Canada’s most populous provinces are facing staff shortages in health care and long-term care as Canada continues to face record-breaking COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalizations related to the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé says the health-care system is missing about 20,000 workers who have been infected with or exposed to the virus and said the government is working with unions to find more staff to care for about 2,500 COVID-19 patients.
Health officials in the province are reporting another 1,953 COVID-19 hospitalizations, a rise of almost 12 per cent compared with a day earlier.
In Ontario, outbreaks are hitting long-term care homes and leading to staff absences of between 20 and 30 per cent in some areas.
Long-Term Care Minister Rod Phillips says there are outbreaks at 186 homes in 30 of Ontario’s 34 public health units.
WATCH | Quebec ICUs stretched thin:
ICU doctor warns of supply, demand mismatch
9 hours ago
Duration 6:37
Quebec intensive care physician Joseph Dahine says hospitals – and ICUs, in particular – in his province are stretched and health care workers exhausted as COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to rise. ‘There is a supply and demand mismatch,’ he said. 6:37
He says staffing is a concern but long-term care is affected differently than hospitals, which are still accepting new admissions despite being short-staffed.
The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CNFU) is calling on provincial governments to do more to ensure frontline health workers have the proper protection.
“The very people on the frontlines of this pandemic are still facing barriers to obtaining proper PPE, getting booster shots and being guaranteed sick leave when they test positive,” the union said in a statement.
And the CNFU president condemned the move by some provinces to allow COVID-infected health-care workers to continue working, saying it will put their colleagues, vulnerable patients and the health-care system at risk.
“We must stop normalizing needlessly putting health-care workers at risk,” said Linda Silas. “Nurses don’t come to work to be martyrs; they come to work to care for patients. Governments can and must provide them with the tools and equipment they need to care for patients while also caring for themselves.”
Surging cases of the Omicron variant are also putting pressure on some police and transit services across the country.
With 170 personnel booked off on leave related to COVID-19, the Winnipeg Police Service declared an internal state of emergency Wednesday. The Edmonton and Calgary police services warned of staffing challenges after a growing number of staff tested positive or were in isolation.
This morning, one of the largest cargo planes in the world brought millions of rapid tests to Canada. This shipment is part of what will be nearly daily deliveries, bringing 140M rapid tests to Canada in January alone. <a href=”https://t.co/2vJ8xnRDug”>pic.twitter.com/2vJ8xnRDug</a>
Ontario’s GO Transit said a temporary reduction in train and bus service in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton regions is set to begin within days due to staff shortages caused by COVID-19.
Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced Wednesday that Ottawa would distribute 140 million rapid tests across the country this month, four times the number delivered in December.
Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said restrictions on the availability of molecular lab tests mean officials aren’t sure how many COVID-19 cases there truly are in Canada.
The latest figures from Health Canada indicate the Omicron variant has fuelled about 344,140 active cases across the country.
WATCH | Are schools driving transmission in children?
COVID-19: Are schools driving transmission in children?
2 days ago
Duration 5:59
Infectious diseases specialists Dr. Jacqueline Wong and Dr. Fatima Kakkar answers questions about COVID-19, including whether in-person classes are driving transmission in children. 5:59
-From The Canadian Press and CBC News, last updated at 2 p.m. ET
What’s happening across Canada
WATCH | Tracking COVID-19 through wastewater:
Tracking COVID-19 through wastewater as clinical testing systems overwhelmed
1 day ago
Duration 2:04
As testing systems become maxed out across the country, some experts are turning to wastewater testing as a way to determine how much COVID-19 is really in our communities. 2:04
With testing capacity strained, experts say true case counts are likely far higher than reported. Hospitalization data at the regional level is also evolving, with several provinces saying they plan to report figures that separate the number of people in hospital because of COVID-19 from those in hospital for another medical issue, who also test positive for COVID-19.
For more information on what is happening in your community — including details on health systems, test positivity rates and local restrictions — click through to the regional coverage below.
