The World Health Organization raised its risk assessment for the new coronavirus to the highest level on Friday — but should that really change the way Canadians are reacting?
Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at Toronto General Hospital, cautioned against getting too caught up in words used by health officials.
“It doesn’t really matter,” Bogoch said, explaining that the new “very high” risk of spread doesn’t change the advice from officials.
2:15 COVID-19: WHO official says outbreak not at stage to declare pandemic
COVID-19: WHO official says outbreak not at stage to declare pandemic
Advice from both the WHO and Canadian officials has been clear and consistent, he said.
“I think they’ve been very explicit over the last few days, to the last week or so, that we should really be preparing for a greater number of cases, regardless of where we are on the planet.”
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Bogoch said that countries that have experienced cases will likely experience more, and places that have so far been in the clear may also deal with the outbreak.
Over the last day, the total number of countries reporting cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, jumped to nearly 60, bringing the total number of global cases to more than 83,000.
So far, 14 cases have been confirmed in Canada, split between B.C. and Ontario. A 15th presumptive case has been discovered in Quebec. Canadians that were quarantined at a Canadian Forces Base in Trenton, Ont., after travelling from Wuhan, China, were released earlier this week.
WHO’s Dr. Mike Ryan echoed the same sentiment — a higher risk assessment doesn’t immediately warrant more or different action.
He explained during Friday’s press conference that raising the risk level doesn’t have any legal implications or obligate countries to take action. He said it serves as a warning for countries to be alert to cases appearing within their borders and to act swiftly to contain them.
3:03 When does an outbreak become a pandemic?
When does an outbreak become a pandemic?
“Raising the risk to very high is essentially reflecting what’s actually happening at a global level: more countries, some countries struggling with containment, and therefore heightening that level of alert,” Ryan said.
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But what does all that mean for regular Canadians? Bogoch said they should look to Canadian health officials for practical tips, rather than focus on the big picture of spread and containment.
“There’s a bit of a window of time before we start to see more and more cases in Canada, and individuals can do things during that time that are helpful,” he said.
For example, Bogoch noted those with chronic illnesses, seniors and those with other underlying medication conditions should ensure they are in “optimal health.”
“That may be filling out a prescription or going to get checked up by your primary care provider or specialist,” he said. “Are you up to date on your vaccines?”
Bogoch also pointed to tips offered by federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu, saying those should be the focus of Canadians concerned about the coronavirus.
3:49 Tips for travelling amid ongoing coronavirus concerns
Tips for travelling amid ongoing coronavirus concerns
This week, Hajdu said Canadians should consider stockpiling food and medication in their homes in case they or a loved one should fall ill with the virus.
“It’s really about, first of all, making sure that you do have enough supplies so if someone in your family becomes ill, if you yourself become ill, that you have what you need to survive for a week or so without going outside,” she said.
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She also suggested people should do what they can to ease the burden on the health care system in the meantime by staying home if they’re sick, washing their hands and getting flu shots.
Hajdu also said Canadians should consider avoiding travel or at least make well-informed decisions by checking advisories.
“It’s important that people know that international travel may have exposed them to the novel coronavirus and they may not know,” she said.
— With files from Global News reporter Leslie Young and The Canadian Press
VANCOUVER – Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia’s ports since Monday.
The BC Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 are scheduled to meet for the next three days in mediated talks to try to break a deadlock in negotiations.
The union, which represents more than 700 longshore supervisors at ports, including Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo, has been without a contract since March last year.
The latest talks come after employers locked out workers in response to what it said was “strike activity” by union members.
The start of the lockout was then followed by several days of no engagement between the two parties, prompting federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to speak with leaders on both sides, asking them to restart talks.
MacKinnon had said that the talks were “progressing at an insufficient pace, indicating a concerning absence of urgency from the parties involved” — a sentiment echoed by several business groups across Canada.
In a joint letter, more than 100 organizations, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of Canada and associations representing industries from automotive and fertilizer to retail and mining, urged the government to do whatever it takes to end the work stoppage.
“While we acknowledge efforts to continue with mediation, parties have not been able to come to a negotiated agreement,” the letter says. “So, the federal government must take decisive action, using every tool at its disposal to resolve this dispute and limit the damage caused by this disruption.
“We simply cannot afford to once again put Canadian businesses at risk, which in turn puts Canadian livelihoods at risk.”
In the meantime, the union says it has filed a complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board against the employers, alleging the association threatened to pull existing conditions out of the last contract in direct contact with its members.
“The BCMEA is trying to undermine the union by attempting to turn members against its democratically elected leadership and bargaining committee — despite the fact that the BCMEA knows full well we received a 96 per cent mandate to take job action if needed,” union president Frank Morena said in a statement.
The employers have responded by calling the complaint “another meritless claim,” adding the final offer to the union that includes a 19.2 per cent wage increase over a four-year term remains on the table.
“The final offer has been on the table for over a week and represents a fair and balanced proposal for employees, and if accepted would end this dispute,” the employers’ statement says. “The offer does not require any concessions from the union.”
The union says the offer does not address the key issue of staffing requirement at the terminals as the port introduces more automation to cargo loading and unloading, which could potentially require fewer workers to operate than older systems.
The Port of Vancouver is the largest in Canada and has seen a number of labour disruptions, including two instances involving the rail and grain storage sectors earlier this year.
A 13-day strike by another group of workers at the port last year resulted in the disruption of a significant amount of shipping and trade.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
The Royal Canadian Legion says a new partnership with e-commerce giant Amazon is helping boost its veterans’ fund, and will hopefully expand its donor base in the digital world.
Since the Oct. 25 launch of its Amazon.ca storefront, the legion says it has received nearly 10,000 orders for poppies.
Online shoppers can order lapel poppies on Amazon in exchange for donations or buy items such as “We Remember” lawn signs, Remembrance Day pins and other accessories, with all proceeds going to the legion’s Poppy Trust Fund for Canadian veterans and their families.
Nujma Bond, the legion’s national spokesperson, said the organization sees this move as keeping up with modern purchasing habits.
“As the world around us evolves we have been looking at different ways to distribute poppies and to make it easier for people to access them,” she said in an interview.
“This is definitely a way to reach a wider number of Canadians of all ages. And certainly younger Canadians are much more active on the web, on social media in general, so we’re also engaging in that way.”
Al Plume, a member of a legion branch in Trenton, Ont., said the online store can also help with outreach to veterans who are far from home.
“For veterans that are overseas and are away, (or) can’t get to a store they can order them online, it’s Amazon.” Plume said.
Plume spent 35 years in the military with the Royal Engineers, and retired eight years ago. He said making sure veterans are looked after is his passion.
“I’ve seen the struggles that our veterans have had with Veterans Affairs … and that’s why I got involved, with making sure that the people get to them and help the veterans with their paperwork.”
But the message about the Amazon storefront didn’t appear to reach all of the legion’s locations, with volunteers at Branch 179 on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive saying they hadn’t heard about the online push.
Holly Paddon, the branch’s poppy campaign co-ordinator and bartender, said the Amazon partnership never came up in meetings with other legion volunteers and officials.
“I work at the legion, I work with the Vancouver poppy office and I go to the meetings for the Vancouver poppy campaign — which includes all the legions in Vancouver — and not once has this been mentioned,” she said.
Paddon said the initiative is a great idea, but she would like to have known more about it.
The legion also sells a larger collection of items at poppystore.ca.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
