Good evening, here are the COVID-19 updates you need to know tonight.
Top headlines:
- Fewer deaths in long-term care homes during Omicron wave, despite high infections, according to Ontario data
- Nova Scotia to lift all remaining COVID-19 restrictions by March 21
- Ontario’s COVID-19 pandemic job recovery sharply uneven, report shows
In the past seven days, 40,766 cases were reported, down 32 per cent from the previous seven days. There were 416 deaths announced, down 42 per cent over the same period. At least 5,667 people are being treated in hospitals.
Canada’s inoculation rate is 14th 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
Supporters stand on an overpass near Barstow, California, today, as they await the 'People’s Convoy,' which is headed to Washington, DC to protest COVID-19 mandates.Mario Tama/Getty Images
Coronavirus in Canada
- Quebec health officials reported today that nearly three million Quebeckers, including more than a third of all children, are believed to have been infected by COVID-19 since the beginning of the Omicron wave. The province is reporting 17 more COVID-19 deaths today and a 70-patient drop in hospitalizations linked to the virus.
- Ontario long-term care homes have been spared mass deaths during the Omicron wave despite infection levels similar to those seen in early 2020, according to new figures from the province. During the Omicron wave, there were 251 deaths reported, compared with 1,940 deaths during the first wave. Ontario is reporting 1,106 people in hospital with COVID-19 today. There are also 319 people in intensive care, the same as Tuesday.
- A protest in front of the Manitoba legislature against COVID-19 restrictions has ended today, obeying a deadline issued by police.
- Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is urging the federal government to lift all COVID-19 mandates. Saskatchewan’s public health orders are to end on Feb. 28, including its indoor mask mandate and the requirement to self-isolate if positive for the virus.
- Nova Scotia announced today that all remaining COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted by March 21, including proof of vaccination and indoor mask mandates. The proof-of-vaccine for “non-essential” activities, such as going to restaurants, will be lifted on Feb. 28. Meanwhile, during the inquiry into the Nova Scotia mass shooting in April 2020, community leaders spoke about how the pandemic has stalled the grieving process.
- Prince Edward Island has become the latest province to discontinue the use of its COVID-19 vaccine passport. Premier Dennis King says proof of vaccination won’t be required to access restaurants, bars, gyms and other venues as of Feb. 28. Masks are still required in indoor public spaces and limits remain on the size of gatherings.
In a press conference today, Prime Minster Justin Trudeau announced the federal government has dropped the invocation of the Emergencies Act.
- On Monday, Liberal and NDP MPs voted to invoke the never before used legislation. The Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois voted against it.
- Prior to a vote in the House of Commons, Trudeau said the act afforded powers, such as compelling tow truck drivers to move big rigs out of Ottawa’s downtown core. Demonstrations were brought to an end on Sunday through the significant police enforcement. Police also swept through a logistics camp a few kilometres east of the downtown core.
Coronavirus around the world
- In the United States, a small convoy of truckers demanding an end to coronavirus mandates began a cross-country drive from California to the Washington, D.C., area on Wednesday.
- COVAX, the global project run by Gavi and the World Health Organization to share COVID-19 vaccines, is struggling to place more than 300 million doses in the latest sign the problem with vaccinating the world is now more about demand than supply.
- COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong hit a new record today, as authorities announce the toughest social restrictions since the pandemic began to combat the surge and prepares for compulsory testing of residents. Similar to China, Hong Kong is pursuing a “dynamic zero-COVID” strategy that aims to eradicate any outbreaks.
Coronavirus and business
Ontario’s job market charted a very uneven recovery over the course of 2021, with employment in low-wage industries remaining below prepandemic levels, while the number of people employed in higher-wage white collar jobs soared to levels not seen before in years.
- According to a new report from the province’s Financial Accountability Office, employment in the accommodation and food-services industry were furthest from prepandemic levels, while sectors such as tech, insurance, real estate and finance recorded significant job growth.
- “The impact of the pandemic can be seen most in industries with close customer contact and those jobs have not come back. Any time there was a lockdown, those were the first industries to be shut down and the last to open up,” said Peter Weltman, Ontario’s financial accountability officer.
Also today: Save lives or save jobs? How Canada and the U.S. took different approaches to the pandemic
And: Canada’s banks have unfrozen most accounts belonging to customers who were linked to illegal blockade, but some are still suspended under court orders, the Canadian Bankers Association says
Globe opinion
- Latif Murji and Eric Nelson: The ‘anti-vax’ label is a problem, and it needs to be retired
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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