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As deaths and illnesses escalate in Zimbabwe, its citizens are increasingly frantic to get vaccinated. But as lineups grow longer, the wait can be exhausting and many people are turned away. Some say they are resorting to unofficial methods to jump the queues: bribes or political connections. Others pay hefty fees at private clinics to get faster access.
At Parirenyatwa General Hospital in Harare, 300 people waited for a vaccination they’re not even sure has arrived. “I’m tired, but I have no choice,” said 26-year-old Tracy Nechavava. “I need the vaccine, because people are dying.”
Only four per cent of Africans have received any vaccine at all, while third and fourth waves surge in many countries on the continent. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has called for a moratorium on COVID-19 vaccine booster shots in wealthy countries to give the rest of the world a chance to hit the World Health Organization’s minimum goal of having 10 per cent of poorer countries vaccinated.
People queue to receive COVID-19 vaccinations at a clinic in Harare, Zimbabwe, July 8, 2021.PHILIMON BULAWAYO/Reuters
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Canadians died of COVID-19 in long-term care by the thousands, but families can’t get answers
Residents of Canada’s virus-stricken, understaffed nursing homes died in droves during the pandemic. And even though COVID-19 has laid bare weaknesses in how deaths are reviewed in long-term care homes, no province, with the notable exception of Quebec, has ordered public hearings into the disproportionate toll the coronavirus took on residents.
With the worst record for COVID-19 deaths in long-term care homes among wealthy countries in the first wave, any investigations by provincial coroners and medical examiners in Canada have been rare, which has left allegations of neglect inside some homes largely unexamined.
Karen Howlett writes that in the absence of proper assessments of these deaths, nursing home operators have rarely, if ever, lost their licences, no criminal charges have been laid and grieving families have had nowhere to turn in their searches for answers.
Other COVID-19 news:
- Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu warned her Alberta counterpart over risks of ending COVID-19 restrictions too early.
- A new report from the Parliamentary Budget Officer says improvements to Canada’s long-term care system in response to the pandemic would require $13.7-billion in new annual spending.
Did you hear the Olympics? Advanced technology brings Tokyo’s action into living rooms like never before
At an Olympics unlike any other, stadiums gape with empty seats, and the noise of the crowd has given way to an echoing quiet.
But for those watching – and listening – at home, the Tokyo Games have brought the competition to televised life in a way never before possible. Viewers at home can hear sounds as faint as the heartbeat of gymnasts and see live images of sailors in the water thanks to a staggering number of high-tech cameras and microphones that are overcoming the awkward silences of empty stadiums.
Get the latest on everything happening on and off the field in Tokyo with our Daily Olympic guide and subscribe to our Olympics newsletter featuring original stories from Globe reporters in Canada and Tokyo, tracking Team Canada’s medal wins, and looking at past Olympic moments from iconic performances.
Got a news tip that you’d like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@globeandmail.com Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Dementia risk increases for athletes: As the Canadian women’s soccer team readies itself for the gold-medal game, a new report published in Britain warns against the sport’s players heading the ball, finding that the risk for dementia is 3½ times greater for soccer players than in the general population
Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou: The latest from the extradition hearing of Meng Wanzhou as it enters its final stages. Her lawyers say the U.S. misled Canada about crucial information.
Andre De Grasse family celebrates a gold medal nine years in the making: The Globe’s Simon Houpt spoke with family members of Canada’s latest gold medalist about what went in to the long-awaited victory.
Listen to The Decibel: Sports journalist Vivek Jacob joins us to talk about Kyle Lowry’s announcement that he’s leaving the Toronto Raptors to go play for the Miami Heat. Jacob tells us what Lowry’s departure means for the future of the Raptors, his influence on the team’s rise in the NBA, and why fans want to see his statue in front of Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena.
Iranian charged for allegedly exporting lab equipment to Iran: Reza Sarhangpour Kafrani, a.k.a. Reza Sarhang, 46, was indicted by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and charged for allegedly exporting lab equipment to Iran of the kind that can be used in nuclear-weapons development.
