By Jacob Serebrin
THE CANADIAN PRESS

MONTREAL – Quebec’s announcement that it would tax unvaccinated residents sparked strong reaction and pushed Canadian premiers to take a position on it, but the province’s official Opposition says it’s unconvinced the government will go ahead with its threat. Describing Quebec Premier Francois Legault’s plan as a “trial balloon,” Liberal […]

By Zeke Miller
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden is highlighting the federal government’s efforts to “surge” COVID-19 testing and military medical personnel to help overwhelmed medical facilities weather the spike in coronavirus cases and staff shortages due to the highly transmissible omicron variant. Starting next week, 1,000 military medical personnel will begin […]

By Merna Emara
Staff Writer
memara@fortfrances.com

There are currently 365 active cases in the Northwestern Health Unit (NWHU), but Dr. Kit Young Hoon, medical officer of health at the NWHU, said this is an underestimate of the total number of cases due to testing eligibility and the newest guidelines. Young Hoon said the number of positive […]

By Allan Bradbury
Staff Writer
abradbury@fortfrances.com

The Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) has yet to resume its season following its Christmas break due to restrictions brought in by Ontario’s government but officials are optimistic the season can resume safely should they receive permission at the end of January Players were starting to make their way […]

By Holly McKenzie-Sutter
THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO – Ontario students will return to school classrooms on Jan. 17, Premier Doug Ford’s office told The Canadian Press. The government had previously said schools would move to online learning until “at least” that date amid widespread transmission of the Omicron variant, but the premier’s office now says they […]

By Maan Alhmidi
THE CANADIAN PRESS

A few members of the Canadian Armed Forces are on the ground in Bearskin Lake First Nation in northern Ontario to assist the community amid a COVID-19 outbreak that has infected half of its population. A spokeswoman for federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair said four Rangers are there to […]

THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO – New school guidance from the Ontario government says that only certain students and teachers who show symptoms of COVID-19 will have access to PCR tests when schools reopen to in-person learning next week. The Ministry of Health document says take-home PCR self-collection kits will only be provided to […]

THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO – Ontario is reporting 3,220 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and 477 people in intensive care. There are 250 patients on ventilators due to COVID-19. Twenty-one new virus-related deaths were reported. The province reported 7,951 new cases, but Public Health Ontario says the real number is likely higher due to […]

By Lee Berthiaume
THE CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA – A new poll suggests a slim majority of Canadians support the latest round of lockdowns and other government-imposed restrictions as the Omicron variant continue to fuel an explosion in new COVID-19 infections. Fifty-six per cent of respondents in the poll conducted by Leger and the Association of Canadian […]

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BERN, Switzerland (AP) – Olympic snowboard champion Patrizia Kummer will head to the Beijing Games early to spend three weeks in quarantine because she isn’t vaccinated against the coronavirus, she said Tuesday. Chinese authorities require unvaccinated Olympians to enter quarantine upon arrival if they don’t have a valid medical exemption. […]

Press release

Widespread testing of patients and staff underway The Northwestern Health Unit and Riverside Health Care Facilities are investigating “Suspect” COVID-19 outbreak at Riverside Health Care Facilities-LaVerendrye General Hospital site as a result of one (1) patient testing positive. To further enhance our Team’s ongoing efforts to prevent the spread of […]