globalnews.ca Main News

COVID-19, says the latest Waterloo Wellington COVID report.It shows that Guelph General Hospital’s ICU bed capacity is at 80 per cent, while its acute care occupancy is at 98 per cent. This includes both COVID and non-COVID patients.The report also shows that 48 out of 1,994 staff are off work due to COVID-19 protocols, having either tested positive for the virus or are isolating at home due to being considered a high-risk contact.

Lee Fairclough hospital covid-19 vaccine

COVID-19: Canadians’ support for lockdowns, government dips amid Omicron wave, poll suggests

Ipsos polling exclusively for Global News suggests Canadians are losing confidence in government leaders and their response to the Omicron variant-fuelled COVID-19 wave, with only 49 per cent of Canadians approving of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s response to the latest surge in cases and hospitalizations.

Justin Trudeau covid-19 Government Waves

4,132 people in Ontario hospitals with COVID, 589 in intensive care

COVID on Wednesday, though just over half of them were initially admitted due to virus complications, with 589 in intensive care units.The province recently began distinguishing between those who were admitted to hospital directly because of COVID, and those who were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for the virus.Of the 4,132 people in hospital with COVID-19, which is down by 51 since yesterday, 53.4 per cent of them were admitted because of the virus, while 46.6 per cent were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for COVID-19.Last Wednesday, hospitalizations was at 3,448. Toronto to distribute COVID-19 rapid test kits to child care providers There are 589 people in ICUs, which is up by 9 from the previous day.

county Ontario death testing vaccine

Ontario health minister to provide update on COVID-19 public health trends

COVID-19 drives up hospitalizations.Christine Elliott will be joined at the news conference by the CEO of Ontario Health and Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, who has said he is watching for a peak or plateau of COVID-19 hospitalizations.Dr. Kieran Moore said last week that the transmission of Omicron in the province may peak in the next few weeks, and increases in hospitalizations and ICU admissions typically happen one or two weeks after infection.

Christine Elliott Kieran Moore hospital covid-19 Health

Quebec hospital plan could see ‘harm-reduction approach’ taken to COVID-19

Quebec reports 89 new COVID-19 deaths as hospitalizations continue to rise The contingency plan would also see hospitals look for ways to discharge people sooner and provide more home care.Dr. Duong Hoang, president of Quebec’s association of internal medicine specialists and one of the authors of the contingency plan, said he hopes the most serious parts of the plan won’t be put into practice.“Decreasing the level of care to be able to care for a larger number of patients isn’t something we learned in medical school, but it’s something that could be necessary if we get there,” he told reporters.Dr.

Luc Boileau hospital covid-19 reports

Russia accuses Canada of ‘ignoring numerous crimes’ by Ukraine amid rising tensions

Russia’s embassy in Canada issued a rare statement Tuesday criticizing Foreign Minister Melanie Joly’s comments in support of Ukraine amid the country’s rising tensions with Moscow, accusing Canada of “ignoring numerous crimes” by Kyiv.

Mélanie Joly France Canada Eu city Brussels Russia county Canadian city Moscow Ukraine politics

Canada considering sending military equipment to Ukraine amid Russia concerns

As concerns linger Russia could invade at any moment, Ukraine is asking Canada for help in the form of military equipment. Mike Le Couteur explains how Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is responding, and what defence analysts say Ukraine needs.

Mélanie Joly Mike Le-Couteur Canada Russia Ukraine

Cracker Barrel ordered to pay millions to customer who drank bleach

glass of chemicals instead of water.William Cronnon was having lunch at a Marion County Cracker Barrel in April of 2014 when his server accidentally refilled his water glass with cleaning solution, reports CNN.The chemical, Eco-San, was used by the restaurant to clean areas of the kitchen, and restaurant employees used water pitchers to mix the sanitizer with water. Video shows thousands of stolen packages, empty boxes littering L.A.

city Beijing county Marion sanitizer reports Waters

Soaring food prices in 2022

With supply chain disruptions and pandemic uncertainty, food prices are expected to continue to go up in 2022 along with availability issues. Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab director Sylvain Charlesbois talks about what’s to come.

pandemic

Restrictions extended for B.C. bars and nightclubs while gradual reopening planned for gyms

After an almost month-long closure, B.C. gyms will be able to gradually reopen with occupancy limits starting Thursday while bars and nightclubs must remain closed until at least mid-February. Richard Zussman has more on the changes.

