Good evening, these are the top coronavirus headlines tonight:
Top headlines:
- China censors WHO chief after he warns ‘zero COVID’ policy is not sustainable
- Quebec lost almost $1-billion on COVID-19 protective equipment during the early stages of the pandemic, says Auditor-General
- As pandemic restrictions ease, the rumble in Ontario cottage country has died down
In the past seven days, there were 438 deaths from COVID-19 nationally, down 11 per cent over the same period. At least 5,844 people are being treated in hospitals and 370 are in the ICU.
Canada’s inoculation rate is 14th 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
- A World Health Organization director’s comments that said ‘a zero- COVID strategy is not sustainable’ are being censored by China. The comments were initially shared on Chinese social media, including by verified accounts linked to the United Nations, but the posts were later deleted.
- The Ontario Liberals are promising to put $1 billion over two years toward clearing a surgical backlog. The province is reporting 29 new deaths linked to COVID-19 today.
- Quebec overpaid $1-billion on personal protective equipment during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the auditor general says. The province is expecting the number of people with the disease hospitalized outside of intensive care will decline to about 1,068 patients over the next two weeks, while the number of COVID-19 intensive care patients will drop to about 35.
Looking for more top headlines? Subscribe to our Morning Update and Evening Update newsletters to get caught up on our latest stories.
Pandemic recovery
- Multiple airports are reporting extremely long lines at airport security and border screening checkpoints. As travel demand surges again, it seems that out-of-practice travellers are causing the delays as they shift back into travel mode.
- Rapid growth in online traffic during the pandemic is no longer sustainable, and to compensate for the losses, businesses such as Shopify and Amazon are increasingly offering loans and cash advances to merchants on their sites in a bid to keep them tied to their service platforms.
- A more seasonal pattern has resumed for Ontario’s cottage real estate market, as travel restrictions lift and more people begin to vacation down south and head to ski resorts.
- The head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service was concerned about the threat of ideologically motivated, violent extremism and the potential for serious harmful acts in relation to the trucker convoy, a special committee heard on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Saskatchewan has introduced a new legislative security bill to thwart violent extremists amid the pandemic.
Want in-depth analysis on what governments are doing with your tax dollars? Subscribe to our Tax & Spend newsletter.
Globe opinion
Zain Chagla: The logic behind vaccine mandates for travellers no longer holds
Andrew Coyne: Vaccine refusal? Blockades? Bitcoin? What does any of this have to do with conservatism?
Want to hear more from our columnists? Subscribe to the Opinion newsletter, and get it in your inbox, Monday to Saturday.
More reading
- The rate of firearm homicides increased by 35 per cent in the first year of the pandemic in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics showed.
- Workplace stress and burnout have been exacerbated by the pandemic. As workers and employers look for ways to alleviate the mental health toll of the past couple of years, some experts suggest mindfulness and meditation could provide relief.
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
Samantha Edwards