This is an excerpt from Second Opinion, a weekly roundup of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers every Saturday morning. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here.
Throughout the pandemic, Canada’s top public health officials have faced scrutiny, praise and backlash for the choices they’ve made since that first case was announced on Jan. 25.
As Canada braces for a second wave that threatens to overwhelm hospitals and push Canadians back into lockdown, CBC News spoke to key officials across the country about what gives them hope — and concern — in the coming months.
Dr. Bonnie Henry, British Columbia’s provincial health officer, says her biggest concerns moving forward are the reintroduction of visitors into long-term care homes, travellers from other provinces and the reopening of the U.S. border. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)
“We got hit hard and early,” she told CBC News in two recent interviews.
Henry acted quickly to clamp down on outbreaks across B.C. before they spun out of control, taking the province from one of the most at risk early in the pandemic to one of the fastest to reopen safely.
“The timing that we had, the recognition of a couple of big super-spreading events in a conference that was held here and then in our long-term care homes early on — those were the things that we responded to,” she said.
Henry said outbreaks in households in B.C., meat processing plants in Alberta and the accommodations of undocumented workers in Ontario showed how different the experience has been with COVID-19 across the country.
“It’s really hard to compare. There’s a lot of differences around timing, around access to tests, around population density and recognition of certain outbreaks early enough,” she said. “These are the things that we’ve all been learning across the country.”
In the coming months, Henry said, she is most hopeful about the reopening of schools in B.C. and aims to have elementary school students back in the classroom full-time in September.
British Columbia avoided the worst-case scenario during the COVID-19 pandemic largely because of its well co-ordinated messaging, sound decisions and a little bit of luck. 6:45
“We’re also contingency planning,” she cautioned. “If we get a major outbreak and lots of cases in the community and things start to get hairy, then we have plans to step back to partial in-class or if needed to full online teaching.”
Henry said her biggest concerns moving forward are the reintroduction of visitors into long-term care homes and travellers from other provinces and the reopening of the U.S. border — particularly since B.C.’s first cases were tied to outbreaks in Washington state.
Henry said she hopes to maintain a “sweet spot” going forward where B.C. can see an increase in activities, travel and socialization in a safe way to prevent “rapidly explosive growth” as new cases arise.
“We are going to see more cases, and we know that,” she said. “We need to make sure that if we do get some spread, which we have seen and will continue to see, that we’re able to prevent wide transmission to large groups of people.”
Henry said her approach in the coming months won’t necessarily be to fully shut down parts of the province in response to outbreaks but instead work to limit spread while remaining open.
“This is going to be for the next coming months, but it’s not forever, and we will get back to being together again in the way that we want to be together again — but not right now.”
Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw says she’s less worried about travel between provinces and is instead more concerned about individuals’ actions. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)
Dr. Deena Hinshaw
Alberta’s chief medical officer of health has faced major challenges during the pandemic after large outbreaks at meatpacking plants across the province led to a spike in cases early on.
As of Wednesday, the province had 1,251 active cases of COVID-19 — the highest total seen in more than two months.
“In some ways, we’re a victim of our own success. We have controlled the spread in Alberta relatively well, which means that a lot of people haven’t directly experienced the impact of having a loved one with COVID who’s become very ill,” Hinshaw said in a recent interview.
“I am concerned that people are perhaps relying too much on their own personal observations in their daily lives and feeling that this is something to not be too concerned about.”
WATCH | Dr. Deena Hinshaw warns of pandemic exhaustion:
Four months into the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Deena Hinshaw says officials are worried about COVID exhaustion leading to an increase in cases, the majority of which are Albertans under the age of 40. 2:19
Hinshaw said she’s less worried about travel between provinces, despite reports of exposure to the coronavirus at house parties in B.C. involving Alberta residents, and is instead more concerned about individuals’ actions.
