Good evening, here are the COVID-19 updates you need to know tonight.
Top headlines:
The House of Commons is requiring vaccination for MPs and anyone else entering. The restriction goes into effect Nov. 22, on the same day that Parliament reopens, the Speaker says Front-line health care workers are asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to expedite the paid sick leave policy. A lack of the benefit has been a major problem for many Canadians during the pandemic The White House is detailing plans to vaccinate children age five to 11 in a matter of weeks In the past seven days, 20,055 cases were reported, down 13 per cent from the previous seven days. There were 278 deaths announced, up 9 per cent over the same period. At least 2,297 people are being treated in hospitals and 1,631,899 others are considered recovered.
Canada’s inoculation rate is 13th among 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
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Protesters burn paper, depicting a COVID-19 "Green certificate" during a demonstration today against the mandatory COVID-19 certificates for indoor access, in Sofia, Bulgaria.
STOYAN NENOV/Reuters
Coronavirus in Canada Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer broke down in tears today while presenting the province’s latest COVID-19 modelling. Saqib Shahab says it’s distressing to see what is happening in the province’s hospitals and intensive-care units. In British Columbia, the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority is taking over a long-term care home that was hit hard by COVID-19. An inspection in early January found staffing levels were low and cleaning was inadequate. In Ontario, Toronto Public Health is rolling out resources to help parents of young children prepare for the approval of COVID-19 shots. The province is reporting 304 COVID-19 cases today and four deaths from the virus. Health Minister Christine Elliott says 220 cases are in people who aren’t fully vaccinated or have unknown vaccination status. In Manitoba, a pastor accused of openly violating COVID-19 public-health orders has been arrested. Tobias Tissen has spoken at anti-restriction protests and held church services in defiance of public-health orders put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19. The new mayors in Alberta’s two largest cities – Calgary and Edmonton – are setting their sights on fixing local economies battered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the province is reporting another decline in daily COVID cases – easing pressure slightly in the province’s hospitals. Quebec is reporting 458 new COVID-19 cases today and two more deaths. The Health Department reports there are 287 people hospitalized with the virus – 10 fewer than the day before. In Ottawa, MPs and anyone else who wants to enter the House of Commons precinct will have to be vaccinated against COVID-19, says the Speaker.
The requirement applies to MPs, their staff, political research office employees, administration employees, journalists and others, according to the statement, which was released after a board meeting. The vaccine mandate is effective with the planned Nov. 22 opening of Parliament. Paid sick leave: A coalition of front-line health care workers has asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to fast-track proposed legislative amendments to grant paid sick leave to federally regulated workers.
House of Commons vaccine mandate: Erin O’Toole was scheduled to speak with Justin Trudeau after the Speaker announced a mandatory vaccination policy.
Coronavirus around the world Federal regulators in the U.S. will meet over the next two weeks to weigh the safety and effectiveness of giving low-dose shots to the roughly 28 million children who are 5 to 11. And, the Food and Drug Administration authorized booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna Inc. and Johnson & Johnson. Britain’s Health Minister gave a stark warning that restrictions to halt a rising wave of COVID-19 infections would be brought back if people did not take up vaccination offers. Coronavirus and business Employers and politicians in Montreal, Canada’s second-largest city, have articulated fears that their downtown – known for its chic conviviality – would slip into decay as some 300,000 office workers shun the area and keep working remotely.
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The downtown’s permanent residents, who number barely 40,000, aren’t enough to keep all its businesses running. Now, the fourth wave of COVID-19 infections is fuelling doubts about the future of the city’s core. Also today: High-end house hunters still have the pandemic in mind
More reporting Watch: Brazil could probe President Jair Bolsonaro over COVID-19 deaths Canadian athletes must be vaccinated against COVID-19 to compete in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics Toronto Symphony Orchestra resets the stage with new music director and a return to in-person performances Information centre Everything you need to know about Canada’s travel restrictions for vaccinated and unvaccinated people Waiting for a second dose? We answer your COVID-19 vaccine questions 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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