OTTAWA —
Ottawa Public Health says 73 more people in Ottawa have tested positive for COVID-19 and two more people have died.
There were 1,489 new cases reported across Ontario. The province also reported 22 new deaths provincewide and 1,937 newly resolved cases of COVID-19. The province reported 57 new cases in Ottawa. Case counts from the province and from Ottawa Public Health differ due to different data collection times.
Ottawa had been seeing a downward trend in COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks, with rolling averages dropping. However, in Sunday’s update some rolling averages increased slightly.
OPH’s COVID-19 dashboard shows that there have been 13,670 total laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa since the pandemic began and 424 residents have died.
The weekly rate of new cases per 100,000 population, which fell below 30 on Saturday, ticked back up to 32 on Sunday and the estimated reproduction number is slightly above 1, suggesting viral spread is increasing.
The number of known active cases also increased on Sunday, but remains below 500.
OTTAWA’S COVID-19 KEY STATISTICS
Ottawa Public Health moved Ottawa into its red zone in early January.
A provincial stay-at-home order has been in effect since Jan. 14, 2021.
Ottawa Public Health data:
COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 32.7 (up from 29.6 cases on Saturday, 30.5 cases on Friday and 31.8 cases on Thursday)
Positivity rate in Ottawa: 1.6 per cent (Jan. 29 to Feb. 4)
Reproduction number: 1.03 (seven day average)
Reproduction values greater than 1 indicate the virus is spreading and each case infects more than one contact. If it is less than 1, it means spread is slowing.
VACCINES
As of Feb. 5
Vaccine doses administered in Ottawa (first and second shots): 28,567*
Vaccine doses delivered to Ottawa: 30,225
*OPH says staff were able to extract additional doses out of several vials, which were given to residents. In a statement on its dashboard, OPH said, “Vaccine inventory is based on an expected 5 dose per vial supply. Occasionally, an additional dose (6th dose) is successfully extracted and administered to clients.”
ACTIVE CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA
The number of people with known active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa increased to 470 on Sunday from 450 on Saturday. It had been dropping steadily since Jan. 16, when it peaked at nearly 1,300 cases.
OPH reported 51 newly resolved cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Sunday, for a total of 12,776.
The number of active cases is the number of total laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 minus the numbers of resolved cases and deaths. A case is considered resolved 14 days after known symptom onset or positive test result.
HOSPITALIZATIONS IN OTTAWA
There are 23 people in local hospitals with COVID-19, down from 26 on Saturday. Six people remain in intensive care.
Of the people in hospital, one is in their 40s (this person is in the ICU), four are in their 50s, four are in their 60s (three are in the ICU), three are in their 70s (one is in the ICU), seven are in their 80s (one is in the ICU), and four are 90 or older.
COVID-19 TESTING
Ontario health officials say 51,658 COVID-19 tests were completed across the province on Saturday and 16,539 tests remain under investigation.
The Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce said Friday that 1,029 swabs were taken at local assessment centres on Thursday and labs performed 6,695 tests. The next update for local testing figures will be on Monday, Feb. 8.
Ottawa’s testing positivity rate for the week of Jan. 29 to Feb. 4 was 1.6 per cent.
CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA BY AGE CATEGORY
0-9 years old: Zero new cases (992 total cases)
10-19 years-old: Three new cases (1,687 total cases)
20-29 years-old: 16 new cases (2,921 total cases)
30-39 years-old: 15 new cases (1,904 total cases)
40-49 years-old: 14 new cases (1,788 total cases)
50-59 years-old: 15 new cases (1,648 total cases)
60-69-years-old: Eight new cases (1,001 total cases)
70-79 years-old: Zero new cases (610 total cases)
80-89 years-old: Two new cases (677 total cases)
90+ years old: Zero new cases (439 total cases)
The ages of three people with COVID-19 are unknown.
CASES OF COVID-19 AROUND THE REGION
Eastern Ontario Health Unit: Two new cases
Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health: One new case
Leeds, Grenville & Lanark Public Health: One new case
Renfrew County and District Health Unit: Two new cases
CISSS de l’Outaouais (Gatineau and western Quebec): 18 new cases
INSTITUTIONAL OUTBREAKS
Ottawa Public Health is reporting COVID-19 outbreaks at 25 institutions in Ottawa, including long-term care homes, retirement homes, daycares, hospitals and schools.
Three new outbreaks were declared on Sunday, at the Montfort Long-term Care Centre, the Edingburgh Retirement Residence, and a shelter.
An outbreak at an Andrew Fleck home daycare location has ended.
There are two active community outbreaks, linked to a health workplace and a warehouse.
The schools and childcare spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:
Bishop Hamilton Montessori School
Centre educatif La Clementine (École Marie-Curie)
Cornerstone Children’s Centre
Greely Elementary School
Playtime Daycare Centre – Licensed Childcare
The long-term care homes, retirement homes, hospitals, and other spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:
Garden Terrace
Garry J. Armstrong long-term care home
Group Home – 29052
Group Home – 32432
Heritage Retirement
Manoir Marochel
Montfort Long-term Care Centre (NEW)
Oakpark Retirement Community
Residence St. Louis
Richmond Care Home
Shelter – 28778
Shelter – 29677
Shelter – 29770
Shelter – 29860
Shelter – 32296
Shelter – 32620 (NEW)
St. Patrick’s Home
The Edinburgh Retirement Residence (NEW)
Valley Stream Retirement Residence
Villa Marconi
A single laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19 in a resident or staff member of a long-term care home, retirement home or shelter triggers an outbreak response, according to Ottawa Public Health. In childcare settings, a single confirmed, symptomatic case in a staff member, home daycare provider, or child triggers an outbreak.