MORNING MARKETS
World stocks recede from record peak: World stocks eased from the previous session’s record highs while the dollar reached its highest in eight days on Thursday. U.S. stock index futures – the S&P 500 e-minis – rose 0.17 per cent. U.S. stocks closed mostly lower on Wednesday after a Fed official’s hawkish remarks, with the S&P 500 receding 0.46 per cent from a record high after data signaled a slowdown in jobs growth in July. European stocks hit record highs, however, and were up 0.21 per cent on strong earnings from Danish company Novo Nordisk and German industrial firm Siemens. U.K. stocks were steady and the pound rose 0.18 per cent against the dollar ahead of a Bank of England policy meeting.
WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
Poll shows majority of Canadians support barring unvaccinated from public gatherings
“Unlike the United States, where attitudes to vaccination cleave along political and geographic lines, Canadians are virtually united in their message to the vaccine hesitant or skeptical: Stay home.” - John Ibbitson
Andre De Grasse stamps his name on sprinting history with 200-metre gold at Tokyo Olympics
“He was in one of those overloud dazes common to people who’ve just given themselves a shock. He didn’t really know what to say.” - Cathal Kelly
There’s a law against snap elections – and the Governor-General is supposed to enforce it
“The Governor-General may generally be bound to act as instructed, but in exceptional circumstances, constitutional scholars agree, she retains the discretion to act independently of the prime minister’s advice.” - Andrew Coyne
On the border opening, Canada has been reduced to America’s guinea pig
“Often, the analogy proffered for the two countries’ relationship is that of the elephant and the mouse. Now, it’s that tailless South American rodent frequently used as a specimen for laboratory research.” - Lawrence Martin
A year after Lebanon’s port explosion, my homeland has unravelled
“I returned to Beirut to check on my parents and on the city where I grew up. What I saw broke my heart. The world’s interest has faded. The challenges on the ground are multiplying. Lebanon is descending toward economic collapse.” - Mohamad Fakih
TODAY’S EDITORIAL CARTOON
David ParkinsDavid Parkins/The Globe and Mail
LIVING BETTER
Ten wines to enjoy this August, including a summer staple from the Okanagan
Christopher Waters recommends ten wines to pair with the second half of summer, from the unique and memorable Unwinder Ehrenfelser made by Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards, to the distinctive Rustenberg Buzzard Kloof Syrah – named for the buzzards that are often seen circling above the ravine when the vines are planted.
The list spans wines made with A-list grapes, rare grapes, and a Canadian-made Pinot Blanc with pear, apricot and zesty citrus notes. Read about the merits of each wine and where you can find it to enjoy in your home.
MOMENT IN TIME: AUGUST 05, 1907
"Herman Linder on Tony, Photo by Oliver [Studio]". Postcard dated 1933. Cowboy Herman Linder rides a bucking bronc named Tony at the 1933 Calgary Stampede. Courtesy of Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.Courtesy of Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary
Herman Linder, King of the Cowboys, is born
Herman Linder’s life was full of moments where onlookers delighted to see daylight between a horse’s back and his own backside. He came by entertaining honestly, being born in Wisconsin on this day, in 1907, to a circus performer. After moving to Cardston, Alta., with his family, Linder rode steers and unbroken horses for fun as a child. He rode in his first real rodeo at 14, and was competing in the Calgary Stampede by 17. That year he won both Canadian championships for saddle bronc and bareback bronc, outriding his competitors and outwitting a bucking horse in the one-handed competitions. He holds the record for most Stampede titles, at 22 – a record many reckon won’t be beaten and contributed to his King of the Cowboys nickname. Linder was one of 61 cowboys in 1936 to stage the first rodeo cowboy strike at the Boston Garden, a watershed moment that led to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, and later, the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association. After retiring from riding, he became a top promoter, treating Canadians to spectacles such as a rodeo at Montreal’s Expo 67. The rest of his life was spent building up his Cardston ranch. - Caora McKenna
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