Good evening, here are the coronavirus updates you need to know tonight.
Top headlines:
- After nearly 16 months, Canada is opening its borders to fully vaccinated travellers
- Canada was an innovator in the ’90s when it created a pandemic early-warning system. So what happened?
- The Quarantine Hotline, the brainchild of Toronto artist and documentarian Vuk Dragojevic, captures pandemic thoughts that are rarely spoken aloud
In the past seven days, 2,799 cases were reported, down 19 per cent from the previous seven days. There were 66 deaths announced, down 27 per cent over the same period. At least 438 people are being treated in hospitals and 1,392,820 others are considered recovered.
Canada’s inoculation rate is 9th among 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
Photo of the day
Anti-vaccination protesters gathered in Parliament Square outside the Houses of Parliament in central London today. Day-to-day pandemic restrictions were lifted in England on July 19 but "freedom day" was met with deep concern from scientists as coronavirus cases surge across the nation and around the world. Britain will administer coronavirus vaccines to clinically vulnerable youngsters, the government said today, but will not offer it to all children due to an ongoing review into potential side effects.AFP Contributor#AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Coronavirus in Canada
- Quebec has now administered 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, and its campaign is making headway among those aged 18 to 29. Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé says 70 per cent of that age group has received their first dose or scheduled an appointment to get one. And, two concerts involving a total of 25,000 spectators in Quebec are being planned as an experiment to examine the impact of COVID-19 on large gatherings.
- A sharp increase in eating disorder cases is overwhelming Ontario’s pediatric hospitals. Admissions jumped to 223 per cent above capacity in June as teens have struggled amid the COVID-19 pandemic with isolation, a lack of routine, the loss of extracurricular activities and negative social media influences. Also, the province’s postsecondary institutions are being asked to prepare for a fall semester with no capacity limits on in-person classes and activities. And, a new report from Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table says students should return to schools that look more normal in the fall.
- A third ship is now anchored off the coast of Newfoundland with COVID-19 cases among its crew. The provincial Department of Health said Monday in a news release that four crew members have tested positive. Meanwhile, 31 crew members on the Princesa Santa Joana tested positive for COVID-19 last week, and 14 seafarers on the Iver Ambition tested positive earlier this month.
In Ottawa, federal officials announced fully vaccinated U.S. citizens can enter Canada as of Aug. 9, joined by the rest of the world Sept. 7.
- Officials say the 14-day quarantine requirement will be waived beginning the second week of August for eligible travellers who are currently residing in the United States and have received a full course of a COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in Canada.
- It remained unclear if or when the Biden administration plans to reciprocate for visitors to the U.S.
Canada’s pandemic approach: Canada needs to better prepare for pandemics, a former national security adviser says. If it does not adopt a new approach, the country could find itself struggling to confront a future health crisis.
Powwow season: As provinces begin to lift or ease restrictions this summer, a return to powwow season is on the horizon for many First Nations.
Coronavirus in Tokyo
- At the Tokyo Olympics, Japan is spending a fortune and risking a lot. What does it hope to gain?
- Two-thirds of people in Japan do not believe the country can host a safe and secure Olympics amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a survey published by a Japanese newspaper.
- Kara Eaker, an alternate on the United States women’s gymnastics team, has tested positive for COVID-19 in an Olympic training camp in Japan. This is the latest in a growing line of daily reports of athletes and others testing positive at the pandemic-delayed Olympics.
Coronavirus around the world
- The U.K. ended all COVID-19 lockdown restrictions after a year, as the case counts continued to surge.
- Anti-vaccination protesters in France are comparing themselves to Jews who were persecuted by Nazi Germany during the Second World War.
Coronavirus and business
Canada’s big banks are embracing flexible working arrangements as they plot a broad return to offices this fall, emphasizing to staff that hybrid work is here to stay – but so are bustling offices.
- The banks are aiming to reopen many of their offices and start bringing back a majority of staff as early as September, and stretching into October and November in some cases.
- For many employees, that will mean returning to offices for two to four days a week, though others may have to go in more or less often.
Also today: A surge in worldwide coronavirus cases and concerns about the Delta variant left global stocks facing their longest losing streak since the pandemic first hit. Shares of airlines, cruise lines, hotels and almost anything related to travel tumbled.
And: A dramatic rebound in hiring could throw the Bank of Canada’s inflation expectations for a loop.
Globe opinion
- The Editorial Board: Don’t want to get vaccinated? Maybe you need to find another line of work
- Gillian Deacon: Healthy skepticism doesn’t necessarily mean rejecting mainstream medicine – particularly around vaccines
More reporting
- The stars of Canadian comedy Letterkenny are returning to the stage for the first time since the COVID-19 crisis shut down live performances
- The hundreds of anonymous messages left at the Quarantine Hotline, started by a Toronto artist, offer a taste of our collective mood. Some callers were profane, many profound, a few prurient
Information centre
- Everything you need to know about Canada’s travel restrictions for vaccinated and unvaccinated people
- Waiting for a second dose? We answer your COVID-19 vaccine questions
- 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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