Prince Edward Island has announced its first fatalities related to COVID-19. Two people, one between the ages of 60 and 79 and the other over 79, have died on the island, P.E.I.’s Chief Public Health Office said in a news release Friday afternoon.
“This is an extremely sad time for their family, friends, and loved ones,” Dr. Heather Morrison said in the release.
“I want to extend my sincere condolences to all those who are grieving the loss of these two individuals.”
Eight people were being treated for COVID-19 in P.E.I. hospitals Friday, with one in intensive care. The figures were the same as the day before.
‘When we open we want to … stay open’
Students on the island will also be learning at home until at least Jan. 24, officials said Thursday, citing increasing spread of COVID-19 on the island.
“When we open we want to do everything we can to stay open,” Premier Dennis King said at a COVID-19 briefing Thursday. “Because we know the starts and stops are even more challenging and troubling.”
Students in Newfoundland and Labrador will be learning at home for at least another week, officials said Thursday, as New Brunswick moved to tighten restrictions even more in the face of serious strain on its hospital systems.
In N.L.,officials said they are aiming to have students back in class as of Jan. 24 after beginning the new year with remote education.
“While I know it’s not perfect, it has allowed us to minimize learning loss during these difficult times,” said Education Minister Tom Osborne.
The province reported one COVID-19-related death Friday and said eight people were in hospital with the virus. Three were in ICUs.
Students in Nova Scotia will be back in classrooms as of Monday. Education Minister Becky Druhan said the province has a plan in place to deal with potential staffing shortages, including calling in administrators and educators who aren’t in classrooms. The president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union expressed concern that the measures could lead to unplanned school closures. The union has previously said schools should stick with remote learning until there’s a substantial decrease in cases.
In Nova Scotia, there were 57 people in hospital with the virus Friday, down by two from the day before, and 10 people in ICUs, an increase of three from Thursday.
WATCH | Rapid test shipment delays increase anxiety around return to school:
Rapid test shipment delays increase anxiety around return to school
22 hours ago
Duration 2:02
Provinces across Canada have made rapid tests a key part of their in-class learning strategies, but shipment delays are adding to the anxiety for students and parents. 2:02
Meanwhile, in New Brunswick, the premier announced a return to strict COVID-19 restrictions as the province struggles with severe strain on hospital systems.
The province said Friday there were 103 people with COVID-19 in hospitals, one fewer than the day before, and 11 people in ICUs, up by two from the previous day.
Modelling has shown that the number of people hospitalized could double by the end of the month if current levels of transmission continue. The chief medical officer of health said this could force doctors to make life-or-death decisions about their patients, “and that’s what we don’t want to see happen.”
-From CBC News with files from The Canadian Press, last updated at 6:49 p.m. ET
What’s happening across Canada
WATCH | Cross-border truckers must be vaccinated, Ottawa says:
Cross-border truckers must be vaccinated, Ottawa says
21 hours ago
Duration 2:00
The federal government says all truck drivers crossing into Canada must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, regardless of nationality, effective Saturday. Trucking associations on both sides of the border say that policy could hurt already strained supply chains, by taking even more drivers out of circulation. 2:00
With lab-based testing capacity deeply strained and increasingly restricted, 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 will 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 outbreaks, testing capacity and local restrictions — click through to the regional coverage below.
In Central Canada, Ontario on Friday reported a total of 3,814 people in hospital with COVID-19, an increase of 184 from a day earlier. The number of people in ICU stood at 527, the province’s health officials said.
The province’s dashboard also showed an additional 42 deaths and 10,964 additional lab-confirmed cases.
In Quebec on Friday, health officials said COVID-19 hospitalizations had increased by 91 to 3,085 — with 275 people in intensive care units across the province.
The updates come afterPremier François Legault announced that students will return to class on Monday. Legault also announced that the province’s 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew will be lifted as of Monday, saying experts have reported that cases have peaked and the “wave of hospitalizations is expected to peak in the coming days.”
In the North, leaders in Nunavut said Thursday that the tight restrictions put in place before the holidays have been so effective that the government can cancel travel restrictions as of Monday. The territory will also allow businesses to reopen and schools will resume in-person learning on Jan. 24. Seven new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the territory Friday.
Yukon reported 67 new cases Friday.
