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Why it's becoming more difficult to navigate Canada's conflicting COVID-19 guidelines – CBC.ca

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4 years ago

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Christopher Ashby feels overwhelmed by the flood of messages every day from all levels of government. 

“Between nine o’clock in the morning and three o’clock in the afternoon, many decisions and many things have changed each and every day,” the Toronto hospitality worker told CBC News. 

“There’s so many messages coming through the course of the day between tweets and press conferences and what’s in printed press and what’s online — there’s just an avalanche of information.” 

With a member of his family who is immunocompromised, another who works in health care, a university student and an elementary school student, Ashby said he and his family struggled with what to do as Thanksgiving approached during the coronavirus pandemic.  

“Before the regulations had shifted and changed yet again, we as a family pretty much made the decision that Thanksgiving would be a pass this year,” he said.

“There were just way too many variables to feel comfortable.”

So instead of a large family gathering, he and his partner are opting for a quiet dinner together.

“We need to make what we feel is the right decision for us and we definitely err on the side of caution,” he said. “This is not something that people should be taking risks over because it affects too many people.” 

‘Different communities have different issues’

Depending where you live in Canada, it’s getting harder to navigate conflicting guidelines from various levels of government — because they can often seem completely out of sync.

“It’s up to Canadians throughout the country to do their part, to wear their mask, to maintain physical distancing,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday. 

“Unfortunately, to not get together with their families and friends for Thanksgiving so that we can take control of this second wave, so that we can all celebrate at Christmas.”

Canadians are trying to decipher confusing advice from public health officials about what kind of gathering, if any, is appropriate and safe for Thanksgiving. 1:57

That advice is especially relevant to Ontario and Quebec, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer said Monday. Daily case numbers and community transmission of COVID-19 in both provinces remain high, with strict public health restrictions on the number of people who can gather safely. 

“If you are in Ontario and Quebec, I think the most sensible thing to do is to keep to your immediate social circles,” Dr. Theresa Tam said. “Because you’ve seen the epidemic curve and this is not the time to be complacent about anything.” 

But social circles in Ontario haven’t been in place since Oct. 2, while Quebec’s hardest hit areas have banned visitors between households altogether.

“It is challenging for the public health authorities because the science and the circumstances are always changing,” said Timothy Caulfield, a Canada Research Chair in health law and policy at the University of Alberta.

“So that makes it more challenging to come up with a clear public health message. This isn’t like; wear your seatbelts, don’t smoke, eat fruits and vegetables, exercise — the situation is in flux.” 

Caulfield said confusion gets worse the higher you go, because federal officials need to speak on behalf of all Canadians — even in areas with very few cases like in the Atlantic bubble.

“Different communities have different issues,” he said. “So there is going to be variation from rural Alberta to downtown Toronto.”

Messaging in one area might not be relevant in another, but he said those messages can cut across the country, which “creates confusion.” 

Making sense of guidelines ‘incredibly challenging’

In Canada’s hardest hit provinces, the messaging is no less confusing.

Quebec moved to close bars, casinos, restaurants, libraries, museums and movie theatres in its hardest hit red zones this month, while also banning home gatherings as cases spiked. 

But the province also prohibited outdoor gatherings like barbecues, despite permitting people to meet in public spaces as long as they stayed two metres apart.

Quebec also recommends that people avoid leisure time with anyone outside their household, whether indoors or outdoors.

In Ontario, residents are being urged to avoid gathering with friends and family, but restaurants, bars, banquet halls and even casinos remain open with much higher limits on occupants.

“Having a large number of unmasked people in an indoor, closed, poorly ventilated space is how this spreads,” said Dr. David Fisman, epidemiology professor at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health. 

“So if you say, ‘Well, this only spreads when you’re with your family, it doesn’t spread when you’re with random strangers.’ It doesn’t make any sense.” 

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Tuesday that making a comparison between the two types of gatherings was like comparing “apples and bananas.” 

“When you go into a restaurant they’re taking everyone’s name, they have six at a table, they have dividers, they have protocols in place, and the rest of the people in the restaurant you don’t know,” he said. “That’s the difference; at a family, you know the people.” 

