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Robert Vairo’s ‘That’s What I’m Thinking’

Robert Vairo
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Robert Vairo’s ‘That’s What I’m Thinking’
Newsfirst columnist Robert Vairo.

The Bad News and Some Good News

For the foreseeable future it appears we’re in for some very tough struggles.
The winds of early autumn brought a major disappointment. Daily cases of
infection rising to almost a thousand cases a day, and climbing. We thought
we had actually flattened the curve and all we needed was just to maintain our
health measures a little while longer. We seemed close, especially encouraged
so many pharmaceuticals and Universities were involved in research. A
vaccine was surely not far away. But some of us dropped the ball. Trying to
balance health and economy, it was decided that businesses should reopen,
with restrictions. They did, but unfortunately some did not respect the law,
nor did reckless maskless party goers. Despite the evidence of the sick and
dying, some still do not believe Covid-19 is real, although cavalier Mr Trump
now does. So here we are. One more full lock down is being discussed.
Some Good News
The good news so far are the smiles and happiness of children getting back
to their school routine with their friends, keeping their busy little minds
occupied, and nervous, but happier Moms and Dads. And last week, more
good news. After what seemed like every other country in the world had
already done so, our Canadian government purchased, and a full day day later
Health Canada approved, the Abbott ‘ID Now’ COVID-19 rapid tests from
U.S.-based Abbott Laboratories, although not arriving until later this month.
On location nose swab testing, with results literally in minutes. Hallelujah!
This announcement, ironically just hours after Ontario’s Doug Ford, “what’s
their problem”, rightly lambasted Health Canada for delays.
Stay Positive
I am trying to remain positive. But it’s difficult. The pain and anger we
feel because of non believers who have ruined it for the majority. The pain
and anger we feel for not being able to see the rest of our family who live at
another address. Feel for the men and women operating a business today.
A commercial building with vacant office space. I can not imagine trying to
operate a restaurant during this pandemic. Those that are still open, have to
plead and negotiate with landlords, banks, and break budget to mitigate the
risk. That means countless panels of plexiglass, masks, visors, disinfectant,
extra staff, if they can find motivated individuals to come to work, although
the recent Quebec assistance will help. But I am trying to remain positive.
It’s safe to say we are in transition to a new lifestyle both at home, at play and
at work. Entrepreneurs, current and new, have to have fresh ideas adjusted to
outmanoeuvre uncertainty by course correcting. There’s a hotel in Vancouver
with a new slogan, ‘Work from Hotel Belmont’. Like all other hotels, its
rooms went from full capacity to nearly empty, so owners and management
rethought their vocation as a conventional hotel and pivoted into renting
rooms as office space for a day. That’s the idea. That’s the new reality. ‘Teledoctoring’ is something you might have already experienced. Some court
cases are being heard remotely, call it ‘tele-court’ rather than in person before
the judge. The whole case heard, and judgment rendered, online. Office
vacancies are spiking in Toronto, Vancouver, to a lesser extent in Montreal, as
the “pandemic fuels work-from-home migration”. Clients call now, so there’s
no need for a physical visit. Many offices are now virtually empty. What to
do with empty office towers. Convert to housing? Our online shopping has
increased 160% since the virus struck. The mail man now delivers boxes not
envelopes. This will not change with a vaccine. The fix is in. We will forever
be supicious and ask “how safe is it”? We will get through this but we will
have to adjust and readjust with changing times. That is the reality.
Hockey in August
A shout out to the National Hockey League. It would have been so much
easier to just shut it down, but no. What we got and watched, was a cleverly
crafted mini season with playoffs and Stanley Cup thrown in. We did not
see the crowds in Edmonton and Toronto but we heard them. Sound effects
were were great. Horn sounds of the respective team that scored, crowd
noises, oohs and ahhs, and even “dernière minute de la troisième période”.
I loved it. And amazingly, the NHL is the only major league without a case
of Covid-19. Congratulations.
Stay safe, stay positive.
I’m Robert Vairo
That’s What I’m Thinking.
robert@newsfirst.ca

Non compliance will cost you $1000, +administration fees $546=$1546

Laval News Contributor
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Non compliance will cost you $1000, +administration fees $546=$1546