“The challenge is about people really being tired of restrictions and wanting to move on,” she said. “Part of what we’re seeing is somewhat linked to relaunch having perhaps given people a message that COVID is over — even though we haven’t said that.”
Hinshaw said that while the danger of increased transmission from reopening further is top of mind, the alternative is that people will go underground to congregate in much riskier settings.
“It’s really about convincing all of our population that they need to be taking these measures seriously,” she said.
“We need to shift how we interact with each other to make sure that we don’t get huge amounts of transmission and potentially overwhelm our health-care system.”
Dr. Vera Etches, Ottawa’s medical officer of health, says the city will need to remain ‘vigilant’ about outbreaks as Ontario continues to move into Stage 3 of reopening. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
Dr. Vera Etches
Ottawa’s top doctor raised the alarm early about the possibility of COVID-19 infections going undetected in the community and the need to act quickly.
Etches doesn’t pull punches, but she still remains hopeful about the future.
“We have been able to progressively go back to more activities, and yet our case counts are stable or declining, our hospitalizations are declining, our deaths are declining,” she said.
“So it really is the actions of individuals that has added up to breaking chains of transmission.”
WATCH | COVID-19 threat could be present in Ottawa for several years:
Vera Etches, Ottawa’s chief medical officer of health, says community transmission could continue into 2021 and 2022, with the virus rebounding periodically in either smaller or larger waves. 2:21
Ottawa has had just over 2,300 cases of COVID-19 and 263 deaths. Despite a recent spike in new daily cases, the city reported just 14 on Thursday.
Etches is confident Ottawa will be able to continue to maintain that level of control moving forward but is concerned about what she’s seeing south of the border.
“It is the United States that is one of the most telling stories for us about the ever-present risk of a resurgence. People talk about a fall wave, but it could start in the summer,” she said.
“We’re opening up bars, I think it’s fair to say that is one of the settings we know has had outbreaks in other places and so that is a risk.”
Etches said the city will need to remain “vigilant” about outbreaks as the province continues to move into Stage 3 of reopening.
“In the early days, before people started physically distancing, we saw case numbers double every three days and that could happen again,” she said.
“I hope that people can take a look and see that the virus is still here. I think the language about a second wave as if it’s gone, and it might come back, has undermined the reality that the virus is here and it will grow if we let down our guard.”
Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto’s medical officer of health, says COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and even Canadian cities like Montreal linked to the reopening of bars are important lessons for Toronto. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press)
Dr. Eileen de Villa
Toronto’s medical officer of health has guided Canada’s largest city through the pandemic with cautious optimism, despite moving slower than other parts of the country.
But de Villa said the city has used that extra time to understand more about the spread of COVID-19 in order to stop it and prepare for reopening.
“We’re fortunate in the sense that there are a number of other jurisdictions, cities and countries that are a little ahead of us in terms of their outbreaks, and so we have this opportunity to learn from their experiences,” she said. “If we want to keep our progress moving forward here in the City of Toronto, we need to be mindful of these experiences.”
De Villa said surges in COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and even Canadian cities like Montreal linked to the reopening of bars are important lessons for Toronto, because people are in close contact and consuming alcohol and can be “less careful” about following public health guidelines.
But she admits she faces a “balancing act” with giving people a place to socialize safely while avoiding congregating indoors at places like house parties.
“We are social creatures as human beings, and there is an importance to having social connection through means other than just online,” she said. “There is a desire, and it’s a very human desire, for in-person connection. The question is, how do we help people achieve that much-needed connection, but to do so safely?”
WATCH | Toronto’s top doctor says physical distancing still needed:
Patios, salons, and indoor malls are now allowed to open in Toronto. The moves come as Toronto and neighbouring Peel Region enter phase two of reopening. But Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa says public health measures must still be followed. 11:40
De Villa said many of the U.S. states that have seen spikes in cases tied to bars and restaurants had not put in place strict physical distancing or masking measures before reopening and while case counts were still high.
