Coronavirus Update: Passengers dodging mandatory quarantine fined $880 in Toronto

Good evening, here are the coronavirus updates you need to know tonight.

Top headlines:

1. Days after new travel rules went into effect, requiring a three-day hotel quarantine, several passengers at Toronto’s airport have refused to comply, resulting in $880 fines
2. Experts in Canada are cautioning that when vaccine shipments do ramp up in the coming weeks health systems could quickly become overwhelmed
3. The one-dose strategy of vaccine deployment in the U.K. has shown early signs of success, the lead scientist for the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine says

In the last 7 days, 20,945 cases were reported, up 4 per cent from the previous 7 days. There were 372 deaths announced, down 14 per cent over the same period. At least 2,129 people are being treated in hospitals and 802,930 others are considered recovered.

About 82 per cent of the 2,017,850 doses of vaccine distributed to provinces have been administered. That’s 4.3 doses for every 100 people in Canada.

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Sources: Canada data is compiled from government websites, Johns Hopkins and COVID-19 Canada Open Data Working Group; international data is from Johns Hopkins University.

Coronavirus explainers: Coronavirus in maps and charts • Lockdown rules and reopening • Canada’s vaccine distribution plan • Developing/approved vaccines • Pfizer’s vaccine, explained • Essential resources

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Coronavirus in Canada

• Ontario won’t launch its COVID-19 vaccine booking system until March 15. Vaccinations for seniors over 80 are set to begin in the third week of March. Meanwhile, several international travellers at Pearson airport have refused to comply with new, three-day hotel quarantine rules. And, Thunder Bay is facing COVID-19 outbreaks in local correctional facilities. In Sudbury, public health officials have closed two schools following five confirmed cases of COVID-19.
• The top doctor in British Columbia won’t weigh in on mandatory masks in elementary schools despite rising fears of COVID-19 variants. Meanwhile, students will take standardized tests despite concerns from educators. Two more COVID-19 outbreaks have been declared at the Vancouver General Hospital. And, two BC Ferries passengers have been fined for refusing to wear masks while on board.
• A trial date for the Alberta pastor who was holding Sunday services in violation of COVID-19 rules has been set. And, the province’s online vaccine booking system got off to a hairy start today, after many Albertans were kicked off the site or were met with a busy signal over the phone.
• Arviat, the remote community in Nunavut that has declared a state of emergency, reported 27 active cases in a community of 2,800 people.

In Ottawa, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party will continue to prop up the Liberal minority government on confidence votes as long as the COVID-19 pandemic persists. A vote on the federal budget – which would trigger an election if it failed – is expected in the coming months.

Canadian vaccine rollout: Pharmacies, doctors and other key health care providers say they aren’t fully looped in on some provincial vaccination plans, adding to concerns that when vaccine shipments do ramp up in the coming weeks, health systems could soon become overwhelmed.

Priority vaccine groups: Advocates are calling for a COVID-19 vaccination plan for migrant and undocumented workers.

Coronavirus around the world

• Johnson & Johnson’s one-dose COVID-19 vaccine is closing in on approval from the Food and Drug Administration in the United States.
• Ghana received the world’s first delivery of coronavirus vaccines from the United Nations-backed COVAX initiative.
• Nationwide-lockdowns in China reduced the number of deaths from other causes, such as ordinary pneumonia or traffic accidents, according to a study.

Coronavirus and business

Toronto Pearson International Airport is expanding its COVID-19 monitoring, adding rapid tests and conducting a study comparing the efficacy of the two main types of diagnoses.

• Starting March 1, tests will be offered to asymptomatic people who work at the airport.
• The airport is also launching a voluntary study using antigen tests. Positive results will be confirmed with the more accurate rapid polymerase chain reaction tests.
• The study hopes to determine whether the less expensive antigen test is a suitable way to check for the coronavirus in a busy commercial setting, the airport said.

Also today: Lowe’s reported a blow-out fourth quarter; its total net sales rose 26.7% to pass $20 billion.

And: Hydro One’s fourth-quarter profit is down from year ago due to COVID-19 related costs.

Globe opinion

• David Leonhardt: In the coming months, COVID will probably recede as a result of vaccinations and growing natural immunity. But it will not disappear. The flu will become a meaningful point of comparison.

More reporting

• How sommeliers have adapted in the wake of COVID-19
• Resumé Review: After a COVID-19 layoff, this arts administrator is seeking work with non-profits

Information centre

• How well do vaccines work? Here’s what you need to know.
• Rob Carrick’s 10-point checklist of things you should have done by now to protect or improve your money situation. Tips for minimizing damage to your credit score; how to manage retirement anxiety during difficult times; and things to think about if you’re considering home delivery.
• Here are the expectations for self-isolation; tips for managing anxiety and protecting your mental health; and what to do if you think you have the virus. Wash your hands. How to break a bad habit (like touching your face). Is flying safe?
• The best foods to eat to maintain an immune system-friendly diet; and how to keep a healthy diet while working from home; four eating tips when working from home; and five mistakes that might cause you to gain unwanted weight. Here are the essentials to stock up on and how to shop safely for groceries; the best pantry staples and how to stop stress-eating.
• Find answers to your coronavirus and employment questions.

Sources: Canada data are compiled from government websites, Johns Hopkins University and COVID-19 Canada Open Data Working Group; international data are from Johns Hopkins.

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