Coronavirus Update: COVID-19 long haulers face service, support shortages

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

Top headlines:

1. Rehabilitation experts anticipate there will be a wave of demand for rehab services and support for COVID-19 survivors
2. Italy was prompted to go into a near-national lockdown as new coronavirus variants sent the country into a third wave
3. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is safe as more European countries suspend its use

In the last 7 days, 22,354 cases were reported, up 9 per cent from the previous 7 days. There were 219 deaths announced, down 15 per cent over the same period. At least 1,974 people are being treated in hospitals and 858,927 others are considered recovered.

About 79 per cent of the 3,981,770 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

• Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine booking system opened today at 8 a.m., with the site showing 8,000 people trying to secure a slot in the morning. Many were faced with error messages. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labour is investigating the Amazon warehouse facility in Brampton that was shut down last week to determine if workplace health and safety legislation had been violated. And, the head of the province’s vaccine task force will be leaving the job in a few weeks. Lastly, Toronto will have three more mass COVID-19 vaccination clinics open by April 5.
• Quebec is prioritizing residents of Montreal for COVID-19 vaccinations in part because of the higher presence of the most contagious coronavirus variants.
• British Columbia said age-based bookings for COVID-19 vaccines are a week ahead of schedule. A provincewide online booking system is expected within weeks. Meanwhile, a COVID-19 outbreak has forced another ward at Vancouver General Hospital to close. And the superintendent of a school district in the centre of British Columbia’s COVID-19 storm said it was “eye-opening” to learn that many students aren’t showing up to take COVID-19 tests, raising inequality concerns.
• In Alberta, a large-scale COVID-19 vaccination site with about 100 stations is set to open in downtown Calgary next month.
• Atlantic Canada is boasting that the novel coronavirus was repeatedly beaten back by a population that dutifully followed orders to isolate and physically distance.

In Ottawa, the government is in talks with Emergent BioSolutions, a U.S. pharmaceutical company, to fund the expansion of a Winnipeg plant which has the technology for the final stages of production for several types of vaccines, including COVID-19 doses.

• The government will help Emergent expand its production capacity so that it is operating at a level where it can attract some of the major COVID-19 vaccine players that Canada has contracts with. Currently, none of the approved vaccines are made in Canada.

Still in Ottawa: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered his assurances that AstraZeneca’s vaccine is safe. The Prime Minister said Health Canada continues to analyze all available information about vaccines and has guaranteed approved shots to be safe. Also today, Trudeau dismissed suggestions that the U.S.-Canada border will reopen soon, and asked for patience as the two countries wait for the pandemic to subside.

COVID-19 vaccines: Canada will see a smaller-than-normal shipment of COVID-19 vaccines this week, before a full-blown flood of doses will arrive starting the week of March 22.

Long haulers: There’s a shortage of services to help the growing number of long-haul COVID-19 sufferers.

Coronavirus around the world

• Germany is the latest country to suspend the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
• The Danish woman who died of blood clots after receiving a dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine had “highly unusual” symptoms, according to the Danish Medicines Agency.
• The U.S. Small Business Administration mistakenly paid out US$692-million in duplicate small-business pandemic relief loans because of technical errors.

Coronavirus and business

Canada’s national real estate group is raising its forecast for the year as economists warn of an overheated market.

• Home sales were 39 per cent higher in February than in the same month last year and the average home price was up 25 per cent.

Also today: Walmart Canada said it’s closing three stores in Ontario, two in Alberta and one in Newfoundland and Labrador to upgrade more than half of its remaining locations and improve its online business.

Globe opinion

• André Picard: The barrage of headlines about coronavirus vaccines can be overwhelming. While there is a lot of noise out there, there is also a clear signal: Coronavirus vaccines are remarkably safe and effective.
• Fred McMahon: Few people are talking about what COVID-19′s current devastation will mean for future generations. A long, dark shadow will be cast over today’s youth.
• Rob Carrick: A new set of worries are emerging as we look ahead to the postpandemic world. Here are four of them to watch.
• Naomi Titleman Colla: These challenging times provide an opportunity to find one’s authentic leadership voice.

More reporting

• First Person: I lowkey can’t believe COVID-19 brought my family back together
• Every winter Lac Des Mille Lacs, two hours west of Thunder Bay, transforms into an ice hut village. But this winter has been busier than ever
• Front-line professionals chronicle the pandemic in a Globe and Mail series
• For Indigenous communities, not being able to visit is a profound loss
• Children and youth have experienced disruptions in physical development, and it seems no one has paid much attention to the issue

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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