OTTAWA —
Ottawa Public Health says 61 more people in Ottawa have tested positive for COVID-19 and one more person has died.
The health unit’s COVID-19 dashboard now shows 15,757 total laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in Ottawa since the first case was confirmed on March 11, 2020.
The death toll from the pandemic now stands at 450 citizens of Ottawa.
No new variants of concern were confirmed in Ottawa on Wednesday, but eight more cases have tested positive for mutations. To date, Ottawa has seen 14 confirmed cases of the B.1.17 variant, two confirmed cases of the B.1.351 variant and 188 cases that have screened positive for a mutation whose lineage has not been confirmed.
The new case count brings Ottawa’s incidence rate of new cases per 100,000 residents to nearly 50, well past the “Red-Control” threshold of 40 cases per 100,000 population. The testing positivity rate in Ottawa rose to 2.7 per cent, which is above the minimum threshold for the red zone of 2.5 per cent. The estimated reproduction number dropped slightly on Wednesday. It remains above 1, suggesting the virus is spreading but it’s still below 1.2, which is the minimum level for the red zone.
On Tuesday, medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches said she expects to see Ottawa move to Red-Control within the next week. The province typically announces new restrictions for public health regions on Fridays, with the changes in effect the following Monday. Red-Control would bring tighter restrictions to indoor and outdoor gatherings, put new capacity limits on restaurants and retail stores and close cinemas. Etches said the province needs time to draft updated regulations before it can officially move Ottawa to another level of restrictions, but she urged residents to act as if they are in a “red situation” now in order to limit transmission by seeing fewer people and following public health guidelines for mask use, hand washing, and physical distancing.
OTTAWA’S KEY COVID-19 STATISTICS
Ottawa is in “Orange-Restrict” status under Ontario’s COVID-19 framework.
Ottawa Public Health data:
COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 48.8 (up from 46.3 on Tuesday, 45.5 on Monday, 43.7 on Sunday and 40.1 on Saturday)
Positivity rate in Ottawa: 2.7 per cent (March 10-16)
Reproduction number: 1.03 (seven day average)
Reproduction values greater than 1 indicate the virus is spreading and each case infects more than one contact. If it is less than 1, it means spread is slowing.
The orange-restrict category of Ontario’s COVID-19 framework includes a weekly rate of cases per 100,000 between 25 to 39.9, a percent positivity of 1.3 to 2.4 per cent, and a reproduction number of approximately 1 to 1.1.
The red-control threshold is a weekly incidence rate of 40 or more cases per 100,000 people and a positivity rate of 2.5 per cent or higher and a reproduction number of 1.2 or more.
VACCINES IN OTTAWA
As of March 17:
Vaccine doses administered in Ottawa (first and second shots): 79,659 (up by 2,236 since Monday)
COVID-19 doses received (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna): 86,640
OPH says a shipment of 6,100 doses of the Moderna vaccine arrived on March 13.
*OPH says staff were able to extract additional doses out of several vials, which were given to residents. In a statement on its dashboard, OPH said, “Vaccine inventory is based on an expected 5 dose per vial supply. Occasionally, an additional dose (6th dose) is successfully extracted and administered to clients.”
HOSPITALIZATIONS IN OTTAWA
There are 18 people in Ottawa-area hospitals with COVID-19 related illnesses, down from 20 on Tuesday.
Five people are in the intensive care unit, up from four.
Ottawa Public Health is currently migrating its dashboard over to the provincial system, so data on the ages of the people currently in the hospital is unavailable.
ACTIVE CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA
The number of active cases in Ottawa of COVID-19 remains above 600 but fell Wednesday for the second day in a row. There are 605 active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, down from 620 on Tuesday and 626 on Monday.
Seventy-five more Ottawa residents have recovered after testing positive for COVID-19. Ottawa Public Health reports 14,702 resolved cases of COVID-19 in the capital.
The number of active cases is the number of total cases of COVID-19 minus the numbers of resolved cases and deaths. A case is considered resolved 14 days after known symptom onset or positive test result.
COVID-19 TESTING
Ontario health officials say 28,526 COVID-19 tests were performed across Ontario on Monday.
The Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce will provide an update later today.
COVID-19 CASES IN OTTAWA BY AGE CATEGORY
0-9 years old: 4 new cases (1,202 total cases)
10-19 years-old: 13 new cases (1,970 total cases)
20-29 years-old: 17 new cases (3,414 total cases)
30-39 years-old: 3 new cases (2,212 total cases)
40-49 years-old: 7 new cases (2,029 total cases)
50-59 years-old: 5 new cases (1,901 total cases)
60-69-years-old: 6 new cases (1,137 total cases)
70-79 years-old: 3 new cases (694 total cases)
80-89 years-old: 4 new cases (711 total cases)
90+ years old: 0 new cases (467 total cases)
Unknown: 1 case reassigned to another category (3 cases total)
COVID-19 CASES ACROSS THE REGION
Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 4 new cases
Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health: 8 new cases
Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit: 25 new cases
Renfrew County and District Health Unit: 2 new cases
Outaouais (Gatineau and western Quebec): 22 new cases
INSTITUTIONAL OUTBREAKS
Ottawa Public Health is reporting COVID-19 outbreaks at 34 institutions in Ottawa, including long-term care homes, retirement homes, daycares, hospitals and schools.
Three new outbreaks were declared Wednesday at St. Patrick’s Home, the St. Vincent Hospital, and the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.
An outbreak at the Rockcliffe Retirement Residence that began Feb. 18 and affected 15 residents has ended. No one died in the outbreak. Outbreaks have also ended at Gisele Lalonde high school and Steve MacLean Public School.
There are three active community outbreaks: Two are linked to a warehouse and one is linked to a multi-unit dwelling.
The schools and childcare spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:
The long-term care homes, retirement homes, hospitals, and other spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:
Shelter (Jan. 26)
Shelter (Jan. 27)
The Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus (Feb. 19)
Shelter (Feb. 24)
Extendicare Laurier Manor LTCH (Feb. 25)
Madonna Care Community (Feb. 26)
The Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus (Feb. 26)
Sarsfield Colonial Home (Feb. 27)
Group Home (March 3)
Bearbrook Retirement Residence (March 4)
Perley-Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre – Gatineau Building (March 4)
Riverpark Retirement Residence (March 6)
St. Vincent Hospital (March 6)
Extendicare Medex LTCH (March 9)
Peter D. Clark LTCH (March 10)
Group Home (March 11)
Lord Lansdowne RH (March 11)
Amica Westboro Park RH (March 12)
University of Ottawa Heart Institute (March 12)
Chapel Hill RH (March 13)
The Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus (March 13)
St. Patrick’s Home (March 14) [NEW]
St. Vincent Hospital (March 15) [NEW]
University of Ottawa Heart Institute (March 16) [NEW]
A single laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19 in a resident or staff member of a long-term care home, retirement home or shelter triggers an outbreak response, according to Ottawa Public Health. In childcare settings, a single confirmed, symptomatic case in a staff member, home daycare provider, or child triggers an outbreak.
Under provincial guidelines, a COVID-19 outbreak in a school is defined as two or more lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in students and/or staff in a school with an epidemiological link, within a 14-day period, where at least one case could have reasonably acquired their infection in the school (including transportation and before or after school care).
Two staff or patient cases of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 within a specified hospital unit within a 14-day period where both cases could have reasonably acquired their infection in hospital is considered an outbreak in a public hospital.
Correction:
A previous version of this article said the positivity rate in Ottawa remained at 2.5% but it has increased to 2.7%. The previous figure was based on incomplete data on the Ottawa Public Health COVID-19 dashboard.
TORONTO – Canada Goose Holdings Inc. says it has signed a deal that will result in the creation of its first eyewear collection.
The deal announced on Thursday by the Toronto-based luxury apparel company comes in the form of an exclusive, long-term global licensing agreement with Marchon Eyewear Inc.
The terms and value of the agreement were not disclosed, but Marchon produces eyewear for brands including Lacoste, Nike, Calvin Klein, Ferragamo, Longchamp and Zeiss.
