Business

B.C. remains reluctant to introduce COVID-19 vaccine passport – News 1130

Published

3 years ago

August 5, 2021

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Despite plans in Quebec to introduce a COVID-19 vaccine passport, B.C.’s health minister remains reluctant to do the same.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault has said his province will introduce a vaccine passport system to prevent a fourth wave, with details expected in the coming days.

“People who have made the effort to get their two doses should be able to live a somewhat normal life, having access to all activities, including non-essential ones,” Legault said in explaining the vaccine passport plan, which is expected to require proof of vaccination to enter places such as gyms and bars in Quebec, where COVID-19 transmission is high.

When asked Thursday whether there was any interest in B.C. to bring in such a program, Health Minister Adrian Dix said his focus is on getting more people vaccinated and easy access to their personal immunization records.

He did not directly support nor denounce the idea of barring people from certain activities if they are not vaccinated against COVID-19 and instead pointed to previous announcements that there will be strict rules when it comes to health care workers and COVID-19 immunizations.

“No, you are not obliged to get vaccinated in B.C. or anywhere else in Canada [but] there are consequences if you don’t, and I think everyone will have to understand that,” Dix said.

“It will be increasingly necessary in many in many workforces in many forms work, particularly in health care, to be able to demonstrate that you’re vaccinated because there will be consequences if you’re not,” he later added.

However, he didn’t close the door to the idea, saying “we are pursuing all options to address the transmission of COVID-19 and we’re looking at all those options.”

Delta variant confirmed among B.C. children

Cases across the province have been on the rise, with 342 recorded on Wednesday. That’s the highest figure we have seen in over two months. The highly contagious Delta variant has been a big concern and one of the reasons B.C. has been ramping up efforts to make it convenient for people to get vaccinated against the virus.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says there have been cases of the Delta variant found in children under the age of 12. While she did not provide any statistics, she maintained there haven’t been “very many.”

“What we are not seeing is increased rates of transmission in young children and children under 12, in particular. We’ve not seen very many cases in that age group,” she said.

Henry cautions changes will have to be made if hospitalization numbers spike and focus remains on preventing deaths, severe illness and keeping people working/kids going to school.
She says models show what’s important and immunization makes a difference to manage cases. #bcpoli

— Marcella Bernardo (@MBernardoNews) August 5, 2021

The number of British Columbians hospitalized with COVID-19 and in the ICU have also been on the rise, standing at 55 and 23 as of Wednesday.

“We look at the Interior [where] all of the people who are ICU right now — and there are some younger people who have had quite severe disease — are unvaccinated,” Henry told NEWS 1130 on Wednesday.

Henry said despite the rising daily COVID-19 numbers, “we absolutely are on track” to enter stage 4 of B.C.’s reopening plans in early September.

“I’m confident that we’re going to be in a good place here in B.C.,” she said Wednesday, noting that could change if those who are vaccine hesitant remain that way.

According the province’s re-opening plans, Sept. 7 is the earliest date we could enter stage 4, where masks go from recommended to being a personal choice, we return to normal social contact, and concerts would be allowed again.

Walk-In Wednesday hailed a ‘success’

The province now stands at 81.7 per cent of eligible British Columbians having at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 68.4 per cent having two doses. But Henry warns we’re not out of the woods yet.

“This virus is not gone, and we’ve seen that with the increasing cases that we’ve seen in the last few weeks, particularly in the Central Okanagan, where we see that this virus can take off easily,” she said.

Dix says 33,277 shots were administered Wednesday, 16,505 of which were at one of more than 50 walk-in clinics that were set up for “Walk-In Wednesday.” Dix called it a “success,” noting 20,000 doses were set aside for the one-day event.

Of all the shots administered Wednesday, 6,130 were first doses.

“This represents, I think, the effort to assist people in walking in to get their shots and focusing on first doses,” Dix said, adding “16,505 of those were walk-ins, significantly more than we usually get.”

With files from Lucas Casaletto

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Business

Carry On Canadian Business. Carry On!

Published

1 day ago

October 22, 2024

Steven Kaszab

Human Resources Officers must be very busy these days what with the general turnover of employees in our retail and business sectors. It is hard enough to find skilled people let alone potential employees willing to be trained. Then after the training, a few weeks go by then they come to you and ask for a raise. You refuse as there simply is no excess money in the budget and away they fly to wherever they come from, trained but not willing to put in the time to achieve that wanted raise.

I have had potentials come in and we give them a test to see if they do indeed know how to weld, polish or work with wood. 2-10 we hire, and one of those is gone in a week or two. Ask that they want overtime, and their laughter leaving the building is loud and unsettling. Housing starts are doing well but way behind because those trades needed to finish a project simply don’t come to the site, with delay after delay. Some people’s attitudes are just too funny. A recent graduate from a Ivy League university came in for an interview. The position was mid-management potential, but when we told them a three month period was needed and then they would make the big bucks they disappeared as fast as they arrived.

