HALIFAX —
Prince Edward Island is reporting five new COVID-19 cases on the island Sunday, with the active total rising to 18.
In an unscheduled media conference on Sunday, P.E.I. Chief Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison said she is concerned about the fact that there does not appear to be a clear source of the recent outbreak.
Sunday’s five new cases involve two males in their 20s, and three females – two in their 20s, and one in her 50s.
Three are from the recent Charlottetown outbreak, one is linked to Summerside, and Public Health is still trying to determine the source for the last.
“I remain concerned about the increasing number of cases in P.E.I., and the fact that we have not been able to identify a link to travel,” she said. “There may be more cases that will be identified in the coming days. “
This comes as P.E.I. announced new measures Saturday, which took effect Sunday.
According to Morrison, there are 190 close contacts of these cases, and more are expected to be announced.
NEW LOCK DOWN MEASURES ANNOUNCED
Prince Edward Island is entering a 72-hour lockdown starting at midnight as the province struggles to contain the outbreak. These measures are a tighter version of the ‘circuit breaker’ regulations announced just Saturday.
Premier Dennis King says he’d rather go “harder and stronger” with public health restrictions now — giving health officials a chance to get caught up on contact tracing and testing — than wait for the outbreak to worsen.
“Yesterday we introduced some new circuit breaker measures,” King said. “I know it’s not what everyone wanted to hear, but it’s what is necessary to keep our province safe — and today, we have announced we’re going a little further.”
The three-day lockdown requires residents to stay home as much as possible and will close all kindergarten to Grade 12 schools, with post-secondary education moving online only.
Only essential services will be allowed to remain open, at half of their standard operating capacity.
The other new measures are as follows:
No personal gatherings will be allowed
Each household can associate with two consistent people, for what Morrison called essential support
People who live alone can associate with one other household
No organized gatherings will be allowed
Funerals can have no more than 10, plus officiants
All recreational facilities are closed – including gyms, fitness facilities, bingo halls, casinos, musuems, and libraries
No organized sports or recreational activities will be permitted
Only essential services and businesses are allowed to be open to the public, and at 50 per cent of their standard capacity
Examples of services allowed to stay open: medical and dental services, childcare, grocery stores, pharmacies, takeout and food delivery, utility services, manufacturing processing and transportation services, gas stations, banks and essential financial institutions, public safety services and liquor stores.
For essential retail services, they can operate at half of standard operating capacity as long as entrances and exits monitored
In Sunday’s media conference, Premier Dennis King urged cooperation from employees and employers to allow for time off to get tested for COVID-19.
“Your absence at work may cause a minor disruption – I get that, but we are living in a period of distruption,” said King. “Missing a day or two at work while you have symptoms while you get tested is a heck of a lot less of a disruption than a circuit breaker.”
NEW POTENTIAL EXPOSURE SITES
Morrison also announced new public exposure sites. She said anyone who visited or worked at the following locations is asked to immediately self-isolate and seek a COVID-19 test. After a negative test, Morrison said there is no need to keep isolating, but it’s important to monitor symptoms and seek a second test if any appear.
Superstore in Montague, P.E.I.
Feb. 24 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Tailgate Bar and Grill in Montague
Feb. 25 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Domino’s Pizza in Summerside
Feb. 15 11:00 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Burger King in Summerside
Feb. 18 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Charlottetown city bus #1
Feb. 20 4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Taste of India in Charlottetown
Feb. 22 10:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Feb. 25 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Feb. 26 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Superstore at 465 University Ave. in Charlottetown
Feb. 23 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Feb. 24 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Jungle Market in Charlottetown
Feb. 24 from 5:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Walmart in Charlottetown
Feb. 24 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 27 2:00 to 2:30 p.m.
Christmas Discounters in Summerside
Feb. 25 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
These potential exposure sites are in addition to those announced Saturday, which are as follows:
Pita Pit (425 Granville Street)
Friday, February 19 between 11:00 am to 9:00 pm
Sunday, February 21 between 11:00 am and 7:00 pm
Monday, February 22 between 12:00 pm and 9:00 pm
Tuesday, February 23 between 12:00 pm and 9:00 pm
Wednesday, February 24 between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm
Friday, February 26 between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm
Callbecks Home Hardware (614 Water Street)
February 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, and 25 between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm
Burger King (511 Granville Street)
Sunday, February 14 between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm
Wednesday, February 17 between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm
Thursday, February 18 between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm
Saturday, February 20 between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm
Sunday, February 21 between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm
Monday, February 22 between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm
Wednesday, February 24 between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm
Thursday, February 25 between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm
Dominos Pizza (505 Granville Street)
Wednesday, February 17 between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm
Monday, February 22 between 4:00 pm and 11:00 pm
Tuesday, February 23 between 4:00 pm and 1:00 am
Wednesday, February 24 between 4:00 pm and 1:00 am
Late Saturday night, P.E.I. health announced more potential exposure sites. The same recomenddations apply to those who visited or worked at the following: immediately self-isolate and seek a COVID-19 test.
Dollarama in Summerside (454 Granville Street)
Saturday, February 20 between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm
Walmart/Burger King in Summerside (511 Granville Street)
Saturday, February 20 between 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm
Shoppers Drug Mart in Summerside (454 Granville Street)
Sunday, February 21 between 10:00 am and 11:00 am
Superstore in Montague
Wednesday, February 24 between 4:30 pm and 5:30 pm
Thursday, February 25 between 4:30 and 5:30 pm
Tailgate Bar and Grill in Montague
Thursday, February 25 between 9:30 pm to 11:30 pm
Morrison said she is expecting more positive cases to be announced in the coming days
Most job search advice is cookie-cutter. The advice you’re following is almost certainly the same advice other job seekers follow, making you just another candidate following the same script.
