Good evening, here are the coronavirus updates you need to know tonight.
Top headlines:
- February, 2020, was a “lost month” for Canada in terms of crisis preparation, according to an independent expert panel
- Nurses are expressing frustration that doctors are getting paid up to five times as much for doing the same tasks
- Hundreds of menstruating women have experienced inconsistencies in their periods after their COVID-19 shot. Are vaccines to blame?
In the last 7 days, 48,454 cases were reported, down 11 per cent from the previous 7 days. There were 316 deaths announced, down 5 per cent over the same period. At least 3,773 people are being treated in hospitals and 1,204,328 others are considered recovered.
Canada’s inoculation rate is 14th 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
- Ontario is set to receive more than 254,000 AstraZeneca vaccines next week, but is reserving those doses for second shots. Yesterday the province announced it will suspend using AstraZeneca for first doses. And, about 1,400 teachers and parents were vaccinated in a Toronto school after the principal advocated for them.
- Manitoba opened up its COVID-19 vaccine eligibility ahead of schedule to include everyone over the age of 18. The province said the immunization effort is ahead of schedule due in part to large and steady supplies of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
- Alberta’s Justice Minister apologized on Twitter for accusing Ottawa, the province’s NDP, and the media of rooting for COVID-19 to buckle the province’s health system. The province’s latest restrictions that shut down patios have prompted demands for the government to come up with more support for restaurants while also compensating them for their losses.
- In Quebec, Montreal was Canada’s pandemic epicentre. The city saw one-fifth of Canada’s 24,756 pandemic deaths, but since managed to put off a third coronavirus resurgence.
A new report says that Canada’s delayed response in February, 2020, resulted in a “lost month” in the fight against COVID-19.
- The independent panel looking at the global response to COVID-19 echoed criticism that Canada and other countries acted too slowly in the early months of the outbreak. The delay left many countries unable to contain the coronavirus.
Vaccines: Are COVID-19 vaccines messing with women’s menstrual cycles?
Immunization: Nurses are upset and frustrated by higher pay rates for doctors performing the same tasks at COVID-19 vaccination clinics
AZ: Questions over the use of AstraZeneca continue to swirl, as most provinces said they’re pausing its use for most – if not all – first doses.
Coronavirus around the world
- India’s coronavirus death toll crossed 250,000 today in the deadliest 24 hours since the pandemic began.
- The COVID-19 situation in Taiwan has been classified as “very serious,” which prompted the Health Minister to warn that further restrictions may be coming.
- The IOC says it’s confident the Tokyo Olympics would be a “historic” event, despite wide public opposition.
Coronavirus and business
Conservative and NDP MPs questioned Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland about a Globe and Mail investigation, which found that hundreds of publicly traded companies, or their wholly owned subsidiaries, together received at least $3.6-billion in Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy payments.
- About a quarter of those companies saw their revenue increase in the second quarter of 2020 compared with the year earlier, and a large minority saw their net income from operations increase in that period.
Also today: Toronto-based Freshii records $1.05-million net loss in first quarter amid ongoing COVID-19 closures
And: Developers wrestle with COVID-19 outbreaks on construction sites
Globe opinion
- Gary Mason: The public has the right to access all COVID-19 data
- Brian Vallis: Canada’s new entrepreneurs, ineligible for government assistance, are bearing the brunt of lockdowns
- Alanna Golden and Martha Fulford: We can’t justify keeping schools closed any longer
- Andrew Coyne: As the pandemic begins to ebb, Newfoundland’s fiscal fire roars again
- J. Kelly Nestruck: Canadian theatres need a roadmap and money to reopen. Saskatoon is showing the way
More reporting
- Dr. Theresa Tam says Canada will make sure those who received the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine can also get it as a second dose
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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