Government agencies are really no help, sending us people unsuited or unwilling to carry out the jobs we offer. Handing money over to staffing firms whose referrals are weak and ineffectual. Perhaps with the Fall and Winter upon us, these folks will have to find work and stop playing on the golf course or cottaging away. Tried to hire new arrivals in Canada but it is truly difficult to find someone who has a real identity card and is approved to live and work here. Who do we hire? Several years ago my father’s firm was rocking and rolling with all sorts of work. It was a summer day when the immigration officers arrived and 30+ employees hit the bricks almost immediately. The investigation that followed had threats of fines thrown at us by the officials. Good thing we kept excellent records, photos and digital copies. We had to prove the illegal documents given to us were as good as the real McCoy.

Restauranteurs, builders, manufacturers, finishers, trades-based firms, and warehousing are all suspect in hiring illegals, yet that becomes secondary as Toronto increases its minimum wage again bringing our payroll up another $120,000. Survival in Canada’s financial and business sectors is questionable for many. Good luck Chuck!. at least your carbon tax refund check should be arriving soon.

Steven Kaszab
Bradford, Ontario
skaszab@yahoo.ca

Business

Imperial to cut prices in NWT community after low river prevented resupply by barges

Published

1 day ago

October 22, 2024

Anne Joseph

NORMAN WELLS, N.W.T. – Imperial Oil says it will temporarily reduce its fuel prices in a Northwest Territories community that has seen costs skyrocket due to low water on the Mackenzie River forcing the cancellation of the summer barge resupply season.

Imperial says in a Facebook post it will cut the air transportation portion that’s included in its wholesale price in Norman Wells for diesel fuel, or heating oil, from $3.38 per litre to $1.69 per litre, starting Tuesday.

The air transportation increase, it further states, will be implemented over a longer period.

It says Imperial is closely monitoring how much fuel needs to be airlifted to the Norman Wells area to prevent runouts until the winter road season begins and supplies can be replenished.

Gasoline and heating fuel prices approached $5 a litre at the start of this month.

Norman Wells’ town council declared a local emergency on humanitarian grounds last week as some of its 700 residents said they were facing monthly fuel bills coming to more than $5,000.

“The wholesale price increase that Imperial has applied is strictly to cover the air transportation costs. There is no Imperial profit margin included on the wholesale price. Imperial does not set prices at the retail level,” Imperial’s statement on Monday said.

The statement further said Imperial is working closely with the Northwest Territories government on ways to help residents in the near term.

“Imperial Oil’s decision to lower the price of home heating fuel offers immediate relief to residents facing financial pressures. This step reflects a swift response by Imperial Oil to discussions with the GNWT and will help ease short-term financial burdens on residents,” Caroline Wawzonek, Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance and Infrastructure, said in a news release Monday.

Wawzonek also noted the Territories government has supported the community with implementation of a fund supporting businesses and communities impacted by barge cancellations. She said there have also been increases to the Senior Home Heating Subsidy in Norman Wells, and continued support for heating costs for eligible Income Assistance recipients.

Additionally, she said the government has donated $150,000 to the Norman Wells food bank.

In its declaration of a state of emergency, the town said the mayor and council recognized the recent hike in fuel prices has strained household budgets, raised transportation costs, and affected local businesses.

It added that for the next three months, water and sewer service fees will be waived for all residents and businesses.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.

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Business

U.S. vote has Canadian business leaders worried about protectionist policies: KPMG

Published

1 day ago

October 22, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – A new report says many Canadian business leaders are worried about economic uncertainties related to the looming U.S. election.

The survey by KPMG in Canada of 735 small- and medium-sized businesses says 87 per cent fear the Canadian economy could become “collateral damage” from American protectionist policies that lead to less favourable trade deals and increased tariffs

It says that due to those concerns, 85 per cent of business leaders in Canada polled are reviewing their business strategies to prepare for a change in leadership.

The concerns are primarily being felt by larger Canadian companies and sectors that are highly integrated with the U.S. economy, such as manufacturing, automotive, transportation and warehousing, energy and natural resources, as well as technology, media and telecommunications.

Shaira Nanji, a KPMG Law partner in its tax practice, says the prospect of further changes to economic and trade policies in the U.S. means some Canadian firms will need to look for ways to mitigate added costs and take advantage of potential trade relief provisions to remain competitive.

Both presidential candidates have campaigned on protectionist policies that could cause uncertainty for Canadian trade, and whoever takes the White House will be in charge during the review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement in 2026.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.

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