Good evening, here are the COVID-19 updates you need to know tonight.
Top headlines:
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invokes Emergencies Act to try to bring an end to the blockades
- Ontario set to lift vaccine passport rules March 1, but masking rules remain, Doug Ford announces
- Border blockade damaged Canada’s reputation, business leaders say
In the past seven days, 62,849 cases were reported, down 26 per cent from the previous seven days. There were 733 deaths announced, down 25 per cent over the same period. At least 6,805 people are being treated in hospitals.
Canada’s inoculation rate is 13th 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
Photo of the day
Traffic flows over the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ont., on Feb. 14, after protesters blocked the major border crossing for nearly a week.Nicole Osborne/The Canadian Press
Coronavirus in Canada
- Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced today that vaccine passport rules for the province will be lifted early, on March 1, but masking mandates will remain. Meanwhile, numbers for hospitalizations continue to go down, with 1,369 people in hospital and 394 in the ICU. There were eight more deaths attributed to COVID-19 reported in the province.
- In Quebec, hospitalizations were up slightly by 14, the number of people in the ICU was down by four, while 17 deaths due to COVID-19 were reported in the province. Today also marked the day gyms and spas can reopen at half-capacity in the province, as well as recreational activities.
- The border protests in Coutts, Alberta escalated today with 11 arrests and a seizure of weapons from people associated with the blockades. Investigators believe the seizure is tied to a group willing to use force to prevent police from dismantling the blockade.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is invoking the federal Emergencies Act in an attempt to bring an end to the protests and blockades that have jammed Ottawa and some border crossings. The unprecedented decision marks the first time that the act has been triggered in Canada.
- During a press conference today, Trudeau said under the emergency declaration, the police will be given “more tools to restore order” where protests “constitute illegal and dangerous activities” like in Ottawa and at the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Windsor, Ont., to Detroit.
- Trudeau said the orders include “strengthening” the ability of police to impose fines or imprisonment, and designate, secure and protect places and infrastructure critical to the economy, including border crossings and airports.
Protest donations: A transparency group says it has received information on donors to antigovernment protests after the major fundraising platform GiveSendGo was reportedly hacked, and an analysis of the data suggests Canadians contributed the largest amount of money to the cause.
Travel tests: Medical experts are calling for a shift in strategy when it comes to testing incoming travellers, saying the country’s limited PCR resources should instead be used for random samplings to identify variants.
Coronavirus around the world
- Hong Kong leaders say the fifth COVID-19 wave has “overwhelmed” the city’s capacity to deal with cases, with particular concerns about the unvaccinated elderly population.
- Protests apparently inspired by the blockades in Canada continued in various parts the world, including in Israel today.
Coronavirus and business
The protest at the crucial border crossing that connects Windsor and Detroit has severely affected Canada-U.S. trade, forcing automakers on both sides of the border to temporarily stop production and send workers home in some cases. Food producers, meanwhile, face the prospect of perishable items spoiling as shipments are not able to be delivered.
- The Windsor blockade has already cost the auto sector about $1-billion, estimates Flavio Volpe, president of Canada’s Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association. What’s potentially more worrying is that the demonstration and the response from police and government to resolve it could jeopardize future investment in the country’s auto sector.
- “This is absolutely the worst time in the last 50 years to be pointing out to international investors that Canada’s access to the U.S. market is not guaranteed,” Mr. Volpe said.
Also today: A Toronto tech institute is using artificial intelligence and social media to track long COVID, which can help uncover patterns related to symptom frequencies, co-occurrence and distribution over time.
And: More Canadian companies are embracing meetings in the metaverse as a way to increase engagement and connectivity as virtual offices continue for the foreseeable future.
Globe opinion
- André Picard: Are pandemic restrictions done for good? If not, what will trigger action again?
- David McLaughlin: Let us praise vaccine mandates before we bury them
- Edward Alden: The border closings have done enormous damage to Canada’s reputation at the worst possible time
COVID-19 and the Olympics
- An engaged couple on Team Canada have been missing each other for months due to training schedules and COVID-19 bubbles. But they managed to see each other in person at the opening ceremonies in a moment they’ll remember forever.
- For Chinese workers at the Winter Games, being part of the “closed loop” and subsequent quarantines can mean months away from their families.
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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