As Canadians embark on a new year — the third in a row to be marked by the designation of a global pandemic — many find themselves asking a familiar question: “When will COVID-19 end?”
In December, optimism for a “normal” holiday season was once again overshadowed by a sudden resurgence of cases fuelled by the Omicron variant, forcing several provinces to implement stricter public health restrictions and prompting record case counts not yet seen during the pandemic.
But, despite the looming threat of Omicron, Canada’s top doctor says she remains hopeful going into the new year—one she hopes will allow us to live more comfortably with the virus that has long disrupted life as we know it.
“It’s true that nobody can really have a crystal ball, but I think it’s just a reminder that we’re not in the same place as we were last year,” Dr. Theresa Tam told CTV National News during a year-end interview.
“So much has happened [over the last] 12 months to put us, I think, and I’m still a much better spot than we were a year ago.”
Canada has come a long way in its pandemic response over the last 12 months.
This time last year, we had just started to vaccinate high-risk individuals against COVID-19. Today, Canada boasts one of the highest vaccination rates in the world with more than 82 per cent of the population vaccinated with at least one dose.
With the emergence of new variants like Delta and Omicron, we also learned a lot more about how the virus works, leading to the development of better treatment and diagnostic tools and an evolving understanding of important public health measures such as masking.
And although Tam admits she cannot offer Canadians a clear view of when the pandemic will end, she says these developments will help better manage future waves of the virus without as much disruption.
“Every pandemic comes to an end throughout history. So, at some point, the virus activity will become more predictable,” Tam said.
“I think that in the coming months we might begin to see a little bit more predictability and also be able to protect our high-risk populations so that we can learn to live with this virus more… but I still think that in the next year, we still have to be vigilant and be able to adapt and be flexible as needed.”
THE EVOLVING SCIENCE OF VACCINES: ARE BOOSTERS HERE TO STAY?
Omicron’s spread has also sparked a massive booster shot campaign, with thousands of Canadians lining up to get their third jab, bringing up questions like, “What does it mean to be fully vaccinated?” and, “Will I need multiple booster shots to protect myself?”
In December, Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization strongly recommended that booster shots be administered to Canadians aged 50 and older and those in high-risk groups to strengthen the body’s immune response against COVID-19.
But the science surrounding vaccines, Tam says, is evolving as rapidly as the virus itself.
“After one dose, we knew we had to have a second dose, and we had a stretch interval in Canada for that second dose, so we didn’t know the duration of protection of that second dose, as well as what happens when the virus evolves,” she explained.
“Now we’ve learned a little bit more, and that boosters are needed because antibody levels can wane over time. But the good news, I think, in the emerging science is that two doses likely protect you against severe outcomes and that’s almost the most important marker that we should be looking for.”
Tam notes that boosters will also wane over time, but the hope is that it recharges your immune system to further protect against severe outcomes, taking pressure off of the health-care system.
“There’s a possibility that we would need some sort of vaccination on an ongoing basis, but maybe not everyone will need it. Maybe not every year. The timing of those are still unknown,” she added.
When it comes to the availability of booster shots—a factor handled individually by the provinces—Tam urged Canadians to be patient when facing long line-ups or booking delays.
“This is what I would call an ultramarathon—it’s not even a marathon anymore. The whole system is taxed… but people are still trying their hardest to provide vaccines and other supports for the population,” she said.
“Vaccinators are not that easy to come by either. They’re tired. And so, I think if people can line up in an orderly fashion, we’ll get everybody boosted in a relatively short period of time.”
At the same time, World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus recently warned that “we will not boost our way out of this pandemic,” saying it is of the utmost importance that we get first and second doses to those who have not yet had them.
Throughout the pandemic, Canada has provided vaccines and financial support to other countries through global efforts like the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative, which pools funds from wealthier countries to buy vaccines for low and middle-income countries.
So far, Canada has donated more than 9.2 million surplus vaccine doses through COVAX and over 762,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean through direct bilateral agreements. Still, there are calls to do more as Canada’s vaccine reserve fills up.
When asked about Canada’s efforts to provide vaccines to other countries, Tam agreed that every developed country should be providing vaccines to low income countries, but maintained that boosters are important for Canadians, especially those in higher risk groups.
“I think it Canada is taking a very reasonable approach. And we’ve we kind of have to do both… even though we’re in a developed country, it’s in a very fragile state and we got to do all that we can to minimize the severe outcomes and protect our tired and stressed healthcare system,” Tam said.
