Good evening, these are the top coronavirus headlines tonight:
Top headlines:
- New study finds COVID-19 didn’t have a big impact on the mental health of most people
- At-risk Canadians should get COVID-19 bivalent booster shot this spring, NACI says
- Incidents of hate on the rise during COVID, according to BC Human Rights Commissioner
An increasing number of health agencies have changed how they're reporting data on the coronavirus. A look at the current numbers in Canada for reported cases, deaths from COVID-19 and for hospitalizations can be found here.
COVID-19 updates from Canada and the world
- Canadians at risk of severe illness from COVID-19 are being advised to get an additional booster dose this spring. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization says that includes adults 80 and up, those living in long-term care homes and other congregate settings for seniors or those with complex medical needs.
- The federal government has stopped shipping rapid COVID-19 antigen tests to provinces as millions are set to expire within the year, and experts say the once-essential tool has lost its importance in the pandemic.
Pandemic recovery
- According to a new international study led by Canadian researchers and published Wednesday in the British Medical Journal, COVID-19 didn’t have a big impact on the mental health of most people. The study found university students and seniors experienced minimal to small increases in depression.
- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Wednesday it plans to end mandatory COVID-19 tests for travellers from China, joining other countries in eliminating the requirements.
- An internal Canada Revenue Agency audit of more than $5-billion in CERB and other emergency payments to individuals during the pandemic has determined that about 65 per cent went to ineligible recipients who must pay back the money.
- The B.C. Human Rights Commissioner found that hate incidents in the province have increased dramatically since the pandemic, and legal and government responses have been largely ineffective.
- The American company Novavax, which signed a deal with the federal government to produce COVID vaccines in Montreal, warned investors it could go out of business within the year as the market for vaccines changes.
- Canadian travellers are facing increased airport fees after the pandemic grounded revenues and led to more debt for airports across the country. The credit rating agency DBRS Morningstar says COVID-19 disrupted the airport sector’s “relatively stable” and resilient business model.
More reading
- Novak Djokovic has formally withdrawn from the draw for the Indian Wells tournament, organizers said on Sunday in an indication that the world number one’s application for a COVID-19 vaccine waiver to enter the U.S. might have failed.
- B.C. music festival Fvded in the Park has cancelled its 2023 edition amid the soaring costs of the post-lockdown era, ahead of what may prove to be a rough summer for the live-music industry’s marquee events.
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.
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