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COVID-19 cases continue to trend downward, variants being closely monitored – CHAT News Today

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4 years ago

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She said the first variant case was identified retrospectively in a sample first taken from a returning traveller on Dec. 15. Since then, the 104 variant cases identified comes from more than 43,000 cases of COVID detected in the province.

She said that accounts for a quarter of a per cent of all the cases identified from Dec. 15 onward.

“Since our lab has begun testing most if not all positive samples, the average per cent of all cases that are variants of concern is higher a 1.4 per cent of all positive tests.”

She said that between Jan. 30 and Feb. 5, 38 variant cases have been found versus 2,703 non-variant cases.

“This does not in any way minimize the threats these variants pose or the impact they will have if we let them spread widely,” Hinshaw said. “However so far variants are still very rare and we are working hard to try to keep it that way.”

Alberta Health has expanded testing capacity, created dedicated variant contact tracing teams and moved rapidly to isolate variant cases and prevent virus spread, Hinshaw said.

She added the public health measures such as staying home when sick, getting tested and following the letter and spirit of the rules in place are even more important, calling them the tried and true methods.

There are 14 active cases of COVID-19 in Medicine Hat on Tuesday.

The city now has had 535 total cases – the 14 active, 507 recovered and there have been 14 deaths.

There is one new case in the city in Tuesday’s update and one new recovery.

Across the province, there are 5,831 active cases, down 365 from Monday, and 119,678 recovered cases, up 548.

Alberta’s total number of COVID-19 cases from the start of the pandemic is 127,231.

There are 195 new cases in the province today.

There are now 427 Albertans in hospital with COVID-19, 78 of which are in ICU, and 422 deaths.

The province completed 7,003 tests in the past 24 hours.

The provincial positivity rate is 3.2 per cent.

As of Feb. 8, 124,325 doses of vaccine have been administered in Alberta.

Hinshaw said that since in-person classes resumed in January, cases identified in Albertans between the ages of five and 19 have trended downwards. In the first week back 113 cases were identified; just 58 were identified last week.

“While any new case is concerning, this is a positive trend. It continues to show what we have seen here in Alberta since in-person learning began in September,” said Hinshaw.

“Cases rise and fall in children and youth as the rates of community transmission increase and decrease. When combined with the other evidence that we are seeing, this tells us that schools are still not a primary driver of COVID-19 transmission when appropriate measures are applied.”

She said the measures in place are largely working thanks to the efforts and attention of teachers, staff and students. She added it remains crucial that keep transmission rates stay low and case numbers continue to drop.

She called it “the best way to protect schools, continuing care facilities and the rest of society.”

On Monday, Hinshaw announced the province has eliminated the colour-coded regional status map and removed the regional classifications of “Enhanced,” “Watch” and “Open.”

Active case numbers and active cases rates remain on the page.

Hinshaw will provide another update on Wednesday.

There are 6,051 cases in the South Zone. There are 325 active cases and 5,651 recovered. The death total in the zone is at 75.

An AHS spokesperson told CHAT News on Monday that AHS South Zone currently has 27 COVID-19 positive individuals in hospital. There are two at Medicine Hat Regional Hospital, with one of those in the ICU. Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge has 24 inpatients, with nine of those in the ICU. The Pincher Creek Health Centre has one inpatient.

Seven Persons School is on “Alert” status, with two positive cases. One was confirmed on Jan. 17 and one on Jan. 15. Students and staff have been identified as close contacts and placed into quarantine.

The website Support Our Students is tracking instances of cases in schools across the province.

Cypress County has totaled 145 cases – one active case and the rest recovered.

The County of Forty Mile has 117 total cases. There no active cases, 115 recovered and there have been two deaths.

The MD of Taber has 332 total cases — four active cases, 322 recovered and there have been six deaths.

Special Areas No. 2 has 40 total cases – one active, 38 recovered and there has been one death.

Brooks has 1,365 total cases — five active and 1,346 are recovered. Brooks has recorded 14 deaths.

The County of Newell has a total of 158 cases — two active cases, 154 recovered and there have been two deaths.

