Good evening, here are the COVID-19 updates you need to know tonight.
Top headlines:
- Key Ottawa blockade organizer Tamara Lich denied bail
- Britain drops last remaining COVID-19 restrictions, will treat it like the flu
- RCMP, banks and Ottawa say convoy protest donors won’t have accounts frozen after viral tweet said otherwise
In the past seven days, 43,003 cases were reported, down 31 per cent from the previous seven days. There were 431 deaths announced, down 43 per cent over the same period. At least 5,721 people are being treated in hospitals.
Canada’s inoculation rate is 13th among countries with a population of one million or more people.
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
A man gets a throat swab during a mass COVID-19 test at a residential compound in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province, on Feb. 22, 2022. Wuhan, the first major outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, has reported more than dozen new cases this week.The Associated Press
Coronavirus in Canada
- Ontario is reporting 1,038 people in hospital with COVID-19, including 319 in intensive care. That’s down from 1,403 hospitalizations and 321 in intensive care a week ago. The province is also reporting nine more deaths due to the virus.
- Quebec will not require elementary and high school students to wear masks in class when school resumes on March 7, after the province’s spring break. The province is reporting 30 additional deaths linked to COVID-19 today. There are 1,742 people in hospital with COVID-19, after 101 people were admitted and 135 were discharged in the previous 24 hours.
- Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says he’ll announce “a final decision” this Saturday on whether to proceed with the second phase of the province’s pandemic reopening plan, which would remove indoor mask requirements, cohorts for kids in kindergarten to Grade 6, and capacity limits on all large venues. Meanwhile, Alberta’s largest and most northern county says it is no longer working with local businesses that have a mandatory vaccination policy.
- In Manitoba, Winnipeg police are warning protesters against COVID-19 restrictions, who have parked vehicles near the Manitoba legislature for almost three weeks, that they could face charges or have their vehicles seized if they do not clear out by late Wednesday afternoon.
- British Columbia’s budget introduced on Tuesday includes earmarking $875-million this fiscal year to cover COVID-19 vaccination and influenza programs, PPE for health-care workers and enhanced measures in long-term care and assisted living facilities.
Tamara Lich, a key organizer of the Ottawa protests that blockaded the country’s capital for more than three weeks, was denied bail on Tuesday after her arrest last Thursday.
- In making her decision, Ontario Court Justice Julie Bourgeois found there was a “substantial risk” that Lich would reoffend if she was released, and that she would not follow a court order requiring her to stop the illegal activity she is accused of.
- Lich faces several charges, including mischief and interfering with the lawful use and operation of property. She is due to appear in court again on March 2.
Emergencies Act: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau argued Monday that the Emergencies Act measures must remain in place despite demonstrators having left Ottawa because of the threat that they could return. The House of Commons voted 185 to 151 to authorize emergency measures.
Masks and vaccine mandates at university: Even as governments roll back pandemic restrictions, several Canadian universities are maintaining vaccine mandates and masking for students attending in-person classes. Ontario’s top doctor said last week that vaccine policies at post-secondary institutions have served their purpose and should be dropped.
Pop-up weddings during COVID: As engaged couples had to pause wedding plans over the past two years, intimate pop-up weddings emerged as a popular option for those who wanted to tie the knot in the face of COVID-19.
Coronavirus around the world
- The British government is dropping the last remaining COVID-19 restrictions in England and announced that health officials will start managing the virus in the same way as seasonal flu. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Monday that as of this Thursday, people in England who test positive for the virus will no longer be required to self-isolate for up to 10 days.
- While other countries with high vaccination levels are easing restrictions and adjusting to life with Omicron, China faces a fresh wave of quarantines, factory closings and supply chain disruptions that will hamper the global recovery and heighten inflationary pressures.
- On Monday, Australia removed its final travel restrictions for fully-vaccinated travellers. The country closed its borders to tourists in March, 2020, in a bid to reduce the local spread of COVID-19.
Coronavirus and business
The RCMP, banking sector and federal government said Monday that convoy protest donors won’t have their accounts frozen after a viral tweet by a Conservative MP said otherwise.
- The RCMP said while it had sent financial institutions a list of accounts to monitor and freeze, those accounts belonged to “individuals and companies suspected of involvement in illegal acts,” such as “influencers in the illegal protest in Ottawa.”
- Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said people who were not directly involved in the anti-pandemic-restriction protests should contact police if they believe their accounts were unfairly frozen.
Also today: The Canada Revenue Agency cautioned it will be another “unique” tax period as it continues to face challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Globe opinion
- André Picard: Is it time to dispense with proof-of-vaccination?
- Martha Jackman: Protesters need to understand: Canada’s Charter is not the U.S. Bill of Rights
- Jon Meddings and Jim Dewald: Endemic COVID-19 isn’t a return to the past – let’s start preparing now
- Beverley McLachlin: The Ottawa truck convoy has revealed the ugly side of freedom
- David Schneiderman: I witnessed the creation of the Emergencies Act. It shouldn’t have been invoked in Ottawa
- Eileen Dooley: What leaders should learn from the blockades and bold step to invoke the Emergencies Act
Information centre
- Everything you need to know about Canada’s travel restrictions for vaccinated and unvaccinated people
- Where do I book a COVID-19 booster or a vaccine appointment for my kids? Latest rules by province
- 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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