Good evening, here are the COVID-19 updates you need to know tonight.
Top headlines:
- COVID-19 deaths, hospital admissions decline in Quebec and Ontario
- Police in Windsor arrested at least 25 people and moved convoy protesters near the Ambassador Bridge
- Pandemic exodus of young families from cities drains key group of workers
Coronavirus explainers: Coronavirus in maps and charts • Tracking vaccine doses • Lockdown rules and reopening
Photo of the day
Counter-protesters block a vehicle as the trucker convoy and their supporters continue to protest in Ottawa on Feb. 13, 2022.PATRICK DOYLE/Reuters
Coronavirus in Canada
- Quebec reported nine more deaths attributed to COVID-19 and says 2,081 people are in hospital today. The province is set to allow gyms and spas to reopen on Monday.
- Ontario reported 18 deaths and 1,540 people in hospital with COVID-19, a continued decline. Meanwhile, the Ambassador Bridge – the country’s most important trade link – could reopen as early as Sunday after the arrest of at least 25 people. And, convoy organizers in Ottawa appeared to agree that the protesters would leave residential streets after more than two weeks in the city’s core.
Across Canada, the pandemic-era exodus of young families out of big cities has depleted the mid-career group of workers – a key segment of the labour force – from the already tight labour market.
- “That’s a whole sort of cohort of workers missing,” said Mike Moffatt, an economist and senior director of the Smart Prosperity Institute, about the rush that was sparked by young families moving out of expensive cities.
- The shift has been driven by the prices and types of homes available. The tight labour market has forced employers to offer higher wages to lure workers back – and that’s resulting in rapid wage escalation for some.
Coronavirus around the world
- In Hong Kong, supplies of vegetables and chilled poultry may be disrupted as some drivers preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19.
Globe opinion
- Marcus Gee: Don’t give up on Canadian cities just yet
Information centre
- Everything you need to know about Canada’s travel restrictions for vaccinated and unvaccinated people
- Where do I book a COVID-19 booster or a vaccine appointment for my kids? Latest rules by province
- What is and isn't 'paid sick leave' in Canada? A short primer
- Got a vaccine 'hangover'? Here's why
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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Jessie Willms