The County of Warner has 158 total cases. There is one active case, 155 are recovered cases and there have been two deaths in the county.

The City of Lethbridge has a total of 1,828 cases. There are 189 active cases, 1,626 recovered and there have been 13 deaths. Lethbridge County has 519 cases, 12 active cases, 500 recovered and there have been seven deaths.

The figures on alberta.ca are “up-to-date as of end of day Feb. 8, 2021.”

Read the full Feb. 9 update from the province here.

Saskatchewan confirmed 80 new cases of COVID-19 in the Tuesday update.

Saskatchewan has a total of 25,654 cases, 2,026 considered active. There are 23,282 recovered cases and there have been 346 COVID-19 deaths in the province.

Saskatchewan has delivered 44,521 doses of vaccine.

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What Difference Will You Make to an Employer?

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13 hours ago

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October 21, 2024

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Ex-Employer (Job)

It’s common knowledge that companies don’t hire the most qualified candidates. Employers hire the person they believe will deliver the best value in exchange for their payroll cost.

Since most job seekers know the above, I’m surprised that so few mention their Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Most job seekers list their education, skills, and experience without substantiating them and expect employers to determine whether they can benefit their company; hence, most resumes and LinkedIn profiles are just a list of opinions—borderline platitudes—that are meaningless and, therefore, have no value. Job seekers need to better explain, along with providing evidence, how they’ll contribute to an employer’s success.

Employers don’t hire opinions (read: talk is cheap); they hire results.

You’re not offering anything tangible when you claim:

 

  • I’m a great communicator.
  • I’m detail oriented.
  • I’m a team player.

 

Tangible:

 

  • “At Global Dynamics, I held quarterly town hall meetings with my 22 sales reps, highlighting our accomplishments, identifying opportunity areas, and recognizing outstanding performers.”
  • “For eight years, I managed Vandelay Industries IT department, overseeing a staff of 18 and a 12-million-dollar budget while coordinating cross-specialty projects. My strong attention to detail is why I never exceeded budget.”
  • “While working at Cyberdyne Systems, I was part of the customer service team, consisting of nine of us, striving to improve our response time. Through collaboration and sharing of best practices, we reduced our average response time from 48 to 12 business hours, resulting in a 35% improvement in customer feedback ratings.”

 

These examples of tangible answers provide employers with what they most want to hear from candidates but rarely do; what value the candidate will bring to the company. Typically, job seekers present their skills, experience, and unsubstantiated opinions and expect recruiters and employers to figure out their value, which is a lazy practice.

Getting hired isn’t based on “I have an MBA in Marketing and Sales,” “I’ve been a web designer for over 15 years,” “I’m young, beautiful and energetic,” blah, blah, blah. Likewise, being rejected isn’t based on “I’m overqualified,” “I’m too old,” “I don’t have enough education,” blah, blah, blah. Getting hired depends entirely on showing employers that you can add value and substance to their company; that you’ll serve a purpose.

When you articulate a solid value offer, the “blah, blah, blah” doesn’t matter. Job seekers focus too much on the “blah, blah, blah,” and when not hired, they say, “It’s not me, it’s…” The biggest mistake I see job seekers make is focusing on the “blah, blah, blah”—their experience and education—believing this is what interests employers. Hiring managers are more interested in whether you can solve the problems the position exists to solve than in your education and experience.

 

Not impressive: Education

Impressive: A track record of achieving tangible results.

 

You aren’t who you say you are; you are what you do.

 

If you want to be somebody who works hard, you have to actually work hard. If you want to be somebody who goes to the gym, you actually have to go to the gym. If you want to be a good friend, spouse, or colleague, you have to actually be a good friend, spouse, or colleague. Actions build reputations, not words.

The biggest challenge job seekers face today is differentiating themselves. To stand out and be memorable, don’t be like most job seekers, someone who’s all talk and no action. Any recruiter or hiring manager will tell you that the job market is heavily populated with job seekers who talk themselves up, talk a “good game” about everything they can “supposedly” do, drop names, etc., but have nothing to show for it.