In the Prairie provinces, health officials in Manitoba said there were 18 more people in hospitals with COVID-19 Friday, for a total of 517. Forty-five of those patients were in ICUs. The province also reported five deaths and more than 1,200 new cases Friday.
The update comes as the province said Manitoba schools will no longer notify close contacts of people with COVID-19 infections when students return to class next week.
In Saskatchewan, Premier Scott Moe has tested positive for COVID-19 using a rapid antigen test. A statement from his office says he was not experiencing any symptoms. Moe said on Twitter that he felt fine, was self-isolating and was working from home for the next five days.
The province on Friday reported 131 hospitalizations due to COVID-19, an increase of eight since Thursday, with eight of those patients in ICUs.
Alberta on Friday had 822 patients in hospitals with COVID-19, an increase of 36 over the previous day, with 82 of those in ICUs. The province also reported five deaths and 6,163 cases.
In British Columbia, 646 people were in hospitals with COVID-19 Friday, an increase of 112 since Thursday. Ninety-five of those patients were in ICUs. B.C. also reported six deaths and 2,275 new cases Friday. The province also said that transmission of Omicron is on the decline, but hospitalizations haven’t yet peaked.
-From CBC News and The Canadian Press, last updated at 7:16 p.m. ET
What’s happening around the world
People light candles to commemorate those who have died from COVID-19 as Poland hit the sad milestone of 100,000 deaths related to the coronavirus, in Warsaw on Tuesday. Thirteen members of the prime minister’s COVID-19 medical advisory group resigned Friday, condemning policies that they said were not influenced by science. (Czarek Sokolowski/The Associated Press)
As of late Friday afternoon, roughly 322.4 million cases had been reported worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus tracker. The reported global death toll stood at more than 5.5 million.
In Europe, 13 of the 17 members of Poland’s Medical Council advising the prime minister on COVID-19 resigned Friday, condemning what they said was a lack of scientific influence on policy.
Even with one of the world’s highest per capita death rates, Poland has introduced much more limited measures than many European countries to curb spread during the latest wave of infections.
The country has vaccinated 56.4 per cent of the population and vaccine hesitancy is widespread, particularly in the conservative rural areas that form the government’s heartland. Enforcement of the limited restrictions in place, such as wearing masks in enclosed spaces or limits on numbers in bars and restaurants, is very lax.
A bird’s-eye view of new graves is seen in Antoninow, Poland on Tuesday, in this photo taken by drone. (Kacper Pempel/Reuters)
The total number of COVID-19 deaths in Poland surpassed 100,000 this week.
In Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office apologized to Queen Elizabeth after it emerged that staff had partied late into the night at Downing Street on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral, at a time when mixing indoors was banned.
In the Americas, Uruguay has opened its borders to citizens and residents even if they are infected with COVID-19, a rare move amid surging cases worldwide, though passengers would need to travel in private vehicles across the border and be in a family “bubble.” The country’s government said the move was in “solidarity” with Uruguayans and residents who were infected with the virus abroad.
The U.S. Supreme Court blocked Joe Biden’s vaccination-or-testing mandate for large businesses, a policy the conservative justices deemed an improper imposition on the lives and health of Americans, while endorsing a separate federal vaccine requirement for health-care facilities.
In this photo supplied by Tennis Australia, defending champion Novak Djokovic practises in the Rod Laver Arena ahead of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, on Tuesday. The question of whether the unvaccinated tennis star will be allowed to stay in the country is again before the courts. (Scott Barbour/Tennis Australia/The Associated Press)
In the Asia-Pacific region, unvaccinated tennis star Novak Djokovic asked an Australian court to block his deportation ahead of the Australian Open after the government cancelled his visa for the second time over COVID-19 entry regulations.
Hong Kong will suspend for a month transit flights from around 150 countries and territories considered high risk, deepening the global financial hub’s isolation.
In the Middle East, Israel has administered a fourth vaccine dose to more than 500,000 people, the Health Ministry said Friday. Israel began administering second boosters to the most vulnerable late last month and later began offering them to everyone over 60.
Authorities hope the additional boosters will blunt a wave of infections driven by the Omicron variant. Health Ministry figures show Israel currently has some 250,000 active cases. But only 317 patients are listed as seriously ill, far fewer than during previous waves.
