Image

Province opens up boosters to everyone over 18 Monday

December 15, 2021

Limits capacity at large venues to stop Omicron

Anyone over 18 will be able to get a COVID-19 booster shot staring Monday.

Premier Doug Ford announced the province is ramping up vaccination as the variant Omicron infects more people with COVID-19. Ford held a news conference this afternoon announcing the change calling it a “call to arms” to stop the Omicron variant.

Dr. Keiran Moore says immunity against the virus wanes after three months so the province is opening up the opportunity for people to get boosters. Moore said 120,000 people received a vaccine yesterday.

The province also announced it would be making more rapid tests available at high traffic areas like malls and transit stations. The tests will also be made available at LCBO stores.

And the premier says starting Saturday, venues with over 1,000 people will be limited to 50 per cent capacity.

But when asked if the province would have to consider further measures, Ford said everything was on the table, but added a province wide lockdown is not an option.

The province is making the moves as the Ontario COVID-19 Science Table urged action saying the Omicron variant is moving so quickly that by the new year, the province could see 10,000 cases of COVID-19 a day.

“The point is we have to move very quickly,” said Dr Peter June of the Ontario Science Table. He was pleased with the measures announced this afternoon, but he disagrees the province will avoid any further restrictions. “We won’t be able to vaccinate our way out of this,” he said during a live interview with CBC.

“The right thing is really proper capacity limits in places which are at the highest risk,” including restaurants and bars.

He added todays measures are “not enough; we need to let go of the concept that we can vaccinate ourselves out of it.”

Share This

Image
Front Page

‘A dangerous precedent’ CKs mayor says removing EA will have ‘devastating impact’

May 23, 2025

Heather Wright/The Independent Chatham-Kent’s mayor says allowing the York1 Environmental project to move ahead without an Environmental Assessment sets a dangerous precedent. But the Energy Minister and Ministry of Environment staffers continue to say the derelict Dresden dump is an existing landfill and is the quickest option to ease Ontario’s landfill worries in the face of US tariffs. Chatham-Kent Mayor

Read More

Image
Front Page

LCCVI wins AA title at SWOSSAA

May 23, 2025

Heather Wright/The Independent The Lancers claimed the AA title at the SWOSSAA Track and Field Championships. Nine LCCVI athletes competing in 14 events have advanced to the West Region finals at Western University May 29 – 30. Meagan Munro, Kole Chapman, Xander Knapp, Campbelle Brown, James Grant, Hunter Campbell, Darius Landon, Jayden Davis-Lumley, and Jamison Helps will represent the Lancers

Read More

Image
Front Page

One charged in crash which killed six year old from Walpole Island

May 23, 2025

Lambton OPP have charged the passenger of a vehicle which crashed near Sombra, killing a young Walpole Island First Nation boy. April 29, just before 7 pm, a vehicle crashed at the intersection of St. Clair Parkway and West Smith Line in Sombra. A six year old died in the crash. Two others were seriously injured but OPP say they

Read More

Image
Front Page

In camera rants shock Lambton councillors

May 22, 2025

Heather Wright/The Independent There is more than a little tension around the Lambton County council table recently. It stems from an in camera incident which led to shouting loud enough to be heard in the council chambers. It stems, sources tell The Independent, from the investigation by the Integrity Commissioner into the conduct of Sarnia City/County Councillor Bill Dennis. Nov.

Read More