Easier for police to enforce COVID
restrictions inside private homes

Quebec Premier François Legault says the
negligence of a few means the province has to
crack down on public health rules in red zones in
an effort to curb the rising spread of COVID-19.
“Lives are at stake. We want to keep our children in schools,” Legault said. “We also want
to protect our health network”
Aside from exceptions such as a visiting
caregiver, the premier said people who host
gatherings or parties are violating the law and
the police will be able to issue fines on the spot.
Telephone warrants to enter
private homes
If a homeowner does not comply with when
the police ask to enter the home, he said, officers will be able to obtain a warrant by telephone. He said warrants will be issued quickly,
using a virtual system in collaboration with
the Crown.
He referred to the warrants as “portable,” as
they allow police to act quickly. People who
gather in homes can get fined $1,000 per person.
Protesters must wear masks
He said protestors who refuse to wear masks
will also be fined $1,000 and those portable
warrants will be used if needed.
Legault said all gatherings will be banned, even
outside. Recently, the cap was set at 25 people.
He said that rule no longer applies in red zones.
“Police officers will start by trying to disperse
the gatherings, but if people don’t co-operate,
fines can be given,” he said.
No travelling to other zones
The premier said people from red zones
cannot travel to orange zones to eat in a restaurant. They will face fines if they do.
Legault said restaurants will not be required to
verify residency, but police can issue a ticket if
they catch people dining outside of their region.
Heading to the country
He said people should not travel between
regions to pick up groceries or run similar
errands. Heading off to orange or yellow zones
is acceptable, he said, if people are heading out
to a hunting cabin or something of that nature
but they must bring all their provisions with
them.
Legault made no mention of roadblocks,
something that occurred this spring.
Public Security Minister Geneviève Guilbault
said there is a concern about people going to
other zones to gather, and in that respect, fines
of up to $6,000 are possible.
She said the idea is not to issue as many fines
as possible, but to ensure people are staying
in their zones and decreasing the spread of
COVID-19.
For now, elected officials from places like
Charlevoix and Portneuf do not believe that
barriers are necessary to keep people from red
zones, like Montreal and Quebec City, out.
For now, elected officials from places like
Charlevoix and Portneuf do not believe that
roadblocks are necessary to keep out people
from red zones, like Montreal and Quebec City

Laval in the red – lockdown announced

Laval News Contributor
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Laval in the red – lockdown announced

The 28 day lockdown started Thursday October 1st and will last until the 28th,
Premiere Legault announced this week

Legault pledges funding for Mieux-Naître Laval prenatal services CAQ leader mystified by Liberal government’s refusal to come through
Quebec Premier François Legault announced stricter measures last week to combat the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

After months of a threat of a second wave, the
provincial government has finally decided to put
Montreal in another state of lockdown. Especially
after weeks of slinking toward the red, the decision makes sense to most, as it was imminent,
as even the Prime Minister stated in a press
conference earlier last week that families getting
together for Thanksgiving would be difficult.
The areas affected primarily are Quebec City,
Chaudière-Appalaches and of course Montréal.
Exceptions to the new rules
A whole batch of rules have been set in place
for the announced 28 day lockdown starting
on Thursday the 1st of October, but many are
surprised at the rules not present on the current
list, or rather the places that won’t be closing in
light of this new lockdown.
As it will stand as of Thursday, home visits will
be forbidden, unless a person who lives alone is
being visited by a single person who also lives
alone. The other exceptions include visits by
healthcare workers. Apparently, and according
to numerous reports, if a household is having
work done on their homes including maintenance, construction, plumbing, etc., this can be
done but only by a single person/worker. And
interestingly enough, apparently, a babysitter
is allowed in a home to care for children while
parents are away.
Who will be forced to close?
Restaurant dining rooms will be completely
closed. Only take-out options will be allowed
for all restaurants in the affected regions. Bars
will be closed, as will movie theaters and public
libraries. Museums are also included on that list,
and apparently there are no exceptions. Casinos
as well.
What’s different about this lock- down?
Churches and other places of worship across the
city will allow gatherings of 25 people or less for
funerals, as this was not possible in the lockdown
following the first wave of the pandemic.
Community organizations will be staying open,
and while gatherings outdoors are allowed, a
distance of two meters is required between all
people at said gatherings, which include protests.
Masks, as can be figured, are mandatory as well.
And like before, it was suggested that inter-region travel by citizens of Montréal cease as well
during the 28 day lockdown. The biggest difference of all
And schools will remain open, despite the fact

