Good evening, here are the coronavirus updates you need to know tonight.
Top headlines:
- Canada’s pandemic early-warning system is in need of a “critical rethink,” an independent review found
- Canadian tennis player Bianca Andreescu has withdrawn from the Tokyo Olympics, citing pandemic-related challenges
- The Liberal government is calling on Canadians to donate to a UNICEF fundraising campaign called “Give a Vax,” and will match donations
In the past seven days, 3,426 cases were reported, down 5 per cent from the previous seven days. There were 71 deaths announced, down 45 per cent over the same period. At least 521 people are being treated in hospitals and 1,389,561 others are considered recovered.
Canada’s inoculation rate is 9th 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 • Lockdown rules and reopening
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Coronavirus in Canada
- In Alberta, Premier Jason Kenney says his province will “not facilitate or accept” a COVID-19 vaccine passport system. Elsewhere, Quebec said it intends to introduce certificates starting in September, while Manitoba has introduced proof of immunization cards for those who are two weeks past their second shot.
- In Ontario, parents and experts are calling for clearer guidance for kids under 12 who aren’t eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations as more indoor activities resume in the province later this month.
In Ottawa, the federal government is donating 17.7 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
- Procurement Minister Anita Anand said the vaccines were excess supply, as demand for this vaccine had been met.
- The shots will be made available through COVAX, the global vaccine-sharing alliance, to lower-income countries.
Early-warning system: An 82-page report says that Canada’s early-warning system, known as the Global Public Health Intelligence Network (GPHIN), had become isolated within the government and called for it to be better utilized.
COVID-19 vaccines: Canada is expected to reach 55 million doses by week’s end, catching up to the U.S. on second doses.
Coronavirus around the world
- Pfizer will meet with U.S. health officials soon to discuss the need for a booster dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization said rich countries should not be ordering booster shots for their vaccinated populations while other countries have yet to receive COVID-19 vaccines.
- All COVID-19 restrictions in England will lift on July 19, despite a surge in infections.
- Olympic host city Tokyo entered a new state of emergency on Monday, less than two weeks before the Games begin.
- Amid a record surge in coronavirus infections, thousands in Cuba joined street protests from Havana to Santiago in the biggest anti-government demonstrations in decades.
Coronavirus and business
As lumber prices have climbed to record levels during the COVID-19 pandemic, wooden pallet manufacturers are now struggling to keep up with soaring demand.
- “We’re running flat out. We can’t cut any more lumber; we can’t produce any more product. Our costs are up on every front,” said Shawn Hicks, chief executive officer of CPS Wood Products in Cobourg, Ont., east of Toronto.
Also today: There are now more than 80,000 open remote job opportunities that offer six-figure salaries, according to a new survey by Ladders Inc.
And: These new investors had varying experiences during the pandemic, but collectively their portfolios are up and regrets are few and far between.
Globe opinion
- The Editorial Board: Billions of people are waiting for their shot of vaccine. Canada must help
- Susan Pinker: Too good to be true? Why science and medicine are in the throes of a replication crisis
More reporting
- Bianca Andreescu is the second high-profile Canadian tennis player to opt out of the Tokyo Olympics due to coronavirus safety concerns
- County commissioner who assisted at Miami condo collapse site tests positive for COVID-19
- The shift to remote work during the pandemic has permanently changed the employment landscape
- Coming back to the office this fall should be liberating, not restricting
- A renewed surge of retirements in the second half of this year is projected as Canada works to get past the pandemic, according to a new report
- Never Have I Ever star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan is navigating pandemic-era stardom from a distance in Canada
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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