Toronto has seen more than 15,000 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, with over 1,100 deaths. That number has declined significantly in recent weeks, with just 24 cases reported on Thursday.
“If the level of COVID-19 activity in the community is low when you start to reopen and still do that reopening in a gradual and cautious fashion, it can be done safely,” de Villa said. “I do think it means that you need to be vigilant.”
Looking forward, the reality that Toronto could see a spike in COVID-19 cases isn’t lost on her, but she’s hopeful citizens will keep up their resolve as the city looks to reopening further.
“I think people are appreciating, as challenging as the circumstances are, that it does take all of us, and each one of us has to do our part and that we are only as strong as the weakest link in the chain,” she said.
“I do have a lot of faith in the people of Toronto. That doesn’t mean perfection, right? As a mother of three, I can tell you that I don’t look for perfection, I don’t think we can expect perfection from anybody,” she said.
“But I do try to look for the strengths that we see in our community and do what we can to build on those.”
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OTTAWA, W.Va. – U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s promise launch a mass deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants has the Canadian government looking at its own border.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Friday the issue is one of two “points of focus” for a recently revived cabinet committee on Canada-U.S. relations.
Freeland said she has also been speaking to premiers about the issue this week.
“I do want Canadians to know it is one of our two central points of focus. Ministers are working hard on it, and we absolutely believe that it’s an issue that Canadians are concerned about, Canadians are right to be concerned about it,” Freeland said, after the committee met for the first time since Trump left office in 2021.
She did not provide any details of the plan ministers are working on.
Public Safety Minister Dominic Leblanc, whose portfolio includes responsibility for the Canada Border Services Agency, co-chairs the committee. Freeland said that highlights the importance of border security to Canada-U.S. relations.
There was a significant increase in the number of irregular border crossings between 2016 and 2023, which the RCMP attributed in part to the policies of the first Trump administration.
The national police service said it has been working through multiple scenarios in case there is a change in irregular migration after Trump takes office once again, and any response to a “sudden increase in irregular migration” will be co-ordinated with border security and immigration officials.
However, Syed Hussan with the Migrant Rights Network said he does not anticipate a massive influx of people coming into Canada, chalking the current discussion up to anti-migrant panic.
“I’m not saying there won’t be some exceptions, that people will continue to cross. But here’s the thing, if you look at the people crossing currently into the U.S. from the Mexico border, these are mostly people who are recrossing post-deportation. The reason for that is, is that people have families and communities and jobs. So it seems very unlikely that people are going to move here,” he said.
Since the Safe Third Country Agreement was modified last year, far fewer people are making refugee claims in Canada through irregular border crossings.
The agreement between Canada and the U.S. acknowledges that both countries are safe places for refugees, and stipulates that asylum seekers must make a refugee claim in the country where they first arrive.
The number of people claiming asylum in Canada after coming through an irregular border crossing from the U.S. peaked at 14,000 between January and March 2023.
At that time, the rule was changed to only allow for refugee claims at regular ports of entry, with some specific exemptions.
This closed a loophole that had seen tens of thousands of people enter Canada at Roxham Road in Quebec between 2017 and 2023.
In the first six months of 2024, fewer than 700 people made refugee claims at irregular crossings.
There are 34,000 people waiting to have their refugee claims processed in Canada, according to government data.
In the first 10 months of this year, U.S. border officials recorded nearly 200,000 encounters with people making irregular crossings from Canada. Around 27,000 encounters took place at the border during the first 10 months of 2021.
Hussan said the change to the Safe Third Country Agreement made it less likely people will risk potentially dangerous crossings into Canada.
“Trying to make a life in Canada, it’s actually really difficult. It’s more difficult to be an undocumented person in Canada than the U.S. There’s actually more services in the U.S. currently, more access to jobs,” Hussan said.