that many sources have blamed the re-opening of
schools on the extraordinary spike in the virus,
dating to the exact time that children returned
to school.
Universities like Concordia have decided to
continue with classes online for the rest of the
fall/winter semester, and many feel that that was
a great idea overall … leading to the question:
Why don’t elementary and high schools do the
same?
Premiere Legault however, felt that a return
to lockdown for children—especially as it was
during the very first wave of the pandemic—
wouldn’t be in the children’s best interest overall
psychologically, and he stated as such at the press
conference held this past Monday.
How the lockdown will affect
local businesses
Especially for our local businesses in Pak
Extension, we know, as we have reported how the
pandemic affected them, so another lockdown
is a pretty scary thing for them all, definitely
worth the worry.
Many other business owners in Montreal
begged to be exempt from the lockdown, specifically restaurants, but as it turned out, the decision was made, and no restaurant was exempt
in the end.
What now?
Of course all that remains to be seen is what
happens next. Will this lockdown spread out
into two months or longer, as it did in the second
wave? And citizens are only left with question
after question, like the one I just posed … and
probably the biggest question of all is: What
happens if the numbers keep going up? What
happens then?
Will schools subsequently be closed in a decision to reverse the growing numbers don’t go
down after this lockdown gets under way? As we
all know, decisions can be reversed, no matter
who has made them, so only time will tell.
We more than understand that leaders (in all
regions) are doing their best to keep a lid on this
without further affecting the children, and we’re
sure that they’ll do what’s best and/or necessary
when the time comes. All else I can do for now is
say to you all in Park extension … stay safe, follow
the rules and we’ll keep you posted as we go.

Laval News Volume 28-19

Costa Hovris
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Laval News Volume 28-19

The current issue of the Laval News volume 28-19 published October 7th, 2020.
Covering Laval local news, politics, sports and our new section Mature Life.
(Click on the image to read the paper.)

Front page of the Laval News.
Front page of the Laval News, October 7th, 2020 issue.

COVID preventive measures taken at École secondaire Saint-Maxime

Martin C. Barry
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COVID preventive measures taken at École secondaire Saint-Maxime

Although there are 21 potential cases of COVID-19 within six class bubbles at École secondaire Saint-Maxime on Lévesque Blvd. West in Chomedey, the Centre de services scolaires de Laval has decided not to close the school at least for now.

The educational services centre says additional measures are being taken at the school and parents were informed of the situation on Tuesday.

École secondaire Saint-Maxime on Lévesque Blvd. West in Chomedey remains open, despite an apprehended outbreak of COVID-19.

“Considering this situation, the management at Saint-Maxime school and the Centre de services scolaires de Laval, in conjunction with the public health office and the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de Laval have taken the decision to proceed with the withdrawal of seven more groups of students in Secondary 5,” the CSSL said in a letter to Saint-Maxime parents.

“These preventive withdrawals are in addition to those already in isolation,” the statement continues. “The targeted groups will therefore be in preventive withdrawal from Wednesday Oct. 7 to Tuesday Oct. 13 inclusively and will receive distance learning. All parents of the concerned students have been advised.”

The CSSL said that even if certain groups are closed, the school remains open and continues to take necessary measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

“These additional preventive measures aim to limit the spread of COVID-19 at the school, while allowing optimized access to educational services,” they said.

Careless candle use blamed for minor Laval-des-Rapides fire

Martin C. Barry
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Careless candle use blamed for minor Laval-des-Rapides fire

A small fire that broke out in a 16-unit apartment building on Laval Blvd. in the city’s Laval-des-Rapides sector during the late afternoon Thursday has been blamed on the negligent use of a candle.

According to the Laval Fire Department, they received a call about the blaze around 5:15 pm on Oct. 1 and were on the scene at the building located between Saint-Martin and Souvenir boulevards in around three minutes time.

Upon arrival of seven LFD firefighting units for a total of 21 firefighters, there didn’t seem to be a major fire underway. However, an immediate evacuation of the building was ordered all the same, and as many as 20 people came out.

In a basement apartment, the firemen found the source of the problem: a candle that was still burning but reaching its base and which was about to set off a major fire.

Just past 5:20 pm, the fire was declared under control and the evacuees were told they could return to their apartments.

CISSS de Laval updates times and locations for COVID-19 screening clinics

Martin C. Barry
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CISSS de Laval updates times and locations for COVID-19 screening clinics

The CISSS de Laval has announced some changes for the times and locations of COVID-19 screening clinics on its territory. While some are closing, they are being replaced by a new location.

