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COVID-19 may no longer be top of mind for Canadians, but there are still more cases and hospitalizations now than at some of the worst points of the pandemic — and while we may have moved on, the virus definitely hasn’t.
Canada has lifted almost all public health measures as COVID-19 levels continue to drop from the peak of the devastating Omicron wave that overwhelmed testing capacity and fuelled a record surge in hospitals across the country.
But a recent rise in global COVID-19 cases, the spread of a more contagious Omicron subvariant and a spike in early surveillance signals across Canada has experts increasingly worried we could be on the verge of another surge.
“Following several weeks of declining activity nationally, the average daily case counts are now levelling off,” Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said during a news conference Friday.
“As public health measures ease, increased levels of transmission are not unexpected since the SARS-CoV-2 virus is still circulating widely.”
People walk through Robson Square near the Vancouver Art Gallery in Vancouver on March 8. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
‘This is not over yet’
A steep drop in testing across much of the country has blurred the picture of how much the virus is circulating, yet other metrics such as wastewater data and hospitalizations suggest COVID-19 levels remain higher than at many other points in the pandemic.
More than 4,000 Canadians are currently hospitalized for COVID-19, and although that total has been dropping from a January peak, it’s still the highest since April 2021 — and almost as high or higher than the peak of every other wave.
“Even though we’re in a much better place now than we were one and two months ago, there’s still a lot of COVID around and there’s still a lot of people in hospital with COVID,” said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases physician at Toronto General Hospital and member of Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine task force.
“Sadly, this is not over yet.”
The silver lining for Canada is that our combination of high vaccination rates and infection-based immunity will ensure most Canadians are protected against serious illness.
Yet the highly-contagious Omicron variant — including the BA.2 subvariant that’s on track to dominate new cases — is proving able to infect people more easily than its predecessors.
Measuring booster protection
There are also concerns over waning immunity, with studies showing protection from infection can decline within months even after a booster — while protection against hospitalization appears to be holding up.
A recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found protection from infection dropped from 69 per cent within two months of a second dose to just 37 per cent after five months.
That protection increased to 87 per cent with a booster, but dropped down to 66 per cent between four and five months and fell to just 31 per cent after five or more.
A new CDC report released Friday suggests boosters can still prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed, finding those who received three doses were 94 per cent less likely to be put on a ventilator or die from COVID-19 compared to those who are unvaccinated.
But while boosters are still remarkably protective against severe illness, less than half of Canadians have received one.
“Our third shot coverage is still lower than in many other jurisdictions, and Omicron in any case infected lots of people who’d had three shots,” said Dr. David Naylor, who co-chairs the federal government’s COVID-19 Immunity Task Force.
“It’s likely that the Omicron tsunami did provide a pretty substantial boost to background immunity for lots of Canadians. What’s not clear, however, is how much immunity is conferred by a mild case of COVID-19 due to Omicron and how long that protection lasts.”
Nurses attend to a patient in the intensive care unit of Humber River Hospital in Toronto on Jan. 25. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
That could be a key factor in whether Canada can avoid a major uptick in hospitalizations in the weeks ahead, Naylor said, but there’s still a possibility we may be in for an “ugly spring.”
“We might have a wave or a smaller wavelet. The extent to which this impacts us in Canada is not really known,” Bogoch added.
“While we do have some good community level protection, is it good enough to stop hospitals from filling up again? I’m not sure.”
Wastewater signals increasing in Canada
In Ontario, where PCR testing access is now extremely limited — making it tougher to figure out accurate infection rates — the province’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table recently reported a slight uptick in concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 through wastewater surveillance.
Based on that case growth, the table estimates the current daily number of infections is anywhere from 15,000 to 20,000 and expects hospital occupancy to rise, though not to the crushing levels of earlier waves.
That Saskatoon data also shows the BA.2 subvariant made up more than 42 per cent of the latest reported virus load — slightly higher than its fellow subvariant, BA.1 — and the university now expects BA.2 will likely “completely overtake” BA.1 over the next few weeks.
Global rise in COVID-19 ‘stark reminder’ to Canada
New infections have jumped by eight per cent globally compared to the previous week, World Health Organization data shows, with 11 million new cases and just over 43,000 new deaths reported between March 7 to 13 — marking the first spike since the end of January.
The biggest jump was in the Western Pacific region, which includes South Korea and China, where cases rose by 25 per cent and deaths by 27 per cent.
