Coronavirus Update: Canada has passed its peak of Omicron, says Dr. Tam

Good evening, here are the COVID-19 updates you need to know tonight.

Top headlines:

1. The country’s top doctor Theresa Tam says Canada is past the peak of the COVID-19 wave caused by the Omicron variant and is ready to move out of a crisis response
2. The federal government says it will spend up to $1.2-billion on COVID-19 tests for travellers arriving in Canada, double the amount budgeted two months ago
3. Police have arrested at least 100 protesters in effort to clear anti-vaccine mandate blockade from downtown Ottawa

In the past seven days, 53,986 cases were reported, down 23 per cent from the previous seven days. There were 625 deaths announced, down 24 per cent over the same period. At least 6,217 people are being treated in hospitals.

Canada’s inoculation rate is 13th among 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

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Coronavirus in Canada

• Ontario saw further reductions in hospitalizations, with 1,281 patients in the hospital and 352 in ICU. There were 30 deaths related to coronavirus. Eligible 12-to-17-year-olds can also start booking booster shots in the province as of today. Meanwhile, the Chief Medical Officer of Health says COVID-19 immunization policies could be scrapped at hospitals and postsecondary institutions.
• In Quebec, teenagers eligible for boosters can start booking as of Saturday, while the province saw 23 more deaths linked to the disease, and a 68-patient drop in hospitalizations.
• In New Brunswick, where 78 people are hospitalized for COVID-19, health restrictions are being lifted for restaurants, bars, gyms and retail businesses, which can now operate at full capacity. Mask mandates remain for indoor spaces.
• On the Decibel podcast, British Columbia’s health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, talks about what the province did differently over the course of the pandemic. B.C.’s Interior Health announced it will begin rescheduling surgeries after being paused because of the Omicron wave.

In Ottawa, chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says Canada is past the worst of the Omicron wave, and is ready to move out of a crisis response.

• Tam said while there are reasons to hope, COVID-19 is still spreading at high levels and hospitals remain stretched thin. Easing public health measures could still lead to resurgence, so people should continue to take precautions such as avoiding crowded places and wearing a mask when necessary.

Canada: Also in Ottawa, police have been carrying out a massive operation to remove, and in some cases arrest, protestors who continue to block streets as they fight protective COVID-19 health measures.

Housing: Toronto was Canada’s only major city to see apartment vacancies rise last year as pandemic lockdowns continued across the country. The report on vacancy rates provides another indicator of the pandemic’s impact on low-wage earners, many of whom worked in the services industry and lost their jobs when COVID-19 lockdowns shut down the economy.

Coronavirus around the world

• Hong Kong has earmarked 20,000 hotel rooms in the city for quarantine as cases continue to surge.
• California became the first U.S. state to shift to an “endemic” approach to COVID-19, with a focus on prevention and quick reactions when outbreaks appear.
• For the Oscars, which will be taking place in Los Angeles on March 27, presenters and performers will have to undergo testing, but won’t be asked to show proof of vaccination.

Coronavirus and business

Finance leaders of the world’s biggest economies called Friday for a cautious and well co-ordinated approach to navigating recoveries from the pandemic.

• Finance ministers and top central bankers of the Group of 20 industrial nations agreed on a need to carefully calibrate moves by the U.S. and other countries to combat inflation by raising interest rates and unwinding other measures to buffer economies from repeated waves of coronavirus outbreaks, said Indonesian central bank Gov. Perry Warjiyo.
• Meetings like the one held Thursday and Friday in Jakarta lay the groundwork for a summit of G20 leaders later in the year.

Also today: There was good news in Canada for retail sales as January numbers came in, showing a rebound from December’s decline.

Globe opinion

• Editorial board: If COVID-19 didn’t clear the bar for the Emergencies Act, does this?
• Sally Coulthard: Power to the sheeple! Why being called a ‘sheep’ should really be seen as a baaaa-dge of honour

More stories

• What does COVID-19 in animals mean for the future of the pandemic?

Information centre

• N95, medical or cloth face masks: Which is best against the Omicron COVID-19 variant? Canada’s latest guidance explained
• Everything you need to know about Canada’s travel restrictions for vaccinated and unvaccinated people, including the new rules coming in Feb. 28
• Where do I book a COVID-19 booster or a vaccine appointment for my kids? Latest rules by province
• Where to find rapid tests in Canada, for free and for sale
• 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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