COVID-19 update for March 31: London Drugs booked up for vaccines | Tam says 'crisis phase' will be over by fall | Age 55 to 65 in Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health can book vaccine | 840 new cases | State of emergency extended – Vancouver Sun
Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C.
Author of the article:
Scott Brown, Tiffany Crawford, Cheryl Chan, David Carrigg
The ultrastructural morphology exhibited by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), first detected in Wuhan, China, is seen in an illustration released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. January 29, 2020. Photo by Handout . /via REUTERS
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Here’s your daily update with everything you need to know on the novel coronavirus situation in B.C. for March 31, 2021.
We’ll provide summaries of what’s going on in B.C. right here so you can get the latest news at a glance. This page will be updated regularly throughout the day, with developments added as they happen.
Check back here for more updates throughout the day. You can also get the latest COVID-19 news delivered to your inbox weeknights at 7 p.m. by subscribing to our newsletter here.
B.C.’S COVID-19 CASE NUMBERS
As of the latest figures given on March 29:
• Total number of confirmed cases: 99,035 (7,062 active) • New cases since March 29: 840 • Total deaths: 1,455 (0 new) • Hospitalized cases: 312 • Intensive care: 78 • Total vaccinations: 724,193 people have received one of the three approved vaccines, including 87,319 who have received a second dose. • Cases under public health monitoring: 11,164 • Recovered: 90,401 • Long-term care and assisted-living homes, and acute care facilities currently affected: 12
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Students in Grade 4 and up will be required to wear masks in classrooms, according to updated guidelines released Tuesday night by the B.C. Ministry of Education. Whether masks in schools are mandatory or simply recommended was a source of confusion following the tougher restrictions announced Monday by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
There’s also confusion among other businesses, such as brewpubs with patios and bowling alleys, which complain that vague public health guidelines leave them wondering whether they have to close.
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According to safety guidelines sent to schools Tuesday, “effective immediately all K-12 staff and all students in grades 4 to 12 will be required to wear non-medical masks in all indoor areas, including when they are at their work stations (desks), and on school buses — both within and outside of their learning group.” Masks for students in kindergarten to Grade 3 are encouraged but not mandatory.
There are exceptions for people who have health or disability challenges that prevent them from wearing a mask, and in cases where a service is being provided to someone, such as a person with hearing impairment who relies on lip reading or facial expressions to communicate. Students can remove masks temporarily to engage in an activity where the mask is prohibitive, such as eating or drinking, playing an instrument or engaging in physical activity.
“Schools reflect what’s happening in local communities, and we support public health’s decision to introduce additional mask measures to our K-12 guidelines across the province,” Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside said in a statement Wednesday morning. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, public health orders and guidelines have been amended to reflect changing knowledge and the risk of spread of COVID-19 in the community and different settings.”
Since Monday, the B.C. Teachers’ Federation has been fielding questions from confused teachers and parents who said they were unclear as to whether Henry’s announcement Monday meant masks were mandatory or recommended. On Tuesday night, the union posted the relevant section from the Education Ministry’s updated health and safety guidelines to clarify that masks are required for students in grades 4 to 12, a measure the BCTF has been calling for for months.
Ryan Reynolds couldn’t help himself when he got his shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Known for his wisecracks both on-screen (Deadpool) and off, the Vancouver actor cracked, “Finally got 5G,” in an Instagram post that showed him sporting a pink tuque and rolling up the short sleeve of his white T-shirt to get the jab.
The joke was seemingly aimed at anti-vaxxers or conspiracy theorists. Some people have claimed the COVID-19 pandemic is part of a plan to implant microchips into humans that can be activated by 5G networks (the fifth-generation technology standard for broadband cellular networks).
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– Postmedia
11:30 a.m. – Tam says ‘crisis phase’ will be over by fall
Canada’s top public health doctor says she expects the “crisis phase of the pandemic” will be over before the fall.
Dr. Theresa Tam says the next few weeks may be the most challenging yet, as the third resurgence of cases driven by unrelenting variants of concern means there is even less “room for errors” in our public health measures.
But she says with every week that passes, with every shipment of vaccines and with the onset of nicer weather that will allow us to do more outdoor activities safely, things are going to get easier.
By June, Tam says, every adult Canadian who wants a vaccine will get at least one dose.
And by the fall, she says, they will get their second.
– The Canadian Press
10:30 a.m. – Facebook Live with Dr. Theresa Tam – Your COVID-19 Vaccine Questions Answered
Facebook Canada is hosting Your COVID-19 Vaccine Questions Answered, a Facebook Live event with Canada’s top doctors to connect millions of Canadians with trusted COVID-19 vaccine information.
