COVID-19 Ottawa:
Ottawa Public Health is reporting 38 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, and another death from the virus.
8801 cases have been confirmed in total, with 8007 resolved, and 413 active. 381 people in Ottawa have died from the virus.
COVID-19 Ontario:
Ontario is reporting another record amount of new cases, with 1,925 confirmed, as well as 26 more deaths from the virus.
Throughout the pandemic, Ontario has recorded 129,234 confirmed cases, with 109,402 resolved, and 3,798 deaths related to the virus.
Vaccine Update:
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the first shipments of COVID-19 vaccines are tracking for delivery next week.
Approval of the vaccine is expected within days, and the military is conducting a drill to test plans to roll it out across the country. Trudeau says he wants to assure Canadians that any vaccine approved in Canada will be safe and effective.
Meanwhile, Ontario says the first phase of its vaccination rollout will see vulnerable seniors, their caregivers, and health-care workers among the first to receive the shot.
Premier Doug Ford says adults in Indigenous communities, retirement homes, and recipients of chronic home health-care will also be priority groups. Retired Gen. Rick Hiller, who is leading Ontario’s vaccine task force, says the province will receive 2.4-million doses during the first three months of 2021.
National Chief Not Seeking Reelection:
The Assembly of First Nations will have a new leader next summer.
National Chief Perry Bellegarde announced Monday he will not seek re-election. Bellegarde has served as National Chief since 2014.
Councillors Call for Review of Transit Practices During The Pandemic:
Two Ottawa City Councillors are calling on OC Transpo to consider the current state of ridership when planning for 2021.
Riley Brockington and Carol Anne Meehan have announced in an OP Ed in the Citizen that they have started a working group to see where service could be updated, or possibly scaled back. They are also asking transit leadership to find $10-million in savings, based on the current low ridership due to the pandemic.