The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, D ec em be r 23 ,2 02 1 | 18 CELEBRATING ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS YMCAOFOAKVILLE.ORG Ask for John www.jmcconcrete.ca905-878-8595 J.M.CJ.M.C Concrete Interlocking LTD • stamped concrete • interlocking • exposed aggregate • flagstone • french curbs • retainingwalls • garage floors • free estimates 476 Kerr Street (just south of Speers Road) 905-845-2933 www.oakvilleappliance.com Getting behind the wheel after consuming drugs or alcohol can have dire consequences. Here are five things you may lose as a result of this choice. 1. Your licence One potential penalty for driving under the influence is that your licence may get revoked. In some regions, first-time offenders are prohibited from driving for a period ranging from several months to a year. 2. Your money In addition to getting fined for the infraction, you'll need to pay for a lawyer. You can also expect to spend more on car insurance for many years to come. Additional expenses may be involved too. Depending on the circumstances, you may have to settle up with a victim or pay into a compensation fund. You may also need to pay for a breath alcohol ignition interlock device. 3. Your clean criminal record If you're found guilty of driving under the influence, you'll end up with a criminal record, which could complicate many facets of your life, from landing a job to travelling. 4. Your job If your job requires you to operate a vehicle (for example, if you're a trucker, delivery person or taxi driver) you may be forced to leave it. This may also be the case if your employer demands that you have a clean criminal record. 5. Your life Impaired driving heightens your risk of being in an accident, and if you add poor road conditions to the equation, it could make matters worse. If you get into a car crash, you could be seriously injured or killed, or you could injure or kill your passengers or other road users. If you plan to consume drugs or alcohol, make sure you have a safe way to get home. Call a taxi, hire an Uber or catch a ride with a friend. 5 things you could lose as a result of impaired driving The Ontario government has expanded the eligibility for CO- VID-19 vaccine booster shots to everyone aged 18 and over in a bid to curb the growing threat of the Omicron variant. The latest coronavirus variant is considered to be more trans- missible even compared to Delta, according to experts. "As we combat the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant, nothing matters more than getting these booster doses into people's arms," said Ontario Premier Doug Ford in a state- ment. "I am issuing a call to arms. We need every member of Team Ontario to stand tall and do their part as we work to protect our hard-fought progress and keep Ontarians safe." The interval required to get the booster shot has been short- ened to at least three months -- down from six -- after a second dose. Eligible residents can now book their appointments. As for the weekly COVID-19 cases, the region's website shows that from Dec. 10 to 15 there were 565 new cases, up from 307 the previous week. As of Dec. 15, the number of ac- tive COVID-19 cases stood at 601 -- with 202 cases in Oakville, 146 in Milton, 147 in Halton Hills, and 115 in Burlington. There have been 21,456 cases of COVID-19 during the pandemic, with 20,601 marked as resolved and 245 deaths. WEEKLY ROUNDUP: BOOSTER SHOTS OPEN TO 18 AND UP BAMBANG SADEWO bsadewo@metroland.com NEWS Here's a weekly roundup of COVID-19 cases and news. John Rennison photo SCAN THIS CODE To view covid cases tracker. Getting the best deal on car insurance is one more thing you can be great at.thing you can be great at. Compare rates from 30+ providers.