After nearly a month of decline, COVID-19 infections around the world have started to creep up again. New cases have shot up by eight per cent globally compared to the previous week, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). However, experts are not sure Canada will see another wave even with loosened public health measures.
“WHO looks at global numbers,” infectious disease specialist Dr. Gerald Evans told Global News in an interview Wednesday. “So, they’re going to be skewed by places like China, where numbers have increased.”
The increase of COVID cases around the world is caused by a combination of factors, including the highly transmissible Omicron variant and its cousin the BA.2 sub-variant, and the lifting of public health and social measures, according to the WHO.
“Western Europe is probably a better area for us to look at when we think to ourselves what could happen to us this spring,” said Evans. “They’re a little bit ahead of what we’ve been doing here in Canada … because of those two factors: a more transmissible variant and a reduction in public health measures.”
He explained that the BA.2 sub-variant is more transmissible and is more common in western Canada where public health restrictions have been lifted. There could be an increase in cases in Canada as seen in Europe following their reduction of public health measures.
“Is that going to be a wave? That’s the part that’s a little more difficult to be certain about. It has a lot to do with whether Canadians will completely abandon all the public health measures,” Evans said.
2:30 Ford Government remains confident in removing mask rules despite rising BA.2 cases
Ford Government remains confident in removing mask rules despite rising BA.2 cases
The increase in COVID-19 cases has led to lockdowns in Asia. China’s Jilin province is battling to contain an outbreak.
Canada’s daily COVID-19 cases have fallen since the record-setting fifth wave fuelled by the highly transmissible Omicron variant, but have plateaued at a level higher than seen before in the two-year-long pandemic.
As of March 16, the seven-day average of daily lab-confirmed cases sits a little above 5,800, much lower than the record high of over 45,000 daily cases set on Jan. 7.
Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam and her provincial counterparts have said those confirmed cases are likely an undercount of the true number of cases, which could be up to 10 times higher. Many parts of the country no longer provide laboratory tests for most people after capacity was overwhelmed by the spread of Omicron.
The number of Canadians seeking treatment in hospital for COVID-19 also sat at 3,915 on Wednesday, about a third of the record 10,800 patients seen in January. The number includes about 459 people who are being treated for COVID-19 in intensive care units.
The country is currently seeing an average of 52 deaths per day, down from the near-record average seen late last month, which was over 100.
Could Canada see another lockdown?
Dr. Sumon Chakrabarti, an infectious diseases physician with Trillium Health Partners, said he’s been hearing a lot of experts say increased case numbers are because of loosened restrictions, but that’s only part of the equation, he says.
“We should remember that in temperate climates, you occasionally see a small bump in respiratory infections near the end of the winter. We certainly saw that (during) multiple years of influenza,” said Chakrabarti.
He also said the rise of cases doesn’t necessarily mean that Canadians will need to go back into lockdown or keep the mask mandate.
“I think the important thing for us to remember is that whereas previously mask-wearing was the only tool that we had … two years later, we have in Canada at least greater than 90 per cent of people protected by vaccines. And most importantly, if you look at the highest-risk adults over the age of 60, (the vaccination rate is) over 95 percent, so it’s a very different situation,” Chakrabarti explained.
“If you’re going to have a bit of a bump, you want that to happen as far away from the start of winter as possible. In the springtime … the impact on the health system is going to be much less,” said Chakrabarti. “We have to remember that what we are trying to do at this point is prevent hospitalization.”
2:14 Where have past variants of concern gone?
Where have past variants of concern gone? – Feb 24, 2022
Evans,on the other hand, said he believes that Canada should keep the mask mandate and capacity limits as other parts of the world report a rise in COVID-19 cases.
“I think it’s just been rushed a little bit too quickly … If we’re not quick to reduce restrictions … we could probably keep that BA.2 wave down a little bit,” said Evans.
“But it’s that unfortunate mixture of trying to get rid of those public health measures at the same time this sub-lineage pops up … that’s a that’s going to be really tough,” he added.
Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said on Thursday that after two years of following individual public health measures, “people in Canada know what to do to keep themselves and each other safe.”
“As I’ve mentioned in the past, we are in a much better position today than in 2020,” said Duclos.
He said that high vaccination rates and public health measures have pushed Canada through the peak of the Omicron wave.
1:40 Canada to drop testing rules for incoming vaccinated travelers: sources
Canada to drop testing rules for incoming vaccinated travelers: sources
“We have more tools, like widely available rapid tests, and a range of new treatments that can help keep some patients from getting seriously ill,” said Duclos. “I think it’s fair to say that we are now entering into a transition phase of this pandemic.”
As the weather warms up and people spend more time outside, Duclos said he expects to see transmission decline in the coming months, but Canadians have to be prepared for a “waning of collective and individual immunity.”
“Of course, the Government of Canada will also keep monitoring for new variants through our robust surveillance system, and adjust public measures as necessary,” he added.
What China’s lockdown means for Canada?
Evans and Chakrabarti stressed that the situation in China and the way it deals with outbreaks is very different than in Canada and other countries. So, just because parts of China have gone to lockdown doesn’t mean that other places will too, and it shouldn’t cause people to be anxious.
“China has what it’s called a COVID zero sort of policy, and that (means imposing) very stringent widespread lockdowns whenever they see a rise in cases,” said Evans.
“The result of that is that it’s left a lot of their population without ever having had COVID, which is a good thing until you get into an era like Omicron, where Omicron is so highly transmissible.”
He also said that in China, older people have lower vaccination rates compared to younger people — quite the opposite from Canada and in parts of the western world.
“I think right now China is having their Omicron wave, which is similar to what we saw here in Canada in December. It’s a very different situation there,” said Chakrabarti.
