Coronavirus Update: Britain’s newfound freedom tempered by variant fears

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

Top headlines:

1. Britain’s newfound freedom has been tempered by fears that a surge in coronavirus variant cases first associated with India could hinder recent gains
2. The Biden administration announced plans to share 20 million more doses of COVID-19 vaccines with the world
3. The Blackfoot Siksika Nation, in Alberta, has become a COVID-19 success story

In the last 7 days, 39,991 cases were reported, down 22 per cent from the previous 7 days. There were 300 deaths announced, down 13 per cent over the same period. At least 3,306 people are being treated in hospitals and 1,241,478 others are considered recovered.

Canada’s inoculation rate is 13th among 84 countries with a population of one million or more people.

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

• Starting Tuesday in Ontario, all adults will be eligible to book a vaccine appointment as doses scheduled to be delivered next week arrive early. The province will also change its distribution plan, sending shots on a per-capita basis following two weeks of sending half the supply to hot spots.
• In Quebec, 75 people are facing fines totalling more than $135,000 following an illegal gathering that violated COVID-19 rules in Sainte-Béatrix, in the Lanaudière region. Meanwhile, the province reported its lowest number of new infections since September, 551 new COVID-19 cases.
• Manitoba health officials are expecting the demand for intensive care beds to soon reach a record level amid rising COVID-19 infections. Health officials report 120 patients, including non-COVID-19 cases, in intensive care beds across the province – nine shy of the record set last December.
• Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said the province’s intensive care units were currently treating more than 240 patients, surpassing all previous records. Of those patients, 186 have tested positive for COVID-19. And, after suffering from nearly six times the national average of COVID-19 cases per capita last spring, the Blackfoot Siksika Nation community response system has become a success story.

In Ottawa, the lawyer representing the former head of Canada’s vaccine distribution plan says a news reporter informed Major-General Dany Fortin of details of an allegation against him on Sunday that caught him completely by surprise.

Coronavirus around the world

• Britain has seen a spike in cases of the variant first associated with India, but that didn’t stop the government from going ahead with lifting many lockdown rules in England. And British vacationers are now travelling to southern Portugal in large numbers, after governments in the two countries eased their COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions.
• U.S. President Joe Biden said the U.S. will share an additional 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines with the world soon. And, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is set to earn $5-million from a book on the COVID-19 crisis.
• As India logs more than 4,000 deaths a day, the spotlight has turned to the growing struggle of the country’s overworked and underpaid crematorium workers.
• A surge of coronavirus infections in Taiwan, one of the world’s COVID-19 mitigation success stories, has led to its stock of 300,000 vaccine doses rapidly running out.

Coronavirus and business

As many homeowners put their pandemic savings toward renovations, demand for supplies has spiked. Developers are left struggling to source everything from lumber to PVC pipes, insulation and windows.

• “The whole supply chain is out of whack,” said Matt McCurrach, president of Homex Development Corp. in Kamloops, B.C.

Also today: April home sales slipped from record levels, as price growth slowed across Canada, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association.

And: The CEO of Guardian Capital Group says he was “disappointed” to find out that some hedge funds and wealth management firms collected the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, even though they didn’t need to.

More reporting

• COVID-19 has brought Ontario politician Patrick Brown back to prominence. Is all forgiven?
• This Toronto couple traded in their city tech jobs for a county drive-in

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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