Canada’s chief public health officer says the country is in a “critical” stage of the COVID-19 pandemic and is urging Canadians not to let up.
“At this stage of the pandemic, many of us are experiencing mental fatigue and exhaustion, which is certainly normal and expected,” Dr. Theresa Tam said in a statement on Sunday.
“The past year has been challenging and a lot has been asked of Canadians — to stay home, wear a mask, limit gatherings and adopt new ways of living and working, among others.”
Tam compared the pandemic to a marathon and said Canada is at “a critical point in the race.”
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“We are partway through, but with the current momentum of the epidemic and continued high rates of infection in many areas of the country, now is the time to strengthen our resolve, regroup and make sure that we have the stamina to keep our pace and make it across the finish line,” she said.
Tam also continued to urge Canadians to follow public health guidelines on wearing masks, physical distancing and frequent handwashing, saying they play a vital role in curbing the spread of more transmissible coronavirus variants.
“With vaccines rolling out in Canada and across the world, I am hopeful that the finish line will soon be in sight,” Tam said. “Together we can win this race.”
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau says the federal government won’t rule out invoking the federal Emergencies Act to limit travel.
“We are looking at all potential actions to make sure that we can achieve our aims. The Emergencies Act is something you don’t consider lightly,” Garneau said in a Sunday interview on Rosemary Barton Live.
“But we are first and foremost concerned about the health and safety of Canadians. And if we can do that in a way that we have the regulatory power to do it, we will do it.”
WATCH | Garneau says not ruling out using Emergencies Act to limit travel:
Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau says the federal government is actively discussing further measures to limit travel as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. 9:30
The Emergencies Act would give cabinet the power to regulate or prohibit travel “to, from or within any specified area, where necessary for the protection of the health or safety of individuals.”
On Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged Canadians to rethink all travel plans inside and outside Canada’s borders, particularly as March break approaches.
What’s happening across Canada
As of 1:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, Canada had reported 746,660 cases of COVID-19, with 63,793 cases considered active. A CBC News tally of deaths stood at 19,067.
Saskatchewan reported 260 new COVID-19 cases and three more deaths on Sunday.
WATCH | Montreal woman ‘shocked’ after mother received doses of 2 different vaccines:
Two weeks after receiving the Moderna vaccine, Antonietta Pollice was given a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, said her daughter, Patrizia Di Biase. Pollice, who has dementia, did not understand what vaccine she was receiving, Di Biase said. 2:02
New Brunswick is reporting 20 new cases. The figure comes a day after the Edmundston region went into full lockdown.
Nova Scotia added one new case, but its active caseload dipped as it also announced two recoveries. Starting Monday, the province will ease some restrictions on sports and the performing arts.
In Prince Edward Island, more people were allowed in churches and other places of worship after the province eased some measures this weekend.
Nunavut says it will tighten restrictions in Arviat after the territory announced 13 new infections in the hard-hit community.
In Yukon, the White River First Nation in Beaver Creek is calling for a harsher penalty against two Vancouver residents who broke COVID-19 rules and got vaccinated in the community.
What’s happening around the world
As of Sunday, more than 98.9 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, with more than 54.6 million of the cases considered resolved or recovered, according to the coronavirus tracking tool maintained by Johns Hopkins University. The global death toll stood at more than 2.1 million.
In Africa, four Zimbabwean cabinet ministers have died of COVID-19 — three within the past two weeks — highlighting a resurgence of the disease in the country.
Pallbearers carry the coffin of government minister Ellen Gwaradzimba in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Jan. 21. Gwaradzimba is among four cabinet ministers to have died of COVID-19. (Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/The Associated Press)
In Europe, the French government says it may impose a third lockdown in the coming days if an existing 12-hour-a-day curfew doesn’t significantly slow virus infections.
In Asia-Pacific, New Zealand has reported its first coronavirus case outside of a quarantine facility in more than two months, although there was no immediate evidence the virus was spreading in the community.
In the Americas, the U.S. has surpassed 25 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. The country accounts for roughly one of every four cases reported worldwide and one of every five deaths.
LONGUEUIL, Que. – People in a part of Longueuil, Que., were being asked to stay indoors with their doors and windows closed on Thursday morning after a train derailed, spilling an unknown quantity of hydrogen peroxide.
Police from the city just east of Montreal said it didn’t appear anyone was hurt, although a CN rail official told a news conference that three employees had been taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.
The derailment happened at around 9 a.m. in the LeMoyne area, near the intersection of St-Louis and St-Georges streets. Mathieu Gaudreault, a spokesman for CN rail, said about eight cars derailed at the Southwark rail facility, including four that toppled over.
“As of this morning, the information we have is it’s hydrogen peroxide that was in the rail car and created the fumes we saw,” he said, adding that there was no risk of fire.
François Boucher, a spokesman for the Longueuil police department, said police were asking people in the area, including students at nearby schools, to stay indoors while experts ensure the air is safe to breathe.
“It is as a preventive measure that we encourage people to really avoid exposing themselves unnecessarily,” he told reporters near the scene.
Police and fire officials were on site, as well as CN railworkers, and a large security perimeter was erected.
Officers were asking people to avoid the sector, and the normally busy Highway 116 was closed in the area. The confinement notice includes everyone within 800 metres of the derailment, officials said, who added that it would be lifted once a team with expertise in dangerous materials has given the green light.
In addition to closing doors and windows, people in the area covered by the notice are asked to close heating, ventilation and air exchange systems, and to stay as far from windows as possible.
Gaudreault said it wasn’t yet clear what caused the derailment. The possibilities include a problem with the track, a problem with a manoeuvre, or a mechanical issue, he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
HALIFAX – Nova Scotia’s Liberal party is promising to improve cellphone service and invest in major highways if the party is elected to govern on Nov. 26.
Party leader Zach Churchill says a Liberal government would spend $60 million on building 87 new cellphone towers, which would be in addition to the $66 million the previous Progressive Conservative government committed to similar projects last year.
As well, Churchill confirmed the Liberals want to improve the province’s controlled access highways by adding exits along Highway 104 across the top of the mainland, and building a bypass along Highway 101 near Digby.
Churchill says the Liberals would add $40 million to the province’s $500 million capital budget for highways.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the three major political parties were expected to spend much of today preparing for a televised debate that will be broadcast tonight at 6 p.m. local time.
Churchill will face off against Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston and NDP Leader Claudia Chender during a 90-minute debate that will be carried live on CBC TV and streamed online.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
TORONTO – A group of hotel service workers in Toronto is set to hold a rally today outside the Fairmont Royal York to demand salary increases as hotel costs in the city skyrocket during Taylor Swift’s concerts.
Unite Here Local 75, the union representing 8,000 hospitality workers in the Greater Toronto Area, says Royal York employees have not seen a salary increase since 2021, and have been negotiating a new contract with the hotel since 2022.
The rally comes as the megastar begins her series of six sold-out concerts in Toronto, with the last show scheduled for Nov. 23.
During show weekends, some hotel rooms and short-term rentals in Toronto are priced up to 10 times more than other weekends, with some advertised for as much as $2,000 per night.
The union says hotel workers who will be serving Swifties during her Toronto stops are bargaining for raises to keep up with the rising cost of living.
The union represents hospitality workers including food service employees, room attendants and bell persons.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