Beginning on Saturday Oct. 3:

1)       There will be a new screening clinic in Laval’s St-Vincent-de-Paul district: 

  • Location: 3999 de la Concorde Blvd. East (entrance via avenue du Parc) 
  • Hours: from 9 am to 5 pm  
  • By appointment only (Phone: 1 877 644-4545) 

2)       Extension of hours for clinic located on Dagenais Blvd.:  

  • Location: 4300 Dagenais Blvd. West 
  • Hours: 8 am to 8 pm 
  • No appointment needed 

No changes for clinics located at 1200 Chomedey Blvd. and at 34 Cartier Blvd. West 

Closings:

Pierre-Creamer Arena and mobile bus unit are closed as of Friday Oct. 2: 

– Pierre-Creamer Arena: closed as of 8 pm

– Mobile bus unit: closed as of 3:45 pm 

Health Canada orders counterfeit Zytec ‘Germ Buster’ hand sanitizer recalled

Martin C. Barry
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Health Canada orders counterfeit Zytec ‘Germ Buster’ hand sanitizer recalled

Health Canada is informing the public that product distributor Northern National Sales Inc. was recently found to be selling a counterfeit version of the Health Canada authorized hand sanitizer Zytec Germ Buster.

According to the federal regulator, counterfeit products are fraudulent versions of authentic products and may be potentially harmful if used or consumed.

Health Canada says it is committed to stopping the production and import of counterfeit drugs in Canada and will not hesitate to take additional actions as necessary to stop this type of illegal activity.

The department has directed Northern National Sales Inc. to recall the counterfeit product from the market and the company has confirmed that it is no longer selling it.

Health Canada worked with the authorized licence holder, Empack Spraytech Inc., to verify that the product bearing the lot number 3329733126 in a 1L format is counterfeit.

The counterfeit product is packaged in a 1L format with a black and white label which displays the same name, the same NPN (80015625) and the same lot number (3329733126) as the authorized product.

The authorized Zytec Germ Buster Hand Sanitizer bearing the lot number 3329733126 and NPN 80015625 has a colour label and is only available in a 3.78L format.

Health Canada says counterfeit products may contain ingredients not listed on the label, dangerous additives or other contaminants. In addition, they may not contain the active ingredients Canadians would expect them to contain.

The agency said that since the counterfeit Zytec Germ Buster Hand Sanitizer is unauthorized and made with an unknown formulation, it may not be effective at killing bacteria and viruses, and may pose serious risks to health.

For more information regarding Health Canada’s approach to counterfeit health products please consult Health Canada’s Policy on Counterfeit Health Products.

Should Health Canada become aware of continued sales by Northern National Sales Inc., of counterfeit or any other unauthorized health products that may pose a risk to the public, the department says it “will not hesitate to take immediate and appropriate action.”

What consumers should do

  • If you have this counterfeit product, stop using it.
  • Consult your healthcare practitioner if you have used this counterfeit product and have concerns about your health.
  • Keep all hand sanitizers out of the reach of children.
  • If this product is swallowed, call a poison control centre or get medical help right away.

Méga Centre McDonald’s closed after employee tests positive for COVID-19

Martin C. Barry
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Méga Centre McDonald’s closed after employee tests positive for COVID-19

McDonald’s Canada said on Wednesday that its restaurant located on the southbound service road of Autoroute 13 in the Méga Centre Notre-Dame has closed temporarily because an employee tested positive for infection by the COVID-19 virus.

Although the company didn’t say when the location will re-open, they said a third party contractor specializing in sanitation and disinfection had been brought in to conduct a thorough cleanup at the restaurant.

“We have asked all team members who may have been in close contact with the employee to go into voluntary isolation until further information is made available,” Ryma Boussoufa, director of outside communications for McDonald’s in Quebec, said in a statement.

She said the employee last worked on Sept. 23 from 5:30 pm to 11:30 pm. Customers who were at the restaurant on Sept. 23 are being encouraged by McDonald’s Canada to follow recommendations for COVID-19 made by Quebec public health officials at the following website: https://www.quebec.ca/sante/problemes-de-sante/a-z/coronavirus-2019.

Laval’s COVID ‘red zone’ status brings new rules to be followed

Martin C. Barry
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Laval’s COVID ‘red zone’ status brings new rules to be followed

With the City of Laval now part of the “red” zone decreed by the Quebec government to safeguard against the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the CISSS de Laval has issued a reminder of the conditions which the public is now expected to respect for the next 28 days.

  • It is forbidden to invite guests into your home (except for certain exceptions);
  • Private gatherings are forbidden;
  • Organized activities no longer allowed in a public place, including show halls, theatres, cinemas, museums and libraries;
  • Maximum of 25 persons at any time allowed in a place of worship and at funerals;
  • Bars, brasseries, taverns, casinos and restaurants are all closed (except for deliveries and take-outs);
  • No visits at CHSLDs, private retirement residences and intermediary resources (except for humanitarian visits or by caregivers);
  • Travel to orange, yellow or green regions not recommended, with the exception of essential travel.

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