Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island joined the list of provinces pushing back the return to in-class learning on Tuesday, with officials in the three provinces saying students will learn at home until at least Jan. 17.
When students do return to island classrooms, there will be masking requirements and additional testing, officials said.
“This was a challenging decision that was based on balancing safety and the overall health and well-being of children,” Dr. Heather Morrison, Prince Edward Island‘s chief public health officer, said in a statement.
The island, which has a high vaccination rate and no COVID-19 deaths to date, is seeing rising case numbers, with 222 new cases on Wednesday. Three people were in hospital being treated for COVID-19, with one person in the ICU.
“It’s not our intention to stay in this restriction situation for any longer than we need to,” Premier Dennis King said Tuesday, as the province was extending a slew of restrictions. “The ‘when’ will be determined by the science, the ‘how’ — that is what we’re working on.”
WATCH | Premier on what’s next for P.E.I.:
Premier King says he’ll change COVID-19 measures if science supports it
2 days ago
Duration 7:33
P.E.I. Premier Dennis King joins CBC News: Compass to discuss the province’s decision to extend school closures and temporary COVID-19 measures to at least Jan. 17. 7:33
In Nova Scotia, the premier said it was a difficult decision to delay reopening to Jan. 17, but promised that staff and students will be safe when they go back to in-class learning.
Tim Houston said ventilation systems will be improved and that his hope is that every student will have access to a 3-ply mask, “possibly even sitting on their desks waiting for them.”
“There will be COVID in schools,” he said during a briefing. “Everyone should take precautions knowing there is lots of COVID around the province.”
There are currently 45 people being treated in Nova Scotia hospitals with COVID-19. Houston said none of them are children.
Students in Manitoba will also begin the new year with online education. The province had previously announced it would delay the return to school until Jan. 10. But on Tuesday, officials announced students would do one week of remote learning as well.
Some children will be able to learn in person, officials said, including students with special needs and children of some essential workers.
WATCH | Houston says schools offer more than academics:
‘The best place for our children is in school,’ says N.S. premier
19 hours ago
Duration 1:22
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston apologizes for pushing back school reopening to Jan. 17, acknowledging that schools offer everything from food to warmth for many children in the province. 1:22
“We know that our youth learn best in a classroom setting. It is our goal to ensure they can return to the classroom as quickly as possible,” Premier Heather Stefanson said.
Alberta’s education minister confirmed Wednesday that kids in that province in kindergarten through Grade 12 will return to school, as planned, on Jan. 10. Adriana LaGrange said during a briefing that the situation today is very different from at other points during the pandemic, given the addition of vaccines.
“Approximately 85 per cent of youth between the ages of 12 and 17 have received at least one vaccine dose and around 80 per cent have received two,” she said. LaGrange said while kids aged five to 11 have only been eligible for the shot since late November, 37 per cent already have at least one dose.
WATCH | LaGrange explains Alberta’s return to school:
Kids learn best in class, says Alberta education minister
15 hours ago
Duration 2:02
Alberta Education Minister Adriana LaGrange says kids will return safely to school as planned on Jan. 10, and explains why the province made the decision. 2:02
In Ontario, meanwhile, many students returned to remote school on Wednesday, as school boards across the province launched online learning.
-From CBC News and The Canadian Press, last updated at 3 p.m. ET
What’s happening across Canada
WATCH | Trudeau makes appeal to the unvaccinated:
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pleads with the unvaccinated to get the shot
19 hours ago
Duration 2:12
Trudeau said that the best way out of the pandemic is still for Canadians to get their vaccines as soon as possible 2:12
With testing capacity strained, experts say true case counts are likely far higher than reported. Hospitalization data at the regional level is also evolving, with several provinces saying they plan to report figures that separate the number of people in hospital because of COVID-19 from those in hospital for another medical issue who also test positive for COVID-19.
For more detail on what is happening in your community — including details on health systems, test positivity rates and local restrictions — click through to the regional coverage below.
Across the North, COVID-19 is now present in half of Nunavut’s communities, the territory’s top doctor said Wednesday, as officials reported 231 active cases.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kami Kandola, the chief public health officer in the Northwest Territories, said on Tuesday that Omicron is now the dominant variant in the territory.
“COVID-19 infections are now in multiple communities and for the first time, there are COVID-19 infections in every region of the territory,” she said, noting that the number of active cases in the territory has doubled since New Year’s Eve.
In Central Canada, Quebec on Wednesday reported 39 additional deaths and 1,750 hospitalizations. Officials also reported 14,486 new COVID-19 cases today and say about 28 per cent of tests came back positive — the same test-positivity rate as the prior day.
The update comes a day after Quebec officials announced a plan to restrict access to PCR tests for COVID-19 as the province faces increasing strain on the health system. People who are considered “high risk” — including people in hospital, long-term care, shelter systems, correctional facilities and remote communities — will still be able to access the lab-based tests, officials said.
Ontario health officials on Wednesday reported 14 additional deaths and 2,081 hospitalizations. The province also reported 11,582 additional cases, with a test positivity rate of 28.1 per cent.
Meanwhile, the health system in the province is preparing for widespread measures, including patient and staff transfers, to deal with a growing wave of COVID-19 that’s infecting people at an unprecedented rate. The Ontario government announced a series of measures Monday including business and school closures to beat back the Omicron variant spread that’s expected to infect more people.
In Atlantic Canada, COVID-19 caseloads continue to pile up in Newfoundland and Labrador with 479 new cases Wednesday, with three people in hospital, two more than yesterday.
