Good evening, here are the COVID-19 updates you need to know tonight.

       Top headlines:

       ‘Long COVID’ is painful, expensive – and so far, impossible to cure Ontario announced it will lift capacity limits on theatres, spectator sports venues Fourth wave of COVID-19 could be on the wane: Canada’s top doctor In the past seven days, 25,631 cases were reported, down 14 per cent from the previous seven days.

       There were 251 deaths announced, down 15 per cent over the same period. At least 2,505 people are being treated in hospitals. 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

       Photo of the day Open this photo in gallery

       A man receives a Moderna COVD-19 vaccination a mosque on the outskirts of Abuja on Friday, Oct. 8, 2021. Nigeria has begun the second rollout of COVID-19 vaccines for its population of 200-million amid a third wave of the pandemic.

       Gbemiga Olamikan/The Associated Press

       Coronavirus in Canada Ontario reported 573 new infections and 10 new deaths related to COVID-19 today. The province said it will lift capacity limits on theatres, spectator sport venues and other gathering places as of Saturday. Meanwhile, transit authority Metrolinx announced that GO Transit and UP Express will not require proof of vaccination for passengers. At least 10 per cent of Canadian adults infected by COVID-19, by conservative estimates, will have long-term, potentially debilitating symptoms. That’s about 165,000 Canadians, and rising amid outbreaks of the Delta variant.

       With no cure for Long COVID, only management based on evolving science, those Canadians face a difficult journey ahead. Treatment requires doctors from multiple specialties to work as a team, with patients’ mental and physical health given due consideration and rehabilitation as a focus. While patients who end up in ICU are at higher risk, Long COVID happens even in mild cases, and among the young and healthy. Vaccination significantly reduces the risk of getting long-term symptoms, both by preventing infection in the first place and by improving outcomes for breakthrough cases, a study from Israel suggests. Also today, new COVID-19 modelling released by the Public Health Agency of Canada shows the fourth wave could be on the wane as vaccinations and health restrictions appear to be working to stem the spread of the virus.

       Canada reported 3,700 new daily cases this week – a far better situation compared to the more than 8,500 daily cases the country was initially projected to hit by mid-September. It’s the first time since July where the pandemic does not appear to be in a growth pattern for the country, said chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam. “The curve is just bending,” she said. Today on The Decibel: The debate over mandating COVID-19 vaccines for health care workers

       Coronavirus around the world The newly elected Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, vowed to devote himself to ending the COVID-19 crisis in the country. “I’m determined to devote body-and-soul to overcome this national crisis with the people,” he said. In Australia, doctors issued a warning against easing COVID-19 restrictions in Sydney too quickly, saying it could put the country’s health system at risk. The country’s biggest city is preparing to end more than 100 days of lockdown next week. Coronavirus and business Canada’s employment is back to prepandemic levels.

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       Canada added 157,100 positions in September, building on a gain of 90,200 in August, Statistics Canada said Friday. In September, around 19.13 million Canadians were employed – the same as in February, 2020, marking a significant milestone in the country’s recovery from the pandemic. Also today: Airlines in the United States are looking for a holiday boost after a resurgence in COVID-19 cases reduced new bookings and drove up cancellations.

       Globe opinion Doug Saunders: Harsh Mander saw starvation in India’s botched pandemic plan. Now he’s being punished for calling it out More reporting Toronto’s bike-share system says its annual ridership rose 37 per cent last year, as COVID-19 brought on fears about public transit safety. The RCMP union will back Mounties who refuse to get COVID-19 vaccines despite a federal order. Organizational responses are needed to address hospital worker burnout, say science advisers. On the field once again: High-school football players are happy to be back after an extended COVID-19 pause. A woman in Colorado will not get a kidney transplant after refusing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, citing her religious beliefs. 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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