In Quebec on Thursday, health officials reported 1,953 hospitalizations and 26 additional deaths. The province also recorded 15,874 cases, with a positivity rate of 31.2 per cent. The update came as Health Minister Christian Dubé announced that the province’s vaccine passport system will eventually require three doses, although he did not provide a timeline for when that would happen.
WATCH | Will tougher measures help?
Quebec announces new COVID-19 measures aimed at the unvaccinated
5 hours ago
Duration 6:11
Dr. Jesse Papenburg, pediatric infectious disease specialist and medical microbiologist at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, joins Power & Politics to discuss Quebec’s new measures as the province braces for more than 3,000 COVID-19 related hospitalizations over the next two weeks. 6:11
Meanwhile, health officials in Ontario on Thursday reported 20 additional deaths and said 2,279 people were hospitalized. Provincial reports showed 13,339 new recorded cases, with a test positivity rate of 29.2 per cent.
Across the North, Nunavut is changing how it handles testing for COVID-19, with lab-based PCR tests being done only to “confirm COVID-19 is present in new communities, in high-risk settings such as Elders’ homes and other congregated facilities, and for those in critical service areas.”
“These changes will mean that official COVID-19 case counts in the territory will no longer reflect the total number of infections in our communities,” Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Michael Patterson said in a statement outlining the plan.
The Yukon has two patients in hospital, with 74 new cases reported Thursday, while health officials had not yet reported numbers for Thursday.
There is no one is hospital with the virus in the Northwest Territories, but officials reported 157 new cases, a new daily high.
In Atlantic Canada, Prince Edward Island Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison announced changes to isolation rules on Thursday, as the the number of people in hospital being treated for COVID-19 ticked up to four. Morrison said there were three other people in hospital being treated primarily for other illnesses who had tested positive for COVID-19. The live briefing, which focused largely on isolation and testing, came as the province reported 204 additional cases.
Omicron has a shorter incubation period.<br>(Exposure to symptoms)<br>Friday Jan 7th at 8am, Fully vaccinated people who tested positive, must isolate for 7 days.<br>They may leave isolation if they have no symptoms<br>Don’t visit high risk locations for 10 days.<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/PEICovid19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#PEICovid19</a>
In Newfoundland and Labrador, health officials on Thursday said the number of hospitalizations stood at four. The province also reported 503 additional cases. The update came as officials announced remote learning would continue for another week.
New Brunswick is currently treating 63 patients in hospital with COVID-19, with 19 in the ICU. The province has a seven-day positivity rate of 28.9 per cent as of Thursday, and 672 new cases.
Health officials in Nova Scotia reported 48 patients in hospital, with one in ICU. There are 745 new cases.
WATCH| Premier says N.S. needs help:
Nova Scotia requesting assistance from Ottawa to help with booster vaccination efforts
5 hours ago
Duration 10:22
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston joins Power & Politics to discuss the latest on COVID-19 in his province. 10:22
In the Prairie provinces, the government in Manitoba is changing its COVID-19 testing process amid rising case numbers and a backlog of tests. Health officials say most people going to provincial testing sites will now be given rapid antigen tests to take home instead of a lab test on-site. The province on Thursday reported 263 hospitalizations, with 33 in the ICU. The province reported 2,548 additional cases and six new deaths.
Saskatchewan health officials on Thursday reported 100 hospitalizations, with one new death. There were 913 additional cases.
In Alberta, the province hit a new milestone with one million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered. But it came as hospitalizations, fuelled by Omicron, were up. The test positivity rate in Alberta is now at 39 per cent, and the province has 498 people in hospital with COVID-19 Thursday, and 64 in the ICU. There were three additional deaths and 4,869 additional cases with a test positivity rate of 39 per cent.
In British Columbia, health officials are dealing with a seven-day 23.2 per cent test positivity rate, with 324 people in hospital and 90 in ICU. There were 3,223 new cases reported Thursday along with three additional deaths.
-From The Canadian Press and CBC News, last updated at 7:30 p.m. ET
What’s happening around the world
WATCH | COVID-19: What are the new symptoms?