Many European countries are also experiencing a rise in cases. In Denmark, a BA.2-driven surge began in February, while the U.K. is now seeing rising infection rates and hospitalizations — both up at least 20 per cent from last week — following the end of the country’s pandemic restrictions.
WATCH | COVID-19 cases surge in Asia, Europe as public health measures relax
COVID-19 cases surge in Asia, Europe as public health measures relax
2 days ago
Duration 4:18
Figures showing a global rise in COVID-19 cases are ‘just the tip of the iceberg,’ says the director general of the World Health Organization, blaming the increase on the BA.2 subvariant, easing public public measures and low vaccination rates in some countries. 4:18
“Watching what’s going on in terms of case numbers in Europe, I think should be certainly a bit of a stark reminder that the virus has not disappeared,” said Jason Kindrachuk, an assistant professor of viral pathogenesis at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg and Canada Research Chair of emerging viruses.
“BA.2 should, in my mind, kind of reinvigorate us to realize we’re not through with this yet and in fact the virus can still change.”
Canada remains a unique situation, given its underlying population differences and vaccination rates, Kindrachuk said, which could mean things play out differently here.
“But we have throughout the pandemic also seen that things that have happened in Europe have ultimately then moved into North America,” he said.
“And we’ve had a bit of time lag where we at least can start to try and prepare.”
A couple walk through a market in Hong Kong on March 18. (Isaac Lawrence/AFP/Getty Images)
The latest available data shows BA.2 accounts for 22 per cent of cases in Canada and estimates are that it spreads roughly 30 per cent more easily.
Tam said it will likely become the dominant strain in Canada in the coming weeks but so far it’s been increasing at a “slow rate” here — likely due to a combination of vaccination and prior infection.
“What it will do is seek out pockets of the population where the immunization rates are lower, where people haven’t been boosted and where there hasn’t been a lot of [Omicron infection] — those are the at-risk populations,” she said.
Dr. Lisa Salamon, an emergency room physician with the Scarborough Health Network in Toronto, said communities that are lagging behind on vaccinations, and those featuring lower-income residents in crowded housing or multi-generational homes, remain more at risk of household transmission and dire outcomes.
“My concern is, locally, there are going to be places that are overwhelmed that people just don’t care about,” she said.
“The general population doesn’t care if it doesn’t impact them.”
EDMONTON – The legendary k.d. lang got the band back together at the Canadian Country Music Association awards show.
Lang teamed up with the Reclines for the first time in 35 years to belt out “Big Boned Gal” from their last album together in 1989.
Clad in a blue and green western-style dress, lang strut across the stage in Edmonton to embody the “big boned gal from southern Alberta.”
The awards show saw Alberta’s MacKenzie Porter and Ontario’s Josh Ross take home hardware for being best female and male artists of the year.
Ross also won entertainer of the year and single of the year for “Trouble.”
Ontario artist Jade Eagleson won album of the year for “Do It Anyway.”
The James Barker Band from Woodville, Ont., won fans’ choice and group of the year.
During their acceptance speech, frontman Barker hinted at new music and a possible tour in 2025.
Ross says he and his band play roughly 150 shows every year and are never home, but says taking home entertainer of the year made the hard work worth it.
Porter won for female artist of the year and top video for “Chasing Tornadoes.”
The female artist win ends the five-year streak of Tenille Townes being awarded the coveted hardware.
Porter had been nominated seven times previously for the award in the past decade but hadn’t won until now.
The artist from Medicine Hat, Alta., says it takes a lot of hard work and hustle to succeed as a female in the country music industry and gave a shout out to her fellow singers and her newborn daughter.
Joining the two artists in the winners’ circle was Ontario singer-songwriter Owen Riegling, who won for breakthrough artist of the year.
The show began with American artist and co-host Thomas Rhett being dubbed an honorary Canadian by Edmonton Oilers players Corey Perry and Leon Draisaitl.
Rhett donned an Oilers jersey that was gifted to him by the pair.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024.
EDMONTON – Ontario country artist Jade Eagleson has won album of the year at the 2024 Canadian Country Music Association Awards in Edmonton.
The singer from Bailieboro, Ont., was up for six awards alongside Alberta’s MacKenzie Porter.
Eagleson took home album of the year for “Do It Anyway” and says he’s thankful to his wife and management team for helping him reach the level he’s at.
