Good Morning! Welcome to your latest TVC News. This week (Friday 26th March) in Clarence-Rockland's regional update:

COVID Latest in Prescott-Russell;

Before we get onto the latest COVID-19 numbers in the region there is another topic we must address. 

Last weekend, during the contact tracing phone calls, the Eastern Ontario Health Unit staff suffered some appalling verbal abuse from local residents. 
These phone calls, and the tireless work being conducted by the staff at the EOHU are for our protection. 

In a similar way in which we saw a homophobic slur graffitied  in front of the home of Ottawa Mayor, Jim Watson, abusive behavior is never acceptable, whether you agree with the way in which the situation is being handled or not.

Speaking on Monday night, here is what EOHU Medical Officer, Dr. Paul Roumeliotis had to say…

Following a severe rise in cases last weekend the EOHU will move into the “red” zone next week according to Dr. Roumeliotis, with the official announcement set for today.

In Prescott-Russell there are 76 cases, of which 13 are in Clarence-Rockland. Of all positive cases in the EOHU, over 43% are Variants of Concern, a figure that continues to rise.

Local vaccine administration starts;

The race to vaccinate the local population took a boost last Friday as the first day of vaccinations against COVID-19 started in Clarence-Rockland. We spoke to Councilor Mario Zanth outside of the Jean-Marc Lalonde Arena on Friday morning…

Much like Councilor Zanth, we got the privilege of taking a peek inside the building to witness the ongoing work by the EOHU and the city,  during a guided tour by Dr. Roumeliotis.

We would like to express our gratitude to all the residents who stopped by and spoke to us. Due to some technical difficulties we weren't able to include all the interviews but your participation means a lot to your local community television station, thank you.

Rogers selected to provide cell coverage to Eastern Ontario;

Rogers Communications has been selected as the Eastern Ontario Regional Network’s partner as the project to provide greater cellular service across Eastern Ontario receives a bug boost. 

The total investment for the project will amount to $300m, with over half coming from Rogers.

This project will lead to the creation of 3000 jobs and will allow for smaller, rural areas, to take a huge step forward in terms of connectivity connectivity. 

Groundbreaking for new Residence Prescott-Russell;

And speaking of projects in our region, last week during my chat with Councilor Michel Levert in the latest instalment of “In Your Ward”, we made our way to Hammond Golf Course to talk about an upcoming eco-tourism project set to be ready for the upcoming summer season. 

Head over to our facebook page or Youtube channel to catch the full episode.

A new chapter for the Prescott-Russell residence has begun, as the official groundbreaking ceremony for the new residence occurred this past Tuesday, on March 23rd. The residence is being constructed just down the road from the current location, on Spence avenue. 

The planning committee will be adding 77 more beds, bringing the maximum occupancy to 224 residents. TVC22 Journalist Bruce de la Cruz spoke with Prescott-Russell Chief Administrative Officer Stephane Parisien about some of the new features that will improve the quality of care for its residents.