COVID-19: What are the new symptoms?
3 days ago
Duration 5:41
Infectious diseases specialists Dr. Danielle Martin and Dr. Zain Chagla answer questions about COVID-19, including how to recognize and respond to new and evolving symptoms. 5:41
As of early Thursday evening, more than 299.1 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus tracking tool. The reported global death toll stood at more than 5.4 million.
Top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci warned on Wednesday against complacency about the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, saying the sheer number of cases could strain hospitals despite signs of lower severity.
The staggering pace of Omicron’s spread has snarled life across the country, upending the restart of school after the holiday break, halting air travel, shuttering entertainment venues and throwing a wrench into back-to-office plans.
“[Omicron] could still stress our hospital system because a certain proportion of a large volume of cases, no matter what, are going to be severe,” Fauci told reporters at a White House briefing.
Members of the Ohio National Guard put on personal protective gear as they prepare to administer COVID-19 tests at a drive-thru testing site on Wednesday in Akron, Ohio. (Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images)
Elsewhere in the Americas, Brazil’s Health Ministry said it will go ahead with the voluntary vaccination of children aged five to 11 against COVID-19 and dropped plans to require a doctor’s prescription.
The head of the Centers for Disease Control in Africa said on Thursday that he was encouraged by the way that South Africa had handled its latest COVID-19 infection wave, adding that severe lockdowns were no longer a tool to contain the coronavirus.
“We are very encouraged with what we saw in South Africa in this period,” John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), told a news conference.
“The period where we are using severe lockdowns as a tool is over. We should actually be looking at how we use public health and social measures more carefully, and in a balanced way, as the vaccination increases.”
As of today the cumulative number of <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#COVID19</a> cases identified in SA is 3 494 696 with 11 106 new cases reported. Today 110 deaths have been reported bringing the total to 91 561 deaths. The cumulative number of recoveries now stand at 3 249 738 with a recovery rate of 93% <a href=”https://t.co/wYNu58BRWS”>pic.twitter.com/wYNu58BRWS</a>
In the Asia-Pacific region, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday people who have not taken COVID-19 shots will be arrested if they disobeyed stay-at-home orders as infections hit a three-month high.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi has asked that the U.S. military in Japan stay inside its bases to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. Japan’s prime minister said he backs Hayashi’s request and has decided to tighten anti-virus measures in Okinawa and Yamaguchi, where U.S. bases are located.
Indian megacities Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata are experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases, although without a corresponding rise in hospitalizations. Fears are growing about a spread to rural areas in coming days.
In the Middle East, Israel changed its quarantine and testing policy in an effort to ensure continued protection for vulnerable populations from a surge in infections.
A woman receives a dose of the Moderna vaccine against COVID-19 in Italy on Wednesday. (Guglielmo Mangiapana/Reuters)
In Europe, France reported 261,481 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, less than the record of more than 332,000 set on Wednesday, but the seven-day moving average of new cases rose above 200,000 for the first time since the start of the health crisis.
Italy made COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for people from the age of 50.
Orthodox Christians in Russia, Serbia and other countries began Christmas observances Thursday amid restrictions aimed at dampening the spread of the coronavirus, but few worshipers appeared concerned as they streamed into churches.
Orthodox believers attend Mass amid an outbreak fueled by the Omicron variant in Moscow, on Monday. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/The Associated Press)
-From Reuters and The Associated Press, last updated at 7:30 p.m. ET
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Hearing the familiar sounds of clacking sticks and pucks banging off the boards and glass while watching Columbus Blue Jackets prospects from the stands of a cold rink on a warm late-summer afternoon was not enough to wash away the lingering residuals of grief for Don Waddell on Saturday.
That, the Blue Jackets’ general manager acknowledged, will take more time than anyone can guess — weeks, months, perhaps an entire season and beyond.
What mattered is how spending the weekend attending the Sabres Prospects Challenge represented a start to what Waddell called among the first steps in refocusing on hockey and the future in the aftermath of the deaths of Columbus star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, who were struck by a suspected drunken driver while riding bicycles on Aug 29.
