Coronavirus Update: Canadians frustrated by long wait times, cancellation challenges as COVID-19 travel restrictions remain unclear

Good evening, here are the COVID-19 updates you need to know tonight.

Top headlines:

1. Canadian travellers trying to heed the government advice on travel have waited hours on the phone to speak to airline representatives. Once they get through, many find the options offered to them are not to their liking
2. How a community fridge and pantry in Hamilton shaped a neighbourhood over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic
3. Antiviral pill for COVID-19 unlikely to be approved by Health Canada before new year

In the past seven days, 85,427 cases were reported, up 144 per cent from the previous seven days. There were 119 deaths announced, down 13 per cent over the same period. At least 1,661 people are being treated in hospitals, up 15 per cent from the previous seven days.

Canada’s inoculation rate is 21st among 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

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Coronavirus in Canada

• The Quebec government reported 9,397 new cases Thursday – another record – and a rise of 28 COVID-related hospitalizations, for a total of 473. In Montreal, officials said one of every five Montrealers getting tested for COVID-19 was getting a positive result – and the latest data confirm that 90 per cent of infections in the city involve Omicron. Premier François Legault announced yesterday that private gatherings will be restricted to six people or two household bubbles in the province as of Dec. 26. The same rule will apply to tables in restaurants.
• Ontario is reporting a record 5,790 new cases of COVID-19 today, blowing past the pandemic’s previous single-day high of 4,812 set in April. The province is looking at ways to keep health care workers on duty even if they have been exposed to the virus. Meanwhile, four Toronto performances of Come From Away have been cancelled after a backstage crew member tests positive for COVID-19.
• Nunavut is tightening COVID-19 public-health restrictions in Iqaluit, including restricting travel in and out of the capital city to essential purposes only, over likely COVID-19 community spread.
• Prince Edward Island issued new rules today that limit indoor private gatherings, as the province reported a record 35 new cases of COVID-19.

Health Canada is unlikely to approve Pfizer Inc.’s Paxlovid until the new year. The antiviral pill for COVID-19 was just authorized in the United States.

• The treatment regimen, taken over five days, reduced the risk of hospital admission or death by 88 per cent in the high-risk, unvaccinated participants of a clinical trial, Pfizer said when it released the final results of the study last week.

Immigration: Immigration Minister Sean Fraser says the pathway allowing temporary residents to make Canada their permanent home because of pandemic-related restrictions at the border could remain open beyond the pandemic.

Coronavirus around the world

• The coronavirus pandemic has shaved 1.8 years from life expectancy in the U.S., as the country recorded an immense increase in the rate of people dying. The death rate was greater than the Spanish flu, the great wars and the AIDS and opioid crises. And, the U.S. today granted authorization for Merck & Co’s antiviral pill for COVID-19 for certain high-risk adult patients.
• Like most areas heavily dependent on tourism and hospitality, the Florida Keys were hit hard by the pandemic. Visitors stopped making the scenic drive down U.S. Route 1 from Miami and cruise ships stopped visiting Key West when the industry shut down in March, 2020. But Omicron or not, tourists are hooked once again – and local businesses are no longer reeling.
• China plunged the northeastern city of Xi’an, with a population of 13 million people, into lockdown on Thursday to stamp out an increase in coronavirus infections, just weeks before the country is set to host the Winter Olympics. Organizers of the Beijing Winter Olympics said they expect a “certain number” of COVID-19 cases in China due to foreigners arriving for the Games. And, the Beijing 2022 organizing committee expresses ‘regret’ after the NHL announced players won’t compete at the Olympics.
• South Korea set a new record for COVID-19 deaths today as officials warned that the highly transmissible Omicron variant could soon become the dominant strain.
• Japan’s government is poised to unveil US$943-billion in spending to drive a recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales, recorded 5,715 new cases today, up from 3,763. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has rejected lockdowns or mask mandates to slow the spread of the Omicron variant.

Coronavirus and business

Canadians scrambling to change air travel plans in response to the latest wave of the pandemic are encountering clogged call-centre phone lines and cancellation policies that, in some cases, don’t allow them to recoup the full costs of their tickets.

• Last week, the federal government asked Canadians to avoid international travel because of risks associated with the Omicron variant of COVID-19. The official advisory discourages non-essential out-of-country trips but does not ban them outright.
• Now, some would-be travellers who are trying to heed the government advice say they have waited hours on the phone to speak to airline representatives. Once they get through, many find the options offered to them are not to their liking because Canada’s air passenger protection regulations don’t require airlines to provide refunds in cases when customers cancel tickets of their own volition.

Globe opinion

• Preston Manning: Despite our differences on COVID-19, let’s call a Christmas truce this year
• The Editorial Board: What happens next with Omicron? That’s up to us

More reporting

• Coronavirus infections have soared globally wherever highly infectious Omicron has spread, but vaccine data show small victories
• Toronto Maple Leafs’ Morgan Rielly, Winnipeg Jets’ Andrew Copp and Kristian Vesalainen enter NHL’s COVID-19 protocol
• Two Premier League matches scheduled for Boxing Day postponed because of COVID-19 outbreaks
• Toronto Raptors sign three players to 10-day contracts through COVID-19 hardship exception
• Oil prices extend rise on reduced fears of Omicron-induced demand slump
• ‘Santa Claus’ stocks rally? Investors look to Omicron for direction

Information centre

• Everything you need to know about Canada’s travel restrictions for vaccinated and unvaccinated people
• Where do I book a COVID-19 booster or a vaccine appointment for my kids? Latest rules by province
• 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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