Good evening. The coronavirus newsletter publishes Mondays and Fridays
Top headlines:
- Western University is mandating at least one COVID-19 booster dose, and masks to be worn in classrooms when staff and students return to campus next month
- Canada has so far purchased a total of 12 million doses of Moderna’s bivalent vaccine that targets both the original strain of COVID-19 and the Omicron variant
- Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines: Here’s what we know so far, and how these vaccines could factor into a fall wave
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
- Western University, in London, Ont., says staff and students returning to campus next month will be required to wear masks in classrooms and have at least one booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
- Moderna says the Canadian government has purchased a total of 12 million doses of the company’s bivalent vaccine that targets both the original strain of COVID-19 and the Omicron variant.
- A new campaign called ‘Travel Like it’s 2019′ is calling on the Canadian government to scrap the troublesome ArriveCan app, the mandatory pre-screening tool for visitors to Canada, and to tackle the backlog plaguing the Canada-U. S. trusted-traveller system known as Nexus.
- Pfizer asked U.S. regulators today to authorize its combination COVID-19 vaccine that adds protection against the newest Omicron relatives — a key step toward opening a fall booster campaign.
- Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, is encouraging Canadians to weigh both their personal risks and level of COVID-19 spread in their community when choosing whether to wait for a bivalent booster dose. She added that if it’s been more than six months since your last infection or vaccination, you may want to roll up your sleeves for another shot before the cold weather sets in. Here’s a look at what we know so far about COVID-19 bivalent vaccines.
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Pandemic recovery
- Canadians eager to enjoy the autumn colours this year are likely to find plenty of budget-friendly options. Flight ticket prices often drop by 10 per cent or more in the fall compared to summer’s peaks, Christie Hudson, head of U.S. public relations for Expedia, said. But, consumers tempted by extra low prices will have to weigh the risk of persistent airport bottlenecks and new travel disruptions linked to a potential resurgence of the COVID-19 virus.
- Businesses are beginning to pay down the record sales-tax debt they have accumulated during the pandemic, new Canada Revenue Agency data show.
- 🎧 The Decibel: The problems with outsourcing healthcare
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More reading
- Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S.’s top infectious disease expert who became a household name during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced today he will leave the federal government in December after more than five decades
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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