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Tuesday that making a comparison between gathering with family at home or going to a restaurant was like comparing “apples and bananas.” (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)

“Please, it’s very simple,” Ford continued. “There’s rules and there’s guidelines. The rules are very clear: 10 indoors, 25 outdoors. I would really, really discourage people from having 25 people even if it’s outdoors. Stick within 10 people.” 

Asked three separate times by reporters Tuesday to clarify whether he would visit with extended family on Thanksgiving, Ford first said he would only see 10 people, then said he would need to speak with his wife and follow up.

He later clarified on Twitter that he would only gather with those in his household.

“Sometimes the messaging isn’t as clear as it should be and it all comes down to communicating with each other better and I think we all need to do a better job — even myself included,” Ford said Wednesday.

“We have to just be a lot clearer, all levels of government and all chief medical officers, on the communication.”

Municipal officials in Ontario want provincial guidance

Local public health officials in Ontario have been vocal about the need for clearer messaging and more concrete action from the province after cases hit a record high last week. 

Toronto’s top doctor Eileen de Villa called for “immediate action” from the Ontario government Friday to stop the spread of COVID-19 as the city faces the risk of “exponential growth” of new infections.

She called on the province to instruct Toronto residents to leave their homes only for essential trips including work, education, health-care appointments and exercise and asked for an end to indoor dining in the city.

“If I had the power to do this, I would have done it,” she said. “It’s just this simple: I’m asking the province to do it or to give me the power to do it.”

In Ottawa, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches called on residents to only get together with those in their immediate home for Thanksgiving and said even gathering outside was a bad idea. 

“My recommendation is to stick to your household,” she said. “Because we’ve seen examples where people gathered in a park and someone was sick and then more people got sick with COVID.” 

While Etches didn’t go as far as de Villa in calling for a ban on indoor dining in Ottawa, she did recommend people only eat out or go to a bar with those they live with.

Tam said public health officials in different parts of the country are trying to tailor their response to the realities of the situation on the ground. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Tam said Monday public health officials in different parts of the country are trying to tailor their response to the realities of the situation on the ground, which may account for some of the differing guidelines, but they are also “steering in uncertain waters.”

“No one knows exactly what is going to work,” she said. “So there’s a grey zone and people are doing slightly different things.” 

How can we blame individuals, when it’s incredibly challenging to make sense of any of the advice? – Dr. Andrew Boozary, executive director of health and social policy for Toronto’s University Health Network

“This just drives confusion en masse when you see such discord between different levels of government, between different public health units, between what’s being put out in the media, in press conferences,” said Dr. Andrew Boozary, executive director of health and social policy for Toronto’s University Health Network.

“How can we blame individuals, when it’s incredibly challenging to make sense of any of the advice?” 

Caulfield said public health officials and politicians need to be more transparent about the uncertainty they’re facing and the science informing health policies, because it signals to the public that the guidelines could change in the future. 

“Good public health communication is incredibly important, especially when it appears we’re getting some sense that trust is starting to wane and people are starting to get more frustrated,” he said. 

“It’s a really chaotic information environment right now, but we have to get it right.”

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With grief lingering, Blue Jackets GM Waddell places focus on hockey in wake of Gaudreau’s death

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25 mins ago

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September 16, 2024

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BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Hearing the familiar sounds of clacking sticks and pucks banging off the boards and glass while watching Columbus Blue Jackets prospects from the stands of a cold rink on a warm late-summer afternoon was not enough to wash away the lingering residuals of grief for Don Waddell on Saturday.

That, the Blue Jackets’ general manager acknowledged, will take more time than anyone can guess — weeks, months, perhaps an entire season and beyond.

What mattered is how spending the weekend attending the Sabres Prospects Challenge represented a start to what Waddell called among the first steps in refocusing on hockey and the future in the aftermath of the deaths of Columbus star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, who were struck by a suspected drunken driver while riding bicycles on Aug 29.

“We got to play hockey,” Waddell said. “We’re not going to forget about Johnny and his family, the Gaudreau family.”