“We got to play hockey,” Waddell said. “We’re not going to forget about Johnny and his family, the Gaudreau family.”
“Everybody knows that Johnny wants them to play hockey,” Waddell said. “And everybody’s rallying around that.”
The resumption of hockey in Columbus began last week, when most Blue Jackets players returned to their facility to be together and lean on each other at the urging of Waddell and team captain Boone Jenner. And it will continue on Thursday, when the team opens training camp, exactly three weeks since the Gaudreaus were killed.
“Tragic. Senseless. But now we got to focus on trying to get our team ready to play hockey this year,” Waddell said. “We all mourn and heal differently, but I think as a team being together like that is going to be critical for them to get moving forward.”
Waddell was general manager of the then-Atlanta Thrashers in 2003 when Dany Heatley lost control of his car and struck a wall, with the crash killing passenger and teammate Dan Snyder. In 2021, Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks died during a July Fourth fireworks accident.
Waddell placed the emphasis on himself and coach Dean Evason — both newcomers to Columbus this offseason — to guide the team through what will be an emotional season.
“Now, do I think there’s going to be some dark days? I won’t be surprised,” Waddell said.
Reminders of the Gaudreaus’ deaths remain apparent, and reflected in Buffalo on Friday night. A moment of silence was held in tribute to the brothers before the opening faceoff of a game between the Blue Jackets and Sabres.
Afterward, Columbus prospect Gavin Brindley recalled the times he spent with Johnny Gaudreau in Columbus and as teammates representing the United States at the world hockey championships in the Czech Republic in May.
“He was one of the biggest mentors for me at the world championships,” Brindley said. “I couldn’t tell you how many times we hung out with Meredith, pictures on my phone. It’s just so hard to look back and see that kind of stuff.”
The NHL and NHL Players’ Association are providing the Blue Jackets help in the form of grief counseling, crowd security at vigils and addressing hockey issues, such as potentially altering the league’s salary cap rules to provide Columbus relief from having to reach the NHL minimum payroll because of the void left by Gaudreau’s contract.
“The Blue Jackets, I don’t think anybody’s focused from an organizational standpoint, from a hockey standpoint as to what comes next, because I think everybody’s still in shock,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told The Associated Press last week. “I don’t think anybody’s focused right now other than on the grieving part, which is understandable.”
Much of the burden has fallen to Waddell, who has been in discussions with the NHL and the NHLPA and dealing with outreach programs with the Blue Jackets’ partner OhioHealth, while also overseeing preparations for training camp and gauging his prospects in Buffalo.
There’s also his roster to attend to, which he said has two openings at forward, one involving Justin Danforth, who may miss the start of the season because of a wrist injury. Waddell didn’t have to mention the second opening.
Tiring and emotional as it’s been, Waddell found comfort being in his element, a rink, and looking ahead to the start of training camp.
“The guys are in really good shape. We’ve done a lot of testing already and they’re eager to get going,” Waddell said. “We have a reason to play for. And we’ll make the best of it.”
The Blue Jackets later Sunday signed veteran winger James van Riemsdyk to a one-year contract worth $900,000.
“James van Riemsdyk has been a very consistent, productive player throughout his career,” Waddell said. “Bringing him to Columbus will not only provide depth to our group up front, but also valuable leadership and another veteran presence in our dressing room.”
___
AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno in New York contributed to this report.
PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain defender Nuno Mendes was the target of abusive and racist comments on social media after a French league game.
The club condemned the abuse and expressed its “full support” Sunday for the Portugal left back, who was targeted following PSG’s 3-1 win against Brest on Saturday.
Mendes, who is Black, shared on his Instagram account a racist message he received.
During the match, Mendes brought down Ludovic Ajorque in the box for a penalty that Romain Del Castillo converted to give Brest the lead.
“Paris Saint-Germain doesn’t tolerate racism, antisemitism or any other form of discrimination,” the club said. “The racial insults directed at Nuno Mendes are totally unacceptable … we are working with the relevant authorities and associations to ensure those responsible are held accountable for their actions.”
