COVID-19 cases continued to rise in Quebec on Tuesday, as health officials reported 12,833 new cases — a single-day high — and 15 additional deaths.
Due to the increasing strain on the province’s health-care system, Health Minister Christian Dubé announced on Tuesday that health care-workers, under certain circumstances, will be allowed to continue to work even if they receive a positive COVID-19 result.
Quebec Premier François Legault, centre, Quebec Public Health Director Dr. Horacio Arruda, left, and Health Minister Christian Dubé attend a news conference in Montreal last week. Officials announced Tuesday that Quebec health workers, under certain circumstances, will be allowed to work even if they test positive for COVID-19. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)
“Omicron’s contagion is so exponential that a huge number of personnel have to be withdrawn, and that poses a risk to the network capacity to treat Quebecers,” he said during a briefing, referring to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. “We made the decision that under certain conditions, positive staff will be able to continue working according to a list of priorities and risk management.”
Dubé said he would provide more information about those conditions in the coming days but that the decision was made with the input of the union and Ministry of Health.
The province’s public health director, Dr. Horacio Arruda, added some detail, saying if a worker is clearly not well, they will not be required to work.
“But there [are] people who really have some symptoms, very soft ones, who can go work again and they feel OK.”
WATCH | Dr. Arruda on which infected health-care workers can continue to work in Quebec:
Some COVID positive health-care workers in Quebec can continue work
5 hours ago
Duration 1:44
Quebec Public Health Director Dr. Horacio Arruda outlines who might be able to continue working in the health-care system even if they test positive for COVID-19, and under what circumstances. 1:44
Manitoba said Monday that the province may also have to consider allowing health-care workers who test positive to go back to work if there is further strain on the system, and Ontario appeared poised to enact similar measures.
Late Tuesday afternoon, federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair tweeted that he has approved Quebec’srequest for help with staff vaccination centres. Blair said that officials from his department will speak with their provincial counterparts about exactly what is needed.
Update: Today, I wrote to my colleague <a href=”https://twitter.com/GGuilbaultCAQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@GGuilbaultCAQ</a> to inform her that we have approved Québec’s request for federal assistance. Our officials are engaging with their provincial counterparts to clarify the specific needs, and we will share more details as they are confirmed. <a href=”https://t.co/MztlZcezzm”>https://t.co/MztlZcezzm</a>
Meanwhile, health officials in Ontario on Tuesday reported 8,825 new cases and seven additional deaths. Health Minister Christine Elliott said in a tweet that 491 people were hospitalized with COVID-19.
491 people are hospitalized with <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#COVID19</a>, and 187 people are in ICU due to COVID-19. <br><br>The seven-day rolling average of COVID-19 related patients in ICU is 171.<br> <br>There are 8,825 new cases of COVID-19.
Rod Phillips, Ontario’s minister of long-term care, said Tuesday that there were 41 care homes with outbreaks across the province, up from 37 the previous day.
While 93 residents and 161 staff have tested positive for COVID-19, none are hospitalized, he said.
About 84 per cent of eligible residents and 43 per cent of long-term care workers had received COVID-19 vaccine booster shots as of last week, he said.
Dr. Kieran Moore, the province’s chief medical officer of health, was scheduled to provide an update about the situation in Ontario on Tuesday, but provincial representatives later said that briefing was being postponed.
Ontario health officials are considering shortening isolation and quarantine period guidance, following similar changes made in the United States.
-From CBC News and The Canadian Press, last updated at 5 p.m. ET
What’s happening in Canada
WATCH | Ontario Science Table director on need to reduce contacts in face of Omicron:
Stricter COVID-19 measures needed in Ontario to reduce Omicron spread, says expert
9 hours ago
Duration 6:52
Epidemiologist Dr. Peter Jüni hopes to see the Ontario government introduce stronger COVID-19 restrictions to fight the spread of the Omicron variant. ‘The situation we are in is challenging,’ he says. 6:52
For more details on the situation in your province and territory — including the latest on hospitalizations and ICU capacity, as well as local testing issues — click through to the local coverage below.
In Atlantic Canada, Nova Scotia reported 561 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday. Along with delaying the return to school after the holidays to Jan. 10, the province has also suspended jury trials due to the surge in cases.
Newfoundland and Labrador on Tuesday reported a total of 194 new cases of COVID-19 — a single-day high for the province — with no hospitalizations reported.
Across the North, there were 11 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Nunavut on Tuesday. Health officials in the Northwest Territories and Yukon had not yet provided updated information for the day.
In the Prairies, Manitoba health officials reported 825 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday and seven additional deaths. The update came as the province announced it was ramping up restrictions again, including capacity limits for both indoor and outdoor public gatherings.
In Saskatchewan, officials announced a total of 896 cases on Tuesday, which included the daily totals since Christmas Eve. There were 205 cases on Dec. 24, 241 on Christmas Day, 151 cases on Dec. 26, 137 on Dec. 27 and 162 cases on Tuesday.