Severe illness not expected to rise while COVID-19 cases skyrocket due to Omicron: Tam

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said on Friday that severe illness from the Omicron variant is not expected to rise although COVID-19 cases are already 400 per cent higher than they were at the peak of the third wave.

Theresa Tam covid-19 Health Waves

Students in St Paul, Minnesota walk out in protest of school district’s COVID-19 response

Students in St. Paul, Minn.

covid-19 mask Citi

Tonga faces difficulty in getting aid, reconnecting critical communications cable

Tonga is surveying the destruction from a massive undersea volcanic eruption, which triggered a tsunami that killed three people.

Tonga reports

COVID-19: Edmonton Public School Board pushes for easier pediatric vaccine access

COVID-19: Some Alberta classes move online as teaching positions go unfilled The letter will be addressed to the ministers of education and health, as well as Premier Jason Kenney.It will ask the province to offer mobile vaccination clinics, voluntary in-school clinics with the requirement of parental consent, and making pediatric vaccines available at pharmacies and doctors officers, in addition to the public health clinic.“I do think that if province takes the steps to implement increased access through whichever methods, there will be those families that certainly appreciate it and require it,” Ip said.“If there is anything that our schools can advocate for, (it) is to ensure that there is consistency and normalcy, so that we can focus on the learning of kids that is what we are going to do.“At the heart of this motion it’s about protection and safety of kids so that they can learn.” COVID-19: City of Edmonton donates 50k KN95 masks to schools On Thursday, Premier Jason Kenney said in-school clinics for the older age group saw a low uptake. During Tuesday’s school board meeting, many trustees brought forward this point as well.

Jason Kenney covid-19 vaccine Health

Shocking before-and-after photos show Tonga volcano’s widespread damage

Tonga depict a scene of vast devastation, showing the aftermath of a violent undersea volcano eruption and subsequent tsunami near the islands over the weekend.A thick blanket of ash coats Tonga’s main island of Tongatapu, wiping out any traces of green previously captured on satellite images.Aerial and satellite photos released by New Zealand, Australia and UNOSAT, the United Nations satellite centre, also show water damage and wrecked buildings after the volcano triggered massive tsunami waves that rapidly spread around the globe.While some waves were reported to be approximately 80 centimetres in height, others reached far greater size, some as high as multiple metres.The ash has contaminated the island nation’s water supply. New Zealand’s military is sending much-needed drinking water and other supplies.

Australia New Zealand Tonga Waves reports Waters

Omicron COVID-19 variant is infectious for up to 10 days, Tam says

Omicron variant is contagious for less time than previous versions of the virus that causes COVID-19, chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said Tuesday.But Tam told the House of Commons health committee that the sheer number infections from Omicron is stressing workforces and is a reason to adjust our risk tolerance for ending isolation periods early.“This is a difficult decision that the provinces have to make,” Tam said.

Nova Scotia Theresa Tam Usa Canada county Prince Edward symptoms isolate Health

COVID-19: Hospital execs urging Hamiltonians to ‘seek out’ other options if not an emergency

COVID-19 wave fuelled by the Omicron variant rolls on, Hamilton Health Sciences’ president urged individuals with conditions that don’t require immediate medical attention to reach out to a family doctor or use an online method for care.“There are a number of health-care options available in the community, which we would strongly encourage people to seek out prior to coming to an emergency department,” HHS president and CEO Rob MacIsaac said in the city’s COVID presser on Tuesday. Announcement on Ontario COVID restrictions coming this week, official says Both HHS and St.

Melissa Farrell Rob Macisaac county St. Joseph hospital covid-19 president

COVID-19: NHL to stop testing asymptomatic players post All-Star break

NHL will stop testing asymptomatic players, coaches and staff who are fully vaccinated following the All-Star break in early February, saying coronavirus cases continue to decline across the league.The league and players’ association announced the protocol changes Tuesday. The current policy will remain in place until the All-Star break begins Feb.

New York city Las Vegas Canada testing vaccine NHL

COVID-19: B.C. teachers criticize ‘half-measure’

The B.C. government hopes a new public health order requiring teachers and school support staff to report their vaccination status will provide clearer data on the risk of COVID-19 in schools.