He then reflected on the speech Johnny Gaudreau’s wife, Meredith, made during the brothers’ funeral on Monday, by urging those in mourning to move forward as she will while focusing on raising their children.

“Everybody knows that Johnny wants them to play hockey,” Waddell said. “And everybody’s rallying around that.”

The resumption of hockey in Columbus began last week, when most Blue Jackets players returned to their facility to be together and lean on each other at the urging of Waddell and team captain Boone Jenner. And it will continue on Thursday, when the team opens training camp, exactly three weeks since the Gaudreaus were killed.

“Tragic. Senseless. But now we got to focus on trying to get our team ready to play hockey this year,” Waddell said. “We all mourn and heal differently, but I think as a team being together like that is going to be critical for them to get moving forward.”

Tragedy is no stranger to Waddell or the Blue Jackets.

Waddell was general manager of the then-Atlanta Thrashers in 2003 when Dany Heatley lost control of his car and struck a wall, with the crash killing passenger and teammate Dan Snyder. In 2021, Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks died during a July Fourth fireworks accident.

Waddell placed the emphasis on himself and coach Dean Evason — both newcomers to Columbus this offseason — to guide the team through what will be an emotional season.

“Now, do I think there’s going to be some dark days? I won’t be surprised,” Waddell said.

Reminders of the Gaudreaus’ deaths remain apparent, and reflected in Buffalo on Friday night. A moment of silence was held in tribute to the brothers before the opening faceoff of a game between the Blue Jackets and Sabres.

Afterward, Columbus prospect Gavin Brindley recalled the times he spent with Johnny Gaudreau in Columbus and as teammates representing the United States at the world hockey championships in the Czech Republic in May.

“He was one of the biggest mentors for me at the world championships,” Brindley said. “I couldn’t tell you how many times we hung out with Meredith, pictures on my phone. It’s just so hard to look back and see that kind of stuff.”

The NHL and NHL Players’ Association are providing the Blue Jackets help in the form of grief counseling, crowd security at vigils and addressing hockey issues, such as potentially altering the league’s salary cap rules to provide Columbus relief from having to reach the NHL minimum payroll because of the void left by Gaudreau’s contract.

“The Blue Jackets, I don’t think anybody’s focused from an organizational standpoint, from a hockey standpoint as to what comes next, because I think everybody’s still in shock,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told The Associated Press last week. “I don’t think anybody’s focused right now other than on the grieving part, which is understandable.”

Much of the burden has fallen to Waddell, who has been in discussions with the NHL and the NHLPA and dealing with outreach programs with the Blue Jackets’ partner OhioHealth, while also overseeing preparations for training camp and gauging his prospects in Buffalo.

There’s also his roster to attend to, which he said has two openings at forward, one involving Justin Danforth, who may miss the start of the season because of a wrist injury. Waddell didn’t have to mention the second opening.

Tiring and emotional as it’s been, Waddell found comfort being in his element, a rink, and looking ahead to the start of training camp.

“The guys are in really good shape. We’ve done a lot of testing already and they’re eager to get going,” Waddell said. “We have a reason to play for. And we’ll make the best of it.”

The Blue Jackets later Sunday signed veteran winger James van Riemsdyk to a one-year contract worth $900,000.

“James van Riemsdyk has been a very consistent, productive player throughout his career,” Waddell said. “Bringing him to Columbus will not only provide depth to our group up front, but also valuable leadership and another veteran presence in our dressing room.”

___

AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno in New York contributed to this report.

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PSG says defender Nuno Mendes target of racial abuse after a French league game

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26 mins ago

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September 16, 2024

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PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain defender Nuno Mendes was the target of abusive and racist comments on social media after a French league game.

The club condemned the abuse and expressed its “full support” Sunday for the Portugal left back, who was targeted following PSG’s 3-1 win against Brest on Saturday.

Mendes, who is Black, shared on his Instagram account a racist message he received.

During the match, Mendes brought down Ludovic Ajorque in the box for a penalty that Romain Del Castillo converted to give Brest the lead.

“Paris Saint-Germain doesn’t tolerate racism, antisemitism or any other form of discrimination,” the club said. “The racial insults directed at Nuno Mendes are totally unacceptable … we are working with the relevant authorities and associations to ensure those responsible are held accountable for their actions.”

