The winter holiday season has arrived just as Ontario is dealing with a new variant of the novel coronavirus and a rise in new infections.
But unlike this time last year, when COVID-19 cases were soaring and vaccine coverage was near zero, politicians and public health officials are not discouraging travel and holiday gatherings this time around.
Still, while there may not be cause cancel your plans just yet, infectious disease experts say continued community spread and uncertainty around the emergence of the omicron strain mean people should exercise caution.
“People are going to have different risk tolerances and … there’s a lot of different things that we can do to mitigate risk,” said Dr. Sumon Chakrabarti, an infectious diseases physician at Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga.
“Vaccination, of course, is the biggest one. There’s also … masking, distancing, being outdoors, improving ventilation.”
Dr. Sumon Chakrabarti, an infectious diseases physician in Mississauga, Ont., says people should conduct their own individual risk assessments when making holiday plans. (CBC)
Better shape than last year
While Ontario is seeing a rise in cases — the seven-day average jumped 20 per cent this week compared to last — and new cases of the omicron variant are being identified daily, the province is in much better shape than last year because 77 per cent of the population is now fully vaccinated.
The number of people in hospital due to COVID-19 is much lower than it was in 2020 mainly because of vaccination, experts say, meaning the health-care system has some available capacity.
“The risk has become so much smaller of severe disease,” said Chakrabarti.
“If you’re vaccinated, the chance of you being hospitalized is extremely small at this point.”
In Ontario, the capacity limit for private gatherings, such as a holiday party inside a home, is 25 people. That’s also the limit for indoor public events.
Private outdoor gatherings can have up to 100 people and events in venues where people have to show proof of vaccination have no limits. Places of worship have the option to check proof of immunization documents and shed capacity and physical distancing rules.
Dr. Anna Banerji, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Toronto, encourages people to keep their holiday gatherings small to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. (CBC)
But Dr. Anna Banerji, an infectious disease specialist with the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, said just because Ontarians are allowed to gather with that many people, that doesn’t mean they should.
“If you are going to have a gathering, try to make it a small, reasonable number of people,” said Banerji.
“Just a small group of intimate friends or immediate family because we want to see those grandparents next year and the year after — we don’t want anyone who’s vulnerable to get sick.”
Banerji said it’s safer to gather with smaller groups of vaccinated people. To improve ventilation in indoor spaces, she said hosts should consider purchasing a HEPA air filtration device or, weather permitting, open windows to improve air flow.
She added that anyone who is eligible for a third dose of vaccine should get one as soon as they can.
Travel rules in flux
Experts say people travelling within Canada are much more likely to experience a smooth trip than if they’re heading to international destinations. That’s because travel restrictions and testing requirements have been in flux ever since news of the omicron variant emerged.
“If you haven’t booked any [international] trips yet, it might be better to do things locally,” Banerji said.
A traveller is seen at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport during the COVID-19 pandemic last Friday. New travel testing and restrictions have been put in place due to the newly discovered B.1.1.529 coronavirus variant, now known as Omicron. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)
Air travellers will now be swabbed upon arrival and required to quarantine until they receive a negative result. That’s in addition to the existing pre-departure requirement of a negative PCR test within 72 hours of arrival in Canada.
The new measures caused confusion and frustration, with some Canadians — including Canada’s junior women’s field hockey team and others trying to get home for the holidays — speaking out about the clashing restrictions they said made it effectively impossible to return home.
Over the weekend, the government tweaked travel rules for Canadians trying to return from South Africa, but criticism of the wider travel ban continues.
Dr. Zain Chagla, an infectious disease physician for St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton, Ont., says people planning to travel internationally could be affected by travel restrictions that have been in flux since news of the omicron variant emerged. (Craig Chivers/CBC)
The U.S. government has also announced that Canadians and other foreign visitors must now provide a negative COVID-19 test taken within 24 hours of departure, regardless of vaccination status, to enter the country as of Monday.
Dr. Zain Chagla, an infectious diseases specialist at St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton, said travel within Canada is reasonable if people take the same precautions they would at home.
He said anyone planning to leave the country should keep in mind that they could be affected by new restrictions.
“Buyer beware: if you are planning on travelling internationally, leave a lot of time at the back end in case you get put in quarantine or have extra testing requirements or acquire COVID-19 while travelling,” Chagla said in an interview on CBC News Network.
“It’s such a dynamic situation that you have to be prepared that your trip may not go as planned both leaving Canada or coming back to it.”
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.
