A school girl waves as she gets inside the building to attend class at the Provincia de Cordoba school on Wednesday in Buenos Aires. Some Argentinian students returned to the classroom after a year of home schooling due to the pandemic. (Marcos Brindicci/Getty Images)
Protest held at Alta. slaughterhouse dealing with deadly COVID-19 outbreak
Labour leaders gathered early Wednesday morning at the Red Deer, Alta., slaughterhouse that is at the centre of a COVID-19 outbreak that claimed the life of a 35-year-old employee.
“We’re here because no workplace that’s unsafe should ever be allowed to operate in society, and surely people need to be put ahead of pigs,” union president Thomas Hesse told CBC News.
Hesse said the union had advocated for the closure of the plant — where 1,800 employees work in close proximity — a move supported by the vast majority of workers.
“We were so surprised and it really speaks to the level of fear when workers say, ‘I want my own workplace to close and I’ll take all of the risks associated with that,'” said Hesse.
On Monday, the Quebec-based company announced it would voluntarily close the plant with operations ceasing over the next few days.
During Tuesday’s daily COVID-19 update, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, said processes in place at the Red Deer plant had previously been “very successful” in preventing spread.
“Unfortunately, I think there was a concurrence of a number of events that were not limited to events directly on that plant site, and therefore we did see an increase in cases,” said Hinshaw.
From The National
After weeks of delayed COVID-19 vaccine shipments, Canada is expected to see more doses start arriving this week. But there are concerns that the provinces aren’t ready to ramp up their vaccine rollouts. 2:01
IN BRIEF
Judge denies B.C.’s request for injunction against churches breaking COVID-19 rules
The B.C. government may ultimately win its case against three Fraser Valley churches flouting COVID-19 rules that prohibit in-person services, but on Wednesday the chief justice of British Columbia’s Supreme Court denied an application from the province for an injunction against the churches.
“Given the other remedies available to the respondents, I have reservations that an injunction alone, without enforcement by the B.C. Prosecution Service, would overcome the deeply held beliefs of the petitioners and their devotee,” Chief Justice Christopher Hinkson wrote in dismissing the application by B.C.’s attorney general and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
The Riverside Calvary Chapel in Langley, the Immanuel Covenant Reformed Church in Abbotsford and Free Reformed Church of Chilliwack filed the petition last month challenging the province’s COVID-19 restrictions, arguing they violate the rights and freedoms of their parishioners.
“To be clear, I am not condoning the petitioners’ conduct in contravention of the orders that they challenge, but find that the injunctive relief sought by the respondents should not be granted,” Hinkson wrote in Wednesday’s ruling.
At a hearing last week, Hinkson said he had to consider the “balance of convenience” between sacrificing the Charter rights of the three churches and the public health damage the province claimed might happen without an injunction.
He said the balance favoured the churches, given that Henry still had other options to enforce her rules. The province’s Public Health Act says people who ignore health orders can face jail time and fines ranging from $25,000 to $3 million for causing a health hazard.
The challenge from the churches on the COVID-19 restrictions is set to be heard next month.
Incomplete national data makes it hard to assess exactly how far along Canada is on vaccination
The latest Public Health Agency of Canada numbers on vaccination are a gauge of how the country is actually doing when it comes to vaccinating those first in line for getting inoculated.
But officials in Canada’s most populous province are not submitting key COVID-19 data to the federal government’s health agency, making it difficult to get a clear, national picture of how the first phase of the country’s vaccination program is progressing.
Since Dec. 19, provinces and territories have been reporting the number of people vaccinated in three target populations that are top priority groups in the first phase: adults living in group settings, adults over the age of 80 and health-care workers.
The data is gathered by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and published once a week on its vaccine coverage website — with one key exception.
“Data for Ontario are not included,” reads a disclaimer on the PHAC site. The reason given is that the province’s data is “not broken down by key population groups.”
In an email in response to CBC’s request for more information, a spokesperson for Ontario’s Ministry of Health said the ministry is working with PHAC to provide more data in “the near future.”
The issue comes as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other federal health officials have primed the country for an imminent and significant increase in the pace of vaccinations after setbacks with supply for both approved vaccines, from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech.
Montreal community groups press, once again, for race-based data on COVID-19
Nearly a year after the pandemic descended on Canada, community groups in Montreal are still pressing all levels of government to collect and publicize data on how COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting racialized minorities and low-income residents in the city.
