Good evening, here are the coronavirus updates you need to know tonight.
Top headlines:
- Canada’s COVID-19 death toll tops 20,000
- Saskatchewan reports its deadliest month in the pandemic
- Loneliness, isolation erode well-being for many who live alone
In the last 7 days, 30,596 cases were reported, down 21 per cent from the previous 7 days. There were 938 deaths announced, down 13 per cent over the same period. At least 3,466 people are being treated in hospitals and 705,663 others are considered recovered.
About 85% of the 1,122,450 doses of vaccine distributed to provinces have been administered. That’s 2.5 doses for every 100 people in Canada.
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 • Lockdown rules and reopening • Canada’s vaccine distribution plan • Developing/approved vaccines • Pfizer’s vaccine, explained • Essential resources
Photo of the day
QR code signage for COVID-19 tracing is seen before a practice session at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. The quarantine period for players and support staff after arriving in Melbourne on international flights has ended. They can now resume a regular practice schedule ahead of lead-in tournaments before the 2021 Australian Open.Darrian Traynor/Getty Images
Coronavirus in Canada
- Quebec’s Health Minister said there were 200 fewer COVID-19 hospitalizations compared to a week prior, allowing the province to restart surgeries that were postponed because of the pandemic.
- The British variant of COVID-19 has been detected in a long-term care home in the Ontario city of Waterloo. Public Health Ontario has confirmed 57 cases of the variant in the province.
- In British Columbia, police in Vancouver have arrested a man who allegedly operated a makeshift nightclub from his penthouse, in violation of provincial pandemic health measures. The host and his suspected guests were issued fines totalling $17,000.
- Saskatchewan reported 151 deaths since Jan .1 – almost half of all of the province’s 304 COVID-19 fatalities. But officials in the province say the spread of COVID-19 is starting to slowly improve.
Canada’s official death toll from COVID-19 surpassed 20,000 on Sunday.
- Quebec and Ontario reported 31 and 43 new fatalities respectively, while Manitoba logged four new deaths associated with coronavirus today. An average of 138 Canadians with COVID-19 have died each day over the past week.
- Canada’s top doctor, Theresa Tam, said that while the number of daily cases is trending downward it is still too early to lift widespread public-health restrictions as coronavirus continues to spread across the country.
COVID-19 vaccines: Novavax submitted its vaccine to Health Canada for regulatory approval on Friday, two weeks after the government of Canada signed a deal with the company for 52 million doses of the shot.
COVID-19 and mental health: Loneliness and isolation during the pandemic is eroding the health and well-being for many who live alone.
Coronavirus around the world
- In Australia, the two million residents of the city of Perth were put under lockdown after a security guard working in hotel quarantine tested positive for COVID-19, ending the country’s two-week run without an infection. Under lockdown, non-essential trips are banned, restaurants, cafés and cinemas were closed, and the school holiday extended another week.
- In Britain, Captain Tom Moore, the Second World War veteran who raised millions for the National Health Service by walking laps of his garden last year, has been admitted to hospital after testing positive for COVID-19.
More reporting
- Banks are hanging on to their networks of in-person branches even as customers shift to online banking during the pandemic.
- Many Canadian restaurateurs are expressing frustration and anger over the lack of data linking the industry to COVID-19.
- Clinics for COVID-19 “long haulers” aim to treat and study patients in order to better understand the cause of their continuing illness.
- In Edmonton, some people turn to psychedelics to cope with the pandemic.
- In Montreal, translating COVID-19 guidelines is a daunting job.
- An Ontario judge is mulling the issue of whether to order a woman and her three children to honour a family custody agreement by returning to the province or allow them to remain in Newfoundland to protect the children from the mental-health tolls of the pandemic.
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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