More than ever, employers want to hear candidates offer a value proposition summarizing what value they bring. If you’re looking for a low-hanging fruit method to differentiate yourself, do what job seekers hardly ever do and make a hard-to-ignore value proposition.

  1. Increase sales: “Based on my experience managing Regina and Saskatoon for PharmaKorp, I’m confident that I can increase BioGen’s sales by no less than 25% in Winnipeg and the surrounding area by the end of 2025.”
  2. Reduce cost: “During my 12 years as Taco Town’s head of purchasing, I renegotiated contracts with key suppliers, resulting in 15% cost savings, saving the company over $450,000 annually. I know I can do the same for The Pasta House.”
  3. Increase customer satisfaction:“During my time at Globex Corporation, I established a systematic feedback mechanism that enabled customers to share their experiences. This led to targeted improvements, increasing our Net Promoter Score by 15 points. I can increase Dunder Mifflin’s net promoter score.”
  4. Save time: “As Zap Delivery’s dispatcher, I implemented advanced routing software that analyzed traffic patterns, reducing average delivery times by 20%. My implementation of this software at Froggy’s Delivery can reduce your delivery times by at least 20%, if not more.”

 

If you want to achieve job search success as soon as possible, structure your job search with a single thread that’s evident and consistent throughout your résumé, LinkedIn profile, cover letters and especially during interviews; clearly convey what difference you’ll make to the employer.

_____________________________________________________________________

 

Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.

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Netflix’s subscriber growth slows as gains from password-sharing crackdown subside

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4 days ago

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October 17, 2024

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Netflix on Thursday reported that its subscriber growth slowed dramatically during the summer, a sign the huge gains from the video-streaming service’s crackdown on freeloading viewers is tapering off.

The 5.1 million subscribers that Netflix added during the July-September period represented a 42% decline from the total gained during the same time last year. Even so, the company’s revenue and profit rose at a faster pace than analysts had projected, according to FactSet Research.

Netflix ended September with 282.7 million worldwide subscribers — far more than any other streaming service.

The Los Gatos, California, company earned $2.36 billion, or $5.40 per share, a 41% increase from the same time last year. Revenue climbed 15% from a year ago to $9.82 billion. Netflix management predicted the company’s revenue will rise at the same 15% year-over-year pace during the October-December period, slightly than better than analysts have been expecting.

The strong financial performance in the past quarter coupled with the upbeat forecast eclipsed any worries about slowing subscriber growth. Netflix’s stock price surged nearly 4% in extended trading after the numbers came out, building upon a more than 40% increase in the company’s shares so far this year.

The past quarter’s subscriber gains were the lowest posted in any three-month period since the beginning of last year. That drop-off indicates Netflix is shifting to a new phase after reaping the benefits from a ban on the once-rampant practice of sharing account passwords that enabled an estimated 100 million people watch its popular service without paying for it.

The crackdown, triggered by a rare loss of subscribers coming out of the pandemic in 2022, helped Netflix add 57 million subscribers from June 2022 through this June — an average of more than 7 million per quarter, while many of its industry rivals have been struggling as households curbed their discretionary spending.

Netflix’s gains also were propelled by a low-priced version of its service that included commercials for the first time in its history. The company still is only getting a small fraction of its revenue from the 2-year-old advertising push, but Netflix is intensifying its focus on that segment of its business to help boost its profits.

In a letter to shareholder, Netflix reiterated previous cautionary notes about its expansion into advertising, though the low-priced option including commercials has become its fastest growing segment.

“We have much more work to do improving our offering for advertisers, which will be a priority over the next few years,” Netflix management wrote in the letter.

As part of its evolution, Netflix has been increasingly supplementing its lineup of scripted TV series and movies with live programming, such as a Labor Day spectacle featuring renowned glutton Joey Chestnut setting a world record for gorging on hot dogs in a showdown with his longtime nemesis Takeru Kobayashi.

Netflix will be trying to attract more viewer during the current quarter with a Nov. 15 fight pitting former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson against Jake Paul, a YouTube sensation turned boxer, and two National Football League games on Christmas Day.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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All Magic Spells (TM) : Top Converting Magic Spell eCommerce Store

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4 days ago

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October 17, 2024

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