to help the agri-food sector expand online, providing more opportunities for producers to grow their business and offer more food choices for families who are shopping from home during the COVID-19 outbreak. The funding is being provided through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (the Partnership).

The Agri-Food Open for E-Business initiative will help food producers, farmers markets, retailers, garden centres, greenhouses, nurseries, and agricultural associations develop online business, providing consumers with greater access to a wide variety of food and agriculture products.

This targeted application intake features two funding streams:

  1. Bring Your Business Online. Eligible organizations and businesses can apply for a grant of up to $5,000 to establish an online e-business and marketing presence. Funding under this stream will be quick and responsive for those needing immediate solutions.
  2. Develop Online Business Opportunities. Eligible organizations, businesses and collaborations can apply for cost-share funding of up to $75,000 to implement high-impact projects.

“Workers from across our food supply chain are providing essential services to our country and we appreciate their hard work and dedication to keep our agriculture and agri-food system strong during this challenging time,” said the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “This investment will provide support as businesses quickly adapt to new and different ways of providing affordable and nutritious food to Canadians.”

“We’re helping agri-food businesses adapt to the retail challenges of this unprecedented time,” said Ernie Hardeman, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “COVID-19 has changed the way we shop, and our investment today in e-business will go a long way to connecting the people who grow our food with the people who buy it, while allowing them to practice physical distancing.”

“During this extraordinary period where it is essential to stay home and stop the spread, the adoption of digital technology is critical for Ontario’s small businesses to connect with consumers,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction. “Our government is proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our vitally important agri-food businesses as they innovate, grow, and produce for Ontario.

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) will immediately accept applications and expedite the approval process to help businesses and organizations develop, expand and enhance their current online presence.

Since June 2018, both the federal and provincial governments have committed support to approximately 2,500 projects through the Partnership to help eligible Ontario farmers, processors, businesses and sector organizations innovate and grow.

QUICK FACTS

  • Funding will be cost-shared by the governments of Canada and Ontario.
  • The Partnership is a five-year, $3-billion commitment by Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments to support Canada’s agri-food and agri-products sectors.
  • The targeted application intake is now accepting applications. Eligible applications will be received and assessed on a continuous basis, while funding is available.
  • More information about this targeted intake and the program guidelines can be found online at: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/cap/index.htm or by calling: 1-877-424-1300.
  • OMAFRA delivers cost-share funding for the Agri-Food Open for E-Business Targeted Intake.
  • The Ontario agri-food sector supports more than 837,000 jobs in Ontario and contributes more than $47.5 billion each year to the province’s economy.
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Ontario Delivers Action Plan to Increase Protection for Vulnerable People and Those Who Care for Them

News Release

April 23, 2020

Additional measures will help stop the spread of COVID-19

TORONTO — Ontario is delivering a new COVID-19 Action Plan for Vulnerable People to better protect vulnerable populations during the outbreak of COVID-19. This plan builds on the government’s previous actions to protect people living in high-risk settings, including homes serving those with developmental disabilities, shelters for survivors of gender-based violence and human trafficking, children’s residential settings, and those residential settings supporting vulnerable Indigenous individuals and families both on and off reserve.

Details of the plan were unveiled today by Premier Doug Ford, Todd Smith, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, and Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Long-Term Care.

“The plan we are announcing today will build on and support the critical work that is currently being carried out each and every day by our frontline heroes to care for our most vulnerable citizens,” said Premier Ford. “These people are most at risk during this pandemic and that’s why we are helping these organizations immediately ramp up screening and testing, deploy more protective masks and gloves, and put more boots on the ground in the fight against COVID-19.”

“We have been working in close partnership with the federal government, municipalities, First Nations, Indigenous organizations and bargaining agents as part of the rapid response to COVID-19 in congregate care settings,” said Minister Smith. “The action plan we are delivering today lays out a set of interventions, tailored by sector, to enable prevention and infection control, while maintaining service continuity for the benefit of our vulnerable clients and staff.”

The COVID-19 Action Plan for Vulnerable People focuses on three specific areas:

  • Enhanced Screening and Reduced Exposure to Prevent Spread
    • Enhancing screening of visitors, staff, and residents on sites, as well as restricting non-essential visitors.
    • Providing masks to staff working in congregate care settings and providing training on the use of personal protective equipment in the event of an outbreak.
  • Infection Control: Managing Outbreaks and Limiting Spread
    • Enhancing testing of symptomatic staff and clients to identify the need for isolation and additional infection control measures on-site.
    • Planning to limit staff from working at more than one congregate care setting during an outbreak, specifically in developmental services, intervenor services, violence against women and anti-human trafficking settings.
    • Providing additional training and support for high-risk settings dealing with an outbreak, including guidance on how to isolate clients.
  • Sustaining Staffing and Managing Staff Shortages
    • Working with organizations to promote workforce stability and capacity in high-risk settings.

“Women and children who are in a vulnerable place in their lives must have access to the supports they need and a setting that is safe,” said Jill Dunlop, Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues. “We are taking steps to stop the spread of COVID-19, including physical distancing, flexible staffing, and cleaning and disinfecting protocols, to keep people safe where they work and where they live.”

