Good evening, here are the COVID-19 updates you need to know tonight.
Top headlines:
- A panel of U.S. government advisers endorsed kid-size doses of Pfizer’s shots for five to 11-year-olds. The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still have to decide whether to formally recommend the use of the vaccine for children
- A major cabinet shuffle today saw Health Minister Patty Hajdu replaced by Jean-Yves Duclos. Anita Anand, who led Canada’s vaccine procurement campaign, will become Defence Minister. She will be replaced by Filomena Tassi, who becomes Minister of Public Services and Procurement
- British Columbia health care workers must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 beginning today
In the past seven days, 16,757 cases were reported, down 17 per cent from the previous seven days. There were 237 deaths announced, down 25 per cent over the same period. At least 2,108 people are being treated in hospitals and 1,649,640 others are considered recovered.
Canada’s inoculation rate is 12th 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 COVID-19 pop-up testing site stands on a Manhattan street today in New York City. Even as New York City's COVID-19 case count continues to fall, many health experts and epidemiologists believe that the city, and much of the world, will be living with COVID-19 long into the future. As people continue to get vaccinated and wear masks in many social settings, experts believe that the coronavirus will be a present but diminished danger for most people.Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Coronavirus in Canada
- Today marks the deadline for B.C. health workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. A provincial order covers doctors, nurses, students, residents, contractors, volunteers and all other health care professionals.
- The Ontario Medical Association shared its recommendations for improving the province’s health system in a new report, including reducing patient wait times, expanding mental health, addiction and home care services, and preparing for the next pandemic. The province plans to spend $20-million to double the number of long-term care home inspectors in the province. And, Education Minister Stephen Lecce says 50,000 people could lose their jobs if the province mandated COVID-19 vaccines for education workers.
- In Quebec, a coroner told an inquest into deaths at a privately owned Montreal long-term care home that the regional health authority and the home’s management were both responsible for care of vulnerable patients during the pandemic’s first wave. Meanwhile, the province is reporting 340 new cases of COVID-19 today and four additional deaths.
- Nova Scotia has passed legislation banning protests that block access to hospitals and other health care facilities.
In Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled a major cabinet shuffle today that included changing Canada’s health minister during a pandemic.
- Jean-Yves Duclos is the new Health Minister. Patty Hajdu, who was in charge of the health file, is now the Minister of Indigenous Services.
- The major shake up also puts Anita Anand, who held the procurement portfolio and gained the trust of senior Liberals while she was in charge of COVID-19 vaccine acquisition, in charge of the problem-plagued Defence portfolio.
COVID-19 vaccination status: Prominent Conservative MP Leslyn Lewis defends the rights of those who do not declare their vaccination status.
The Decibel podcast: COVID-19 vaccines for kids are almost here. Are we ready?
Coronavirus around the world
- A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted unanimously, with one abstention, that the Pfizer vaccine’s benefits in preventing COVID-19 in kids aged five to 11 outweigh any potential risks.
Coronavirus and business
Facedrive spent millions of dollars to buy COVID-19 tracking devices from China, raising questions about funding it received from the Ontario government to build the wearable technology in the province.
- Purchase invoices obtained by The Globe and Mail show now-troubled Facedrive bought more than 200,000 wearable devices from a manufacturer in China.
- In February, the province announced it was giving $2.5-million to Toronto-based Facedrive to develop TraceSCAN, a wristwatch-like device that is supposed to help with contact tracing and physical distancing to fight COVID-19.
Also today: Lockheed Martin, the top U.S. defense contractor, dramatically lowered its sales expectations for this year and next year as the COVID-19 pandemic severely hobbled its supply chain.
And: Microsoft results beat estimates on pandemic-induced demand for cloud-based services
Globe opinion
- The Editorial Board: To prevent another pandemic catastrophe, long-term care needs a long-term fix
- Robyn Urback: Ontario’s tentative end date for vaccine mandates will disincentivize new vaccinations
More reporting
- Canadians still reluctant to hand out Halloween candy due to pandemic: poll
- A cross-country road trip with a pet during a pandemic leads to new sights and a new perspective
- More mature students head back to class amid pandemic upheaval
- Colleges embrace hybrid learning to give students flexibility
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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