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Howard Njoo, Canada’s Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Evan Adams, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at Indigenous Services Canada Dr. Supriya Sharma, Chief Medical Advisor, Health Canada Samantha Yammine, PhD, neuroscientist, molecular biologist and popular science communicator known as Science Sam Danielle Nadin, CIHR Institute of Gender and Health
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Starting today people aged 55 to 65 living in the Lower Mainland can book a AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine, but there may be a wait, as already one major pharmacy says it is all booked up.
On Tuesday night, a day before the bookings opened for this category, London Drugs announced on Twitter that due to an “overwhelming response,” all vaccine appointments have been booked at the three London Drugs pharmacies selected by the B.C. government to offer the vaccine.
The company asked people not to call the pharmacies so they can prepare for the “fully booked” appointments.
The B.C. Pharmacy Association website has a list of pharmacies offering the vaccine, which will be updated regularly in the coming weeks.
Those going to get a vaccine will be required to bring their Personal Health Number, located on your CareCard or driver’s license.
The AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine is currently not available in pharmacies in the Northern, Interior, and Vancouver Island health authorities at this time.
Premier John Horgan shamed and blamed young people for spreading COVID-19, but his “do not blow this” finger-wagging appeal has faced swift backlash from those he was trying to bring on side.
He resisted calls to apologize on Tuesday, but said he acknowledges the sacrifices of young people and was trying to catch the attention of the few who are breaking the rules.
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His initial comments, critics say, were counter-intuitive and harmful to young people who are disproportionately working in higher-risk, front-line jobs hard hit by Monday’s tougher restrictions on restaurants and the closure of Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort.
On Monday, Horgan said people between 20 and 39 are “quite frankly, putting the rest of us in a challenging situation.”
“My appeal to you is, do not blow this for the rest of us,” he said. “Do not blow this for your parents and your neighbours and others who have been working really, really hard, making significant sacrifices so we can get good outcomes for everybody.”
Justin Kulik, the NDP’s youngest candidate in the last election, called on Horgan to apologize for his “hurtful” remarks.
Horgan did not apologize, instead writing on Twitter Tuesday that his top concern is protecting people from the virus and getting through the “last mile” safely.
“I’m trying to catch the attention of the few who refuse to follow the public health restrictions. To the vast majority of young people doing everything they can: thank you,” he wrote.
He acknowledged that young people, who often work in front-line jobs or living with roommates. have made “tremendous sacrifices” to fight COVID-19.
On Monday, B.C. announced it was suspending the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in people 55 and younger due to concerns over a “very rare” blood clot condition.
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For a primer that breaks down why B.C. is halting the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in younger people, but at the same time accelerating the vaccination of other age groups using this vaccine read Cheryl Chan’s breakdown here.
2 a.m. – As of today, Lower Mainland residents age 55 to 65 can book a vaccine
B.C. is now offering a COVID-19 vaccine to Lower Mainland residents age 55 to 65, according to Vancouver Coastal Health.
Starting today, eligible residents can call their local pharmacy to make an appointment to get their AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine.
About 150 pharmacies are participating in this partnership with Immunize B.C.
Drop-in service may also be an option.
The B.C. Pharmacy Association website has a list of pharmacies offering the vaccine, which will be updated regularly in the coming weeks.
12 a.m. – 840 new cases, no additional COVID-19 related deaths
B.C. reported 840 new cases, including 18 epidemiologically-linked cases, on Tuesday. There were no new deaths.
There are 7,062 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, including 312 people in hospital, 78 of whom are in intensive care.
There have been 320 new confirmed cases involving variants of concern.
12 a.m. – State of emergency extended to continue B.C.’s COVID-19 response
B.C. has extended the provincial state of emergency, allowing health and emergency management officials to continue to use measures under the Emergency Program Act to support the province’s COVID-19 pandemic response.
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The state of emergency is extended through the end of the day on April 13.
“While the finish line remains in sight, rising case counts and the spread of variants of concern mean we all must continue working together to keep each other safe,” said Premier John Horgan, in a statement.
The original declaration was made on March 18, 2020, the day after Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, declared a public health emergency.
B.C. VACCINE TRACKER
LOCAL RESOURCES for COVID-19 information
Here are a number of information and landing pages for COVID-19 from various health and government agencies.
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TOKYO (AP) — Japanese technology group SoftBank swung back to profitability in the July-September quarter, boosted by positive results in its Vision Fund investments.
Tokyo-based SoftBank Group Corp. reported Tuesday a fiscal second quarter profit of nearly 1.18 trillion yen ($7.7 billion), compared with a 931 billion yen loss in the year-earlier period.
Quarterly sales edged up about 6% to nearly 1.77 trillion yen ($11.5 billion).