In Alberta, the province’s top public health official, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, reported that there have been about 8,250 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed since Dec. 23. The numbers, however, are estimates and will not be final until Wednesday.
The number includes 2,000 new cases on Dec. 23; 2,500 on Dec. 24; 1,600 on Christmas; 750 on Dec. 26; and 1,400 on Monday. Hinshaw said the test positivity rate is about 17 to 22 per cent.
In British Columbia, health officials on Monday reported 6,288 new COVID-19 cases over three days. Updated information on deaths and hospitalizations is expected later this week.
-From CBC News and The Canadian Press, last updated at 5:45 p.m. ET
What’s happening around the world
People wearing face masks to curb the spread of COVID-19 line up for a COVID-19 test at La Paz hospital in Madrid on Tuesday. Spain is dealing with the highest-ever number of coronavirus infections, with some regions considering further curbs on social life ahead of the end of the year. (Manu Fernandez/The Associated Press)
As of late Tuesday afternoon, roughly 282.3 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to a tracking site maintained by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University. The reported global death toll stood at more than 5.4 million.
In Europe, demand for free COVID-19 testing kits provided by Madrid’s regional government far outstripped supply on Tuesday, with long lineups forming outside pharmacies in what has become a common scene since the Omicron variant began driving up infection. It was a similar story in Italy, where long lines have developed at some drive-in testing centres, while many chemists have reported being deluged with requests for tests as infections climb.
Germany’s health minister says his government is buying a million packets of Pfizer’s Paxlovid pill for newly infected COVID-19 patients. Karl Lauterbach said the treatment is “extremely promising” because it can head off serious illness if started early. He said he has initiated the procedure for an emergency authorization of Paxlovid in Germany together with the country’s medical regulator so that it can be used as soon as it is delivered.
In Africa,health officials in South Africa on Monday reported 3,782 new cases of COVID-19 and 15 additional deaths.
In the Asia-Pacific region, India has granted emergency use authorization for two vaccines and one COVID-19 pill, the health minister tweeted, as authorities warn about the spread of the Omicron variant across the country.
The first is Covovax, the Serum Institute of India’s version of the Novavax vaccine, a two-dose shot made with lab-grown copies of the spike protein that coats the coronavirus. The second is Corbevax, made by Indian firm Biological-E, which the health minister said is the country’s first indigenously developed protein-based vaccine against COVID-19.
It also granted emergency-use approval for molnupiravir, an antiviral drug, that will be manufactured by 13 companies in India and will be used in emergency situations to treat COVID-19 patients at high risk.
A health worker waits for people to turn up for COVID-19 tests at a metro station in New Delhi on Tuesday. (Manish Swarup/The Associated Press)
Even though daily cases in India have remained low for months after the country saw a devastating surge earlier this year, concern over Omicron has grown in recent weeks, sparking various states to enforce new restrictions. In the capital, New Delhi, a slew of new restrictions were announced Tuesday, including a night curfew, shutting down cinemas and gyms, and a ban on large public gatherings or events. India has so far confirmed more than 650 Omicron cases.
Bangladesh, meanwhile, began administering coronavirus vaccine booster shots as the South Asian country tried to fend off the highly contagious Omicron variant.
In the Middle East, the multibillion-dollar world’s fair in Dubai has warned that some venues at the site may shut down as coronavirus cases rapidly rise in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai’s Expo 2020 said that virus outbreaks among workers may force parts of the fair to “close temporarily for deep cleaning and sanitization.” It did not elaborate.
The UAE’s daily virus caseload has skyrocketed by a multiple of 35 in just the last three weeks after the arrival of the Omicron variant. The vague statement from Dubai’s government-run media office on Monday underscores the daunting challenges of hosting among the world’s first major in-person events amid a still-raging pandemic.
In the Americas, U.S. government figures show that the Omicron variant continues to account for a growing proportion of new coronavirus infections in the country.
Omicron accounted for 59 per cent of new cases in the U.S. for the week ending Dec. 25, according to updated data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s up from 23 per cent the previous week.
U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday pledged the full support of the federal government to states facing surges in COVID-19 cases from the Omicron variant and a run on at-home tests.
A medical worker administers a COVID-19 test at a new testing site inside the Times Square subway station on Monday in New York City. After a week of record-breaking positive COVID test rates, city officials and agencies are working to ramp up testing accessibility and turnaround times. (Scott Heins/Getty Images)
Biden acknowledged long lines and chaotic scenes as Americans sought out testing amid the case surge and as they looked to safely gather with family and friends over the holidays. He referred to his administration’s plan to make 500 million rapid tests available to Americans beginning next month through an as-yet-to-be-developed website.
Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said on Monday that the U.S. should “seriously” consider a vaccination mandate for domestic travel. Speaking to MSNBC, Fauci, who serves as Biden’s chief science adviser on the COVID-19 response, said, “When you make vaccination a requirement, that’s another incentive to get more people vaccinated.”
-From Reuters, The Associated Press and CBC News, last updated at 2 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.
