My winter thread is now behind the times, so this will be a new place to track COVID stories of interest and importance.
One I saw today is not encouraging: More young Canadians getting severe COVID-19, being hospitalized: experts
According to new modelling from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada is on track to see a “strong resurgence” of COVID-19 cases across the country if these variants continue to spread and become more commonplace, and if public health measures remain at current levels.
The new long-range projections, released on Friday, show that the highest incidences of COVID-19 are currently being experienced in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and parts of Ontario, while the overall incidence rates are highest among young adults aged 20 to 39 and have declined among older Canadians.
Let’s all do what we can to combat complacency and sustain the public determination to keep acting protectively toward one another.
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
B.C. implements sweeping restrictions on indoor dining, group fitness for 3-week ‘circuit breaker’ | CBC News
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/astrazeneca-vaccine-bc-covid-19-1.5968334
COVID: Sweeping new restrictions in place including in-person dining at B.C. bars and restaurants
http://globalnews.ca/news/7726247/bc-covid-19-restricitons-astrazeneca-rollout/
New data shows COVID-19 pandemic now ‘completely out of control’ in Ontario, key scientific adviser says
…
“Right now in Ontario, the pandemic is completely out of control,” Dr. Peter Juni, the table’s scientific director and a professor of medicine and epidemiology with the University of Toronto, said in an interview prior to the briefing note’s publication.
That stark assessment follows weeks of warnings from medical professionals in Ontario over rising case counts and fast-spreading variants. It comes the same day B.C. announced it will be implementing a three-week “circuit breaker”-style lockdown, with sweeping new restrictions on indoor dining in restaurants, group fitness and worship services.
Juni said for Ontario, there is now “no way out” of the dire scenario that’s set to unfold over the next few weeks without a widespread lockdown as well — coupled with other measures, including the province providing paid sick leave to essential workers, encouraging Ontarians to avoid movement between regions, and ensuring residents have access to lower-risk outdoor activities.
“There is no such thing as winning this race with just vaccinations,” Juni stressed. “That’s impossible.”
COVID & not attending a funeral. Defining what is not a “selfish act”.
Ford says ‘stay tuned’ for announcement tomorrow as COVID-19 ICU admissions hit new high | CBC News
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/covid-19-ontario-march-31-2021-icu-admissions-new-high-1.5970884
Ontario government moves to activate 4-week, provincewide COVID-19 ’emergency brake’ | Globalnews.ca
http://globalnews.ca/news/7732546/covid-ontario-emergency-brake/
What you can and cannot do in Ontario’s provincewide shutdown | CTV News
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/what-you-can-and-cannot-do-in-ontario-s-provincewide-shutdown-1.5371940
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COVID-19 shutdown: enhanced public health and workplace safety measures | Ontario.ca
https://www.ontario.ca/page/enhancing-public-health-and-workplace-safety-measures-provincewide-shutdown
Essential workers worried Ontario’s latest COVID-19 ‘shutdown’ won’t protect them | CTV News
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/essential-workers-worried-ontario-s-latest-covid-19-shutdown-won-t-protect-them-1.5373013
Toronto pauses plans to clear encampments after COVID-19 outbreak declared at shelter hotel
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/city-pauses-plan-clear-encampments-covid-19-outbreak-shelter-hotel-pathway-inside-1.5974886
Top doctors in Toronto, Peel and Ottawa call for provincewide stay-at-home order | CTV News
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/top-doctors-in-toronto-peel-and-ottawa-call-for-provincewide-stay-at-home-order-1.5375213
No-masker who intentionally coughed on brain cancer patient receives 30-day sentence
Before ordering jail time, Duval County Court Judge James Ruth said she was struck by the fact that Hunter’s testimony focused less on how she may have harmed the victim and more on how her actions affected her own family.
“Her children didn’t create this problem and her husband didn’t, and she talked about how it changed her world and she was getting nastygrams on Facebook and things of that nature and they can’t go to their country club or wherever,” Ruth said. “But I have yet to see any expression, or a significant expression on her regret about the impact it had on the victim in this case!”
https://apnews.com/article/florida-coronavirus-pandemic-jacksonville-92fecc40640607a3859e75aad1166ec3
COVID-19 Ontario: Province reports more than 4,000 new cases of COVID-19 for first time since second wave peak | CTV News
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-records-more-than-4-200-new-covid-19-cases-highest-daily-count-ever-1.5380864
Germany struggles to curb ‘very, very serious’ third COVID wave | Coronavirus pandemic News | Al Jazeera
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/11/ver-concerning-germany-struggles-to-curb-covid-third-wave
Ontario reports record-high 4,456 new COVID-19 cases Sunday
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid19-update-april-11-1.5983224
Ontario sets a single-day record for new COVID-19 cases
Ontario reported a record 4,456 cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, fuelled by sharp rise in Toronto
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/canada-nearing-peak-of-second-wave-of-covid-19-tam-says-as-ontario-sets-case-record
Top official admits China’s COVID-19 vaccines have low efficacy
https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5983594
Ontario schools closing to in-person learning indefinitely as COVID-19 cases soar | CTV News
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-schools-closing-to-in-person-learning-indefinitely-as-covid-19-cases-soar-1.5383711
Third wave of COVID-19: B.C. adds 3,289 cases, 18 deaths over the weekend | CTV News
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/third-wave-of-covid-19-b-c-adds-3-289-cases-18-deaths-over-the-weekend-1.5383811
US intelligence community warns of devastating long-term impact of coronavirus pandemic
https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/13/politics/us-intel-report-coronavirus/index.html
About 10K vaccination appointments cancelled at two Ontario clinics due to lack of supply
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/about-10k-vaccination-appointments-cancelled-at-two-ontario-clinics-due-to-lack-of-supply-1.5386636
Canadian snowbirds landing in U.S. border towns to avoid quarantine hotels
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/canadian-snowbirds-landing-in-u-s-border-towns-to-avoid-quarantine-hotels-1.5384927
Sources with knowledge of the discussions said Ford and his ministers are debating the following proposals on top of the stay-at-home order and shutdown already in place:
Closing all non-essential retail, no curbside pickup or delivery.
Further restricting retail hours of operation.
Restricting curbside pickup (only permit non-essential retail to deliver).
Shutting down non-essential construction, warehouses and manufacturing not related to health, food or automotive.
Tightening capacity of indoor events like places of worship, weddings and funerals.
Increasing fines, increase policing powers.
Cabinet met late into the night Thursday. Sources said they talked about the option of a curfew but ultimately decided against it.
https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5990092
More than 200 travellers fined for refusing to quarantine in hotels after landing in Canada
Ford to further close economy as Ontario modelling predicts more than 30,000 new COVID-19 cases a day in May
Amid alarming new projections of skyrocketing COVID-19 infections, Premier Doug Ford further closing down Ontario’s economy in hopes it’s not too late to prevent a health-care disaster.
“We know in Ontario that the huge drivers right now of transmission are workplaces, particularly industrial workplaces, warehouses, Amazon distribution centres, post offices,” said Fisman.
“We know a lot of the folks who are getting sick are lower income or have poor job security, can’t stay home if they feel sick.”
https://globalnews.ca/news/7765156/ontario-covid-19-restrictions-ford-david-fisman/amp/
Ontario gives police sweeping powers as Covid crisis spirals out of control
New measures to enforce stay-at-home order with hospitals ‘bursting at the seams’ but civil liberties campaigners cry foul
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/16/ontario-coronavirus-police-powers-covid-canada