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N.B. COVID-19 roundup: Fredericton, Saint John regions move to orange Tuesday night

The Saint John and Fredericton regions, Zone 2 and 3, will return to the less-restrictive orange phase at midnight on Tuesday night. Dr. Jennifer Russell, New Brunswick’s chief medical officer of health, made the announcement at Monday’s live streamed update. She also announced the province’s 14th COVID-related death, an individual between the ages of 70 and 79 who was a resident of Parkland Saint John’s Lily Court facility. Another Lily Court resident also died last week, but this death is not being recorded as a COVID-related death, Russell said. The spread of COVID-19 has slowed in the Fredericton and Saint John regions, Russell said in announcing the decision to return the two zones to the less-restrictive orange phase. The change will occur at midnight Tuesday night rather than tonight to allow “a full seven days to pass” since the zones were moved to the red-alert level. Under the orange phase, dine-in options are once again available at restaurants; gyms and hair salons can reopen; non-urgent medical procedures and elective surgeries are allowed, and masks remain mandatory in indoor spaces and at drive-thu windows. A full list of orange phase rules can be found on the provincial government’s website. The Campbellton, Bathurst and Miramichi regions — Zones 5, 6 and 7 — could see a return to yellow from orange “in the coming days,” but the Moncton region will stay in the more restrictive red phase and the Edmundston region will stay in full lockdown, Russell said. Russell shares visuals of how COVID-19 spread The province’s cases and outbreaks are playing out differently. But a series of graphics shared by Russell at Monday’s COVID-19 update delivered that message in a starkly visual form. The graphics show how COVID-19 spread in Zones 1, 2, 3 and 4, or the Moncton, Saint John, Fredericton and Edmundston regions. In the graphics, each case is represented by a dot, and the lines between the dots show how the cases are connected. That, Russell said, is the work that contact tracers do. “If you see dots that aren’t connected, then that illustrates that we’re having issues.” In the Moncton region graphic, “you see a very large cluster of cases surrounded by several smaller clusters, which may be connected to the larger one,” Russell said. For example, if several people attended a holiday gathering where the coronavirus was present, then each passed it on to their family and friends, who then took it to their workplaces, to schools and into vulnerable settings. The graphic of the Saint John region’s spread shows two large clusters that overlap. “There were gatherings involved and some of the outbreak is related to the Shannex long-term care facility,” Russell said. The Fredericton region graphic shows the coronavirus spread in home gatherings, into workplace settings, then to friends and families of workers in the workplace settings. This is also an illustration of how it spreads in workplaces. “Four cases in a workplaces spread to a cluster of two dozen additional cases among workers, family and friends,” Russell said. In Zone 4, where there has been an explosion of cases in the last two weeks, there is a noticeable number of cases not connected by any lines. In this region, cases spread from a series of social gatherings into workplaces, including Nadeau Poultry plant and several long-term care homes. “It’s obvious from this image that we don’t yet know how a lot of these cases are linked,” Russell said. “That’s one of the main reasons Zone 4 is now in lockdown.” Despite the differences in each of the graphics, Russell said, “They have this in common: the virus will spread at every opportunity if we let it. “Too many of us let our guard down over the holidays, which is why we are where we are today. But on a daily basis, the actions we take can keep the second wave from getting worse.” Russell reiterated the importance of monitoring for symptoms, getting tested as quickly as possible, and self-isolating while awaiting test results and if found to be positive for COVID-19. Updates on outbreaks in 3 Zone 4 care homes Three special care homes in the Edmundston region, Zone 4, are currently experiencing outbreaks. Russell provided an update on the situation at each of them. Villa des Jardins: One staff member has tested positive. Testing of the facility’s 81 residents and 22 staff began on Sunday and results are expected soon. There will be additional testing on Jan. 27. Manoir Belle Vue: There were two screening test days, with positive cases found both times. In total, 21 residents and 12 staff members have tested positive so far. There will be another round of tests on Tuesday. Le Pavillon Le Royer: There has been one confirmed positive case. Tests were conducted on Jan. 21 and all results were negative. Another round of tests was conducted on Monday and results are expected by Tuesday. Shephard touts success of ‘return-to-school’ plan New Brunswick has now had five days without a confirmed positive case in any school community, Health Minister Dorothy Shephard said Monday. “Since schools reopened after the holidays, 20 schools have been affected by confirmed cases, as well as seven early learning and childcare centres,” Shephard said at the COVID-19 update. “Only eight schools are currently impacted, three of which are in the Edmundston region.” There are no longer any positive cases affecting child-care centres, and there have been no known cases of student-to-student transmission to date, Shephard said. “Our return-to-school plan has proven to be successful time and time again,” she said, adding that New Brunswickers’ role in following Public Health measures will be crucial to its continued success. A right and a wrong way to protest A handful of protests over the weekend prompted a response from Health Minister Dorothy Shephard – and a reminder that “we have stepped up enforcement across the province” — at Monday’s COVID-19 update. Shephard singled out an anti-mask protest in Moncton on Sunday, where five people were charged with violating the Emergency Measures Act, and a protest in Quispmamsis on Saturday as examples of rule-flouting. “The issue was not the protest,” Shephard said. “People have the right to protest, and if they are doing so lawfully, we will support their right to do so … that was the case in Woodstock this weekend, where protesters wore masks and maintained physical distancing.” However, she said, if people are not respecting the mandatory order and are putting the community at risk, “I know the police will take action.” 27 new cases reported, most in Edmundston region Public Health reported 27 new cases in four zones on Monday, with 19 of them in the Edmundston region, Zone 4. The cases break down in this way: Moncton region, Zone 1, four cases: an individual 40-49; and three people 50-59. Saint John region, Zone 2, one case: an individual 19 or under. Fredericton region, Zone 3, three cases: two people 20-29; and an individual 30-39. Edmundston region, Zone 4, 19 cases: an individual 30-39; four people 40-49; six people 50-59; an individual 60-69; an individual 70-79; five people 80-89; and an individual 90 or over. All of the individuals are self-isolating and their cases are under investigation. There are currently 348 active cases in the province, with six people in hospital, three of them in intensive care. The number of confirmed cases is 1,151 and 788 have recovered. There have been 14 deaths. As of Monday, 187,710 tests have been conducted, including 1,774 since Sunday’s report. Public Health issues public exposure warning Public Health has identified a potential public exposure to the virus at the following location in the Edmundston region, Zone 4: Atlantic Superstore, 577 Victoria St., Edmundston, on Jan. 19 and Jan. 20 between 6 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. What to do if you have a symptom People concerned they might have COVID-19 symptoms can take a self-assessment test online. Public Health says symptoms shown by people with COVID-19 have included: A fever above 38 C. A new cough or worsening chronic cough. Sore throat. Runny nose. Headache. New onset of fatigue, muscle pain, diarrhea, loss of sense of taste or smell. Difficulty breathing. In children, symptoms have also included purple markings on the fingers and toes. People with one of those symptoms should: Stay at home. Call Tele-Care 811 or their doctor. Describe symptoms and travel history. Follow instructions.