Israel was among the first countries to roll out vaccines a year ago and began widely offering third doses last summer in a bid to contain the Delta variant. Nearly half the population has received at least one booster shot.
The country of nearly 9.5 million has reported 8,298 deaths from COVID-19 since the pandemic began
In Africa, health officials in South Africa on Thursday reported 5,920 new cases and 159 additional deaths.
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 3 546 808 with 5 920 new cases reported. Today 159 deaths have been reported bringing the total to 92 989 deaths. The cumulative number of recoveries now stand at 3 346 936 with a recovery rate of 94.4% <a href=”https://t.co/2IlB8sUZM0″>pic.twitter.com/2IlB8sUZM0</a>
TORONTO – He’s firmly among Canada’s top three-year-olds but My Boy Prince faces a stiff test Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack.
The ’24 King’s Plate runner-up will be part of a global field in the $1-million Woodbine Mile turf event. Not only will it be My Boy Prince’s first race against older competition but among the seven other starters will be such horses as Naval Power (Great Britain), Big Rock (France) and Filo Di Arianna (Brazil).
My Boy Prince will race for the first time since finishing second to filly Caitlinhergrtness in the Plate on Aug. 23.
“It’s his first try against older horses and it’s hard to say where he fits in,” said trainer Mark Casse. “This time of year running a three-year-old against older horses, it’s like running a teenager against college athletes.
“We’re doing it because we believe a mile on the turf is his preferred surface … we wanted to give him a shot at this. (American owner Gary Barber) is someone who likes to think outside the box and take calculated risks so we’re going to see where he fits in.”
Casse, 16 times Canada’s top trainer, is a Hall of Famer both here and in the U.S. He’s also a two-time Woodbine Mile winner with filly Tepin (2016) and World Approval (2017).
Sahin Civaci will again ride My Boy Prince, Canada’s top two-year-old male who has six wins and 10 money finishes (6-3-1) in 11 career starts. The horse will be one of three Casse trainees in the race with Filo Di Arianna (ridden by Sovereign Award winner Kazushi Kimura) and Win for the Money (veteran Woodbine jockey Patrick Husbands aboard).
Naval Power, a four-year-old, has finished in the money in eight of nine starts (six wins, twice second) and will race in Canada for the first time. He comes to Woodbine with second-place finishes in two Grade 1 turf races.
Big Rock, another four-year-old, makes his North American debut Saturday. The horse has five wins and five second-place finishes in 14 starts but has struggled in ’24, finishing sixth, 10th and fifth in three races.
Filo Di Arianna is a four-time graded stakes winner with nine victories, three seconds and a third from 17 starts. It was Canada’s ’22 top male sprinter and champion male turf horse.
Other starters include Playmea Tune, Niagara Skyline and Secret Reserve.
Playmea Tune, a four-year-old, is trained by Josie Carrol. The gelding has made three starts, winning twice and finishing second in the Grade 3 Bold Venture on Aug. 23.
Woodbine-based Niagara Skyline is a six-year-old with 13 money finishes (six wins, five seconds, twice third) in 24-lifetime starts. The John Charlambous trainee has reached the podium (1-1-1) in all three races this year.
Secret Reserve, also a six-year-old, has finished in the money in 15-of-26 starts (six wins, one second, eight thirds). The horse, at 44-1, was third in the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes over a mile on the E.P. Taylor turf course.
The Mile highlights a stellar card featuring six graded stakes races. Also on tap are the $750,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes (fillies and mares), $500,000 bet365 Summer Stakes (two-year-olds) and $500,000 Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes (two-year-old fillies), all Grade 1 turf events.
The Mile, Natalma and Summer winners earn automatic entries into the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar in November.
Casse has won all four races, earning his first E.P. Taylor title last year with filly Fev Rover, Canada’s horse of the year and champion female turf horse. Fev Rover will defend her title Saturday against a field that includes Moira, the ’22 King’s Plate winner and Canada’s horse of the year trained by Woodbine’s Kevin Attard.
“It (E.P. Taylor) was definitely on my bucket list because it had eluded us,” Casse said. “But I honestly hadn’t realized I’d won all four of them, hadn’t really thought about it.”
Casse will have horses in all four turf races Saturday. Arguably the most intriguing matchup will be between Moira and Fev Rover, who ran 1-2, respectively, in a photo finish Aug. 11 in the Grade 2 Beverly D. Stakes, a 1 3/16-mile turf race, at Virginia’s Colonial Downs.
