N.S. reports 7 new COVID-19 cases as first doses of vaccine expected next week - CBC.ca | Canada News Media
Connect with us

Business

N.S. reports 7 new COVID-19 cases as first doses of vaccine expected next week – CBC.ca

Published

 on


Nova Scotia reported seven new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, including one at a Dartmouth school.

There were 78 active COVID cases in the province, but no one was in hospital with the illness. 

Two of the new cases were reported in the western health zone and identified as close contacts of previously reported cases.

Another case was in the northern health zone and related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada. That person was self-isolating as required.

The final four cases were in the central health zone. The province said two of those cases were close contacts of previously reported cases.

One case remained under investigation, while the other case was connected to Shannon Park Elementary in Dartmouth. That person did not attend school Tuesday and was self-isolating.

The school was expected to remain closed to students until Monday, Dec. 14 to allow for deep cleaning, testing and contact tracing. Students were learning from home in the meantime.

An update was expected to be released on the weekend for families and students.

First vaccine shipment coming next week

The premier said Tuesday he expected Nova Scotia’s first doses of the vaccine to arrive by Dec. 15.

“The first shipment will include 1,950 doses, which will be administered within days, pending Health Canada’s approval,” he said. “We will start with front-line health-care workers who are at the greatest risk of coming into contact with COVID.”

That would include staff at COVID-19 care units and in long-term care. McNeil said weekly shipments would then go to long-term care home residents.

Strang said the vaccine needs to be kept at –70 C and the manufacturer has said the first doses must be delivered very close to the storage freezer.

He said 150,000 doses were expected by March, which could vaccinate 75,000 people. The two doses are given a month apart.

Everyone could be vaccinated by fall 2021

The second phase of vaccines would go to people aged 80 or older. That age threshold would drop by five-year increments for subsequent vaccination phases.

“It will most likely be the summer of 2021 before we can start offering vaccines to the broader community,” said Strang.

By fall, he said everyone could be immunized, calling it “good news.” But Strang cautioned the introduction of a vaccine doesn’t mean people can drop their guard. 

A third wave could be worse and lead to even tighter restrictions, he said.

“We’re going to have to continue to wear masks and keep our distance from others, we’re going to have to continue to stay home if we’re unwell and keep a strong focus on hand washing and cleaning common surfaces.”

This ultra low-temperature freezer is the type that will store the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. (Communications Nova Scotia)

He said the number of close contacts per positive COVID case had dropped significantly in recent days.

“Most of our new cases are connected to previously known cases, or to travel outside of Atlantic Canada,” he said. “It’s getting back to more the pattern we saw before the beginning of the second wave.”

He said to keep that trend going, the newer restrictions would stay in place until at least Dec. 16. He said the Department of Labour reported “exceptional” compliance from businesses during its more than 70 spot checks.

Two of the new cases announced Tuesday were workers at a large poultry facility in the Annapolis Valley, said Strang. He didn’t name the company but said it had told its workers why it was shutting down.

He said about 450 people work at the plant and Public Health would arrange testing starting Wednesday.

“We’re on top of this,” said Strang. 

Cases in the Atlantic provinces

Newfoundland and Labrador announced Monday it would be at least a month before it rejoins the Atlantic bubble. Anyone arriving in that province from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick or Prince Edward Island would have to self-isolate for 14 days. 

P.E.I. announced Thursday that its travel restrictions within the region would stay in place until at least Dec. 21. 

The latest numbers from the Atlantic provinces are:

  • Newfoundland and Labrador reported one new case Tuesday and had 28 active cases.
  • New Brunswick reported five new cases Tuesday and had 82 active cases. Three people were hospitalized and in intensive care. 
  • P.E.I. reported no new cases Tuesday and had 13 active cases. The province introduced sweeping restrictions Monday, with all gyms, libraries, bingo halls and casinos closed for at least two weeks and restaurants closed to indoor dining.

Walk-in testing available for ages 16 and up

Walk-in COVID testing is available for people aged 16 and up with no symptoms at the Zatzman Sportsplex in Dartmouth from Thursday through Sunday.

Those in the age range are welcome if they have no symptoms, have not been at an exposure site identified by Public Health, or are not a close contact of a person with COVID-19.

The testing method will be the standard swab, not the rapid test.

Symptoms

Anyone with one of the following symptoms should visit the COVID-19 self-assessment website or call 811:

  • Fever.
  • Cough or worsening of a previous cough.

Anyone with two or more of the following symptoms is also asked to visit the website or call 811:

  • Sore throat.
  • Headache.
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Runny nose.

MORE TOP STORIES 

Let’s block ads! (Why?)



Source link

Continue Reading

Business

Telus prioritizing ‘most important customers,’ avoiding ‘unprofitable’ offers: CFO

Published

 on

 

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.

Companies in this story: (TSX:T)

Source link

Continue Reading

Business

TC Energy cuts cost estimate for Southeast Gateway pipeline project in Mexico

Published

 on

 

CALGARY – TC Energy Corp. has lowered the estimated cost of its Southeast Gateway pipeline project in Mexico.

It says it now expects the project to cost between US$3.9 billion and US$4.1 billion compared with its original estimate of US$4.5 billion.

The change came as the company reported a third-quarter profit attributable to common shareholders of C$1.46 billion or $1.40 per share compared with a loss of C$197 million or 19 cents per share in the same quarter last year.

Revenue for the quarter ended Sept. 30 totalled C$4.08 billion, up from C$3.94 billion in the third quarter of 2023.

TC Energy says its comparable earnings for its latest quarter amounted to C$1.03 per share compared with C$1.00 per share a year earlier.

The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 95 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:TRP)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Source link

Continue Reading

Business

BCE reports Q3 loss on asset impairment charge, cuts revenue guidance

Published

 on

 

BCE Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter as it recorded $2.11 billion in asset impairment charges, mainly related to Bell Media’s TV and radio properties.

The company says its net loss attributable to common shareholders amounted to $1.24 billion or $1.36 per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a profit of $640 million or 70 cents per share a year earlier.

On an adjusted basis, BCE says it earned 75 cents per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of 81 cents per share in the same quarter last year.

“Bell’s results for the third quarter demonstrate that we are disciplined in our pursuit of profitable growth in an intensely competitive environment,” BCE chief executive Mirko Bibic said in a statement.

“Our focus this quarter, and throughout 2024, has been to attract higher-margin subscribers and reduce costs to help offset short-term revenue impacts from sustained competitive pricing pressures, slow economic growth and a media advertising market that is in transition.”

Operating revenue for the quarter totalled $5.97 billion, down from $6.08 billion in its third quarter of 2023.

BCE also said it now expects its revenue for 2024 to fall about 1.5 per cent compared with earlier guidance for an increase of zero to four per cent.

The company says the change comes as it faces lower-than-anticipated wireless product revenue and sustained pressure on wireless prices.

BCE added 33,111 net postpaid mobile phone subscribers, down 76.8 per cent from the same period last year, which was the company’s second-best performance on the metric since 2010.

It says the drop was driven by higher customer churn — a measure of subscribers who cancelled their service — amid greater competitive activity and promotional offer intensity. BCE’s monthly churn rate for the category was 1.28 per cent, up from 1.1 per cent during its previous third quarter.

The company also saw 11.6 per cent fewer gross subscriber activations “due to more targeted promotional offers and mobile device discounting compared to last year.”

Bell’s wireless mobile phone average revenue per user was $58.26, down 3.4 per cent from $60.28 in the third quarter of the prior year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:BCE)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Exit mobile version