WHAT ABOUT RAPID TESTS?
Also in short supply are rapid antigen tests (RATs), a tool many provinces have pivoted towards amid the Omicron surge as provincial testing centres hit capacity.
The fast-acting tests that provide results in as little as 15 minutes have become highly sought after amid the Omicron surge as Canadians try to navigate the holiday season safely. In provinces like Ontario and Alberta, rapid testing kits were made free to each household, but supplies quickly ran out sparking outrage about supply.
But Tam says while there is a definite use-case for rapid tests, they are not an infinite resource or a fix-all.
“I think we’re all learning how to use these tests wisely. Some of the most important [reasons] to do a rapid test is to keep schools and essential workplaces functioning and targeting them to protect the high-risk health-care workers, the long-term care [workers] and the visitors to those places are really vital,” she said.
“I think it is difficult when people can’t find a test before they socialize. But we do have to really retain those rapid tests for those who need them the most.”
Tam also notes that rapid tests are only considered an added layer of protection against infection, not a guarantee.
“If you get a negative rapid test just remember this is more like a yellow light, it doesn’t mean that you’re free of the virus, particularly something that spreads as quickly as the Omicron virus. You have to test very frequently in order to be able to detect if you have been infected in between the tests,” she explained.
Despite some provinces doling out free rapid test kits to families over the holidays, Tam says she isn’t sure that providing rapid tests to every Canadian household, like they do in the U.K., would be the best use of supplies.
“If you look at the United Kingdom, they use more rapid tests, but that hasn’t necessarily reduced the health impacts. In Canada, we’ve actually done better overall in terms of our severe outcomes and number of deaths,” she said.
“So even though the U.K. deployed a lot of rapid tests, it has not meant that the impact of COVID is any less on them. So again, we have to use these tests as an additional layer but as a means to just cast off the other layers of protection.”
Despite the sharp rise in cases, Tam says the Omicron variant is teaching us yet another important lesson about how COVID-19 may evolve, noting “there are definitely more positive things awaiting us ahead.”
“We have to remain optimistic. Nobody wants this pandemic that keeps carrying on, everyone is tired, but you know, we can’t do anything except for maintain that hope.”
REGINA – Saskatchewan Opposition NDP Leader Carla Beck says she wants to prove to residents her party is the government in waiting as she heads into the incoming legislative session.
Beck held her first caucus meeting with 27 members, nearly double than what she had before the Oct. 28 election but short of the 31 required to form a majority in the 61-seat legislature.
She says her priorities will be health care and cost-of-living issues.
Beck says people need affordability help right now and will press Premier Scott Moe’s Saskatchewan Party government to cut the gas tax and the provincial sales tax on children’s clothing and some grocery items.
Beck’s NDP is Saskatchewan’s largest Opposition in nearly two decades after sweeping Regina and winning all but one seat in Saskatoon.
The Saskatchewan Party won 34 seats, retaining its hold on all of the rural ridings and smaller cities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Telus Corp. says it is avoiding offering “unprofitable” discounts as fierce competition in the Canadian telecommunications sector shows no sign of slowing down.
The company said Friday it had fewer net new customers during its third quarter compared with the same time last year, as it copes with increasingly “aggressive marketing and promotional pricing” that is prompting more customers to switch providers.
Telus said it added 347,000 net new customers, down around 14.5 per cent compared with last year. The figure includes 130,000 mobile phone subscribers and 34,000 internet customers, down 30,000 and 3,000, respectively, year-over-year.
The company reported its mobile phone churn rate — a metric measuring subscribers who cancelled their services — was 1.09 per cent in the third quarter, up from 1.03 per cent in the third quarter of 2023. That included a postpaid mobile phone churn rate of 0.90 per cent in its latest quarter.
Telus said its focus is on customer retention through its “industry-leading service and network quality, along with successful promotions and bundled offerings.”
“The customers we have are the most important customers we can get,” said chief financial officer Doug French in an interview.
“We’ve, again, just continued to focus on what matters most to our customers, from a product and customer service perspective, while not loading unprofitable customers.”
Meanwhile, Telus reported its net income attributable to common shares more than doubled during its third quarter.
The telecommunications company said it earned $280 million, up 105.9 per cent from the same three-month period in 2023. Earnings per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 was 19 cents compared with nine cents a year earlier.
