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Coronavirus: Staffing shortages affecting supply chains – CTV News

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Omicron’s rapid spread is causing staffing shortages in many sectors across the country, hindering supply chains as COVID-19 infections rise among workers.

From city services to transportation and grocery stores, the impact of the Omicron variant is hitting certain industries hard.

In Quebec, hundreds of police officers and paramedics have been sidelined due to infections.

“We have never had so much paramedics absent at the same time, so we really see the spike with Omicron,” said Benoit Garneau, spokesperson for Urgences-Sante, the ambulance service for Montreal and Laval.

While urgent 9-1-1 calls can still expect paramedics to arrive on the scene quickly, others with less urgent matters are asked to be patient.

In Toronto, officials are drafting a contingency plan to maintain essential services as infections among workers continue to climb.

“We are planning for worst-case scenarios, up to and including illness rates of 50 to 60 per cent, so that we have made plans for that possible scenario,” Toronto Mayor John Tory said.

Officials in British Columbia have advised companies, schools and health-care sites to follow suit, warning that up to one-third of staff could be out sick amid this wave of the pandemic.

The virus-related staffing shortages come as many sectors of the Canadian economy were already struggling to fill jobs.

“Even before the latest variant, Canada had an all-time high, a million job vacancies in the third quarter across the country,” economist Trevin Stratton told CTV National News.

In addition, the staffing shortages have now begun to impact certain supply chains.

Poultry supplier Exceldor says the shortage has forced it to give thousands of chickens to other processors and it will have to euthanize thousands more.

To help ease these supply chain woes and bolster staff, some provinces are reducing quarantine periods for fully vaccinated Canadians who test positive for COVID-19.

Quebec became the latest province to do so Tuesday, cutting the isolation period to five days for fully vaccinated residents, allowing them to return to work more quickly.

Sylvain Charlebois of Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab says this change may help keep essential businesses running, and ensure plenty of food and supplies remain on store shelves.

“Some police makers are willing to take some risks, some calculated risks in order to ensure food supply continues to operate to make sure Canada remains food secure,” Charlebois said in an interview with CTV national News.

However, if supply chains continue to hit roadblocks, experts warn prices at the grocery store could rise even further and more services could suffer.

They say this all hinges on how long Omicron remains a public health concern.

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RCMP arrest second suspect in deadly shooting east of Calgary

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EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.

Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.

Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.

Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.

Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.

RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.

Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.

“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.

But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.

“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.

While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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26-year-old son is accused of his father’s murder on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast

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RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.

Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.

The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.

It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.

Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.

The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Metro Vancouver’s HandyDART strike continues after talks break with no deal

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VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.

Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”

However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.

McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”

About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.

McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.

He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.

The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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