Were you a COVID-19 vaccine holdout who recently got their first shot? The Globe wants to hear your story. What made you finally change your mind and get vaccinated? Send your response to audience@globeandmail.com.
Good evening, here are the COVID-19 updates you need to know tonight.
Top headlines:
Variants of concern are generating many more serious cases of COVID-19 – and not just because they spread more easily, a study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal says Canada is preparing to embark on the largest and most urgent childhood mass vaccination campaign since the polio epidemic of the 1950s. Health experts say planning is needed The British Columbia Public Service Agency is mandating vaccination for all government staff In the past seven days, 27,558 cases were reported, down 9 per cent from the previous seven days. There were 299 deaths announced, up 14 per cent over the same period. At least 2,413 people are being treated in hospitals and 1,573,051 others are considered recovered.
Canada’s inoculation rate is 13th among countries with a population of one million or more people.
Open this photo in gallery
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
Moroccans wait for their turn outside a COVID-19 vaccination centre, in the city of Sale, on Oct. 5, 2021.
FADEL SENNA/AFP/Getty Images
Coronavirus in Canada Ontario will distribute rapid antigen tests to schools and daycares where COVID-19 transmission is high. The province’s Chief Medical Officer of Health said the tests would be used for unvaccinated, asymptomatic children who are not high-risk contacts of a COVID-19 case. Meanwhile, Ontario MPP Rick Nicholls – who was removed from Ontario’s caucus for refusing to get his COVID-19 vaccines – is out as deputy speaker at the legislature. The NDP and Liberals introduced proposals for safety-zone legislation to protect schools and hospitals from anti-vaccine harassment. Meanwhile, the province is reporting 429 new COVID-19 cases today and four deaths from the virus. New Brunswick is imposing a series of health-protection measures to stop a surge in COVID-19 cases. Family gatherings during the Thanksgiving long weekend must be limited to single households. Stricter measures will also be imposed on three areas of the province that have recorded the highest hospitalizations and death rates. Alberta’s health care system is in crisis and officials are scrambling to increase ICU capacity – to about 380 beds – as the province struggles to stay above current demand. Schools in the province will also be reinstating COVID-19 contact tracing and rapid testing will be increased in schools as well. British Columbia will now require public-service employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The BC Public Service Agency says the vaccination requirement is part of an effort to increase vaccination rates throughout the province. Quebec is reporting 436 new COVID-19 cases today and eight more deaths. It is the third consecutive day health officials reported fewer than 500 daily cases. A Canadian study has found that COVID-19 variants, especially the Delta variant, are substantially more dangerous than the native strain of the virus.
The large-scale study, published on Tuesday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, was based on the outcomes of more than 212,000 cases in Ontario between February and June of 2021. It offers the most in-depth look to date at the changing risk posed by COVID-19 in Canada. Why vaccinating kids will be a unique challenge: As Canada prepares for the largest childhood vaccination campaign since polio, health experts say planning is urgently needed to put in place child-friendly COVID-19 outreach strategies.
Coronavirus around the world Marking another major step in the global fight to combat the coronavirus, AstraZeneca has requested emergency approval from U.S. regulators for its antibody treatment. And, Johnson & Johnson said it filed a request with the U.S. FDA to authorize boosters for people 18 and older who previously received the company’s one-shot COVID-19 vaccine. Coronavirus and business A group representing thousands of small businesses is pushing the Liberal government to extend wage and rent supports to help ailing companies.
Story continues below advertisement
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said there has been a tumble in the short-term expectations for companies in the hospitality and construction industries – retail and agriculture saw the deepest dive. The wage subsidy and rent relief programs have paid out almost $94-billion and $6.6-billion, respectively, and federal data show the number of claims for each has fallen over the course of 2021. Also today: Contactless deliveries are surging as security and pandemic restrictions remain a strong concern.
And: Shopping-centre redesign: Should we even call it a mall any more?
Globe opinion Melissa Gismondi: My first experience talking to a COVID-19 conspiracy theorist More reporting B.C. MLAs return to legislature in person for fall session ‘Identity labour’ may keep women of colour from returning to the office In tumultuous times, a franchise might be a great option for small-business owners Why the pandemic videogame boom is great for Canada 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.
What are we missing? Email us: audience@globeandmail.com. Do you know someone who needs this newsletter? Send them to our Newsletters page.