Good evening, we’re updating the coronavirus newsletter to better reflect the pandemic as it changes. What would you like to see included? Send your thoughts to audience@globeandmail.com

       Top headlines:

       Several million Canadians are expected to cast ballots by mail for the first time come Sept. 20 – in a pandemic-era shift When Canada’s schools open again, how will they catch students up after a year of lost learning? A Harvard study links exposure to wildfire smoke and COVID-19 with implications for B.C. In Canada, 18,148 cases have been reported, up 5 per cent from the previous seven days. There were 109 deaths announced, up 18 per cent over the same period. At least 965 people are being treated in hospitals and 1,433,141 others are considered recovered.

       Canada’s inoculation rate is 11th 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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       Demonstrators attend a protest against government measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Berlin, Germany on August 29, 2021.

       CHRISTIAN MANG/Reuters

       Coronavirus in Canada Quebec is reporting 579 new cases of COVID-19 today, but no additional deaths attributed to the virus. Health Minister Christian Dubé said on Twitter that the province had reported only 122 cases of COVID-19 at the same time last year. Meanwhile, the province is seeing a surge in vaccination appointments after instituting a vaccine-passport system. Ontario is reporting 740 new cases of COVID-19 today and two deaths related to the virus. Health Minister Christine Elliott says 551 cases are among those who are either unvaccinated or whose immunization status is unknown, while 189 new infections are in fully vaccinated people. Regions in British Columbia most affected by wildfires are currently reporting more COVID-19 cases per capita than most areas in the country, and some researchers suggest the fires could be driving case numbers. The B.C. Health Ministry has warned residents that wildfire smoke can irritate the lungs, affect the immune system, and make one more prone to lung infections and viruses. And, the province sees a jump in first-dose inoculation appointments after announcing its vaccine-passport system. In a pandemic-era shift, several million Canadians are expected to cast ballots by mail for the first time during this federal election.

       Voting by mail has been available since 1993, but until now has only been used by a tiny percentage of the electorate. The pandemic has changed that, with an estimated two to three million voters expected to stay home and mail in their ballots, according to Elections Canada – up from around 55,000 in the last federal election. The shift is also forcing the major political parties to change the way they’re reaching voters and altering the timing of their campaigns. “They’ve now got a much longer period to get people to actually vote. Instead of trying to get out the vote over an intensive one-day period, you’ve got two weeks or more,” said Ken Boessenkool, a former Conservative party strategist and speech writer for Stephen Harper. The make-up test: After multiple waves of COVID-19 outbreaks and school closings, some students are months behind in the curriculum – so educators are changing it.

       Canada’s ban: The extended ban on direct flights from India hits international students hard.

       Coronavirus around the world In the United States, aid workers are racing to get New Orleans’ homeless off the streets ahead of fast-moving Hurricane Ida – a complicated push made all the more difficult by a severe outbreak of COVID-19 cases in the state. Louisiana sees the nation’s third-highest outbreak of the virus. In Germany, several thousand people marched through the streets of Berlin on Sunday to protest against COVID-19 vaccinations and restrictions aimed at curbing a fourth wave of the pandemic. About 60 per cent of the German population has now been fully vaccinated, but infections are rising rapidly again, prompting officials to consider ways to encourage more people to get protected. Globe opinion Josh Fullan: Instead of focusing on what was lost, schools should honour what students gained during the COVID-19 pandemic Irvin Studin: How to fix Canada’s education catastrophe in five steps as we emerge from the pandemic More reporting How ‘pivot’ became the pandemic buzzword, for better or for worse Local businesses expect subdued, COVID-curbed TIFF to generate fewer sales and less foot traffic 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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