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The Internet is Littered in ‘Educated Guesses’ Without the ‘Education’

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1 week ago

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October 8, 2024

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Although no one likes a know-it-all, they dominate the Internet.

The Internet began as a vast repository of information. It quickly became a breeding ground for self-proclaimed experts seeking what most people desire: recognition and money.

Today, anyone with an Internet connection and some typing skills can position themselves, regardless of their education or experience, as a subject matter expert (SME). From relationship advice, career coaching, and health and nutrition tips to citizen journalists practicing pseudo-journalism, the Internet is awash with individuals—Internet talking heads—sharing their “insights,” which are, in large part, essentially educated guesses without the education or experience.

The Internet has become a 24/7/365 sitcom where armchair experts think they’re the star.

Not long ago, years, sometimes decades, of dedicated work and acquiring education in one’s field was once required to be recognized as an expert. The knowledge and opinions of doctors, scientists, historians, et al. were respected due to their education and experience. Today, a social media account and a knack for hyperbole are all it takes to present oneself as an “expert” to achieve Internet fame that can be monetized.

On the Internet, nearly every piece of content is self-serving in some way.

The line between actual expertise and self-professed knowledge has become blurry as an out-of-focus selfie. Inadvertently, social media platforms have created an informal degree program where likes and shares are equivalent to degrees. After reading selective articles, they’ve found via and watching some TikTok videos, a person can post a video claiming they’re an herbal medicine expert. Their new “knowledge,” which their followers will absorb, claims that Panda dung tea—one of the most expensive teas in the world and isn’t what its name implies—cures everything from hypertension to existential crisis. Meanwhile, registered dietitians are shaking their heads, wondering how to compete against all the misinformation their clients are exposed to.

