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.”
To read the entire Second Opinion newsletter every Saturday morning, subscribe by clicking here.
VANCOUVER – Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia’s ports since Monday.
The BC Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 are scheduled to meet for the next three days in mediated talks to try to break a deadlock in negotiations.
The union, which represents more than 700 longshore supervisors at ports, including Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo, has been without a contract since March last year.
The latest talks come after employers locked out workers in response to what it said was “strike activity” by union members.
The start of the lockout was then followed by several days of no engagement between the two parties, prompting federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to speak with leaders on both sides, asking them to restart talks.
MacKinnon had said that the talks were “progressing at an insufficient pace, indicating a concerning absence of urgency from the parties involved” — a sentiment echoed by several business groups across Canada.
In a joint letter, more than 100 organizations, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of Canada and associations representing industries from automotive and fertilizer to retail and mining, urged the government to do whatever it takes to end the work stoppage.
“While we acknowledge efforts to continue with mediation, parties have not been able to come to a negotiated agreement,” the letter says. “So, the federal government must take decisive action, using every tool at its disposal to resolve this dispute and limit the damage caused by this disruption.
“We simply cannot afford to once again put Canadian businesses at risk, which in turn puts Canadian livelihoods at risk.”
In the meantime, the union says it has filed a complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board against the employers, alleging the association threatened to pull existing conditions out of the last contract in direct contact with its members.
“The BCMEA is trying to undermine the union by attempting to turn members against its democratically elected leadership and bargaining committee — despite the fact that the BCMEA knows full well we received a 96 per cent mandate to take job action if needed,” union president Frank Morena said in a statement.
The employers have responded by calling the complaint “another meritless claim,” adding the final offer to the union that includes a 19.2 per cent wage increase over a four-year term remains on the table.
“The final offer has been on the table for over a week and represents a fair and balanced proposal for employees, and if accepted would end this dispute,” the employers’ statement says. “The offer does not require any concessions from the union.”
The union says the offer does not address the key issue of staffing requirement at the terminals as the port introduces more automation to cargo loading and unloading, which could potentially require fewer workers to operate than older systems.
The Port of Vancouver is the largest in Canada and has seen a number of labour disruptions, including two instances involving the rail and grain storage sectors earlier this year.
A 13-day strike by another group of workers at the port last year resulted in the disruption of a significant amount of shipping and trade.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
The Royal Canadian Legion says a new partnership with e-commerce giant Amazon is helping boost its veterans’ fund, and will hopefully expand its donor base in the digital world.
Since the Oct. 25 launch of its Amazon.ca storefront, the legion says it has received nearly 10,000 orders for poppies.
Online shoppers can order lapel poppies on Amazon in exchange for donations or buy items such as “We Remember” lawn signs, Remembrance Day pins and other accessories, with all proceeds going to the legion’s Poppy Trust Fund for Canadian veterans and their families.
Nujma Bond, the legion’s national spokesperson, said the organization sees this move as keeping up with modern purchasing habits.
“As the world around us evolves we have been looking at different ways to distribute poppies and to make it easier for people to access them,” she said in an interview.
“This is definitely a way to reach a wider number of Canadians of all ages. And certainly younger Canadians are much more active on the web, on social media in general, so we’re also engaging in that way.”
Al Plume, a member of a legion branch in Trenton, Ont., said the online store can also help with outreach to veterans who are far from home.
“For veterans that are overseas and are away, (or) can’t get to a store they can order them online, it’s Amazon.” Plume said.
Plume spent 35 years in the military with the Royal Engineers, and retired eight years ago. He said making sure veterans are looked after is his passion.
“I’ve seen the struggles that our veterans have had with Veterans Affairs … and that’s why I got involved, with making sure that the people get to them and help the veterans with their paperwork.”
But the message about the Amazon storefront didn’t appear to reach all of the legion’s locations, with volunteers at Branch 179 on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive saying they hadn’t heard about the online push.
Holly Paddon, the branch’s poppy campaign co-ordinator and bartender, said the Amazon partnership never came up in meetings with other legion volunteers and officials.
“I work at the legion, I work with the Vancouver poppy office and I go to the meetings for the Vancouver poppy campaign — which includes all the legions in Vancouver — and not once has this been mentioned,” she said.
Paddon said the initiative is a great idea, but she would like to have known more about it.
The legion also sells a larger collection of items at poppystore.ca.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
