Canada added a record 14,456 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday as the federal government revealed expanded aid benefits to help those impacted by the rapid spread of Omicron.
The new infections brings Canada’s total number of COVID-19 cases to 1,922,227. Another 27 deaths linked to COVID-19 were announced Canada-wide as well, pushing the death toll to 30,112.
So far, more than 1.8 million patients have recovered after being diagnosed with COVID-19, and 65,807,168 vaccinations have been administered to date.
The new daily infections tallied on Wednesday represent the highest ever new infections recorded in a single day so far since the pandemic, according to Global News data.
Currently, the data also points to Canada registering another pandemic high: a seven-day average of 8,930 cases as of Dec. 21.
1:24 COVID-19: Canada broadens Worker Lockdown Benefit as Omicron prompts new restrictions
COVID-19: Canada broadens Worker Lockdown Benefit as Omicron prompts new restrictions
Wednesday’s figures come amid growing concerns from government and public health officials over the spread of the new, highly-contagious Omicron COVID-19 variant.
In a press briefing Wednesday, Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said that there were at least 2,360 confirmed cases of the variant identified in the country to date.
Since the variant was first identified in Canada, provinces like Ontario, B.C. and Quebec have re-enacted strict public health restrictions in the last several weeks to curb a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases.
In response to the public health measures — which include limiting the capacities of restaurants and stores by 50 per cent — the federal government on Wednesday introduced an expansion to the eligibility of its new Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit (CWLB).
The expansion now allows for any worker to apply for the $300-per-week program if their workplace has been hit with the capacity-limiting restriction of 50 per cent or more.
The expanded eligibility only applies until Feb. 12, 2022, while the the CWLB lasts until May 7, 2022.
2:00 COVID-19: More than 2,300 confirmed Omicron cases in Canada to date, Tam says
COVID-19: More than 2,300 confirmed Omicron cases in Canada to date, Tam says
You would also need to have lost 50 per cent or more of your income as a result of capacity limits in order to apply for the benefit, according to the government.
“We’re temporarily expanding eligibility for key programs. For the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit and the Local Lockdown program, you will be able to apply if you’re subject to capacity-limiting restrictions,” announced Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier Wednesday.
“Here’s the bottom line: we need, all of us, (to) do what it takes so Canadians are protected and to have what you need to weather the storm.”
Last Thursday, there were more than 43,000 active COVID-19 cases across Canada — a number that has nearly doubled in less than a week, standing now at just over 82,000.
“In less than a week, we’ve seen a rapid acceleration of epidemic activity in locations across Canada,” said Tam.
“While Delta is still spreading in many areas, Omicron is increasingly responsible for a rapid rise in case counts.”
Tam warned that infections in Canada could be higher by the beginning of the new year unless the spread is slowed.
Trudeau, meanwhile, urged Canadians to “hunker down in the coming weeks.”
“I know nobody wants to be in this situation right now, but Canadians have shown we’re there for our neighbours, we’re there for our most vulnerable, we’re there for our front-line health-care workers … we know that as long and dark as winters can be, spring is coming and spring will be better if we hunker down in the coming weeks,” Trudeau said.
2:01 COVID-19: New financial support for Canadian businesses, workers hit by Omicron
COVID-19: New financial support for Canadian businesses, workers hit by Omicron
Provincial case counts
With Canada reporting its highest-ever single-day high in new cases, several provinces have also released daily case counts not seen in months.
Ontario reported its highest single-day count since late April with over 4,380 new COVID cases on Wednesday, pushing their provincial total to more than 661,500.
Cases in the province have more than doubled since last week, with new cases in the province standing at just over 1,800 last Wednesday.
In Quebec, cases of COVID-19 are rising “exponentially” according to Premier Francois Legault Wednesday.
About 6,361 new cases of COVID-19 were officially recorded on Wednesday, though Legault said that the province had recorded about 9,000 new cases, some of which would be added to Thursday’s official total.
Wednesday marks the fifth straight day Quebec has reported a record number of infections.
“In the past week, the number of COVID cases has tripled. We have today about 9,000 new cases, and we expect hospitalizations to continue to increase,” said Legault in a press conference.
“Our goal remains the same: to protect our hospitals so that we can continue to treat all those who need it.”
British Columbia on Wednesday also smashed its previous single-day record of new COVID-19 cases with 1,474 more infections on Dec. 22.
In the Prairies, case counts have also drastically increased.
3:15 Travel confusions amid Omicron variant surge
Travel confusions amid Omicron variant surge
Alberta confirmed over 1,300 new cases of COVID-19, of which 522 were confirmed to be the Omicron variant.
Manitoba reported its highest one-day jump in new COVID-19 cases since late May, with 400 new infections and two more deaths Wednesday.
Officials in Saskatchewan added 105 more cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, as well as one more death.
Provinces in Atlantic Canada have also seen a record-shattering week for their case counts.
Nova Scotia broke its daily case count record for the seventh day in a row on Wednesday with 537 new cases. New Brunswick added a record 237 new cases on Wednesday — the highest since the pandemic began.
Newfoundland and Labrador added another 60 cases on Wednesday, while P.E.I. posted its highest single-day increase with 33 new cases.
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.