More disturbing are individuals obsessed with evangelizing their beliefs or conspiracy theories. These people write in-depth blog posts, such as Elvis Is Alive and the Moon Landings Were Staged, with links to obscure YouTube videos, websites, social media accounts, and blogs. Regardless of your beliefs, someone or a group on the Internet shares them, thus confirming your beliefs.

Misinformation is the Internet’s currency used to get likes, shares, and engagement; thus, it often spreads like a cosmic joke. Consider the prevalence of clickbait headlines:

  • You Won’t Believe What Taylor Swift Says About Climate Change!
  • This Bedtime Drink Melts Belly Fat While You Sleep!
  • In One Week, I Turned $10 Into $1 Million!

Titles that make outrageous claims are how the content creator gets reads and views, which generates revenue via affiliate marketing, product placement, and pay-per-click (PPC) ads. Clickbait headlines are how you end up watching a TikTok video by a purported nutrition expert adamantly asserting you can lose belly fat while you sleep by drinking, for 14 consecutive days, a concoction of raw eggs, cinnamon, and apple cider vinegar 15 minutes before going to bed.

Our constant search for answers that’ll explain our convoluted world and our desire for shortcuts to success is how Internet talking heads achieve influencer status. Because we tend to seek low-hanging fruits, we listen to those with little experience or knowledge of the topics they discuss yet are astute enough to know what most people want to hear.

There’s a trend, more disturbing than spreading misinformation, that needs to be called out: individuals who’ve never achieved significant wealth or traded stocks giving how-to-make-easy-money advice, the appeal of which is undeniable. Several people I know have lost substantial money by following the “advice” of Internet talking heads.

Anyone on social media claiming to have a foolproof money-making strategy is lying. They wouldn’t be peddling their money-making strategy if they could make easy money.

Successful people tend to be secretive.

Social media companies design their respective algorithms to serve their advertisers—their source of revenue—interest; hence, content from Internet talking heads appears most prominent in your feeds. When a video of a self-professed expert goes viral, likely because it pressed an emotional button, the more people see it, the more engagement it receives, such as likes, shares and comments, creating a cycle akin to a tornado.

Imagine scrolling through your TikTok feed and stumbling upon a “scientist” who claims they can predict the weather using only aluminum foil, copper wire, sea salt and baking soda. You chuckle, but you notice his video got over 7,000 likes, has been shared over 600 times and received over 400 comments. You think to yourself, “Maybe this guy is onto something.” What started as a quest to achieve Internet fame evolved into an Internet-wide belief that weather forecasting can be as easy as DIY crafts.

Since anyone can call themselves “an expert,” you must cultivate critical thinking skills to distinguish genuine expertise from self-professed experts’ self-promoting nonsense. While the absurdity of the Internet can be entertaining, misinformation has serious consequences. The next time you read a headline that sounds too good to be true, it’s probably an Internet talking head making an educated guess; without the education seeking Internet fame, they can monetize.

______________________________________________________________

 

Nick Kossovan, a self-described connoisseur of human psychology, writes about what’s

on his mind from Toronto. You can follow Nick on Twitter and Instagram @NKossovan.

 

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Tight deadlines on software projects can put safety at risk: survey

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2 weeks ago

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October 8, 2024

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TORONTO – A new survey says a majority of software engineers and developers feel tight project deadlines can put safety at risk.

Seventy-five per cent of the 1,000 global workers who responded to the survey released Tuesday say pressure to deliver projects on time and on budget could be compromising critical aspects like safety.

The concern is even higher among engineers and developers in North America, with 77 per cent of those surveyed on the continent reporting the urgency of projects could be straining safety.

The study was conducted between July and September by research agency Coleman Parkes and commissioned by BlackBerry Ltd.’s QNX division, which builds connected-car technology.

The results reflect a timeless tug of war engineers and developers grapple with as they balance the need to meet project deadlines with regulations and safety checks that can slow down the process.

Finding that balance is an issue that developers of even the simplest appliances face because of advancements in technology, said John Wall, a senior vice-president at BlackBerry and head of QNX.

“The software is getting more complicated and there is more software whether it’s in a vehicle, robotics, a toaster, you name it… so being able to patch vulnerabilities, to prevent bad actors from doing malicious acts is becoming more and more important,” he said.

The medical, industrial and automotive industries have standardized safety measures and anything they produce undergoes rigorous testing, but that work doesn’t happen overnight. It has to be carried out from the start and then at every step of the development process.

