Good evening, these are the top coronavirus headlines tonight:
Top headlines:
- Ontario will lift most remaining mask mandates as of this Saturday, including on public transit and in many health-care settings
- Moderna says its new Omicron-targeted vaccine produces a better immune response against the variant than the original shot
- Forget the full return to the office: Remote work is here for another five years, predicts the head of a global commercial real estate services company
In the past seven days, there were 175 deaths from COVID-19 nationally, down 41 per cent over the same period. At least 3,206 people are being treated in hospitals and 233 are in the ICU.
Canada’s inoculation rate is 17th 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
COVID-19 updates from Canada and the world
- Moderna said a new version of its coronavirus vaccine produced a better immune response against Omicron than the original shot, as the drugmaker pursues a booster against a surge in infections in the fall season.
- As of this Saturday in Ontario, mask mandates for public transit and many health-care settings will expire at 12 a.m., but will continue to be required in long-term care and retirement homes. Quebec will lift its public transit mask mandate beginning June 18.
- Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting a COVID-19 death involving someone under the age of 20 for the first time.
- An agreement is in the works to waive intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines, the head of the World Trade Organization said.
Looking for more top headlines? Subscribe to our Morning Update and Evening Update newsletters to get caught up on our latest stories.
Pandemic recovery
- The head of a global commercial real estate services company predicts remote work is here for another five years. “The behaviours of COVID made it comfortable and easy for people not to come in. The job market made it easy for employees not to come in,” said Mark Rose, chief executive of Avison Young.
- As many Canadians no longer fear congregating and vaccine passports have been dropped, real estate firms say retail and restaurant chains are scrambling to pick up space again.
Want in-depth analysis on what governments are doing with your tax dollars? Subscribe to our Tax & Spend newsletter.
Globe opinion
Frank Ching: China’s COVID-19 response has been more about ideology than health
Want to hear more from our columnists? Subscribe to the Opinion newsletter, and get it in your inbox, Monday to Saturday.
More reading
- Canada’s Transport Minister Omar Alghabra says the federal government is working on new measures to help ease delays at major airports that are cropping up as a result of pent-up travel demand during the pandemic.
- Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino has been “misunderstood” in saying cops asked the federal government for the Emergencies Act, says deputy minister Rob Stewart.
Information centre
- Everything you need to know about Canada’s travel rules for vaccinated and unvaccinated people
- When will COVID-19 be endemic? The four factors that will shape the virus’s future
- Wastewater is filling the COVID-19 data gap
Thank you for subscribing to our Coronavirus Update Newsletter. As the pandemic eases, we plan to wind this down and eventually cease sending, but have many other newsletters to keep you informed, including Globe Climate, Carrick on Money and Breaking News.
Reach out to us: audience@globeandmail.com