It reported adjusted net income was $413 million, up 10.7 per cent year-over-year from $373 million in the same quarter last year. Operating revenue and other income for the quarter was $5.1 billion, up 1.8 per cent from the previous year.
Mobile phone average revenue per user was $58.85 in the third quarter, a decrease of $2.09 or 3.4 per cent from a year ago. Telus said the drop was attributable to customers signing up for base rate plans with lower prices, along with a decline in overage and roaming revenues.
It said customers are increasingly adopting unlimited data and Canada-U.S. plans which provide higher and more stable ARPU on a monthly basis.
“In a tough operating environment and relative to peers, we view Q3 results that were in line to slightly better than forecast as the best of the bunch,” said RBC analyst Drew McReynolds in a note.
Scotiabank analyst Maher Yaghi added that “the telecom industry in Canada remains very challenging for all players, however, Telus has been able to face these pressures” and still deliver growth.
The Big 3 telecom providers — which also include Rogers Communications Inc. and BCE Inc. — have frequently stressed that the market has grown more competitive in recent years, especially after the closing of Quebecor Inc.’s purchase of Freedom Mobile in April 2023.
Hailed as a fourth national carrier, Quebecor has invested in enhancements to Freedom’s network while offering more affordable plans as part of a set of commitments it was mandated by Ottawa to agree to.
The cost of telephone services in September was down eight per cent compared with a year earlier, according to Statistics Canada’s most recent inflation report last month.
“I think competition has been and continues to be, I’d say, quite intense in Canada, and we’ve obviously had to just manage our business the way we see fit,” said French.
Asked how long that environment could last, he said that’s out of Telus’ hands.
“What I can control, though, is how we go to market and how we lead with our products,” he said.
“I think the conditions within the market will have to adjust accordingly over time. We’ve continued to focus on digitization, continued to bring our cost structure down to compete, irrespective of the price and the current market conditions.”
Still, Canada’s telecom regulator continues to warn providers about customers facing more charges on their cellphone and internet bills.
On Tuesday, CRTC vice-president of consumer, analytics and strategy Scott Hutton called on providers to ensure they clearly inform their customers of charges such as early cancellation fees.
That followed statements from the regulator in recent weeks cautioning against rising international roaming fees and “surprise” price increases being found on their bills.
Hutton said the CRTC plans to launch public consultations in the coming weeks that will focus “on ensuring that information is clear and consistent, making it easier to compare offers and switch services or providers.”
“The CRTC is concerned with recent trends, which suggest that Canadians may not be benefiting from the full protections of our codes,” he said.
“We will continue to monitor developments and will take further action if our codes are not being followed.”
French said any initiative to boost transparency is a step in the right direction.
“I can’t say we are perfect across the board, but what I can say is we are absolutely taking it under consideration and trying to be the best at communicating with our customers,” he said.
“I think everyone looking in the mirror would say there’s room for improvement.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Two years after the failed launch of a lending program, Canada Post is making another foray into banking services.
The postal service confirmed Friday that it will be offering a chequing and savings account in partnership with Koho Financial Inc.
The accounts will be launched nationally next year, though Canada Post employees will be offered early access as the product is tested.
Canada Post spokeswoman Lisa Liu said in a statement that there are gaps in the banking and savings products available that the Crown corporation looks to fill.
“Canada Post is uniquely positioned to fill some of these demands. Many of our existing financial products help meet the needs of new Canadians and those living in rural, remote and Indigenous communities, but we believe more is required.”
The MyMoney offering will be a spending and savings account where customers will be able to choose between features like high interest rates, cashback rewards and credit-building tools.
A document briefly posted to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers website said it would use a prepaid, reloadable Mastercard that will use money from the account like a debit card but offer the features of a Mastercard.
It said there will be a range of account tiers, including no-fee accounts and paid accounts with more features.
The plans comes after Canada Post launched a lending program with TD Bank Group in late 2022, only to shut it down weeks later because of what it said were processing issues.
Liu said the postal service has since been exploring other possible financial service offerings.
“Utilizing what we’ve learned, we are making a strategic shift from loans toward products more aligned with our core financial service products.”
The new account will be delivered with financial technology company Koho. A few months ago the company paired with Canada Post to allow its customers to deposit cash into their account through post offices.
Koho is also working to secure a Canadian banking license to expand its services.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
