Good evening, these are the top coronavirus headlines tonight:
Top headlines:
- There’s been a lot of talk about burnout throughout the pandemic, and one organization believes they know how to help
- In an expression of hope, Canadian Stage is announcing their 2022-23 season, including the reannouncement of plays that were cancelled during the pandemic
- In Ontario and Quebec, hospitalizations increased, while ICU patients with COVID-19 decreased
In the past seven days, there were 409 deaths from COVID-19 nationally, down 12 per cent over the same period. At least 6,465 people are being treated in hospitals and 417 are in the ICU.
Canada’s inoculation rate is 13th among 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
COVID-19 updates from Canada and the world
- Today saw increased hospitalizations in Ontario and Quebec, but decreased patients in the ICUs in both provinces with COVID-19. Ontario reported 16 deaths from the virus, while Quebec reported 27.
- Beijing is preparing new facilities to deal with a possible spike in COVID-19 cases, though the numbers of new cases remain low. A 1,000-bed hospital built for SARS is being refurbished, while a 10,000-bed quarantine facility is also being set up.
- The World Trade Organization is one step closer to brokering a waiver on intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines. The United States, European Union, India and South Africa have agreed on a proposed waiver, after an 18-month-long impasse. If the proposal is passed by the full council, it could allow developing countries to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines without paying pharmaceutical companies licenses.
Pandemic recovery
- One sign Canadians are returning to work? At “super-urban” Tim Hortons restaurants across the country, which were hard hit when office towers switched to work-from-home models, sales are nearing pre-pandemic levels.
- One challenge managers are facing with employees back in the office is coming face-to-face with burnout. One non-profit developed a mental-health toolkit to help.
- East Coast Music Awards week is returning to Fredericton after two years of COVID cancellations. “There is no substitute for gathering and putting music back where it belongs, which is live onstage,” said event CEO Andy McLean.
- Airbnb projected second-quarter revenue above market estimates, betting on pent-up travel demand. The rise of hybrid working has also encouraged people to book longer and more frequent stays in destinations away from cities, giving a boost to rental providers.
Globe opinion
- J. Kelly Nestruck: What is a theatre season announcement in the COVID-19 era but a performance of hope?
- Tim Kiladze: The uncomfortable stock market truth: This late-pandemic crash, while painful, is necessary
More reading
- Despite demand for online grocery orders slowing down, Instacart has added 10 new Canadian stores, focusing particularly on discount options like Giant Tiger as more people feel the crush of inflation.
- Starbucks reported quarterly comparable sales below Wall Street expectations, as tough COVID-19 curbs in China dented sales in the country and muddied its strong showing in the U.S. market.
Information centre
- Everything you need to know about Canada’s travel rules for vaccinated and unvaccinated people
- When will COVID-19 be endemic? The four factors that will shape the virus’s future
- Wastewater is filling the COVID-19 data gap
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