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Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar wins Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal

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27 mins ago

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September 16, 2024

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MONTREAL – Tadej Pogacar was so dominant on Sunday, Canada’s Michael Woods called it a race for second.

Pogacar, a three-time Tour de France champion from Slovenia, pedalled to a resounding victory at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal.

The UAE Team Emirates leader crossed the finish line 24 seconds ahead of Spain’s Pello Bilbao of Bahrain — Victorious to win the demanding 209.1-kilometre race on a sunny, 28 C day in Montreal. France’s Julian Alaphilippe of Soudal Quick-Step was third.

“He’s the greatest rider of all time, he’s a formidable opponent,” said Woods, who finished 45 seconds behind the leader in eighth. “If you’re not at your very, very best, then you can forget racing with him, and today was kind of representative of that.

“He’s at such a different level that if you follow him, it can be lights out.”

Pogacar slowed down before the last turn to celebrate with the crowd, high-five fans on Avenue du Parc and cruise past the finish line with his arms in the air after more than five hours on the bike.

The 25-year-old joined Belgium’s Greg Van Avermaet as the only multi-time winners in Montreal after claiming the race in 2022. He also redeemed a seventh-place finish at the Quebec City Grand Prix on Friday.

“I was disappointed, because I had such good legs that I didn’t do better than seventh,” Pogacar said. “To bounce back after seventh to victory here, it’s just an incredible feeling.”

It’s Pogacar’s latest win in a dominant year that includes victories at the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia.

Ottawa’s Woods (Israel Premier-Tech) tied a career-best in front of the home crowd in Montreal, but hoped for more after claiming a stage at the Spanish Vuelta two weeks ago.

“I wanted a better result,” the 37-year-old rider said. “My goal was a podium, but at the same time I’m happy with the performance. In bike racing, you can’t always get the result you want and I felt like I raced really well, I animated the race, I felt like I was up there.”

Pogacar completed the 17 climbs up and down Mount Royal near downtown in five hours 28 minutes 15 seconds.

He made his move with 23.3 kilometres to go, leaving the peloton in his dust as he pedalled into the lead — one he never relinquished.

Bilbao, Alaphilippe, Alex Aranburu (Movistar Team) and Bart Lemmen (Visma–Lease) chased in a group behind him, with Bilbao ultimately separating himself from the pack. But he never came close to catching Pogacar, who built a 35-second lead with one lap left to go.

“It was still a really hard race today, but the team was on point,” Pogacar said. “We did really how we planned, and the race situation was good for us. We make it hard in the last final laps, and they set me up for a (takeover) two laps to go, and it was all perfect.”

Ottawa’s Derek Gee, who placed ninth in this year’s Tour de France, finished 48th in Montreal, and called it a “hard day” in the heat.

“I think everyone knows when you see Tadej on the start line that it’s just going to be full gas,” Gee said.

Israel Premier-Tech teammate Hugo Houle of Sainte-Perpétue, Que., was 51st.

Houle said he heard Pogacar inform his teammates on the radio that he was ready to attack with two laps left in the race.

“I said then, well, clearly it’s over for me,” Houle said. “You see, cycling isn’t that complicated.”

Australia’s Michael Matthews won the Quebec City GP for a record third time on Friday, but did not finish in Montreal. The two races are the only North American events on the UCI World Tour.

Michael Leonard of Oakville, Ont., and Gil Gelders and Dries De Bondt of Belgium broke away from the peloton during the second lap. Leonard led the majority of the race before losing pace with 45 kilometres to go.

Only 89 of 169 riders from 24 teams — including the Canadian national team — completed the gruelling race that features 4,573 metres in total altitude.

Next up, the riders will head to the world championships in Zurich, Switzerland from Sept. 21 to 29.

Pogacar will try to join Eddy Merckx (1974) and Stephen Roche (1987) as the only men to win three major titles in a season — known as the Triple Crown.

“Today gave me a lot of confidence, motivation,” Pogacar said. “I think we are ready for world championships.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2024.



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