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Top headlines:
The window of opportunity for solving the COVID-19 origins mystery is “closing fast,” says the World Health Organization Unvaccinated Delta Air Lines employees will have to pay $200 more every month for their company-sponsored health-care plan Residents of Quebec are able to download the province’s vaccine passport app starting today In the past seven days, 19,192 cases were reported, up 30 per cent from the previous seven days. There were 93 deaths announced, up 27 per cent over the same period. At least 944 people are being treated in hospitals and 1,427,052 others are considered recovered.
Canada’s inoculation rate is 10th 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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Workers spray each other with alcohol after picking up the body of a COVID-19 victim in the morgue of a hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, on Aug. 25, 2021. As COVID-19 cases in Thailand continue to surge and the daily death toll rises, hospital morgues rely on rescue foundations and temples to transport and cremate an increased number of bodies. The Siam Nonthaburi Foundation works 24-hours a day delivering bodies of COVID-19 victims from hospitals and morgues to their temple in Nonthaburi where cremations and coffins are provided free of charge.
Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images
Coronavirus in Canada One week before Quebec’s latest health order goes into effect, residents are now able to download the vaccine passport app. The province’s government – citing the heavy presence of the Delta variant and rising numbers of COVID-19 infections – is recommending companies delay plans to return workers to the office. Quebec reported 550 new infections today, up from 345 Tuesday. Ontario reported 660 new COVID-19 infections today – of those, 525 of the new cases involve those who are not fully vaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown. And, Toronto Police Service’s move to mandate vaccines for its members is sparking conflict with the officers’ association, which objects to a mandatory policy. The Saskatchewan Health Authority says up to 255 COVID-19 tests from long-term care residents were deemed invalid after a testing error was identified at a provincial laboratory. The government says families of the long-term care residents who have been identified as false positives are being notified. New tests are being arranged for all affected individuals. More than 500 people in British Columbia’s Interior Health region will need to get another COVID-19 vaccine shot after officials there say some of the doses were kept in an incorrect freezer. Yesterday, the province said it is bringing back its mask mandate, requiring everyone to cover their faces in all indoor public spaces. Yukon Premier Sandy Silver says health measures such as mask-wearing and physical distancing will no longer be legally mandated as of midnight Wednesday. Nova Scotia’s Dalhousie University is requiring everyone on campus to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to testing twice a week. On the campaign trail: The Conservative government would fund provinces’ mental health initiatives so that an extra one million Canadians receive treatment each year, party leader Erin O’Toole announced Wednesday, amid a COVID-19 pandemic that has taken a toll on Canadians’ well being.
Provinces backtracking: Some provinces are doubling down with mask and vaccination requirements in an effort to bring down rising COVID-19 cases.
Coronavirus around the world The World Health Organization-recruited experts said the investigation into the origins of COVID-19 is at “a critical juncture” requiring urgent collaboration but has instead come to a standstill. New Zealand is scrambling to scale up vaccinations amid growing criticism of its handling of a recent outbreak. U.S. President Joe Biden received a national intelligence report into the origins of the coronavirus epidemic on Tuesday. The nation’s spy agencies have not yet concluded whether the disease was the result of an accidental leak from a lab or if it emerged naturally in a spillover from animals to humans. And, the Pentagon says unvaccinated U.S. troops must get their COVID-19 shots, immediately. Meanwhile, the Pfizer Inc/BioNTech SE COVID-19 vaccine approval will make it nearly impossible to successfully challenge mandates by employers, according to experts. Coronavirus and business Several prominent law firms are joining a wave of companies, including Sun Life and Canada’s five biggest banks, in mandating vaccines to return to the office.
Nine corporate law firms told The Globe and Mail they, too, have implemented vaccine mandates, or plan to in the near future. “It’s just ridiculous and lacks common sense to not follow the science and to not get vaccinated,” said Perry Dellelce, one of the founders of Wildeboer Dellelce LLP, which introduced a mandatory vaccine policy on Aug. 16. Several firms said their mandates will come into effect at the same time they plan to return lawyers to the office, while some said their vaccination policies will make exemptions for medical reasons. Also today: Many restaurants – an industry hard hit by long pandemic shutdowns and closures – are experiencing a shortage of labour. Workers pointing to low wages and gruelling work conditions are the biggest obstacles to hiring, while economists say there are multiple contributing factors, including workers changing fields, ongoing COVID-19 concerns, and child care shortages.
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And: Delta Airlines said it will charge employees on the company health plan $200 a month if they fail to get vaccinated.
Plus: Air Canada is the latest airline to require all employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
More reporting The European Central Bank says it expects the Delta variant of COVID-19 to likely have only a limited impact on the euro-zone economy Tykes on dirt bikes: Motocross sees an unlikely youth boom during the pandemic Edmonton Oilers will require fans provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test at games The LPGA Shanghai tournament is cancelled due to COVID-19 travel restrictions in China Development of Come From Away film adaptation paused amid COVID-19, creators say Wall Street’s pandemic rally to sputter, strategists warn Beasley among four Bills players in COVID-19 re-entry process Number of online brokerage accounts increased dramatically during COVID-19 pandemic 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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