Good evening, here are the coronavirus updates you need to know tonight.
Top headlines:
- Investigators from China and the World Health Organization have concluded that the coronavirus cannot be traced to Wuhan prior to Dec. 8, 2019
- Air Canada is laying off more than 1,500 staff, and suspending some U.S. and international routes
- Health Canada now agrees with Pfizer and BioNTech that each vial of their vaccine contains six doses, rather than five
In the last 7 days, 24,382 cases were reported, down 17 per cent from the previous 7 days. There were 696 deaths announced, down 14 per cent over the same period. At least 2,835 people are being treated in hospitals and 750,713 others are considered recovered.
About 90 per cent of the 1,255,315 doses of vaccines distributed to provinces have been administered. That’s 3.0 doses for every 100 people in Canada.
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
Photo of the day
A Peruvian municipal worker dressed in a COVID-19 costume accompanies the Peruvian army as they patrol the regional Laykakota Indigenous market in Puno today. A nationwide vaccination campaign began today in several hospitals in Lima, where hundreds of doctors, nurses and support personnel received the first dose of the vaccine.JUAN CARLOS CISNEROS/AFP/Getty Images
Coronavirus in Canada
- Opposition parties in Quebec are again calling for a public inquiry into the government’s pandemic response as the total number of coronavirus deaths in the province tops 10,000 – nearly half of all COVID-19 fatalities in the country.
- Starting Friday, Manitoba will ease some lockdown restrictions, allowing for in-person dining and reduced-capacity openings for gyms, libraries and other facilities.
- Alberta will expand its rapid testing to screen asymptomatic staff at all long-term care homes. And, the pastor of an Edmonton-area church that had been holding Sunday services has been charged with violating COVID-19 rules.
- B.C. will begin using bamlanivimab (a COVID-19 drug therapy approved by Health Canada) on an emergency basis for patients who are at risk of being hospitalized with severe illness. And, First Nations and the Provincial Health Officer have reached an information-sharing agreement over COVID-19 infections.
- Ontario reported 1,022 new COVID-19 cases today and 17 deaths linked to the coronavirus.
In Ottawa, the government said self-employed Canadians will no longer have to pay back thousands of dollars in CERB payments if they became ineligible because of confusion over how the program defined income.
- Some self-employed Canadians said they were being told to repay their Canada Emergency Response Benefit money because they did not meet a minimum $5,000 income threshold.
- Some had understood the threshold to mean gross income – before taxes or other deductions – but if the government used net income, they would fall below the threshold.
- The Prime Minister said today the individuals in this situation will not have to pay back the benefit as long as they had at least $5,000 in gross income.
Land border testing: The Prime Minister said a negative COVID-19 test will be required for anyone entering Canada by land, starting Feb. 15.
Vaccine efficacy: Britain and several other countries are standing by the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine despite questions about its effectiveness against the South African variant.
Coronavirus around the world
- The World Health Organization, after a nearly month-long investigation, says it has no answers as to where the pandemic began – but says it’s “extremely unlikely” it came from a lab.
- U.S. President Joe Biden is meeting with Walmart, Gap and Lowe’s and other corporate giants to discuss his coronavirus recovery plan, known as the American Rescue Plan.
- Rich countries would see their economies shrink by trillions of dollars if they don’t do more to help poor countries receive vaccines, according to France-based Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- Lunar New Year is typically one of the busiest times for America’s lobster shippers, but this year the outlook is weak owing to coronavirus complications.
- The Canadian government sent T-shirts to Chinese embassy staff that featured Wuhan and the logo of a popular hip-hop group, Wu-Tang Clan.
Coronavirus and business
Air Canada will issue layoff notices for 1,500 people and suspend service on 17 routes amid a lack of demand for air travel in the pandemic.
- The cuts will temporarily eliminate 1,500 unionized jobs, and an unspecified number of management positions, the company said.
- Since last March, the airline has laid off more than 20,000 people – more than half its work force.
Also today: Realtors are puzzled over record-high January sales in the Greater Toronto Area, which have increased by a whopping 52.4 per cent from the same time period last year.
And: Bell is dropping the all-sports format at three of its radio stations in Canada, with one observer citing a likely revenue decline related to COVID-19: The TSN format is being removed from TSN 1040 AM in Vancouver, TSN 1290 AM in Winnipeg and TSN 1150 AM in Hamilton.
Globe opinion
- André Picard: The sloppy handling of the vaccination file has not been the government’s finest hour. But, the problems that plague the feds have been years in the making.
- Editorial: Many parts of the country were too quick to lift restrictions after the first wave. With the variants already spreading exponentially, are several of Canada’s provinces opening up too soon?
- Robert Danisch: Public health is not a matter of personal responsibility or freedom; it’s the government’s job. And therefore, Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s job has been an unmitigated disaster.
- Lori Nikkel: Since the pandemic began, grocers have run low on everything from flour to pork, resulting in consumers who are now more aware of the delicate supply chains that deliver food to store shelves and onto our tables.
More reporting
- Training 4,000 new personal support workers will cost $38.5-million over two years, according to the parliamentary budget watchdog
- COVID-19 supervisors reflect on the challenges of trying to keep Canadian film and TV sets safe during the pandemic
- Facebook is banning more false health claims, including debunked claims about vaccines
- It is not yet clear whether the world needs a new set of vaccines to fight different variants, Oxford Vaccine Group says
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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