SoftBank credited income from royalties and licensing related to its holdings in Arm, a computer chip-designing company, whose business spans smartphones, data centers, networking equipment, automotive, consumer electronic devices, and AI applications.
The results were also helped by the absence of losses related to SoftBank’s investment in office-space sharing venture WeWork, which hit the previous fiscal year.
WeWork, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2023, emerged from Chapter 11 in June.
SoftBank has benefitted in recent months from rising share prices in some investment, such as U.S.-based e-commerce company Coupang, Chinese mobility provider DiDi Global and Bytedance, the Chinese developer of TikTok.
SoftBank’s financial results tend to swing wildly, partly because of its sprawling investment portfolio that includes search engine Yahoo, Chinese retailer Alibaba, and artificial intelligence company Nvidia.
SoftBank makes investments in a variety of companies that it groups together in a series of Vision Funds.
The company’s founder, Masayoshi Son, is a pioneer in technology investment in Japan. SoftBank Group does not give earnings forecasts.
Shopify Inc. executives brushed off concerns that incoming U.S. President Donald Trump will be a major detriment to many of the company’s merchants.
“There’s nothing in what we’ve heard from Trump, nor would there have been anything from (Democratic candidate) Kamala (Harris), which we think impacts the overall state of new business formation and entrepreneurship,” Shopify’s chief financial officer Jeff Hoffmeister told analysts on a call Tuesday.
“We still feel really good about all the merchants out there, all the entrepreneurs that want to start new businesses and that’s obviously not going to change with the administration.”
Hoffmeister’s comments come a week after Trump, a Republican businessman, trounced Harris in an election that will soon return him to the Oval Office.
On the campaign trail, he threatened to impose tariffs of 60 per cent on imports from China and roughly 10 per cent to 20 per cent on goods from all other countries.
If the president-elect makes good on the promise, many worry the cost of operating will soar for companies, including customers of Shopify, which sells e-commerce software to small businesses but also brands as big as Kylie Cosmetics and Victoria’s Secret.
These merchants may feel they have no choice but to pass on the increases to customers, perhaps sparking more inflation.
If Trump’s tariffs do come to fruition, Shopify’s president Harley Finkelstein pointed out China is “not a huge area” for Shopify.
However, “we can’t anticipate what every presidential administration is going to do,” he cautioned.
He likened the uncertainty facing the business community to the COVID-19 pandemic where Shopify had to help companies migrate online.
“Our job is no matter what comes the way of our merchants, we provide them with tools and service and support for them to navigate it really well,” he said.
Finkelstein was questioned about the forthcoming U.S. leadership change on a call meant to delve into Shopify’s latest earnings, which sent shares soaring 27 per cent to $158.63 shortly after Tuesday’s market open.
The Ottawa-based company, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, reported US$828 million in net income for its third quarter, up from US$718 million in the same quarter last year, as its revenue rose 26 per cent.
Revenue for the period ended Sept. 30 totalled US$2.16 billion, up from US$1.71 billion a year earlier.
Subscription solutions revenue reached US$610 million, up from US$486 million in the same quarter last year.
Merchant solutions revenue amounted to US$1.55 billion, up from US$1.23 billion.
Shopify’s net income excluding the impact of equity investments totalled US$344 million for the quarter, up from US$173 million in the same quarter last year.
Daniel Chan, a TD Cowen analyst, said the results show Shopify has a leadership position in the e-commerce world and “a continued ability to gain market share.”
In its outlook for its fourth quarter of 2024, the company said it expects revenue to grow at a mid-to-high-twenties percentage rate on a year-over-year basis.
“Q4 guidance suggests Shopify will finish the year strong, with better-than-expected revenue growth and operating margin,” Chan pointed out in a note to investors.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
TORONTO – RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust says it has cut almost 10 per cent of its staff as it deals with a slowdown in the condo market and overall pushes for greater efficiency.
The company says the cuts, which amount to around 60 employees based on its last annual filing, will mean about $9 million in restructuring charges and should translate to about $8 million in annualized cash savings.
The job cuts come as RioCan and others scale back condo development plans as the market softens, but chief executive Jonathan Gitlin says the reductions were from a companywide efficiency effort.
RioCan says it doesn’t plan to start any new construction of mixed-use properties this year and well into 2025 as it adjusts to the shifting market demand.
The company reported a net income of $96.9 million in the third quarter, up from a loss of $73.5 million last year, as it saw a $159 million boost from a favourable change in the fair value of investment properties.
RioCan reported what it says is a record-breaking 97.8 per cent occupancy rate in the quarter including retail committed occupancy of 98.6 per cent.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