Kamil Karamali covid-19 Government reports

Patient and staff sickness increases pressure on B.C. hospitals

Global’s Keith Baldrey has a closer look at COVID-19 hospitalizations and the double whammy of pressure on the province’s health care system.

Keith Baldrey hospital covid-19 patient

COVID-19: Uncertainty remains in B.C.’s daycare sector

The struggle continues for parents struggling to balance work and childcare in B.C. because of the ongoing impact of COVID-19.

covid-19 isolate Health

COVID-19: Okanagan gym plans to defy provincial public health mandates

provincial government’s restrictions for fitness facilities.The province announced Tuesday afternoon that a gradual opening for gyms and fitness centers will begin on Jan. 20.“After looking at the data we have, today, I’m taking the cautious step of reopening gyms and exercise facilities with capacity limits and continued use of the B.C. vaccine card,” said Dr.

Bonnie Henry West Kelowna Canada covid-19 vaccine Health

Transit union calls for extreme weather policy following Toronto storm

More than 24 hours after the worst of Toronto snow storm subsided, more than 350 buses remain stuck in snow bags. The union representing transit workers is calling for a comprehensive plan to prevent its drivers from being stranded, But the TTC says that’s not realistic.

prevention Matthews Extreme

N.S. university makes last-minute change, no longer having on-campus classes

COVID-19: Premier says time to ‘buckle down’ as N.S. reports 1 death, 13 new hospitalizations After a fall semester of hybrid learning, the university told students to return to campus this January.

city New Brunswick covid-19 death reports

COVID-19 burden of illness may be plateauing regionally: MLHU

COVID-19 situation on Tuesday, but says residents can’t let their guard down if they want to slow down the virus’ spread.During a media briefing hosted by the Middlesex-London Health Unit, acting medical officer of health Dr. Alex Summers said that while “COVID rates continue to be high in our region… some early indications are consistently suggesting that we are seeing a plateau in the burden of illness in our community.“It is important to note that the rates of COVID-19 and the burden of illness in our community remains exceptionally high and higher than it was prior to any wave.” Announcement on Ontario COVID restrictions coming this week, official says The suggestion of a potential plateau is nothing new.Last week, Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table scientific director Dr.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Alex Summers Peter Jüni city London county Middlesex covid-19 testing Health

Alberta to make 4th doses of COVID-19 vaccine available to immunocompromised adults

COVID-19 vaccine.Chief medical office of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said this impacts around 80,000 adults who will benefit from an additional shot to bolster their immunity against the illness.Starting Jan.

Deena Hinshaw covid-19 vaccine Health

Remote First Nations schools await PPE, in-class safety measures promised by Ontario government

back-to-in-class learning for the majority of remote First Nations students across Ontario due to limited access to, N95 masks, HEPA filters and rapid antigen tests, all items promised by the Ford government to the province’s other schools.Students in the province resumed classes after the holidays via online learning in an effort to curb surging COVID-19 cases. With new safety measures in place, Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced students would return to in-class learning on Jan.

Stephen Lecce testing Government Health

WestJet announces more flight cancellations amid staffing shortages

WestJet has announced it’s cancelling more flights amid staffing shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline says it’ll consolidate 20 per cent of its scheduled flights in February.

covid-19 pandemic

COVID-19: WHO top scientist says no evidence yet that healthy kids, adolescents need boosters

World Health Organization’s (WHO) chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said on Tuesday there’s currently no evidence that healthy children and adolescents need booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Soumya Swaminathan covid-19 vaccine Health

COVID-19: B.C. reopening gyms with safety plans in place

Provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, said Tuesday the decision to reopen gyms in B.C.

Bonnie Henry covid-19 Health

Snowstorm cleanup in Toronto expected to last days

A massive cleanup is underway following one of the biggest snowstorms Toronto has experienced in recent history. Caryn Lieberman reports.

reports

Ontario First Nations schools lack support to reopen, no HEPA filters, masks, and rapid tests

As many Ontario students get set to head back to class tomorrow, the majority of those living in First Nation communities are not. Leaders say the provincial and federal governments have failed to provide them with the supplies needed to keep students safe.

testing Government mask

COVID-19: Dr. Bonnie Henry explains why B.C. school staff must reveal their vaccine status

The B.C. government announced Monday that all school staff members in the province must reveal their COVID-19 vaccine status at the request of their employers.

