Coronavirus Update: Canada lacks technology to scan vaccine barcodes

Good evening, here are the coronavirus updates you need to know tonight.

Top headlines:

1. Millions of vaccines bound for Canada carry a barcode that would allow tracking, but they will circulate through the country without being scanned because of a lack of the required technology
2. COVID-19 outbreaks in two long-term care homes in British Columbia where most residents and staff were vaccinated are a reminder of the limits of immunization, experts say
3. U.S. President Joe Biden’s landmark $1.9-trillion COVID-19 relief bill was passed by a 220-211 vote in the House

In the last 7 days, 21,175 cases were reported, up 4 per cent from the previous 7 days. There were 230 deaths announced, down 23 per cent over the same period. At least 1,960 people are being treated in hospitals and 843,967 others are considered recovered.

About 68 per cent of the 3,851,850 doses of vaccine distributed to provinces have been administered. That’s 6.9 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.

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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

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Coronavirus in Canada

• The rollout of the vaccine booking system in British Columbia was marred by technical glitches this week. The province expects to vaccinate all 12,000 residents of Prince Rupert by April 1, as the community continues to face persistent outbreaks. And, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry reinforced the importance of masks and physical distancing after outbreaks occurred in two care homes where most residents and staff have been vaccinated.
• In Ontario, family doctors in six regions, including Toronto, will start administering the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to people aged 60-64 this weekend. Meanwhile, 325 pharmacies in three regions – Toronto, Windsor-Essex and Kingston – will begin administering the vaccine as part of a pilot program starting Friday.
• More than 5,000 people in Alberta born in 1957 and Indigenous people born in 1972 have booked appointments to receive AstraZeneca’s vaccine, the province said.
• Saskatchewan is set to launch its COVID-19 vaccine booking system tomorrow. The province said a bigger supply of COVID-19 vaccines means the province will start immunizing the general public in early April.
• Quebec confirmed its first case of the Brazilian variant of COVID-19 in the province.

COVID-19 vaccines carry barcodes that would allow the doses to be tracked all along the supply chain, and could even help to connect a patient’s digital vaccination record to a specific dose. But that level of tracking won’t happen in Canada because the country lacks the necessary technology.

• It’s a frustrating gap for those who have been pushing for such an ability since the 1990s. As a recent Deloitte report on the COVID-19 vaccination campaign pointed out, these barcodes can go a long way to “reduce errors and improve efficiency and safety.”
• The barcode issue reveals larger problems with Canada’s fragmented and outdated health infrastructure – it involves 14 jurisdictions doing 14 different things, sacrificing efficiency for independence.

COVID and campuses: Some universities in Canada have started to announce plans for a return to in-class learning in September.

Slow-going: The Public Health Agency of Canada is urging caution of lifting pandemic restrictions, saying easing should be slow.

Quarantine security: Public Safety Minister Bill Blair is facing harsh questions over security under the federal quarantine program amid reports of two incidents of alleged sexual assault.

Coronavirus around the world

• In America, Texas lifted a statewide mask mandate and occupancy restrictions for businesses.
• A study comparing death rates among people in Britain infected with the new variant – known as B.1.1.7 – against those infected with other variants, concluded that the British variant is deadlier.
• The Casa San Bernardino convent in central Italy is a bit of heaven for the elderly nuns, but amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s also a death trap that has gotten less public attention than long-term care homes.
• U.S. President Joe Biden and the Democrats claimed a triumph on a landmark $1.9-trillion COVID-19 relief bill.

Coronavirus and business

The Bank of Canada said the country’s economy is heating up faster than expected, saying it is “proving to be more resilient than anticipated” to the second wave of COVID-19.

• The central bank kept its policy interest rate at 0.25 per cent, and reiterated that it does not expect to start raising rates until 2023.
• The bank says it expects GDP to grow, rather than contract, in the first quarter of 2021 – but noted there is still uncertainty around “evolution of the virus and the path of economic growth.”

Also today: Sobeys’ parent company Empire saw sales gains moderating as the pandemic hits the one-year mark.

And: Condo units in Toronto fell sharply out of favour when the coronavirus pandemic was declared a health emergency one year ago. Now, that real estate market may be seeing an upswing.

Globe opinion

• David Shribman: The passage of the U.S.’s COVID-19 relief bill is both a buoying victory and a dispiriting defeat for President Joe Biden – and it stands as a sobering harbinger of the politics for the remainder of his time in the White House.
• Gary Mason: The British government got it right in its approach. After completing vaccinations for care homes and front-line health care workers, it will follow a logical, age-based system, ordered in five-year increments down to those aged 50.
• Rees Kassen and Murray Baron: The variants of concern first reported in Britain and South Africa are on the rise here in Canada, and the one reported in Brazil is not far behind. The coronavirus race is far from over.
• Andrea Frolic: Thursday, March 11, 2021, marks one year since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Let’s make this anniversary a day of reflection and remembrance for health care workers.
• Estair Van Wagner, Fay Faraday and Amar Bhatia: Any real postpandemic recovery must recognize the right to housing. Unrealistic repayment plans, accompanied by the threat of automatic evictions, are just deferred evictions.
• Lawrence Martin: The American Rescue Plan, as it is immodestly called, paves the way for an American resurgence.
• Parminder Singh, Jason Flowerday and Sachin Aggarwal: Ontario physicians say they have more questions than answers about the vaccine rollout and are being flooded with calls from patients who are just as confused. This does not promote public confidence.

More reporting

• Youth advocates push for better support for young people aging out of foster care during the pandemic.
• The sports landscape in Canada continues to make adjustments one year after the pandemic hit.
• Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin says Canada’s vaccine program is moving into a significant “ramp up” phase
• The U.S. government intends to purchase 100 million more Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses, President Joe Biden says

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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