HALIFAX —
Nova Scotia health officials reported two new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the active number of cases in the province to 23.
According to public health, both of Monday’s new cases are connected to previously reported cases and are under investigation
Monday’s new cases comes after eight new cases were identified over the weekend.
Two new cases were identified on Sunday, both in the Central Zone, and are linked to previously reported cases, including cases linked to the Clayton Park cluster.
On Saturday, the province reported six new cases of COVID-19 also all in the Central Zone, the largest one-day increase in cases the province has seen since May.
According to health officials, all six cases are contacts of previously reported cases.
One of the new cases is related to the Bitter End in Halifax, a restaurant that appears to be linked to the Clayton Park cluster reported earlier this week.
The province said the other cases are part of an emerging cluster that is being investigated by public health.
“As we’ve seen in other provinces, COVID-19 cases can increase in no time,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Chief Medical Officer of Health for Nova Scotia.
“We must not let our guard down in Nova Scotia. Please continue to adhere to protocols and limit the number of your close social contacts and social activities.”
CASE DATA
The Nova Scotia Health Authority’s labs completed 844 Nova Scotia tests on Sunday.
To date, Nova Scotia has had 122,682 negative test results and 1,146 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Of those, 1,058 cases are now considered resolved and 65 people have died as a result of the novel coronavirus.
There is no one in hospital due to COVID-19.
The province’s confirmed cases range in age from under 10 to over 90.
Sixty per cent of cases are female and 40 per cent are male.
There are cases confirmed across the province, but most have been identified in the Central Zone, which contains the Halifax Regional Municipality.
The provincial government says cumulative cases by zone may change as data is updated in Panorama, the province’s electronic information system.
The numbers reflect where a person lives and not where their sample was collected.
Health officials are asking anyone who visited The Local Bar and Restaurant on Nov. 9 between 4 p.m. and close to contact 811 and arrange for a COVID-19 test, whether you have symptoms of the virus or not.
The updated information came in a news release from public health Saturday evening.
“Our investigation continues into several cases within the Central Zone, primarily in the Halifax area currently. At times, we gather information throughout our investigation that means we have to issue new information and advice,” said Dr. Claudia Sarbu, the province’s regional medical officer of health, in a news release Saturday evening.
“These steps are taken to help us contain and manage the spread of COVID-19 and protest the health of Nova Scotians.”
Originally, officials said on Friday anyone who was at the restaurant should self-monitor for symptoms up to, and including, Nov. 23.
The Local Bar and Restaurant is located in downtown Halifax at 2037 Gottingen Street.
Nine other potential COVID-19 exposures were also identified over Friday and Saturday during the following dates and times:
The Economy Shoe Shop Bar and Restaurant on Nov. 8, between 8:30 and 11 p.m.
John W. Lindsay YMCA on Sackville Street on Nov. 9 and Nov. 10 between the hours of 6 a.m. and 8 a.m., but only in the gym section of that facility.
Tim Hortons on Verdi Drive, (Bedford Commons) on Nov. 12 from 6:30 a.m. to 8 a.m.
Real Fake Meats in Halifax located at 2278 Gottingen St. on Oct. 31 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Antojo Tacos and Tequila in Halifax located at 1667 Argyle St. on Oct. 31 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
MEC in Halifax located at 1550 Granville St. on Nov. 4 from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Aerobics First in Halifax located at 6166 Quinpool Rd. on Nov. 7 from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Pet Valu in Halifax located at 5686 Spring Garden Rd. on Nov. 9 from 5:30 pm to 6:30pm.
East Preston Recreation Centre – Gym/Basketball Court in East Preston, N.S., located at 24 Brooks Drive, on Nov. 9 from 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Nova Scotia health says anyone that was at any of these nine locations on the dates and times listed above should self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days, following the day of exposure.
Should any COVID-19 symptoms develop, they are directed to self-isolate and take the online self-assessment or call 811 to get tested.
ONLINE BOOKING FOR COVID TESTS
Nova Scotia’s online booking for COVID-19 tests is now available for everyone across the province.
Nova Scotians must first complete the online self-assessment to determine if they need a COVID-19 test. If they do require a test, they will be directed to the online booking site to make an appointment.
Tests should be scheduled within 48 hours of completing the self-assessment.
COVID ALERT APP
Earlier in October, Nova Scotia Health announced that Canada’s COVID-19 Alert app is now available in the province.
The app, which can be downloaded through the Apple App Store or Google Play, notifies users if they may have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
STATE OF EMERGENCY RENEWED
The provincial state of emergency, which was first declared on March 22, has been extended to Nov. 29, unless the government terminates or extends it before then.
LIST OF SYMPTOMS
Anyone who experiences a fever or new or worsening cough, or two or more of the following new or worsening symptoms, is encouraged to take an online test or call 811 to determine if they need to be tested for COVID-19:
Sore throat
Headache
Shortness of breath
Runny nose/nasal congestion
SELF-ISOLATION AND MANDATORY MASKS
Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 is required to self-isolate at home, away from the public, for 14 days.
Anyone who travels to Nova Scotia from outside the Atlantic region for non-essential reasons is required to self-isolate for 14 days and must fill out a self-declaration form before coming to the province. Travellers must self-isolate alone, away from others. If they cannot self-isolate alone, their entire household must also self-isolate for 14 days.
Residents of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador are not required to self-isolate when travelling to Nova Scotia, but they must be prepared to provide proof of their place of residency at provincial borders.
Visitors from outside the Atlantic region who have already self-isolated in another Atlantic province for 14 days may travel to Nova Scotia without having to self-isolate again.
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.
