Coronavirus Update: Lack of early-warning systems slowed coronavirus response, WHO panel says

Good evening, here are the coronavirus updates you need to know tonight.

Top headlines:

1. A World Health Organization panel is calling on governments to invest in better pandemic early warning systems, similar to the one Canada let falter a year before the outbreak hit
2. Health authorities in Canada are warning against complacency as the rate of new COVID-19 infections trends downward
3. World Health Organization experts are taking their coronavirus-origins probe outside of China after an investigation failed to uncover more than what was already identified by Chinese authorities

In the past seven days, 24,338 cases were reported, down 14 per cent from the previous seven days. There were 649 deaths announced, down 21 per cent over the same period. At least 2,819 people are being treated in hospitals and 754,740 others are considered recovered.

About 89 per cent of the 1,296,115 doses of vaccines distributed to provinces have been administered. That’s 3.0 doses for every 100 people in Canada.

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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 • Lockdown rules and reopening • Canada’s vaccine distribution plan • Developing/approved vaccines • Pfizer’s vaccine, explained • Essential resources

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Coronavirus in Canada

• Ontario says it has spent the $13.3-billion in COVID-19 contingency funds, but acknowledges it still has $4.5-billion left in rainy day funds for the remainder of its fiscal year, which ends March 31. Meanwhile, the province reported 1,072 new COVID-19 cases as restrictions eased in some places. And, a race to contain a variant-fuelled outbreak is unfolding in North Bay, where a cluster at an apartment tower is spreading.
• A pilot program in British Columbia is under way to see if rapid tests are a useful screening tool for students living on campus at the University of British Columbia. Meanwhile, police levied thousands in fines against those who turned condos into makeshift night clubs.
• Clinical trials are under way for the University of Saskatchewan’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
• In Alberta, two members of Premier Jason Kenney’s caucus have joined a national coalition against lockdowns.
• Newfoundland and Labrador reported a record 53 new COVID-19 infections and 32 presumptive positive cases, prompting school closures.

Pandemic warning: An independent panel commissioned by the World Health Organization to investigate the failures of the global response to COVID-19 is calling for better circuit breaker systems, similar to Canada’s Global Public Health Intelligence Network, which was curtailed just before the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 vaccines: Ottawa says the vaccine-tracking system it acquired from Deloitte is up and running, but has yet to release details of the system, such as what gaps it will address, in Canada’s inconsistent vaccine-tracking protocols.

Coronavirus around the world

• Israel’s swift vaccination rollout is yielding promising results.
• India will do what it can to get COVID-19 vaccines to Canada, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.
• South Africa may sell doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine it may not need or swap for a different vaccine after testing showed it offered minimal protection against the country’s variant.

Coronavirus and business

The decline in the use of cash and boom in e-commerce during the pandemic is helping to accelerate the Bank of Canada’s work on developing a “digital loonie.”

Also today: Uber’s food delivery platform, Uber Eats, is reporting fourth-quarter growth, after many countries endured strict lockdowns, closing restaurants and prompting many people to order in.

Globe opinion

• Paul W. Bennett: March Break is an opportune time to offer “catch-up academy” programs, preferably in-person, to students struggling mightily to make up for lost learning in our school systems.
• John Ibbitson: Canada ranks behind almost every other developed country in procuring vaccines to immunize its population against COVID-19. The repercussions could be deadly.

More reporting

• Medical officers in some COVID-19 hot spots push back against Ontario’s reopening plan
• Saskatchewan has released a plan for a mass COVID-19 vaccination campaign to start in the spring
• Health officials in British Columbia urge residents to keep up the “forward momentum” on COVID-19
• A travel operations manager laid off during the pandemic is pivoting his career to pursue a role in ESG – environmental, social and corporate governance

Information centre

• How well do vaccines work? Here’s what you need to know.
• Rob Carrick’s 10-point checklist of things you should have done by now to protect or improve your money situation. Tips for minimizing damage to your credit score; how to manage retirement anxiety during difficult times; and things to think about if you’re considering home delivery.
• Here are the expectations for self-isolation; tips for managing anxiety and protecting your mental health; and what to do if you think you have the virus. Wash your hands. How to break a bad habit (like touching your face). Is flying safe?
• The best foods to eat to maintain an immune system-friendly diet; and how to keep a healthy diet while working from home; four eating tips when working from home; and five mistakes that might cause you to gain unwanted weight. Here are the essentials to stock up on and how to shop safely for groceries; the best pantry staples and how to stop stress-eating.
• Find answers to your coronavirus and employment questions.

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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