Good evening, here are the coronavirus updates you need to know tonight.
Top headlines:
- Canada is set to receive 910,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses this week
- Toronto has had some of the longest COVID-19 business closings in North America. After 100 days, it’s starting to reopen
- Americans who are fully vaccinated can gather indoors, without masks, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
In the last 7 days, 20,594 cases were reported, flat at 0 per cent from the previous 7 days. There were 259 deaths announced, down 12 per cent over the same period. At least 1,912 people are being treated in hospitals and 838,095 others are considered recovered.
About 84 per cent of the 2,938,570 doses of vaccine distributed to provinces have been administered. That’s 6.5 doses for every 100 people in Canada. Canada’s inoculation rate is 35th among 84 countries with a population of one million or more people.
Sources: Canada data is compiled from government websites, Johns Hopkins and COVID-19 Canada Open Data Working Group; international data is from Johns Hopkins University.
Coronavirus explainers: Coronavirus in maps and charts • Tracking vaccine doses • Lockdown rules and reopening • Vaccine distribution plan • Four vaccines approved in Canada • Essential resources
Photo of the day
Eligible recipients get their COVID-19 vaccines at a mass vaccination clinic in Toronto today.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
Coronavirus in Canada
- For the first time in 100 days, retail stores in Toronto are able to open, but at 25-per-cent capacity. Meanwhile, the city has launched its own website and hotline for booking COVID-19 vaccines. And, vaccinations in Ontario have reduced infections by 89 per cent among long-term care residents, and reduced deaths by 96 per cent. Meanwhile, the province will rely on the honour system during the second phase of vaccinations, and won’t require proof of pre-existing health conditions to access a shot.
- Quebec eased restrictions in five regions, permitting residents to return to gyms and restaurants, and extended the curfew until 9:30 p.m.
- New Brunswick reported five new COVID-19 infections as the province reduced restrictions, increasing the number of acceptable social contacts. The province is set to vaccinate more than 10,400 people this week.
- Call centres in British Columbia received 1.7 million calls today in less than three hours as vaccine bookings open for elderly and Indigenous people in the province. The “enormous” response reflects widespread support for the vaccine program, the province said. And, the province is now recasting its vaccination priorities as AstraZeneca is added to the mix.
Ottawa says 910,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses are set to arrive in Canada this week, part of the total of eight million doses expected to land by March 31.
- Canada will receive nearly 445,000 shots from Pfizer-BioNTech, and 465,000 shots from Moderna.
- Deliveries from AstraZeneca-Oxford are not expected this month. Doses of the newly approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine are not expected to arrive until next month – when both manufacturers are set to deliver millions of shots.
- Nearly 1.7 million Canadians have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Also today, the Liberal government has ruled out a March budget as Ottawa assesses the economic impact of recent shutdowns and new vaccine timelines.
Coronavirus around the world
- New recommendations from the U.S.’s CDC say people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can gather indoors without masks.
- South Korea said it had found no link between the coronavirus vaccine and several recent deaths of people with underlying conditions.
- There is an “extremely unfair” impact on the income and economic opportunities of women, says U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
- Italy is going to “significantly step up” its vaccination campaign in the coming days to help pull the country out of the coronavirus crisis, the Prime Minister said.
- U.S. President Joe Biden’s US$1.9-trillion coronavirus aid package is expected to provide enough resources to fuel a “very strong” economic recovery.
Coronavirus and business
Households in Canada have added billions to their total wealth over the pandemic, an unexpected outcome during a seismic economic shock.
- Over the first nine months of 2020, the average household’s net worth increased by roughly $30,600 or 5.4 per cent, according to Environics Analytics data provided exclusively to The Globe and Mail. In every province, net worth was on the rise.
- About two-thirds of the average wealth gain came from rising home values, with the rest owing to a surge of savings. Changes in other assets (such as investments) and liabilities (such as mortgage debt) roughly offset each other.
Also today: Women in low-wage occupations were hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report from the Labour Market Information Council.
And: The Bank of England’s chief urges “cautionary realism” about economic recovery from COVID-19.
Globe opinion
- Lana Payne: We still do not have a meaningful and accessible system of child care in Canada, and the gender pay gap continues to undermine women’s work experience. All of this has been made far worse by the pandemic.
More reporting
- The pandemic wealth boom: why it’s not spread evenly
Information centre
- How well do vaccines work? Here’s what you need to know.
- Rob Carrick’s 10-point checklist of things you should have done by now to protect or improve your money situation. Tips for minimizing damage to your credit score; how to manage retirement anxiety during difficult times; and things to think about if you’re considering home delivery.
- Here are the expectations for self-isolation; tips for managing anxiety and protecting your mental health; and what to do if you think you have the virus. Wash your hands. How to break a bad habit (like touching your face). Is flying safe?
- The best foods to eat to maintain an immune system-friendly diet; and how to keep a healthy diet while working from home; four eating tips when working from home; and five mistakes that might cause you to gain unwanted weight. Here are the essentials to stock up on and how to shop safely for groceries; the best pantry staples and how to stop stress-eating.
- Find answers to your coronavirus and employment questions.
Sources: Canada data are compiled from government websites, Johns Hopkins University and COVID-19 Canada Open Data Working Group; international data are from Johns Hopkins.
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