March 23, 2020

March 23, 2020 5:55 am Published by

March 23rd is the 83rd day of the year. There are 283 days remaining until the end of the year.

Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David Williams says this week “critical” for the province and the country overall when dealing with COVID-19.

If you went away for March Break, please do your part and be socially responsible – stay home & self-isolate for 14 days.

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent will hold its first electronic council meeting tonight.

The meeting will start at 6. The Council agenda is here.

The Civic Centre will be closed. The public is can watch the meeting on YourTV or on Facebook or YouTube.

If the public is interested in having a deputation on any item (including planning items) or questions concerning deputations you can email ckclerk@chatham-kent.ca or call the Clerk’s office at 519-360-1998 by 3 today.

The 2020 Summer Olympics aren’t scheduled to start in Tokyo, Japan for another four months.

Yesterday, the International Olympic Committee admitted they’re considering postponing the games, and that a final decision will come within four weeks. But don’t be surprised if it comes sooner than that.

Last night, Canada became the first country to pull out, and if other countries follow suit, the IOC will have no choice but to postpone.

Team Canada said, “This is not solely about athlete health . . . it is about public health. With COVID-19 and the associated risks, it’s not safe for our athletes, and the health and safety of their families and the broader Canadian community for athletes to continue training towards these Games. In fact, it runs counter to the public health advice which we urge all Canadians to follow.”

Other countries, like Brazil and Norway, have called on the IOC to postpone, and after Canada’s announcement, Australia told its athletes to prepare for the Games to be held in 2021.

Starting yesterday, McDonald’s Canada and Tim Horton’s are no longer offering take-out service, and has closed the dining rooms at all restaurants due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Drive-thru and delivery services will still be available.

Sobeys is rewarding its employees for their hard work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The grocery store company has announced the launch of the “Hero Pay Program” for its frontline staff working in stores and distribution centres across Canada. Sobeys says all staff members will receive an additional $50 a week, regardless of the number of hours worked. In addition to the extra $50, staff who have worked more than 20 hours a week will receive an additional $2 premium per hour for all hours over 20 hours.

 Ontario is closing all DriveTest Centres until further notice. The current “Fail to Keep Appointment” penalty will also be waived.

Apple added a new feature to Siri to help people when they ask about coronavirus symptoms. Apple users can ask, “Siri, how do I know if I have coronavirus?”

Just in time for everyone working from home, Microsoft is working on a new program that automatically filters out the sound of eating potato chips when you’re on a phone call. It’ll actually eliminate all background sound including a leaf blower, a dog barking or you eating chips.

Unfortunately, it won’t be ready until later this year though.

This is the latest from the software giant aimed at cutting down on the biggest gripes people have about virtual meetings. They’ve also found ways to allow up to 50 people to video chat at the same time through the Skype chat app.

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This post was written by Chris McLeod