Good evening, here are the COVID-19 updates you need to know tonight.
Top headlines:
- Experts worry government messaging could hinder uptake of fourth COVID-19 doses
- Ontarians aged 60 and up eligible for fourth COVID-19 vaccine Thursday
- For young employees hoping to be promoted, working from the office has its perks
In the past seven days, 197 deaths were announced, down 26 per cent over the same period. At least 4,540 people are being treated in hospitals.
Canada’s inoculation rate is 15th 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
Jars full of empty COVID-19 vaccine vials are shown as a pharmacist works behind the counter at the Junction Chemist pharmacy in Toronto on April 6.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Coronavirus in Canada
- In Ontario, residents aged 60 and older will be eligible for a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose starting Thursday. The province is reporting 1,074 people in hospital, and 168 in intensive care, a slight decrease from Tuesday.
- Today in Quebec, people aged 70 and older became eligible for a fourth dose, as health care experts note that they expect hospitalizations in the province to rise in the next two weeks. Newly released recordings of phone calls to a Quebec government health line from March 2020 also revealed the desperation of the owners of a long-term care home as COVID-19 struck their establishment.
- B.C. is now offering a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccines to seniors, starting with residents of long-term care and assisted-living homes.
- Manitoba is expanding eligibility requirements for second booster doses. Those eligible include residents of personal care homes and in congregate settings, as well as people 70 and older. First Nations, Inuit and Metis people 50 and older, are also eligible.
- Nunavut announced the lifting of its remaining COVID-19 health measures this coming Monday, including the mask mandate and isolation for those who test positive.
Experts are concerned that provinces’ recent moves to lift COVID-19 health protections could send people the wrong message about where we are in the pandemic, and the necessity of a booster.
- While governments have urged people to assess their own risk level when it comes to masking, Dr. Kelly Grindrod, an associate professor at the University of Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy, says the number of people who are going maskless in indoor public spaces suggests many don’t have a good sense of how prevalent COVID-19 is right now.
- Dr. Grindrod says uptake for third doses has been less than ideal. More than 89 per cent of Canadian adults have two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, but only 56.8 per cent of that same group have received a third dose.
Coronavirus around the world
- Data presented to the U.S. FDA showed that current vaccines lose much of their effectiveness in preventing infections, although they were better at preventing severe disease. That could mean future boosters may need to be tweaked to align with new variants.
- China’s top European business group warned that its “zero-COVID” strategy was harming the attractiveness of Shanghai as a financial hub, causing growing difficulties transporting goods across provinces and through ports, harming factory output.
Coronavirus and business
People are returning to offices, but plenty of companies are keeping a hybrid work model in place for flexibility and cost savings, among other reasons.
- But for younger people in offices at the start of their careers, this lack of face time with colleagues and bosses can stymy advancement, with experts saying that clear communication around expectations is more important than ever.
Globe opinion
Fatima Tokhmafshan: Your immune system is super smart and hard-working, so give it the best shot!
Information centre
- Everything you need to know about Canada’s travel rules for vaccinated and unvaccinated people
- Where do I book a COVID-19 booster or a vaccine appointment for my kids? Latest rules by province
- 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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