Coronavirus Update: Atlantic provinces set to reinstate travel bubble

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

Top headlines:

1. Atlantic Canadians will be able to travel freely between the four provinces beginning mid-April, the region’s premiers say
2. There are enough doses coming into Canada to get a first shot to all adults before Canada Day – barring production issues
3. The U.S. is sending Canada 1.5 million doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine as a “loan”

In the last 7 days, 23,087 cases were reported, up 8 per cent from the previous 7 days. There were 216 deaths announced, up 3 per cent over the same period. At least 1,999 people are being treated in hospitals and 867,974 others are considered recovered.

About 85 per cent of the 4,214,250 doses of vaccine distributed to provinces have been administered. Canada’s inoculation rate is 36th among 84 countries with a population of one million or more people.

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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 • Tracking vaccine doses • Lockdown rules and reopening • Vaccine distribution plan • Four vaccines approved in Canada • Essential resources

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Coronavirus in Canada

• In Ontario, an inspector from the province’s Ministry of Labour visited Amazon’s massive Brampton warehouse just two days before it was shut down by public-health officials after more than 240 workers were infected with COVID-19. Meanwhile, Toronto isn’t ruling out allowing outdoor haircuts and related services.
• Premiers of the four Eastern provinces announced a plan to re-establish the Atlantic travel bubble by April 19. The plan is contingent on cases remaining low and outbreaks contained, the premiers said. Newfoundland and Labrador’s inclusion will depend on the continued easing of restrictions following an outbreak last month in St. John’s.
• In Quebec, vaccinations have all but stopped new infections and deaths in long-term care homes, but a return to normal – activities such as shopping or sharing a meal – have been slow to return. Meanwhile, Montreal launched a vaccine blitz focusing on areas with high rates of variant transmission.
• In British Columbia, a COVID-19 outbreak at Cottonwoods, a long-term care facility, has infected 23 people, including eight who have had at least one dose of a vaccine. So far, no one has died or been hospitalized, underscoring how vaccines help to make coronavirus less lethal. Meanwhile, the one-time COVID-19 rebate cheques are delayed after a cyberattack. And, Premier John Horgan said, “those who have been vaccinated will have a bit more flexibility” to do more. The province has just deemed front-line workers – such as grocery workers, police, firefighters, teachers, and postal employees – eligible for a vaccine.
• Saskatchewan announced a plan, effective immediately, for three hours of paid time off so workers can get their COVID-19 vaccinations. And, the province is expanding the age range for those who can get vaccinated at a drive-through clinic in Regina as case counts continue to climb.
• Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey is in hot water over apparent modelling data that led to his decision to call a winter election in the midst of a global pandemic.
• The Alberta cabinet will meet Monday to decide whether to further ease public-health restrictions following comments made by Premier Jason Kenney suggesting the data looks promising.

In Ottawa, the military commander heading up Canada’s vaccine rollout says Canada is on track to administer at least one COVID-19 shot for every adult by July 1. But Major-General Dany Fortin, citing potential production issues, wouldn’t commit to an official declaration.

• Officially, government officials say Canadians will be fully vaccinated by the end of September.
• Health Canada has approved four vaccines but deliveries of Johnson & Johnson’s one-dose shot and 20 million shots directly from AstraZeneca are in limbo.
• Meanwhile, doses from Pfizer, Moderna and the AstraZeneca vaccine from India’s Serum Institute are enough to hit the one-dose target.
• Also today, U.S. President Joe Biden said Canada will receive 1.5 million extra doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine from his country.

Coronavirus and the workplace: When COVID-19 strikes workplaces, what does real transparency look like? Why disclosures are rare but revealing

Child care: Once daycare facilities reopened after the first wave of COVID-19, there was a drop in enrolment that in some cases was so severe that centres lost 20 to 30 children, winding up with fewer than five enrolled.

Coronavirus around the world

• European medical regulators are urging countries to resume using Oxford-AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine after more than a dozen countries, mainly in Europe, have pulled it from circulation.
• Mexico will also receive a shipment of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine from the the United States, where this particular vaccine hasn’t been authorized.

Coronavirus and business

Restaurant operators are calling the threat of a third wave of COVID-19 a “do-or-die moment” for the foodservice industry as it faces another potential round of restrictions.

• Canada has already lost more than 10,000 eateries since the introduction of pandemic lockdowns and many more are saying that another lockdown would likely cost them their business.

And: The “Atlantic bubble” will return starting in April, and is conditional on COVID-19 case numbers remaining low in the region, outbreaks being contained and on the advice of provincial medical officers.

Globe opinion

• Davis Parkinson: Revisiting a small-business owner one year into COVID-19 pandemic: ‘We’re not out of this yet’
• Lawrence Martin: On COVID-19, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis forces liberal elites to eat crow
• Brandon Trask: COVID-19 vaccine passports would discriminate against Canadians if used here at home
• Bronwyn McBride and Jennie Pearson: If sex workers are as “vulnerable” as the law suggests, where’s their pandemic support?

More reporting

• First person: Sewing masks with fabric from my past brings me comfort and hope
• Few workplaces disclose how many of their workers are contracting COVID-19. With new, more contagious variants of COVID-19 raising the likelihood of rapid spread through workplaces, it’s all the more crucial this information is disclosed

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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