MONTREAL – Tadej Pogacar was so dominant on Sunday, Canada’s Michael Woods called it a race for second.
Pogacar, a three-time Tour de France champion from Slovenia, pedalled to a resounding victory at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal.
The UAE Team Emirates leader crossed the finish line 24 seconds ahead of Spain’s Pello Bilbao of Bahrain — Victorious to win the demanding 209.1-kilometre race on a sunny, 28 C day in Montreal. France’s Julian Alaphilippe of Soudal Quick-Step was third.
“He’s the greatest rider of all time, he’s a formidable opponent,” said Woods, who finished 45 seconds behind the leader in eighth. “If you’re not at your very, very best, then you can forget racing with him, and today was kind of representative of that.
“He’s at such a different level that if you follow him, it can be lights out.”
Pogacar slowed down before the last turn to celebrate with the crowd, high-five fans on Avenue du Parc and cruise past the finish line with his arms in the air after more than five hours on the bike.
The 25-year-old joined Belgium’s Greg Van Avermaet as the only multi-time winners in Montreal after claiming the race in 2022. He also redeemed a seventh-place finish at the Quebec City Grand Prix on Friday.
“I was disappointed, because I had such good legs that I didn’t do better than seventh,” Pogacar said. “To bounce back after seventh to victory here, it’s just an incredible feeling.”
It’s Pogacar’s latest win in a dominant year that includes victories at the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia.
Ottawa’s Woods (Israel Premier-Tech) tied a career-best in front of the home crowd in Montreal, but hoped for more after claiming a stage at the Spanish Vuelta two weeks ago.
“I wanted a better result,” the 37-year-old rider said. “My goal was a podium, but at the same time I’m happy with the performance. In bike racing, you can’t always get the result you want and I felt like I raced really well, I animated the race, I felt like I was up there.”
Pogacar completed the 17 climbs up and down Mount Royal near downtown in five hours 28 minutes 15 seconds.
He made his move with 23.3 kilometres to go, leaving the peloton in his dust as he pedalled into the lead — one he never relinquished.
Bilbao, Alaphilippe, Alex Aranburu (Movistar Team) and Bart Lemmen (Visma–Lease) chased in a group behind him, with Bilbao ultimately separating himself from the pack. But he never came close to catching Pogacar, who built a 35-second lead with one lap left to go.
“It was still a really hard race today, but the team was on point,” Pogacar said. “We did really how we planned, and the race situation was good for us. We make it hard in the last final laps, and they set me up for a (takeover) two laps to go, and it was all perfect.”
Ottawa’s Derek Gee, who placed ninth in this year’s Tour de France, finished 48th in Montreal, and called it a “hard day” in the heat.
“I think everyone knows when you see Tadej on the start line that it’s just going to be full gas,” Gee said.
Israel Premier-Tech teammate Hugo Houle of Sainte-Perpétue, Que., was 51st.
Houle said he heard Pogacar inform his teammates on the radio that he was ready to attack with two laps left in the race.
“I said then, well, clearly it’s over for me,” Houle said. “You see, cycling isn’t that complicated.”
Australia’s Michael Matthews won the Quebec City GP for a record third time on Friday, but did not finish in Montreal. The two races are the only North American events on the UCI World Tour.
Michael Leonard of Oakville, Ont., and Gil Gelders and Dries De Bondt of Belgium broke away from the peloton during the second lap. Leonard led the majority of the race before losing pace with 45 kilometres to go.
Only 89 of 169 riders from 24 teams — including the Canadian national team — completed the gruelling race that features 4,573 metres in total altitude.
Next up, the riders will head to the world championships in Zurich, Switzerland from Sept. 21 to 29.
Pogacar will try to join Eddy Merckx (1974) and Stephen Roche (1987) as the only men to win three major titles in a season — known as the Triple Crown.
“Today gave me a lot of confidence, motivation,” Pogacar said. “I think we are ready for world championships.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2024.