“What makes safety and security difficult is it’s an ongoing thing,” Wall said. “It’s not something where you’ve done it, and you are finished.”

The Waterloo, Ont.-based business found 90 per cent of its survey respondents reported that organizations are prioritizing safety.

However, when asked about why safety may not be a priority for their organization, 46 per cent of those surveyed answered cost pressures and 35 per cent said a lack of resources.

That doesn’t surprise Wall. Delays have become rampant in the development of tech, and in some cases, stand to push back the launch of vehicle lines by two years, he said.

“We have to make sure that people don’t compromise on safety and security to be able to get products out quicker,” he said.

“What we don’t want to see is people cutting corners and creating unsafe situations.”

The survey also took a peek at security breaches, which have hit major companies like London Drugs, Indigo Books & Music, Giant Tiger and Ticketmaster in recent years.

About 40 per cent of the survey’s respondents said they have encountered a security breach in their employer’s operating system. Those breaches resulted in major impacts for 27 per cent of respondents, moderate impacts for 42 per cent and minor impacts for 27 per cent.

“There are vulnerabilities all the time and this is what makes the job very difficult because when you ship the software, presumably the software has no security vulnerabilities, but things get discovered after the fact,” Wall said.

Security issues, he added, have really come to the forefront of the problems developers face, so “really without security, you have no safety.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:BB)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Beware of scams during Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days sales event: cybersecurity firm

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2 weeks ago

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October 8, 2024

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As online shoppers hunt for bargains offered by Amazon during its annual fall sale this week, cybersecurity researchers are warning Canadians to beware of an influx of scammers posing as the tech giant.

In the 30 days leading up to Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, taking place Tuesday and Wednesday, there were more than 1,000 newly registered Amazon-related web domains, according to Check Point Software Technologies, a company that offers cybersecurity solutions.

The company said it deemed 88 per cent of those domains malicious or suspicious, suggesting they could have been set up by scammers to prey on vulnerable consumers. One in every 54 newly created Amazon-related domain included the phrase “Amazon Prime.”

“They’re almost indiscernible from the real Amazon domain,” said Robert Falzon, head of engineering at Check Point in Canada.

“With all these domains registered that look so similar, it’s tricking a lot of people. And that’s the whole intent here.”

Falzon said Check Point Research sees an uptick in attempted scams around big online shopping days throughout the year, including Prime Days.

Scams often come in the form of phishing emails, which are deceptive messages that appear to be from a reputable source in attempt to steal sensitive information.

In this case, he said scammers posing as Amazon commonly offer “outrageous” deals that appear to be associated with Prime Days, in order to trick recipients into clicking on a malicious link.

The cybersecurity firm said it has identified and blocked 100 unique Amazon Prime-themed scam emails targeting organizations and consumers over the past two weeks.

Scammers also target Prime members with unsolicited calls, claiming urgent account issues and requesting payment information.

“It’s like Christmas for them,” said Falzon.

“People expect there to be significant savings on Prime Day, so they’re not shocked that they see something of significant value. Usually, the old adage applies: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

Amazon’s website lists a number of red flags that it recommends customers watch for to identify a potential impersonation scam.

Those include false urgency, requests for personal information, or indications that the sender prefers to complete the purchase outside of the Amazon website or mobile app.

Scammers may also request that customers exclusively pay with gift cards, a claim code or PIN. Any notifications about an order or delivery for an unexpected item should also raise alarm bells, the company says.

“During busy shopping moments, we tend to see a rise in impersonation scams reported by customers,” said Amazon spokeswoman Octavia Roufogalis in a statement.

“We will continue to invest in protecting consumers and educating the public on scam avoidance. We encourage consumers to report suspected scams to us so that we can protect their accounts and refer bad actors to law enforcement to help keep consumers safe.”

Falzon added that these scams are more successful than people might think.

As of June 30, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre said there had been $284 million lost to fraud so far this year, affecting 15,941 victims.

But Falzon said many incidents go unreported, as some Canadians who are targeted do not know how or where to flag a scam, or may choose not to out of embarrassment.

Check Point recommends Amazon customers take precautions while shopping on Prime Days, including by checking URLs carefully, creating strong passwords on their accounts, and avoiding personal information being shared such as their birthday or social security number.

The cybersecurity company said consumers should also look for “https” at the beginning of a website URL, which indicates a secure connection, and use credit cards rather than debit cards for online shopping, which offer better protection and less liability if stolen.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2024.

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