The James Barker Band from Woodville, Ont., also won fans’ choice and group of the year at the award show, held in Edmonton.
During their acceptance speech, frontman Barker hinted at new music and a possible tour in 2025.
Another Ontario crooner, Josh Ross, has taken home a trio of awards, receiving entertainer of the year, male artist of the year and single of the year.
He says he and his band play roughly 150 shows every year and are never home, but says taking home entertainer of the year makes the hard work worth it.
Porter took home female artist of the year, ending the five-year streak of Tenille Townes being awarded the coveted hardware.
Porter had been nominated seven times previously for the award in the past decade but hadn’t won until tonight.
The artist from Medicine Hat, Alta., says it takes a lot of hard work and hustle to succeed as a female in the country music industry and gave a shout out to her fellow singers and her newborn daughter.
Joining the two artists in the winners’ circle was Ontario singer-songwriter Owen Riegling, who won for breakthrough artist of the year.
The show began with American artist and co-host Thomas Rhett being dubbed an honorary Canadian by Edmonton Oilers players Corey Perry and Leon Draisaitl.
Rhett donned an Oilers jersey that was gifted to him by the pair.
The return of k.d. lang and the Reclines was expected to be a highlight of the show.
The appearance will mark the first time the Alberta songstress has teamed up with the band in 35 years and is tied to lang’s induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
The awards show is back in Alberta’s capital for the first time since 2014. It was held in Hamilton last year and in Calgary in 2022.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024.
VANDERHOOF, B.C. – British Columbia Conservatives are promising changes they say will bring more stability to the province’s struggling forest industry.
Leader John Rustad announced his plan for the sector a week before the official launch of the provincial election campaign, saying a Conservative government would do away with stumpage fees paid when timber is harvested and instead put a tax on the final products that are produced.
Rustad said Saturday that under a provincial Conservative government, a small fee may be charged upfront, but the bulk would come at the end of the process, depending on what type of product is created.
He also promised to review how wildfires are managed, as well as streamline the permit process and review what he calls the province’s “uncompetitive cost structure.”
“British Columbia is by far the highest cost producers of any jurisdiction in North America. We need to be able to drive down those costs, so that our forest sector can actually be able to do the reinvestment, to be able to create the jobs and make sure that they’re still there to be able to support our communities,” he said.
The governing New Democrats meanwhile, say eliminating stumpage fees would inflame the softwood lumber dispute with the United States and hurt forestry workers.
In a statement issued by the NDP, Andrew Mercier, the party’s candidate in Langley-Willowbrook, said Rustad failed to support the industry when he was in government under the former BC Liberals.
“Not only will Rustad’s old thinking and recycled ideas fail to deliver, his proposal to eliminate stumpage would inflame the softwood lumber dispute — punishing forestry workers and communities,” Mercier said, accusing Rustad of ignoring the complexity of the challenges facing the industry.
The softwood lumber dispute between the U.S. and Canada stretches back decades. In August, the U.S. Department of Commerce nearly doubled duties on softwood lumber.
International Trade Minister Mary Ng has said Canada has taken steps to launch two legal challenges under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement.
Rustad said a provincial Conservative government would push hard to get a deal with the United States over the ongoing dispute “whether it’s with the rest of Canada or by itself.”
He said his party’s proposed changes are in the name of bringing “stability” and “hope” to the industry that has seen multiple closures of mills in rural communities over the last several years.
Most recently, Canfor Corp. decided to shutter two northern British Columbia sawmills earlier this month, leaving hundreds of workers unemployed by the end of the year.
According to the United Steelworkers union, Canfor has closed 10 mills in the province since November 2011, including nine in northern B.C.
Jeff Bromley, chair of the United Steelworkers wood council, said Saturday the idea of changes in favour of taxing the final product has been floated in the past.
He said the finer details of the Conservative plan will be important, but that the system needs to be improved and “new ideas are certainly something I’d be willing to entertain.”
“Something needs to happen, or the industry is just going to bleed and wither away and be a shadow of its former self,” Bromley said.
“Politics aside, if (Rustad) can come up with a policy that enables my members to work, then I would be supportive of that. But then I’m supportive of any government that would come up with policies and fibre for our mills to run. Period.”
When Canfor announced its latest closures, Forests Minister Bruce Ralston said the sector was a “foundational part” of the province and the current NDP government would work to support both local jobs and wood manufacturing operations.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024