“We know that those who live and work in homeless shelters face unique challenges because of the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “That’s why we’re working closely with service managers and our local partners to collect data and identify specific actions we can take to help.”

The government will work with Indigenous-led congregate care settings both on and off reserve to ensure that these tools and supports are available and adapted to meet their local needs in keeping their clients and staff safe.

“Indigenous leaders across the province have taken swift action to protect their communities from the spread of COVID-19 and today’s enhanced safety measures will provide additional protection for those community members living and working in congregate care settings,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines and Minister of Indigenous Affairs.

The plan also supports mobilizing action to assessed high-risk locations in managing the COVID-19 outbreak in the days and weeks to come by providing assistance with staffing and additional training and support.

The government is also moving immediately to solicit ideas on additional actions and measures that can be taken now to further support vulnerable Ontarians and staff in high-risk settings.
QUICK FACTS

  • Tens of thousands of Ontarians live and work in congregate care settings across more than 4,000 locations.
  • The Action Plan builds on current measures implemented by the government to protect vulnerable populations, including visitor restrictions, flexibility for staff hours, expanded access to emergency daycare for frontline workers, and providing alternate settings for care.
  • The province has also suspended evictions, provided funds through the province’s $200 million Social Services Relief Fund to Service Managers and invested over $37 million to support outbreak planning, prevention and mitigation efforts to ensure the health and well-being of Indigenous people and communities. Constant monitoring is also underway with local public health organizations.
  • The government is expanding the list of eligible expenses under Special Services at Home and for Passport funding. We will also continue to assist families and provide greater clarity about what expenses are eligible under the Ontario Autism program, including Childhood Budgets and Interim one-time funding, for the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak.
  • Call your local Ontario Works office if you need to apply for social assistance or apply online.
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Health Experts Say the COVID-19 Outbreak Has Likely Peaked in Ontario

News Release

April 20, 2020

Modelling shows physical distancing still needed to prevent further spread

TORONTO — The Ontario government today released updated COVID-19 modelling, which shows that the enhanced public health measures, including staying home and physically distancing from each other, are working to contain the spread of the virus and flatten the curve. However, the Chief Medical Officer of Health says emergency measures must remain in place to continue reducing the number of cases and deaths.

“The modelling clearly demonstrates that we are making progress in our fight against this deadly virus. That’s due to the actions of all Ontarians, those who are staying home and practising physical distancing, and to the heroic efforts of our frontline health care workers,” said Premier Doug Ford. “But COVID-19 continues to be a clear and present danger, especially to our seniors and most vulnerable citizens. That is why we must continue to follow the advice of our Chief Medical Officer of Health and stay the course in order to keep people safe and healthy.”

Key highlights from the modelling update include:

  • The wave of new community spread cases of COVID-19 in Ontario appears to have peaked.
  • Outbreaks in long-term care and congregate settings continue to be a major concern. Concerted actions are underway to protect vulnerable people in these settings.
  • Ontario is now trending toward a best case scenario rather than a worst case scenario and has significantly improved its standing as compared to March modelling.
  • The province has avoided a significant surge in cases. Total cumulative cases are forecast to be substantially lower than worst case or even moderate case scenarios projected by previous models.
  • While several hundred new cases are identified daily in Ontario, hospitals across the province have not been overwhelmed by the COVID-19 outbreak as a result of capacity planning and the public health measures currently in place. The rate of growth day-over-day is declining.
  • To further reduce the number of cases and deaths, it remains critical that Ontarians continue to adhere to public health measures, including staying home and practicing physical distancing if they must go out for essential reasons only.

“The information released today shows early but unmistakable signs that our efforts are working,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “These numbers are not an accident. They are the re sult of months of planning and collective action to stop the spread of COVID-19 and flatten the curve. However, in order for these projections to become reality, each of us must continue to stay home as much possible and practise physical distancing.”

To enhance protections for residents and staff in long-term care homes, last week Ontario launched the COVID-19 Action Plan: Long-Term Care Homes. This action plan will ensure the implementation of critical new measures to prevent further outbreaks and deaths from COVID-19 in long-term care homes. These measures include enhancing and expanding testing for symptomatic and asymptomatic contacts of confirmed cases; providing public health and infection control expertise; and redeploying staff from hospitals and home and community care to support the long-term care home workforce.

“The new province-wide modelling data are encouraging, but we know that long-term care homes and other congregate settings will track on a different path,” said Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Long-Term Care. “We will continue to take aggressive action to support our most vulnerable residents and their caregivers.”

QUICK FACTS

  • All Ontarians need to stay home unless absolutely necessary for essential trips, such as accessing health care services, groceries, picking up prescriptions or supporting vulnerable community members with meeting essential needs. If you must leave your home, go alone and stay at least two metres apart from others.
  • Ontario has made improvements to its COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool by expanding its symptom list, addressing the most high risk individuals, and making it more accessible and responsive.
  • Take these everyday steps to reduce exposure to COVID-19 and protect your health: wash your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer; sneeze and cough into your sleeve; avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth; avoid contact with people who are sick; stay home if you are sick.

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