Good evening, here are the COVID-19 updates you need to know tonight.
Top headlines:
- Doctors and nurses keep catching COVID-19. The Globe’s Tom Cardoso and Salmaan Farooqui write about the effect that’s having on how hospitals are managing the sixth wave.
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is apologizing again for breaking COVID-19 lockdown legislation in June, 2020, to celebrate his birthday.
- Cirque du Soleil may have moved on, but most Canadian culture-goers still want masks, writes theatre critic J. Kelly Nestruck.
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, 280 deaths were announced, down seven per cent over the same period. At least 5,977 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
Passengers walk through the terminal at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, today, in Arlington, Va. A federal judge's decision to strike down a national mask mandate was met with cheers on some airplanes but also concern about whether it's really time to end the order.Evan Vucci/The Associated Press
Coronavirus in Canada
- Quebec’s immunization committee said today that mRNA vaccines, such as those made by Pfizer and Moderna, are preferable to the Canadian-made Medicago vaccine in most circumstances. Health Canada authorized the Medicago vaccine in February for adults 18 to 64, but the World Health Organization did not accept its application for emergency use because cigarette company Philip Morris has one-fifth ownership of Medicago. Quebec is reporting 18 more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus and a 61-patient rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations.
- Ontario is reporting 1,486 people in hospital with COVID-19 today, up 14 per cent from the previous day. For our Ontario readers, The Globe wants to know what you think is the most important issue – from pandemic recovery to health care – in the upcoming election. Take our survey and let us know.
- Hockey Canada announced that the rescheduled 2022 men’s world junior championship will be hosted in Alberta from Aug. 9-20 at Rogers Place in Edmonton. The tournament was cancelled in December when several teams were sidelined by COVID-19.
Health authorities across Canada say they are weathering the sixth wave of the pandemic better than they did previous surges, but are warning that sickness-related staff absences could affect surgeries.
- In Quebec, roughly 13,000 health care workers are absent because of COVID-19 exposures or illness. But that number is lower than it was in December and January.
- In Ottawa, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario said some surgeries were being cancelled because workers had to stay home after contracting or being exposed to COVID-19.
Mask mandates on airplanes: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says mask mandates for air travel remain in place, even as major airlines in the U.S. drop the requirement for passengers and crews.
Military vaccinations: The Department of National Defence is reporting limited progress on enforcing an order that all troops be fully-vaccinated, with fewer unvaccinated members having been forced to hang up their uniforms than previously reported.
Coronavirus around the world
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has issued a renewed round of apologies for breaking COVID-19 lockdown legislation.
- Tourist-starved regions in China struggle to get by as COVID-19 continues to impact travel.
Coronavirus and business
Moderna hopes to offer COVID-19 boosters in the fall that combine its original vaccine with protection against the Omicron variant.
- The company said today that people given a combination vaccine produced more antibodies capable of fighting several variants – including Omicron – than today’s regular booster triggers.
- Current COVID-19 vaccines all are based on the original version of the coronavirus. But the virus continues to mutate, with the super-contagious Omicron variant – and its siblings – the latest threat.
Also today: Johnson & Johnson pulled its sales forecast of its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine, as hesitancy in low income countries has led to a glut of supply.
More reporting
- Theatre: New data from the Arts Response Tracking Survey shows masks remain the top precaution Canadian culture-goers say they need to feel comfortable attending indoor performances.
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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