Good evening. Starting next week, the coronavirus newsletter will publish Mondays and Fridays.
Top headlines:
- This fall’s booster campaign might get a boost from so-called bivalent vaccines. Here’s what’s known so far
- The Canadian government did not anticipate the massive surge in passport applications that resulted when COVID-19 travel restrictions were lifted, the minister in charge says
An increasing number of health agencies have changed how they're reporting data on the coronavirus. A look at the current numbers in Canada for reported cases, deaths from COVID-19 and for hospitalizations can be found here.
COVID-19 updates from Canada and the world
- Much of the plans for this fall from vaccine and policy makers hinge upon expectations that a so-called bivalent shot can blunt a potential future surge of COVID-19 cases as flu season sets in. Here’s a look at bivalent vaccines, and what they mean for the next stage in the fight against COVID-19.
- Quebec is entering a seventh wave of COVID-19, Quebec public health director Dr. Luc Boileau said Thursday, adding that there are signs the wave will peak this month.
- Some Ontario hospitals are warning that emergency department closures caused by staff shortages may recur throughout the summer. The Ontario Nurses’ Association has said the shortage is caused by nurses leaving the profession partly due to burnout after more than two years on the front lines of the pandemic.
- Hong Kong has suspended a rule that banned individual flights for bringing in passengers infected with the COVID-19 virus. The rule previously caused hundreds of flight cancellations, leading to family separations as people struggled to rebook trips and quarantine hotels at their own expense.
- Authorities in several Chinese cities are scrambling to stamp out new outbreaks, rekindling worries that the country may reinstate major restrictions on residents’ movement, under China’s “dynamic zero COVID” strategy.
- Africa’s top public health body said today it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Pfizer for countries on the continent to receive supplies of the Paxlovid pill to treat COVID-19.
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Pandemic recovery
- The Canadian government did not fully anticipate the overwhelming surge in passport applications that came with the lifting of coronavirus travel restrictions, says the minister of families, children and social development, Karina Gould. The surge has forced some Canadians to camp overnight outside of government offices in an attempt to obtain their passports.
- Air travel has surged faster than expected after slumping during the pandemic, prompting Air Canada to temporarily ban animals in the baggage hold due to “longer than usual” delays at airports.
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Globe opinion
- Campbell Clark: A summer of last-minute passports from a government that was too slow in spring
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More reading
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will resign, following several scandals, including revelations that Downing Street staff held more than a dozen social gatherings in violation of pandemic regulations
- How to manage sandwich generation pressures that intensified during the pandemic
- Haunting and prescient Greek dramedy Apples takes a big bite out of pandemic anxieties
- Calgary Stampede set to return to full capacity for first time since start of COVID-19 pandemic
- Karaoke bus: Calgary Transit hopes music helps give boost to ridership this summer
Information centre
- Everything you need to know about Canada’s travel rules for vaccinated and unvaccinated people
- When will COVID-19 be endemic? The four factors that will shape the virus’s future
- Wastewater is filling the COVID-19 data gap
Thank you for subscribing to our Coronavirus Update Newsletter. As the pandemic eases, we plan to wind this down and eventually cease sending, but have many other newsletters to keep you informed, including Globe Climate, Carrick on Money and Breaking News.
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