Good evening. The coronavirus newsletter now publishes Mondays and Fridays.
Top headlines:
- ‘I have no idea how this is going to end’: This seventh and latest COVID-19 wave – driven by BA.5 – requires a reimagination of what the pandemic’s endgame will be, and how to get there
- Business leaders are crumbling under the pandemic’s relentless pace of work
An increasing number of health agencies have changed how they're reporting data on the coronavirus. A look at the current numbers in Canada for reported cases, deaths from COVID-19 and for hospitalizations can be found here.
COVID-19 updates from Canada and the world
- The seventh wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing experts to rethink what a victory over the virus will look like, the measures needed to get there and the things that will save vulnerable people along the way. Now, getting past COVID-19, medical professionals say, will likely require a host of measures, including the continued development of more effective vaccines, global vaccine coverage, paid sick days, a concerted fight against misinformation and attention to indoor air quality.
- Canada has experienced a sharp rise in hate crimes targeting religion, sexual orientation and race since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Statistics Canada data says.
- Quebec will begin offering an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to vulnerable seniors and long-term care residents, the public health director said as the province surpassed 16,000 pandemic deaths.
- The seventh wave of COVID-19 in Ontario has peaked, Dr. Kieran Moore, the province’s chief medical officer of health said Friday, adding that key indicators are peaking or already trending downward. And, counterfeit COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits are being sold in Ontario, prompting Health Canada to issue a public warning.
- The Alberta government is tightening the rules around employee bonuses in light of the six-figure payout to the chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Moderna maintained its full-year COVID-19 vaccine sales forecast of $21-billion as cancelled orders from low- and middle-income nations through the COVAX program offset gains from new booster dose orders.
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Pandemic recovery
- For executives and senior managers, the pace of work remains relentless during the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 80 per cent of senior leaders reporting exhaustion. They’ve endured it all – working from home with kids crawling over them, vaccination policies, the return to office. And they’ve had to do it all on top of the stress and strain of being empathetic all the time.
- Canadians built up a stash of savings during the early months of the pandemic, when much of the country was locked down. Fast forward to summer of 2022, and households are watching that savings stockpile be eroded by inflation.
- Employees who contract COVID-19 should be informed about what’s required to file a disability claim, insurers say. One myth is that proof of a positive COVID-19 test result is currently needed. Although helpful, experts say it’s not necessary because obtaining a test continues to vary across provinces.
- Delays, cancellations and lost luggage that have plagued Toronto’s Pearson airport are improving, says its CEO, but she declined to give targets or say when operations will return to prepandemic levels.
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Globe opinion
André Picard: Deny, deny, deny all we want, but COVID-19 is still a health threat
Tahara Bhate and Kevin Wasko: Emergency departments are in crisis. Supporting nurses must be our immediate priority
André Picard: Has COVID-19 made us more or less prepared to deal with public health threats?
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More reading
- The University of Toronto’s decision to require those living in student residences to have at least three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine won’t drive a significant increase in vaccination unless other schools follow suit, experts say
- A Texas man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for attacking an Asian family in 2020 because he thought they were Chinese and therefore responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, according to court records
- Instead of optimizing for hybrid work, leaders should inspire purpose and limit burnout
- Novak Djokovic likely to miss U.S. Open over COVID-19 vaccine status
Information centre
- Everything you need to know about Canada’s travel rules for vaccinated and unvaccinated people
- When will COVID-19 be endemic? The four factors that will shape the virus’s future
- Wastewater is filling the COVID-19 data gap
Thank you for subscribing to our Coronavirus Update Newsletter. As the pandemic eases, we plan to wind this down and eventually cease sending, but have many other newsletters to keep you informed, including Globe Climate, Carrick on Money and Breaking News.
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