OTTAWA —
Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam is calling for “structural change” across health, social, and economic sectors in the wake of COVID-19, in a new report highlighting the successes and shortfalls in the country’s pandemic response to date.
“I do see COVID-19 as a catalyst for collaboration between health, social, and economic sectors, and I have observed at the federal level, but also from local levels, and provincial levels,” she told reporters during a press conference discussing the report.
Tam said that while there are examples of decisions taken that begin to address some of these shortcomings—such as increasing affordable housing availability and financial supports for low-income and precarious workers—these policies should be extended past the emergency phase of the pandemic.
“What I’m really, really keen to see is that this continues… The report is calling for this to be a more sustained approach,” she said. “Why can’t we have those governance structures beyond the crisis and into recovery?”
In the Public Health Agency’s annual report made public on Wednesday, Tam offers new insights and statistics related to Canada’s battle against the novel coronavirus over the last several months and the “serious threat” the virus continues to pose.
For example, in Canada:
80 per cent of COVID-19-related deaths have been residents of long-term care facilities;
19 per cent of national cases are among health-care workers; and
92 per cent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients had at least one underlying health condition.
The annual report is entitled “From Risk to Resilience: An Equity Approach to COVID-19,” and it gives an overview of COVID-19’s consequences so far, such as the disproportionate health impacts experienced by workers who provide essential services, racialized populations, people living with disabilities or mental illnesses, and women.
It also includes recommendations on how to improve the country’s pandemic preparedness, response, and recovery.
The report says the “structural change” should include improving employment conditions and conditions inside long-term care homes, increasing access to housing, as well as enhancing Canadians’ ability to access social and health services both in-person and online.
Tam said she hopes that in future pandemic planning, “it can’t just be health and public health making it known that all other departments and different sectors, and different aspects of societies need to be part of the response. We need to sort of build it in explicitly so that, you know, future pandemics and health crises have those other supports come into play immediately.”
As Tam argues, Canadians’ health depends on their social and economic well-being and the severity of COVID-19 illness may be influenced by their access to these kinds of supports.
“No one is protected until everyone is protected,” says Tam in the report.
Tam’s overall recommendations are distilled into three calls:
Sustaining governance at all levels for “structural change” in health, social, and economic sectors. The report notes that the health of people in Canada was not equal before COVID-19, but that the pandemic has exposed and exacerbated existing shortcomings. Tam suggests that more data needs to be collected and used to inform policy decisions to eliminate inequities and mitigate some potential long-term pandemic impacts;
Harnessing “the power of social cohesion” to control and minimize the virus’ spread. She suggests this can be done by leaders sharing evidence and information to provide Canadians with confidence in taking public health precautions such as mask-wearing; and
Strengthening public health capacity. Tam says that more work is needed to ensure Canada’s public health system is able to handle case surges while having the capacity to deal with non-COVID-19 health issues, including re-evaluating “what sustained investments and the future of public health would look like.”
GLOBAL COMPARISONS
The report also goes over the timeline from the first confirmed case in Canada and when community transmission began, to the various rolling restrictions and travel advisories imposed.
From a global perspective, according to the report, Canada ranked 79th out of 210 countries with respect to total cases per million inhabitants, and 26th for total deaths per million, as of Aug. 22. The outbreaks in Canadian long-term care homes are cited as a driving factor in why Canada is so high on the list of countries when it comes to deaths.
“Pandemic preparedness did not extend into these settings leaving residents vulnerable to the introduction, spread and impact of a novel virus,” the report states.
In an interview on CTV’s Power Play, Tam was asked whether she thinks enough lessons from the first wave have been learned to prevent the same high rate of deaths in long-term care homes. She said that so far the scale of the outbreaks inside these homes is not as large, and efforts have been taken to improve infection control, but the virus is “very sneaky” and preventing more seniors’ deaths still depends on the actions all Canadians take.
“Right now the second resurgence, a lot of the cases are in the younger adult population, but what we’re seeing is that it’s beginning to permeate through other age groups including the elderly,” Tam said.