In today’s hyper-competitive job market, standing out is critical, a challenge most job seekers struggle with. Instead of relying on generic questions recommended by self-proclaimed career coaches, which often lead to a forgettable interview, ask unique, thought-provoking questions that’ll spark engaging conversations and leave a lasting impression.
Your level of interest in the company and the role.
Contributing to your employer’s success is essential.
You desire a cultural fit.
Here are the top four questions experts recommend candidates ask; hence, they’ve become cliché questions you should avoid asking:
“What are the key responsibilities of this position?”
Most likely, the job description answers this question. Therefore, asking this question indicates you didn’t read the job description. If you require clarification, ask, “How many outbound calls will I be required to make daily?” “What will be my monthly revenue target?”
“What does a typical day look like?”
Although it’s important to understand day-to-day expectations, this question tends to elicit vague responses and rarely leads to a deeper conversation. Don’t focus on what your day will look like; instead, focus on being clear on the results you need to deliver. Nobody I know has ever been fired for not following a “typical day.” However, I know several people who were fired for failing to meet expectations. Before accepting a job offer, ensure you’re capable of meeting the employer’s expectations.
“How would you describe the company culture?”
Asking this question screams, “I read somewhere to ask this question.” There are much better ways to research a company’s culture, such as speaking to current and former employees, reading online reviews and news articles. Furthermore, since your interviewer works for the company, they’re presumably comfortable with the culture. Do you expect your interviewer to give you the brutal truth? “Be careful of Craig; get on his bad side, and he’ll make your life miserable.” “Bob is close to retirement. I give him lots of slack, which the rest of the team needs to pick up.”
Truism: No matter how much due diligence you do, only when you start working for the employer will you experience and, therefore, know their culture firsthand.
“What opportunities are there for professional development?”
When asked this question, I immediately think the candidate cares more about gaining than contributing, a showstopper. Managing your career is your responsibility, not your employer’s.
Cliché questions don’t impress hiring managers, nor will they differentiate you from your competition. To transform your interaction with your interviewer from a Q&A session into a dynamic discussion, ask unique, insightful questions.
Here are my four go-to questions—I have many more—to accomplish this:
“Describe your management style. How will you manage me?”
This question gives your interviewer the opportunity to talk about themselves, which we all love doing. As well, being in sync with my boss is extremely important to me. The management style of who’ll be my boss is a determining factor in whether or not I’ll accept the job.
“What is the one thing I should never do that’ll piss you off and possibly damage our working relationship beyond repair?”
This question also allows me to determine whether I and my to-be boss would be in sync. Sometimes I ask, “What are your pet peeves?”
“When I join the team, what would be the most important contribution you’d want to see from me in the first six months?”
Setting myself up for failure is the last thing I want. As I mentioned, focus on the results you need to produce and timelines. How realistic are the expectations? It’s never about the question; it’s about what you want to know. It’s important to know whether you’ll be able to meet or even exceed your new boss’s expectations.
“If I wanted to sell you on an idea or suggestion, what do you need to know?”
Years ago, a candidate asked me this question. I was impressed he wasn’t looking just to put in time; he was looking for how he could be a contributing employee. Every time I ask this question, it leads to an in-depth discussion.
Other questions I’ve asked:
“What keeps you up at night?”
“If you were to leave this company, who would follow?”
“How do you handle an employee making a mistake?”
“If you were to give a Ted Talk, what topic would you talk about?”
“What are three highly valued skills at [company] that I should master to advance?”
“What are the informal expectations of the role?”
“What is one misconception people have about you [or the company]?”
Your questions reveal a great deal about your motivations, drive to make a meaningful impact on the business, and a chance to morph the questioning into a conversation. Cliché questions don’t lead to meaningful discussions, whereas unique, thought-provoking questions do and, in turn, make you memorable.
Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.
CALGARY – Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. reported a third-quarter profit of $2.27 billion, down from $2.34 billion in the same quarter last year.
The company says the profit amounted to $1.06 per diluted share for the quarter that ended Sept. 30 compared with $1.06 per diluted share a year earlier.
Product sales totalled $10.40 billion, down from $11.76 billion in the same quarter last year.
Daily production for the quarter averaged 1,363,086 barrels of oil equivalent per day, down from 1,393,614 a year ago.
On an adjusted basis, Canadian Natural says it earned 97 cents per diluted share for the quarter, down from an adjusted profit of $1.30 per diluted share in the same quarter last year.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 90 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.
CALGARY – Cenovus Energy Inc. reported its third-quarter profit fell compared with a year as its revenue edged lower.
The company says it earned $820 million or 42 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, down from $1.86 billion or 97 cents per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue for the quarter totalled $14.25 billion, down from $14.58 billion in the same quarter last year.
Total upstream production in the quarter amounted to 771,300 barrels of oil equivalent per day, down from 797,000 a year earlier.
Total downstream throughput was 642,900 barrels per day compared with 664,300 in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Cenovus says its funds flow amounted to $1.05 per diluted share in its latest quarter, down from adjusted funds flow of $1.81 per diluted share a year earlier.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.
