Good evening, here are the coronavirus updates you need to know tonight.
Top headlines:
- There hasn’t been any evidence to connect blood clots with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, the European Medicines Agency says
- A national advisory panel says AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for seniors – reversing an earlier decision
- The staffing crisis in Ontario’s seniors homes is worsening, according to a source
In the last 7 days, 22,352 cases were reported, up 8 per cent from the previous 7 days. There were 215 deaths announced, down 17 per cent over the same period. At least 2,035 people are being treated in hospitals and 861,824 others are considered recovered.
About 80 per cent of the 4,104,060 doses of vaccine distributed to provinces have been administered. Canada’s inoculation rate is 36th among 84 countries with a population of one million or more people.
Sources: Canada data is compiled from government websites, Johns Hopkins University and COVID-19 Canada Open Data Working Group; international data is from Johns Hopkins.
Coronavirus explainers: Coronavirus in maps and charts • Tracking vaccine doses • Lockdown rules and reopening • Vaccine distribution plan • Four vaccines approved in Canada • Essential resources
Photo of the day
Dona Dainda, 75, celebrates after getting her first shot of the Sinovac vaccine for COVID-19 inside her home in the Kalunga Vao de Almas quilombo on the outskirts of Cavalcante, Goias state, Brazil, Tuesday, March 16, 2021. The local government's coronavirus vaccination campaign is reaching some quilombos, which are communities of people descended from runaway slaves.Eraldo Peres/The Associated Press
Coronavirus in Canada
- Ontario’s science advisers say the province has entered the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic as variant cases rise. Long-term care in Ontario is losing staff to other industries that are hiring health-care workers for infection prevention and testing supports due to COVID-19. And, Upper Canada College in Toronto has temporarily closed its doors to in-person learning after close to a dozen people tested positive for COVID-19.
- Quebec Premier Francois Legault revised COVID-19 health orders today, including extending the curfew in Montreal, as the province reports 561 new COVID-19 infections. And, an investigation into COVID-19-related deaths at a Montreal long-term care home found that staff were not at fault.
- British Columbia is prioritizing its first 60,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine for workers at food processing plants and industrial camps. And, the Vaisakhi Khalsa Day parade in Surrey, B.C., has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- Prince Edward Island will offer the AstraZeneca vaccine to grocery and gas station workers aged 18 to 29.
- In Nova Scotia, people between 63 and 64 can book appointments for AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine.
In Ottawa, the national immunization advisory panel says there is now sufficient “real-world evidence” to show AstraZeneca’s vaccine is safe for seniors – reversing a recommendation made two weeks ago.
- Previously, the panel said AstraZeneca didn’t have enough people over 65 in its trial. Two additional studies of patients published since the March 1 recommendation have been released and show that the vaccine “is both safe and effective for seniors,” the panel said.
- The panel also said that because data shows shots from Pfizer and Moderna are more effective, those vaccines should be prioritized for seniors and other high-risk populations.
- Provincial governments will now have to decide if they revise how they use the AstraZeneca vaccine.
COVID-19 vaccines: Moderna has started a study to test its vaccine on children and babies. The trial is expected to enroll 6,750 healthy children in the United States and Canada.
Coronavirus around the world
- Sweden and Latvia became the latest countries to stop using the AstraZeneca vaccine.
- China has approved a fifth COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, one that was developed by the head of its Center for Disease Control.
Coronavirus and business
One chart posted to Twitter by BMO economist Robert Kavcic illustrates the sheer absurdity of the recent jump in home prices amid the pandemic.
- “If it’s not fully apparent to all parties that the Canadian housing market is boiling, this picture might convey the message,” the senior economist tweeted.
Also today: The number of gig workers is rapidly growing in Canada to counteract layoffs and rising costs of living due to COVID-19. But this tax season, many are struggling to understand tax filing obligations.
Rob Carrick: A year into the pandemic, the biggest threats to your finances are in the housing market, the stock market and the supermarket.
Globe opinion
- Gary Mason: A vaccination-passport program would be an unfair waste of time
- Rosemary Counter: Right now, travel is the stuff of dreams – more specifically, lucid dreams
- Rob Carrick: Want to help a local business? Pay with debit, not credit
- Preston Manning: “What’s a trillion?” describes the government’s dismissive attitude of growing fears concerning federal overspending in response to the COVID pandemic
More reporting
- How to innovate for vulnerable populations: COVID immunization for people experiencing homelessness
- SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern remind us that we underestimate biology at our own peril
- Five memoirs on overcoming adversity to help get us through these (hopefully) last COVID months
- How companies are planning to lure employees back to the office, post-pandemic
- Words matter: How a message about COVID-19 vaccines is heard
- Amid worries about a third wave, health authorities are urging would-be revelers to be mindful of the risks and obey all limits on St. Patrick’s Day
- There’s a light at the end of the tunnel for theatre, but a new survey of Quebec artists shows how dark it’s been
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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