Fo Niemi, the executive director of the Center For Research-Action on Race Relations, who was also at the news conference, said the information would helpful in dealing with the next challenge: vaccinations.
He pointed out that Canada’s national advisory committee on immunization issued new guidance earlier this week, recommending that adults from racialized communities disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic be prioritized for shots in the second stage of the vaccination campaign.
Dr. Jill Hanley, a social work professor at McGill University said at a virtual news conference on Tuesday that while researchers have been able to gather some information themselves, public health officials would be able to go deeper and allow policy makers to take more targeted steps at addressing the problem.
“Montreal as a city needs this information so that we can work together to send resources where they are most needed,” said Hanley, who conducted her own study last year on the impact of COVID-19 on ethnocultural communities in Montreal.
When asked about the issue of collecting race-based data, Quebec public health director Dr. Horacio Arruda said that he doesn’t think that’s the most relevant social factor to look at.
“We use that for some diseases when there is a racial effect of the disease because of the genetics. But most of the time, it’s not the race that is the problem, it’s the conditions of the person: poverty, crowding in houses,” said Arruda. “And I think it’s those elements which are more important for me: revenue, how many kids, university level. For me those are the factors that can explain why those communities are more [affected].”
New lab processes thousands of rapid COVID tests to keep film industry rolling in B.C.
A man in costume holds flowers while walking down a street in Gastown during the filming of The Mysterious Benedict Society in Vancouver in November. (Ben Nelms/CBC News)
A man in costume holds flowers while walking down a street in Gastown during the filming of The Mysterious Benedict Society in Vancouver in November. (Ben Nelms/CBC News)
A new lab set up in Coquitlam, B.C., is processing thousands of coronavirus tests in under 12 hours each day to screen film industry workers for the virus and keep productions rolling.
Since January, Omega Laboratories Inc., working in partnership with Swedish-based First Wellness Testing, has responded to the huge demand for its specialized service.
Some experts say the film industry’s embrace of rapid asymptomatic testing is a direction other areas of the economy might consider, especially now that more infectious variants of the virus are emerging in B.C.
Gio Miletto, medical director for Omega Vancouver Laboratories, says the investment film companies are making to keep their employees safe is having the “knock-on” effect of screening out virus spreaders from the general community.
“We are finding the people that don’t have symptoms that are spreaders,” said Miletto.
The tests that U.S.-based Omega is employing in B.C. go beyond antigen tests, which detect fragments of SARS-CoV-2 virus proteins from a swab or sample. Its lab provides polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests that employ a nasal swab collected by a trained nurse who goes on site.
One caveat: The tests are about $150 a pop.
It’s “enormously expensive, but maybe in the context of all the economic costs of COVID-19, it’s not looking like such a bad equation,” said Eric Brown of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research at McMaster University in Hamilton, which has looked at the efficacy of rapid tests.
Skinstitut Holiday Gift Kits take the stress out of gifting
Toronto, October 31, 2024 – Beauty gifts are at the top of holiday wish lists this year, and Laser Clinics Canada, a leader in advanced beauty treatments and skincare, is taking the pressure out of seasonal shopping. Today, Laser Clincs Canada announces the arrival of its 2024 Holiday Gift Kits, courtesy of Skinstitut, the exclusive skincare line of Laser Clinics Group.
In time for the busy shopping season, the limited-edition Holiday Gifts Kits are available in Laser Clinics locations in the GTA and Ottawa. Clinics are conveniently located in popular shopping centers, including Hillcrest Mall, Square One, CF Sherway Gardens, Scarborough Town Centre, Rideau Centre, Union Station and CF Markville. These limited-edition Kits are available on a first come, first served basis.
“These kits combine our best-selling products, bundled to address the most relevant skin concerns we’re seeing among our clients,” says Christina Ho, Senior Brand & LAM Manager at Laser Clinics Canada. “With several price points available, the kits offer excellent value and suit a variety of gift-giving needs, from those new to cosmeceuticals to those looking to level up their skincare routine. What’s more, these kits are priced with a savings of up to 33 per cent so gift givers can save during the holiday season.
There are two kits to select from, each designed to address key skin concerns and each with a unique theme — Brightening Basics and Hydration Heroes.
Brightening Basics is a mix of everyday essentials for glowing skin for all skin types. The bundle comes in a sleek pink, reusable case and includes three full-sized products: 200ml gentle cleanser, 50ml Moisture Defence (normal skin) and 30ml1% Hyaluronic Complex Serum. The Brightening Basics kit is available at $129, a saving of 33 per cent.