Further, analysis of international travel-related cases between January and March found that 35 per cent of cases entered Canada from the United States, 10 per cent from the U.K. and France, and 1.4 per cent from China. Once travel restrictions were imposed, 91 per cent of reported cases by August originated in Canada.
COMMUNICATION STRUGGLES
The report notes that in the absence of an effective treatment or vaccine, individual and collective public health measures need to be taken to control the pandemic. However, “accurate, timely and clear communication” has been a challenge.
Tam notes that there have been “a number” of issues on this front, such as Canadians being exposed to a vast amount and varying quality of information and the confusion spawning from the frequently-moving goal posts when it comes to public health advice due to the evolving science.
“Information needs to be tailored and locally contextualized, while at the same time balanced with consistent key messaging being shared across the country,” the report states.
Tam is advising that as long as the virus is uncontrolled, public health officials and governments need to be transparent and provide regular updates on COVID-19 and up-to-date guidance.
It’s a part of Tam’s mandate to provide Health Minister Patty Hajdu with a report on the state of public health in Canada annually, which then is tabled in Parliament.
The report is based on Canadian data available from January to the end of August, and notes that because the virus and evidence around it continues to rapidly evolve, “the report was written with the knowledge that the story of this pandemic is continuing to change every day.”
TIMELINE OF KEY MILESTONES
December 31, 2019: PHAC was notified of a pneumonia-like illness of unknown cause originating in Wuhan, China.
January 22, 2020: Canada implements novel coronavirus screening requirements for travellers returning from China. Residents are asked additional screening questions to determine if they have visited the city of Wuhan, China.
January 25, 2020: First presumptive confirmed case of 2019-nCoV related to travel to Wuhan, China confirmed in Ontario.
February 20, 2020: First COVID-19 case in Canada from travel outside mainland China, from Iran, reported in British Columbia.
February 23, 2020: First recorded COVID-19 case in Canada linked to community transmission.
February 24, 2020: Alberta records first COVID-19 case in Canada linked to travel to the U.S.
March 7, 2020: First COVID-19 outbreak at a long-term care home in Vancouver, British Columbia involving 79 cases.
March 11, 2020: Canada surpasses 100 reported COVID-19 cases.
March 12-22, 2020: Physical distancing measures are implemented across the country. All provinces and territories declare a state of emergency and/or public health emergency. Non-essential businesses close or have significantly reduced capacity; gatherings are restricted; schools close; advisory issued for those who can, to work from home.
March 13, 2020: The Government of Canada recommends avoiding non-essential travel outside of Canada,
March 16, 2020: Government of Canada advises all travellers entering Canada to self-isolate for 14 days.
March 18–19, 2020: Additional international travel advisories and border restrictions are implemented: Entry to Canada by air is prohibited to all foreign nationals (except those from the United States); Canada and the United States agree to temporarily restrict non-essential travel across the Canada-US border; International flights are redirected to only 4 airports.
March 28, 2020: First reported outbreak among temporary foreign workers in an agricultural setting, involving 23 people.
April 7, 2020: Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health issue a statement supportive of wearing non-medical masks as an additional layer of protection for other people in close proximity.
April 14, 2020: Largest known COVID-19 outbreak reported at homeless shelter in Toronto, Ontario, involving 164 cases.
April 15, 2020: Lockdown in response to largest known outbreak at a correctional facility in Laval, Quebec involving 162 cases.
April 17, 2020: First reported COVID-19 outbreak in an isolated northern community in Saskatchewan, affecting 117 residents.
April 24, 2020: New Brunswick is the first province to ease physical distancing restrictions.
May 6, 2020: Alberta reports a COVID-19 outbreak at a meat processing plant, which becomes the largest outbreak at a single location in Canada (by the end of August) with 1,560 people confirmed.
June 17, 2020: First COVID-19 outbreak in a religious-cultural community declared in Saskatchewan, involving 285 people.
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.