1:53 France eases masking measures, China sees infection spike
France eases masking measures, China sees infection spike
TORONTO – Will Taylor Swift bring chaos or do we all need to calm down?
It’s a question many Torontonians are asking this week as the city braces for the massive fan base of one of the world’s biggest pop stars.
Hundreds of thousands of Swifties are expected to descend on downtown core for the singer’s six concerts which kick off Thursday at the Rogers Centre and run until Nov. 23.
And while their arrival will be a boon to tourism dollars, it could further clog the city’s already gridlocked streets.
Swift’s shows collide with other scheduled events at the nearby Scotiabank Arena, including a Toronto Raptors game on Friday and a Toronto Maple Leafs game on Saturday.
Some locals have already adjusted their plans to avoid the area.
Aahil Dayani says he and some friends intended to throw a birthday bash for one of their pals, until they realized it would overlap with the concerts.
“Ultimately, everybody agreed they just didn’t want to deal with that,” he said.
“Something as simple as getting together and having dinner is now thrown out the window.”
Dayani says the group rescheduled the birthday party for after Swift leaves town. In the meantime, he plans to hunker down at his Toronto residence.
“Her coming into town has kind of changed up my social life,” he added.
“We’re pretty much just not doing anything.”
Max Sinclair, chief executive and founder of A.I. technology firm Ecomtent, has suggested his employees stay away from the company’s downtown offices on concert days, since he doesn’t see the point in forcing people to endure potential traffic jams.
“It’s going to be less productive for us, and it’s going to be just a pain for everyone, so it’s easier to avoid it,” he said.
“We’re a hybrid company, so we can be flexible. It just makes sense.”
Toronto Transit Commission spokesperson Stuart Green says the public agency has been preparing for over a year to ease the pressure of so many Swifties in one confined area.
Dozens of buses and streetcars have been added to the transit routes around the stadium, while the TTC has consulted with the city on how to handle potential emergency scenarios.
“There may be some who will say we’re over-preparing, and that’s fair,” Green said.
“But we know based on what’s happened in other places, better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – Electronic Arts has incorporated the Professional Women’s Hockey League into its NHL 25 video game.
The six teams starting their second seasons Nov. 30 will be represented in “play now,” “online versus,” “shootout” and “season” modes, plus a championship Walter Cup, in the updated game scheduled for release Dec. 5, the PWHL and EA Sports announced Wednesday.
Gamers can create a virtual PWHL player.
The league and video game company have agreed to a multi-year partnership, the PWHL stated.
“Our partnership with EA SPORTS opens new doors to elevate women’s hockey across all levels,” said PWHL operations senior vice-president Amy Scheer in a statement.
“Through this alliance, we’ll develop in-game and out-of-game experiences that strengthen the bond between our teams, players, and fans, bringing the PWHL closer to the global hockey community.”
NHL 22 featured playable women’s teams for the first time through an agreement with the International Ice Hockey Federation.
Toronto Sceptres forward Sarah Nurse became the first woman to appear on the video game’s cover in 2023 alongside Anaheim Ducks centre Trevor Zegras.
The Ottawa Charge, Montreal Victoire, Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost and New York Sirens round out the PWHL. The league announced team names and logos in September, and unveiled jerseys earlier this month.
“It is so meaningful that young girls will be able to see themselves in the game,” said Frost forward Taylor Heise, who grew up playing EA’s NHL games.
“It is a big milestone for inclusivity within the hockey community and shows that women’s prominence in hockey only continues to grow.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. continued to navigate weaker consumer demand in the third quarter as it looked ahead to the spinoff of its pork business in 2025.
“This environment has a particularly significant impact on a premium portfolio like ours and I want you to know that we are not sitting still waiting for the macro environment to recover on its own,” said CEO Curtis Frank on a call with analysts.
Frank said the company is working to adapt its strategies to consumer demand. As inflation has stabilized and interest rates decline, he said pressure on consumers is expected to ease.
Maple Leaf reported a third-quarter profit of $17.7 million compared with a loss of $4.3 million in the same quarter last year.
The company says the profit amounted to 14 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a loss of four cents per share a year earlier. Sales for the quarter totalled $1.26 billion, up from $1.24 billion a year ago.
“At a strategic level … we’re certainly seeing the transitory impacts of an inflation-stressed consumer environment play through our business,” Frank said.
“We are seeing more trade-down than we would like. And we are making more investments to grow our volume and protect our market share than we would like in the moment. But again, we believe that those impacts will prove to be transitory as they have been over the course of history.”
Financial results are improving in the segment as feed costs have stabilized, said Dennis Organ, president, pork complex.
Maple Leaf, which is working to spin off its pork business into a new, publicly traded company to be called Canada Packers Inc. and led by Organ, also said it has identified a way to implement the plan through a tax-free “butterfly reorganization.”
Frank said Wednesday that the new structure will see Maple Leaf retain slightly lower ownership than previously intended.
The company said it continues to expect to complete the transaction next year. However, the spinoff under the new structure is subject to an advance tax ruling from the Canada Revenue Agency and will take longer than first anticipated.
Maple Leaf announced the spinoff in July with a plan to become a more focused consumer packaged goods company, including its Maple Leaf and Schneiders brands.
“The prospect of executing the transaction as a tax-free spin-off is a positive development as we continue to advance our strategy to unlock value and unleash the potential of these two unique and distinct businesses,” Frank said in the news release.
He also said that Maple Leaf is set on delivering profitability for its plant protein business in mid-2025.
“This includes the recent completion of a procurement project aimed at leveraging our purchasing scale,” he said.
On an adjusted basis, Maple Leaf says it earned 18 cents per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of 13 cents per share in the same quarter last year.
The results were largely in line with expectations, said RBC analyst Irene Nattel in a note.
Maple Leaf shares were down 4.5 per cent in midday trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange at $21.49.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