Hydration Heroes is a mix of hydration essentials and active heroes that cater to a wide variety of clients. A perfect stocking stuffer, this bundle includes four deluxe products: Moisture 15 15 ml Defence for normal skin, 10 ml 1% Hyaluronic Complex Serum, 10 ml Retinol Serum and 50 ml Expert Squalane Cleansing Oil. The kit retails at $59.
In addition to the 2024 Holiday Gifts Kits, gift givers can easily add a Laser Clinic Canada gift card to the mix. Offering flexibility, recipients can choose from a wide range of treatments offered by Laser Clinics Canada, or they can expand their collection of exclusive Skinstitut products.
Brightening Basics 2024 Holiday Gift Kit by Skinstitut, available exclusively at Laser Clincs Canada clinics and online at skinstitut.ca.
Hydration Heroes 2024 Holiday Gift Kit by Skinstitut – available exclusively at Laser Clincs Canada clinics and online at skinstitut.ca.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
The Canadian Paediatric Society says doctors should regularly screen children for reading difficulties and dyslexia, calling low literacy a “serious public health concern” that can increase the risk of other problems including anxiety, low self-esteem and behavioural issues, with lifelong consequences.
New guidance issued Wednesday says family doctors, nurses, pediatricians and other medical professionals who care for school-aged kids are in a unique position to help struggling readers access educational and specialty supports, noting that identifying problems early couldhelp kids sooner — when it’s more effective — as well as reveal other possible learning or developmental issues.
The 10 recommendations include regular screening for kids aged four to seven, especially if they belong to groups at higher risk of low literacy, including newcomers to Canada, racialized Canadians and Indigenous Peoples. The society says this can be done in a two-to-three-minute office-based assessment.
Other tips encourage doctors to look for conditions often seen among poor readers such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; to advocate for early literacy training for pediatric and family medicine residents; to liaise with schools on behalf of families seeking help; and to push provincial and territorial education ministries to integrate evidence-based phonics instruction into curriculums, starting in kindergarten.
Dr. Scott McLeod, one of the authors and chair of the society’s mental health and developmental disabilities committee, said a key goal is to catch kids who may be falling through the cracks and to better connect families to resources, including quicker targeted help from schools.
“Collaboration in this area is so key because we need to move away from the silos of: everything educational must exist within the educational portfolio,” McLeod said in an interview from Calgary, where he is a developmental pediatrician at Alberta Children’s Hospital.
“Reading, yes, it’s education, but it’s also health because we know that literacy impacts health. So I think that a statement like this opens the window to say: Yes, parents can come to their health-care provider to get advice, get recommendations, hopefully start a collaboration with school teachers.”
McLeod noted that pediatricians already look for signs of low literacy in young children by way of a commonly used tool known as the Rourke Baby Record, which offers a checklist of key topics, such as nutrition and developmental benchmarks, to cover in a well-child appointment.
But he said questions about reading could be “a standing item” in checkups and he hoped the society’s statement to medical professionals who care for children “enhances their confidence in being a strong advocate for the child” while spurring partnerships with others involved in a child’s life such as teachers and psychologists.
The guidance said pediatricians also play a key role in detecting and monitoring conditions that often coexist with difficulty reading such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, but McLeod noted that getting such specific diagnoses typically involves a referral to a specialist, during which time a child continues to struggle.
He also acknowledged that some schools can be slow to act without a specific diagnosis from a specialist, and even then a child may end up on a wait list for school interventions.
“Evidence-based reading instruction shouldn’t have to wait for some of that access to specialized assessments to occur,” he said.
“My hope is that (by) having an existing statement or document written by the Canadian Paediatric Society … we’re able to skip a few steps or have some of the early interventions present,” he said.
McLeod added that obtaining specific assessments from medical specialists is “definitely beneficial and advantageous” to know where a child is at, “but having that sort of clear, thorough assessment shouldn’t be a barrier to intervention starting.”
McLeod said the society was partly spurred to act by 2022’s “Right to Read Inquiry Report” from the Ontario Human Rights Commission, which made 157 recommendations to address inequities related to reading instruction in that province.
He called the new guidelines “a big reminder” to pediatric providers, family doctors, school teachers and psychologists of the importance of literacy.
“Early identification of reading difficulty can truly change the trajectory of a child’s life.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2024.
