Good evening, here are the COVID-19 updates you need to know tonight.
Top headlines:
- Parents of medically fragile children must make a difficult decision: Keep their children in school and depend on the goodwill of educators to keep their masks on, or isolate their kids in an online learning environment.
- As COVID-19 restrictions ease and couples rush to book weddings, many are finding prices have skyrocketed.
Due to changes in the prevalence of testing, case counts alone are no longer a reliable indicator of the spread of COVID-19. Going forward, we will only be including the weekly death rates and hospitalizations in the newsletter. For a snapshot of COVID-19 data in Canada, go to the coronavirus tracker.
In the past seven days, there were 252 deaths announced, down 16 per cent over the same period. At least 3,626 people are being treated in hospitals.
Canada’s inoculation rate is 14th 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
Medical staff in personal protective equipment walk in front of barriers of an area under lockdown, amid the coronavirus disease pandemic, in Shanghai, on March 25.ALY SONG/Reuters
Coronavirus in Canada
- British Columbia’s surgery backlog is now in a better place than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, says the province’s Ministry of Health, but some experts argue the exclusion of unscheduled patients renders the government data incomplete. Two more people have died of COVID-19 in the province, bringing the death toll to 2,983 since the pandemic began.
- Toronto was considered to be one of North America’s best places to be a spectator, until the pandemic sidelined that. After more than two years of limited schedules, reduced capacities or empty arenas, it’s been a tough ride for teams and fans alike in Toronto. With restrictions lifted by the provincial government on March 14, sports fans could return to cheer on the players in large numbers. Ontario is reporting 667 people in hospital with COVID-19 and 161 in intensive care today.
Several universities across Canada are planning in-person convocation ceremonies this year after a lengthy hiatus due to COVID-19. Some are also inviting graduates from 2020 and 2021, who missed out on in-person celebrations, to return for the experience.
- “Convocation is a major milestone in our students’ lives, it’s a very special day not only for them but for their family and loved ones as well,” Ryerson University president and vice-chancellor Mohamed Lachemi said in a written statement.
- “To see our students cross the stage for the first time since fall 2019 will be a wonderful moment.”
Wedding rush: As pandemic restrictions ease across the country, industry experts say a massive surge in demand, supply chain issues and inflation are creating a chaotic environment for anybody trying to plan a wedding. South Asian weddings have pivoted to being small in size, but big on extravagance.
Trucker-convoy blockades: The Ontario Provincial Police commissioner told a parliamentary committee Thursday that a national-security threat connected to the blockades against pandemic restrictions was identified by the province’s intelligence bureau a week before the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act.
Tuberculosis during the pandemic: The Public Health Agency of Canada released tuberculosis statistics that provide a national snapshot of TB rates during the first year of the pandemic. Data show that the TB rate among Inuit in Canada fell by more than 60 per cent between 2019 and 2020, but there’s no guarantee the reduction is the good news it appears to be.
Covifenz vaccine: The World Health Organization says it is reviewing its policies after opting not to accept a made-in-Canada COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use.
Coronavirus around the world
- In China, symptomatic COVID-19 case numbers are falling as the central government dispatches 10 inspection teams to monitor outbreaks countrywide.
Coronavirus and business
Chris MacDonald, a long-time assistant to former Unifor president Jerry Dias, was the whistle-blower who lodged a complaint against his boss for apparently accepting $50,000 from a supplier of COVID-19 rapid test kits in exchange for promoting it to employers of union members.
- In a statement, Mr. Dias said he would check into a rehabilitation facility for substance-abuse issues.
- “My physician has told me, straight up, that I need help,” he said in his statement. “That’s why I am entering a residential rehabilitation facility.”
Also today: Since the COVID-19 pandemic, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations are having a greater impact on the bottom line. Here’s a few guidelines for Canadian companies navigating their ESG journey.
Globe opinion
- The Editorial Board: Is that a tidal wave of COVID-19 heading toward us, or just a ripple?
- Melissa Stasiuk: Daycare workers are heroes. After a year, I finally met those who care for my daughter
- Rob Carrick: Why are Canadians stockpiling thousands of dollars at home? Fear of war, unrest, cyberattack and even the federal government
- Cheryl Forchuk: Cracks in Canada’s health care system have been exposed across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. Less obvious, however, are the cracks that have been revealed in the country’s approach to homelessness.
Information centre
- Everything you need to know about Canada’s travel restrictions for vaccinated and unvaccinated people
- Where do I book a COVID-19 booster or a vaccine appointment for my kids? Latest rules by province
- 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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Caora McKenna