Toronto-based immigration lawyer Robert Blanshay said he is receiving “tons and tons” of emails from Americans looking at possibly relocating to Canada since Trump won the election early Wednesday.
He estimates that about half are coming from members of the LGBTQ+ community.
“I spoke to a guy yesterday, he and his partner from Kansas City. And he said to me, ‘You know, things weren’t so hunky-dory here in Kansas City being gay to begin with. The entire political climate is just too scary for us,'” Blanshay said.
Blanshay said he advised the man he would likely not be eligible for express entry into Canada because he is at retirement age.
He also said many Americans contacted him to inquire about moving north of the border after Trump’s first electoral victory, but like last time, he does not anticipate many will actually follow through.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024
VANCOUVER – The British Columbia New Democrats have a majority government of 47 seats after a recount in the riding of Surrey-Guildford gave the party’s candidate 22 more votes than the provincial Conservatives.
Confirmation of victory for Premier David Eby’s party comes nearly three weeks after election night when no majority could be declared.
Garry Begg of the NDP had officially gone into the recount yesterday with a 27-vote lead, although British Columbia’s chief electoral officer had said on Tuesday there were 28 unreported votes and these had reduced the margin to 21.
There are ongoing recounts in Kelowna Centre and Prince George-Mackenzie, but these races are led by John Rustad’s B.C. Conservatives and the outcomes will not change the majority status for the New Democrats.
The Election Act says the deadline to appeal results after a judicial recount must be filed with the court within two days after they are declared, but Andrew Watson with Elections BC says that due to Remembrance Day on Monday, that period ends at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Eby has said his new cabinet will be announced on Nov. 18, with the 44 members of the Opposition caucus and two members from the B.C. Greens to be sworn in Nov. 12 and the New Democrat members of the legislature to be sworn in the next day.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
MONTREAL – The employers association at the Port of Montreal has issued the dockworkers’ union a “final, comprehensive offer,” threatening to lock out workers at 9 p.m. Sunday if a deal isn’t reached.
The Maritime Employers Association says its new offer includes a three per cent salary increase per year for four years and a 3.5 per cent increase for the two subsequent years. It says the offer would bring the total average compensation package of a longshore worker at the Port of Montreal to more than $200,000 per year at the end of the contract.
“The MEA agrees to this significant compensation increase in view of the availability required from its employees,” it wrote Thursday evening in a news release.
The association added that it is asking longshore workers to provide at least one hour’s notice when they will be absent from a shift — instead of one minute — to help reduce management issues “which have a major effect on daily operations.”
Syndicat des débardeurs du port de Montréal, which represents nearly 1,200 longshore workers, launched a partial unlimited strike on Oct. 31, which has paralyzed two terminals that represent 40 per cent of the port’s total container handling capacity.
A complete strike on overtime, affecting the whole port, began on Oct. 10.
The union has said it will accept the same increases that were granted to its counterparts in Halifax or Vancouver — 20 per cent over four years. It is also concerned with scheduling and work-life balance. Workers have been without a collective agreement since Dec. 31, 2023.
Only essential services and activities unrelated to longshoring will continue at the port after 9 p.m. Sunday in the event of a lockout, the employer said.
The ongoing dispute has had major impacts at Canada’s second-biggest port, which moves some $400 million in goods every day.
On Thursday, Montreal port authority CEO Julie Gascon reiterated her call for federal intervention to end the dispute, which has left all container handling capacity at international terminals at “a standstill.”
“I believe that the best agreements are negotiated at the table,” she said in a news release. “But let’s face it, there are no negotiations, and the government must act by offering both sides a path to true industrial peace.”
Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon issued a statement Thursday, prior to the lockout notice, in which he criticized the slow pace of talks at the ports in Montreal and British Columbia, where more than 700 unionized port workers have been locked out since Nov. 4.
“Both sets of talks are progressing at an insufficient pace, indicating a concerning absence of urgency from the parties involved,” he wrote on the X social media platform.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