Bonnie Henry covid-19 vaccine Government why

COVID-19 virus detected in five Ontario deer: officials

COVID-19, Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says.This marks the first time the virus has been detected in wildlife in the province.In a post on Facebook on Tuesday, the ministry said samples were collected from five free-ranging white-tailed deer in southwestern Ontario back in November.According to the ministry, the deer have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. COVID-19 virus found in 3 Quebec deer, Canadian officials say These are the first cases reported in free-ranging Ontario wildlife,” the Facebook post reads.

virus covid-19 testing FIVE

COVID-19: Daycare-aged children do not need to stay home and isolate if they are healthy

HL: Daycare-aged children do not need to stay home and isolate if they are healthyB.C.’s provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, said Tuesday that if a child going to daycare has been a close contact of someone with COVID-19 but the child themselves is healthy, then they do not need to stay home and isolate.

Bonnie Henry covid-19 isolate Health

B.C. to allow gyms to reopen Jan. 20, but extends other restrictions

COVID-19 safety plans, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said at a media briefing.These plans include occupancy limits based on seven square metres per person, up to a maximum of 25 people per space, Henry added.The vaccine card will still be required to enter gyms or fitness centres. The province considers those with two COVID-19 shots (or one Johnson & Johnson shot) as fully vaccinated.Masks must be worn at all times with the exception of when someone is exercising, Henry said but if people can keep their masks on when exercising, that is best.There will be no changes for the B.C.

Bonnie Henry Adrian Dix covid-19 vaccine Health

Grocery stores could close if labour, product shortages worsen: experts

COVID-19 protocols has hit about 30 per cent at some stores and is continuing to rise, Gary Sands, senior vice-president of public policy with the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, said Tuesday.Without access to rapid testing in many provinces, he said workers are repeatedly forced to isolate for a week or more after an exposure to COVID-19.If the situation worsens, some grocery stores won’t be able to stay open _ threatening food security in rural and remote areas that rely on a sole independent grocer, Sands said. Truckers warn vaccine mandate at U.S.

Canada experts testing vaccine

COVID-19: Public health order for all B.C. school staff to disclose vaccine status

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said at Tuesday’s COVID-19 briefing that a new public health order is now in place for school districts to report the vaccination status of all staff.

Bonnie Henry covid-19 vaccine Health

COVID-19: WHO looking into animal susceptibility to virus as Hong Kong culls small infected animals

World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove said on Tuesday that the WHO has been working with global experts and partners to look at animal susceptibility to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Maria Van-Kerkhove Hong Kong city Hong Kong virus covid-19 infection

Quebec looks abroad to solve nursing shortage, but experts warn it’s not a quick fix

COVID-19 pandemic drags on, the Quebec government needs more nurses, and fast. The pandemic has exacerbated a nursing shortage that continues to grow in urgency as patient numbers rise and tens of thousands of nurses are off the job due to positive COVID-19 tests, other illness and burnout.

France Colombia covid-19 pandemic Government

COVID-19: B.C. set to reopen gyms on Jan. 20 but other orders remain in place

Provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, said Tuesday that gyms and fitness centres can start to reopen in the province again starting Jan.

Bonnie Henry covid-19 Health

Toronto to distribute COVID-19 rapid test kits to child care providers

COVID-19 tests to licensed child care programs in the community.In a press release issued Tuesday, the city said it is working with the provincial government to distribute the tests.According to the city, two test kits will be allotted per staff member or care provider and infant, toddler and preschool child in care. Child care centres concerned about limited N95 mask supply from Ontario government The city said the tests “are to be used when they present any symptoms of the COVID-19 virus and its variants.”“Children, child care staff members and child care providers will continue to be actively screened every day for symptoms upon entering a child care program, as has been the process throughout the pandemic,” the release reads.The city said it will help to ensure the test kids are distributed “as quickly as possible” to community-based child care programs, including licensed home child care agencies.According to the release, child care programs that are located in schools will receive the test kits directly from their school or school board.In a statement, Toronto Mayor John Tory said the city is “committed to supporting any effort to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus and to keep children, their families and child care workers safe.”“By providing one more tool to help detect symptomatic cases, we can make a concerted effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 and keep child care programs open for the families that need them,” he said.Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr.