“What’s funny is the two of them went all the way to Virginia and she beat us by a nose,” Casse said. “We could’ve done that at Woodbine.
“There’s two of the best fillies in the world both from Toronto and they’re going to be competing Saturday.”
Some question having so many solid races on a single card but Casse likes the strategy.
“I think it’s a good thing,” he said. “On Saturday, the main focus on horse racing in the world will be on Woodbine and that’s because it’s such a great card.
“It’s an international day, there’s horses coming from everywhere and we’re going to do our best to represent Canada.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — Maria Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam singles champion, led the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s fan vote her first year on the ballot — an important part to possible selection to the hall’s next class.
The organization released the voting results Friday. American doubles team Bob and Mike Bryan finished second with Canada’s Daniel Nestor third.
The Hall of Fame said tens of thousands of fans from 120 countries cast ballots. Fan voting is one of two steps in the hall’s selection process. The second is an official group of journalists, historians, and Hall of Famers from the sport who vote on the ballot for the hall’s class of 2025.
“I am incredibly grateful to the fans all around the world who supported me during the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s fan votes,” Sharapova said in a statement. “It is a tremendous honor to be considered for the Hall of Fame, and having the fans’ support makes it all the more special.”
Sharapova became the first Russian woman to reach No. 1 in the world. She won Wimbledon in 2004, the U.S. Open in 2006 and the Australian Open in 2008. She also won the French Open twice, in 2012 and 2014.
Sharapova was also part of Russia’s championship Fed Cup team in 2008 and won a silver medal at the London Olympics in 2012.
To make the hall, candidates must receive 75% or higher on combined results of the official voting group and additional percentage from the fan vote. Sharapova will have an additional three percentage points from winning the fan vote.
The Bryans, who won 16 Grand Slam doubles titles, will have two additional percentage points and Nestor, who won eight Grand Slam doubles titles, will get one extra percentage point.
The hall’s next class will be announced late next month.
TORONTO – Roots Corp. may have built its brand on all things comfy and cosy, but its CEO says activewear is now “really becoming a core part” of the brand.
The category, which at Roots spans leggings, tracksuits, sports bras and bike shorts, has seen such sustained double-digit growth that Meghan Roach plans to make it a key part of the business’ future.
“It’s an area … you will see us continue to expand upon,” she told analysts on a Friday call.
The Toronto-based retailer’s push into activewear has taken shape over many years and included several turns as the official designer and supplier of Team Canada’s Olympic uniform.
But consumers have had plenty of choice when it comes to workout gear and other apparel suited to their sporting needs. On top of the slew of athletic brands like Nike and Adidas, shoppers have also gravitated toward Lululemon Athletica Inc., Alo and Vuori, ramping up competition in the activewear category.
Roach feels Roots’ toehold in the category stems from the fit, feel and following its merchandise has cultivated.
“Our product really resonates with (shoppers) because you can wear it through multiple different use cases and occasions,” she said.
“We’ve been seeing customers come back again and again for some of these core products in our activewear collection.”
Her remarks came the same day as Roots revealed it lost $5.2 million in its latest quarter compared with a loss of $5.3 million in the same quarter last year.
The company said the second-quarter loss amounted to 13 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Aug. 3, the same as a year earlier.
In presenting the results, Roach reminded analysts that the first half of the year is usually “seasonally small,” representing just 30 per cent of the company’s annual sales.
Sales for the second quarter totalled $47.7 million, down from $49.4 million in the same quarter last year.
The move lower came as direct-to-consumer sales amounted to $36.4 million, down from $37.1 million a year earlier, as comparable sales edged down 0.2 per cent.
The numbers reflect the fact that Roots continued to grapple with inventory challenges in the company’s Cooper fleece line that first cropped up in its previous quarter.
Roots recently began to use artificial intelligence to assist with daily inventory replenishments and said more tools helping with allocation will go live in the next quarter.
Beyond that time period, the company intends to keep exploring AI and renovate more of its stores.
It will also re-evaluate its design ranks.
Roots announced Friday that chief product officer Karuna Scheinfeld has stepped down.
Rather than fill the role, the company plans to hire senior level design talent with international experience in the outdoor and activewear sectors who will take on tasks previously done by the chief product officer.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
