Good evening, here are the COVID-19 updates you need to know tonight.
Top headlines:
- With the COVID-19 vaccine nearing approval for children 5 to 11, Canadian parents wrestle with whether to vaccinate their children
- Ontario is reporting 666 new COVID-19 cases and seven new deaths today
- How to make getting the COVID-19 vaccine for youngsters as pain-free as possible
COVID-19 data is published Monday through Friday.
Coronavirus explainers: Coronavirus in maps and charts • Tracking vaccine doses • Lockdown rules and reopening
Photo of the day
People gather to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates and masking measures during a rally in Kingston, Ont., on Sunday Nov. 14, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars HagbergLars Hagberg/The Canadian Press
Coronavirus in Canada
- Today Ontario reported 666 new COVID-19 cases and seven more virus-related deaths. The province had planned to lift capacity limits in the remaining settings where proof of vaccination is required on Monday, but postponed the move for at least 28 days following a rise in infections.
- Quebec is reporting 634 new cases of COVID-19 today and four more deaths attributed to the virus.
With Health Canada’s impending approval of the COVID-19 vaccine for children, many parents will be faced with a decision much more fraught than the one made about their own inoculation.
- Health Canada’s chief medical adviser, Supriya Sharma, said Friday that the agency’s review of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children should be completed within the next “one to two weeks.”
- The question of whether the shot poses a risk to young people has turned COVID vaccinations into a heated debate, both for parents who vehemently oppose them but also for those eager to get their children inoculated.
COVID-19 vaccine for children: Fully vaccinating the country’s roughly 2.7 million five- to 11 year olds will be key to ending the pandemic. Making the process as pain-free as possible is essential.
Coronavirus around the world
- In Austria, millions of people who are not fully vaccinated against the coronavirus will be placed in lockdown as of Monday to deal with a surge in infections and the growing strain on intensive-care units.
- Health officials in Australia say the country will likely start administering the COVID-19 vaccine for children under the age of 12 in January.
Coronavirus and business
Payroll taxes are set to surge next year as the pandemic economy’s dynamics amplify the costs for companies and their employees for the Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance.
- Both contribution rates and maximum contributions will rise sharply for the CPP in 2022, according to recently released information.
- For EI, rates are frozen for the second year, but maximum contributions will jump.
Globe opinion
- Anmol Irfan: Pandemic restrictions made me reconsider social interactions – and helped me prioritize myself
- Brandy Schillace: A vital part of warfare for centuries, medical triage has never had such high stakes as it does in the COVID-19 pandemic
Information centre
- Everything you need to know about Canada’s travel restrictions for vaccinated and unvaccinated people
- Waiting for a second dose? We answer your COVID-19 vaccine questions
- What is and isn’t ‘paid sick leave’ in Canada? A short primer
- Got a vaccine ‘hangover’? Here’s why
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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