Good evening, here are the COVID-19 updates you need to know tonight.
Top headlines:
- On Friday, the Viking Octantis cruise ship is scheduled to arrive in Charlottetown. It will be the first cruise ship to return to Atlantic Canada since the pandemic began
- Next week, the House of Commons will lift a ban on public visits that was introduced more than two years ago to stem the spread of COVID-19
- U.S. extends COVID-19 vaccine requirements for non-citizens at land borders
With many provinces now in the sixth wave, The Globe and Mail wants to hear what questions readers have about COVID-19 and the pandemic. Send your questions to audience@globeandmail.com.
In the past seven days, there were 391 deaths announced, up eight per cent over the same period. At least 6,312 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
Empty sunbeds and umbrellas at a resort on Crete island on April 21. In Crete, the season begins with a lack of seasonal workers, who have changed jobs or left abroad due to the two years of the pandemic.LOUISA GOULIAMAKI/AFP/Getty Images
Coronavirus in Canada
- Ontario reported 1,626 people in hospital with COVID-19 today, a slight decrease from 1,662 the previous day. The province recorded 19 new deaths from the virus.
- Quebec will extend its mask mandate for indoor public spaces and on public transit until mid-May. A government health-care research institute that provides weekly projections said today it expects a reduction in new hospitalizations in the next two weeks, but it also cautioned the impact of last weekend’s holiday gatherings are not yet seen in the available data.
- The latest wave of COVID-19 infections in Nova Scotia may have peaked, a senior health official said today. According to the province’s latest data, for the seven-day period ending April 18, there have been 13 deaths related to COVID-19. The median age of those who have died since the start of the Omicron wave is 80.
In Ottawa, the House of Commons will next week lift a ban on public visits, introduced more than two years ago to stem the spread of COVID-19.
- The Commons chamber’s public gallery will reopen on Monday, allowing people to once again watch MPs’ debates in person.
- Next month, guided tours of the House of Commons will also restart for the first time since March 2020.
COVID-19 treatment: The World Health Organization endorsed the use of Pfizer Inc’s oral COVID-19 antiviral treatment in high-risk patients after an analysis of trial data by the UN agency showed the therapy dramatically cut the risk of hospitalization.
Coronavirus around the world
- The United States government said today it was extending a requirement that non-U.S. citizens crossing land or ferry terminals at the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders must be vaccinated against the coronavirus.
- A patient in Britain is believed to have had the longest reported infection of COVID-19, having the infection for 505 days straight.
Coronavirus and business
Hobbled by the COVID-19 pandemic and an oversaturated market, craft brewery insiders say consolidation is needed to save the industry.
- While the pandemic threw the industry into turmoil, many craft brewers managed to hold on by pivoting to deliveries and relying heavily on government largesse. Some entrepreneurs even saw an opportunity, with scores of new breweries opening their doors last year.
- Now brewers must grapple not only with the immediate financial damage caused by the pandemic, but surging costs that threaten to wipe out what meagre profits exist in the industry.
Also today: Atlantic Canada will see its first cruise ship in two years tomorrow. Businesses in the region that rely on tourism in the ports and their surrounding regions are hoping revenue will rebound after being side-swiped by the pandemic.
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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