Marchon plans to roll out both sunglasses and optical wear under the Canada Goose name next spring, starting in North America.
Canada Goose says the eyewear will be sold through optical retailers, department stores, Canada Goose shops and its website.
Canada Goose CEO Dani Reiss told The Canadian Press in August that he envisioned his company eventually expanding into eyewear and luggage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Almost seven years since news broke of an alleged conspiracy to fix the price of packaged bread across Canada, the saga isn’t over: the Competition Bureau continues to investigate the companies that may have been involved, and two class-action lawsuits continue to work their way through the courts.
Here’s a timeline of key events in the bread price-fixing case.
Oct. 31, 2017: The Competition Bureau says it’s investigating allegations of bread price-fixing and that it was granted search warrants in the case. Several grocers confirm they are co-operating in the probe.
Dec. 19, 2017: Loblaw and George Weston say they participated in an “industry-wide price-fixing arrangement” to raise the price of packaged bread. The companies say they have been co-operating in the Competition Bureau’s investigation since March 2015, when they self-reported to the bureau upon discovering anti-competitive behaviour, and are receiving immunity from prosecution. They announce they are offering $25 gift cards to customers amid the ongoing investigation into alleged bread price-fixing.
Jan. 31, 2018: In court documents, the Competition Bureau says at least $1.50 was added to the price of a loaf of bread between about 2001 and 2016.
Dec. 20, 2019: A class-action lawsuit in a Quebec court against multiple grocers and food companies is certified against a number of companies allegedly involved in bread price-fixing, including Loblaw, George Weston, Metro, Sobeys, Walmart Canada, Canada Bread and Giant Tiger (which have all denied involvement, except for Loblaw and George Weston, which later settled with the plaintiffs).
Dec. 31, 2021: A class-action lawsuit in an Ontario court covering all Canadian residents except those in Quebec who bought packaged bread from a company named in the suit is certified against roughly the same group of companies.
June 21, 2023: Bakery giant Canada Bread Co. is fined $50 million after pleading guilty to four counts of price-fixing under the Competition Act as part of the Competition Bureau’s ongoing investigation.
Oct. 25 2023: Canada Bread files a statement of defence in the Ontario class action denying participating in the alleged conspiracy and saying any anti-competitive behaviour it participated in was at the direction and to the benefit of its then-majority owner Maple Leaf Foods, which is not a defendant in the case (neither is its current owner Grupo Bimbo). Maple Leaf calls Canada Bread’s accusations “baseless.”
Dec. 20, 2023: Metro files new documents in the Ontario class action accusing Loblaw and its parent company George Weston of conspiring to implicate it in the alleged scheme, denying involvement. Sobeys has made a similar claim. The two companies deny the allegations.
July 25, 2024: Loblaw and George Weston say they agreed to pay a combined $500 million to settle both the Ontario and Quebec class-action lawsuits. Loblaw’s share of the settlement includes a $96-million credit for the gift cards it gave out years earlier.
Sept. 12, 2024: Canada Bread files new documents in Ontario court as part of the class action, claiming Maple Leaf used it as a “shield” to avoid liability in the alleged scheme. Maple Leaf was a majority shareholder of Canada Bread until 2014, and the company claims it’s liable for any price-fixing activity. Maple Leaf refutes the claims.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Companies in this story: (TSX:L, TSX:MFI, TSX:MRU, TSX:EMP.A, TSX:WN)
TORONTO – TD Bank Group, which is mired in a money laundering scandal in the U.S., says chief executive Bharat Masrani will retire next year.
Masrani, who will retire officially on April 10, 2025, says the bank’s, “anti-money laundering challenges,” took place on his watch and he takes full responsibility.
The bank named Raymond Chun, TD’s group head, Canadian personal banking, as his successor.
As part of a transition plan, Chun will become chief operating officer on Nov. 1 before taking over the top job when Masrani steps down at the bank’s annual meeting next year.
TD also announced that Riaz Ahmed, group head, wholesale banking and president and CEO of TD Securities, will retire at the end of January 2025.
TD has taken billions in charges related to ongoing U.S. investigations into the failure of its anti-money laundering program.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