John Tory city Ontario city Tuesday covid-19 testing Citi

Saskatoon’s COVID-19 mass vaccination clinic reopens at Prairieland Park

COVID-19 vaccinations now that the mass clinic will reopen.Health officials say the mass vaccine clinic at Prairieland Park is reopening to booked appointments Tuesday, Jan. 18, to a new location in Hall B instead of the previous location in Hall E.

county Hall covid-19 vaccine Parke

Ontario schools reopen with plans to distribute rapid COVID tests, ramp up vaccine clinics

COVID-19 tests and ramp up on-site vaccination clinics Tuesday as more students headed back to class in-person.The province has said it will provide two rapid COVID-19 tests for staff and students now that PCR tests are less accessible to everyone due to high case volumes.The Lakehead District School Board in Thunder Bay, Ont., where classes ran in-person Monday and Tuesday, said 16,000 rapid tests were in schools on the first day of classes.In southwestern Ontario, the St. Clair Catholic District School Board said it would be sending the test kits home with students on Jan.

Joe Cressy city Ontario county Ottawa county St. Clair city Toronto testing vaccine Health

4,183 people in Ontario hospitals with COVID, 580 in intensive care

COVID on Tuesday, though just over half of them were initially admitted due to virus complications, with 580 in intensive care units.The province recently began distinguishing between those who were admitted to hospital directly because of COVID, and those who were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for the virus.Of the 4,183 people in hospital with COVID-19, which is up by 296 since yesterday, 53.5 per cent of them were admitted because of the virus, while 46.5 per cent were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for COVID-19.This is an increase from 3,220 people in hospital last Tuesday.There are 580 people in ICUs, which is up by two from the previous day. Around 82 per cent of those in intensive care with COVID were admitted because of the virus, while around 18 per cent were admitted for other reasons.The number of people in ICUs is up from 477 from last week.

county Ontario death testing vaccine

Major U.S. airline heads warn 5G rollout could bring ‘catastrophic’ crisis

aviation crisis in less than 36 hours, when AT&T and Verizon are set to deploy new 5G service.The airlines warned the new C-Band 5G service set to begin on Wednesday could render a significant number of widebody aircraft unusable and “could potentially strand tens of thousands of Americans overseas” while causing “chaos” for U.S. flights.“Unless our major hubs are cleared to fly, the vast majority of the traveling and shipping public will essentially be grounded,” wrote the chief executives of American Airlines , Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and others in a letter first reported by Reuters.The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has warned that potential interference could affect sensitive airplane instruments such as altimeters and significantly hamper low-visibility operations.“This means that on a day like yesterday, more than 1,100 flights and 100,000 passengers would be subjected to cancellations, diversions or delays,” the letter cautioned.Airlines late on Monday were considering whether to begin canceling some international flights that are scheduled to arrive in the United States on Wednesday. Y2K 20-20: How a New Year’s mass scare became an embarrassing joke “With the proposed restrictions at selected airports, the transportation industry is preparing for some service disruption.

Usa crisis Boeing

Reality check: Could mail from Canada to China spread Omicron?

Chinese health authorities have claimed that the highly transmissible Omicron variant of COVID-19 may have arrived into the capital, Beijing, via a contaminated letter from Canada — an assertion dismissed and questioned by Canadian experts.The Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control (BCDC) said in a news release Monday that its first case of the Omicron variant in a Beijing resident could be the result of international mail sent from Canada via the United States and Hong Kong.The letter was sent on Jan. 7 and received on Jan.

Winter Olympics China Usa Hong Kong Canada city Tianjin city Beijing, China virus covid-19 infection

Airline CEOs issue U.S. government stark warning of turning on 5G cell towers near major airports

Just 36 hours before Verizon and AT&T switch on their new, faster 5G cell systems, an urgent request was signed by every major airline and cargo CEO for the government to keep 5G ground stations turned off if they’re within 2 miles of major airports.

Government CEO

United States	Cases: 46 252 513 Deaths: 750 423 Recovered: 0
India	Cases: 34 321 025 Deaths: 459 652 Recovered: 0
Brazil	Cases: 21 835 785 Deaths: 608 235 Recovered: 0
United Kingdom	Cases: 9 215 683 Deaths: 141 607 Recovered: 0
Russia	Cases: 8 494 589 Deaths: 237 619 Recovered: 0

globalnews.ca Main News

Related News