Under provincial guidelines, a COVID-19 outbreak in a school is defined as two or more lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in students and/or staff in a school with an epidemiological link, within a 14-day period, where at least one case could have reasonably acquired their infection in the school (including transportation and before or after school care).
TORONTO – Canada Goose Holdings Inc. says it has signed a deal that will result in the creation of its first eyewear collection.
The deal announced on Thursday by the Toronto-based luxury apparel company comes in the form of an exclusive, long-term global licensing agreement with Marchon Eyewear Inc.
The terms and value of the agreement were not disclosed, but Marchon produces eyewear for brands including Lacoste, Nike, Calvin Klein, Ferragamo, Longchamp and Zeiss.
Marchon plans to roll out both sunglasses and optical wear under the Canada Goose name next spring, starting in North America.
Canada Goose says the eyewear will be sold through optical retailers, department stores, Canada Goose shops and its website.
Canada Goose CEO Dani Reiss told The Canadian Press in August that he envisioned his company eventually expanding into eyewear and luggage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Almost seven years since news broke of an alleged conspiracy to fix the price of packaged bread across Canada, the saga isn’t over: the Competition Bureau continues to investigate the companies that may have been involved, and two class-action lawsuits continue to work their way through the courts.
Here’s a timeline of key events in the bread price-fixing case.
Oct. 31, 2017: The Competition Bureau says it’s investigating allegations of bread price-fixing and that it was granted search warrants in the case. Several grocers confirm they are co-operating in the probe.
Dec. 19, 2017: Loblaw and George Weston say they participated in an “industry-wide price-fixing arrangement” to raise the price of packaged bread. The companies say they have been co-operating in the Competition Bureau’s investigation since March 2015, when they self-reported to the bureau upon discovering anti-competitive behaviour, and are receiving immunity from prosecution. They announce they are offering $25 gift cards to customers amid the ongoing investigation into alleged bread price-fixing.
Jan. 31, 2018: In court documents, the Competition Bureau says at least $1.50 was added to the price of a loaf of bread between about 2001 and 2016.
Dec. 20, 2019: A class-action lawsuit in a Quebec court against multiple grocers and food companies is certified against a number of companies allegedly involved in bread price-fixing, including Loblaw, George Weston, Metro, Sobeys, Walmart Canada, Canada Bread and Giant Tiger (which have all denied involvement, except for Loblaw and George Weston, which later settled with the plaintiffs).
Dec. 31, 2021: A class-action lawsuit in an Ontario court covering all Canadian residents except those in Quebec who bought packaged bread from a company named in the suit is certified against roughly the same group of companies.
June 21, 2023: Bakery giant Canada Bread Co. is fined $50 million after pleading guilty to four counts of price-fixing under the Competition Act as part of the Competition Bureau’s ongoing investigation.
Oct. 25 2023: Canada Bread files a statement of defence in the Ontario class action denying participating in the alleged conspiracy and saying any anti-competitive behaviour it participated in was at the direction and to the benefit of its then-majority owner Maple Leaf Foods, which is not a defendant in the case (neither is its current owner Grupo Bimbo). Maple Leaf calls Canada Bread’s accusations “baseless.”
Dec. 20, 2023: Metro files new documents in the Ontario class action accusing Loblaw and its parent company George Weston of conspiring to implicate it in the alleged scheme, denying involvement. Sobeys has made a similar claim. The two companies deny the allegations.
July 25, 2024: Loblaw and George Weston say they agreed to pay a combined $500 million to settle both the Ontario and Quebec class-action lawsuits. Loblaw’s share of the settlement includes a $96-million credit for the gift cards it gave out years earlier.
Sept. 12, 2024: Canada Bread files new documents in Ontario court as part of the class action, claiming Maple Leaf used it as a “shield” to avoid liability in the alleged scheme. Maple Leaf was a majority shareholder of Canada Bread until 2014, and the company claims it’s liable for any price-fixing activity. Maple Leaf refutes the claims.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Companies in this story: (TSX:L, TSX:MFI, TSX:MRU, TSX:EMP.A, TSX:WN)
TORONTO – TD Bank Group, which is mired in a money laundering scandal in the U.S., says chief executive Bharat Masrani will retire next year.
Masrani, who will retire officially on April 10, 2025, says the bank’s, “anti-money laundering challenges,” took place on his watch and he takes full responsibility.
The bank named Raymond Chun, TD’s group head, Canadian personal banking, as his successor.
As part of a transition plan, Chun will become chief operating officer on Nov. 1 before taking over the top job when Masrani steps down at the bank’s annual meeting next year.
TD also announced that Riaz Ahmed, group head, wholesale banking and president and CEO of TD Securities, will retire at the end of January 2025.
TD has taken billions in charges related to ongoing U.S. investigations into the failure of its anti-money laundering program.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