Prince Edward Island currently has three people in hospital with COVID-19, with one patient in the ICU. The province reported 222 new cases Wednesday.
New Brunswick health officials on Wednesday reported 56 people in hospital with COVID-19, no change from Tuesday. There are 16 people in the ICU. A total of 779 new cases were reported, along with three additional deaths.
Meanwhile, in Nova Scotia, health officials reported that there are currently 45 people being treated in hospital with COVID-19, with eight in the ICU. There were 842 new cases reported.
In the Prairie provinces, a spokesperson for Saskatchewan‘s Ministry of Education says more than 1.4 million rapid COVID-19 tests have been distributed through elementary schools, and an additional 250,000 tests were recently sent to schools. The province is encouraging students and staff to take rapid tests before attending class.
Saskatchewan, the only province in Canada not to extend the holiday break for students in the face of surging COVID-19 cases (along with the territory of Yukon), reported 105 COVID-19 patients in hospital on Wednesday, with 13 in the ICU. There were 537 new cases.
Alberta, which has a daily positivity rate of 36.9 per cent, currently has 470 patients in hospital with COVID-19 and 72 in the ICU. There were 4,752 new cases reported Wednesday and 11 additional deaths.
In Manitoba, 252 are currently being treated in hospital for COVID-19, with 30 in the ICU. There were 1,790 new cases reported Wednesday, with a daily positivity rate of 40.3 per cent.
In British Columbia, officials reported no new deaths Wednesday. There are 317 people being treated in hospital for the virus, with 83 in ICU. The province reported 3,798 new cases.
-From The Canadian Press and CBC News, last updated at 6 p.m. ET
What’s happening around the world
WATCH | U.S. reports more than 1 million cases in single day:
U.S. reports more than 1 million COVID-19 cases in a single day
1 day ago
Duration 2:04
Shattering records, the U.S. recorded more than one million cases of COVID-19 in a single day. Experts warn that testing backlogs mean the real number of Americans infected with COVID-19 is likely much higher. 2:04
As of Wednesday evening, roughly 297.1 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University’s tracking system. The reported global death toll stood at more than 5.4 million.
In the Americas, U.S. health officials said Wednesday they are not changing the qualifications for being “fully vaccinated” against COVID-19, but they are urging Americans to stay “up to date” on their protection against the virus by getting booster shots when eligible.
The move to keep the existing definition of fully vaccinated — either two doses of the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine — comes as health officials warned of waning protections from the initial doses. They are encouraging Americans to get additional doses to stave off serious illness and death from the Delta and Omicron variants.
Walmart will now provide up to one week of paid time-off if a worker contracts COVID-19, instead of its earlier policy for up to two weeks, according to a memo seen by Reuters.
Walmart, the largest private employer in the United States with 1.6 million workers, is among the first major retailers to reduce paid leave for COVID-19, and could serve as a bellwether for other major employers.
In the Asia-Pacific region, Hong Kong authorities announced a two-week ban on flights from the United States and seven other countries and held 2,500 passengers on a cruise ship for coronavirus testing Wednesday as the city attempted to stem an emerging Omicron outbreak. The two-week ban on passenger flights from Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Britain and the United States will take effect Sunday and continue until Jan. 21.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam also announced that restaurant dining will be forbidden after 6 p.m. for two weeks starting Friday. Game arcades, bars and beauty salons must also close during that period.
“We have to contain the pandemic to ensure that there will not be a major outbreak in the community again,” Lam said at a news conference, adding that the city is “on the verge” of another surge.
In the Middle East, coronavirus infections are surging across several Gulf Arab states, with the daily number of cases more than doubling in Saudi Arabia over two days to more than 2,500 and crossing the 1,000-level in Qatar and Kuwait.
In Africa, health officials in South Africa on Tuesday reported 8,078 new cases of COVID-19 and 139 additional deaths.
As of today the cumulative number of <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#COVID19</a> cases identified in SA is 3 483 590 with 8 078 new cases reported. Today 139 deaths have been reported bringing the total to 91 451 deaths. The cumulative number of recoveries now stand at 3 328 246 with a recovery rate of 93% <a href=”https://t.co/YqoasjOrvi”>pic.twitter.com/YqoasjOrvi</a>
In Europe, Italy on Wednesday made COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for people over the age of 50, one of very few European countries to take such a step, in an attempt to ease pressure on its health service and reduce fatalities.
Italy has registered more than 138,000 coronavirus deaths since its outbreak emerged in February 2020, the second highest toll in Europe after Britain.
People who test positive for COVID-19 on rapid lateral flow tests will not need to confirm their results with a follow-up PCR test if they are not showing symptoms, the U.K. Health Security Agency said on Wednesday.
Britain is reporting record daily case numbers, and the UKHSA said that the high prevalence meant the chance of a false positive from a lateral flow device (LFD) was low. Lateral flow tests are rapid tests that can be done at home, without the help of medical professionals.
The move could also reduce the burden on the testing system, and reduce confusion if the test results contradict each other. At current levels of prevalence, officials say a positive LFD result is likely to be accurate, even if a follow-up PCR were negative.
“While cases of COVID continue to rise, this tried-and-tested approach means that LFDs can be used confidently to indicate COVID-19 infection without the need for PCR confirmation,” said UKHSA chief executive Dr. Jenny Harries.
While the move comes into place on Jan. 11 in England, people who develop COVID-19 symptoms should continue to take a PCR test, UKHSA said.
-From The Associated Press and Reuters, last updated at 6 p.m. ET
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.
