Canadian COVID-19 News

[Dockhead]

One bit of good news: Canada surges ahead with vaccinations, now vaccinating 0.75 per 100 people per day, not that far behind the U.S. at 0.96, and far ahead of the EU average of 0.49:



Canada is already up to 24% with at least one dose in them, equal to Finland. This ought to be taking a serious bite out of this wave pretty soon.


Things look kind of grim now, but it's always darkest before dawn, right? I think we're going to have a great summer.

[Midnight Son]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

One bit of good news: Canada surges ahead with vaccinations, now vaccinating 0.75 per 100 people per day, not that far behind the U.S. at 0.96, and far ahead of the EU average of 0.49:

Attachment 236819

Canada is already up to 24% with at least one dose in them, equal to Finland. This ought to be taking a serious bite out of this wave pretty soon.


Things look kind of grim now, but it's always darkest before dawn, right? I think we're going to have a great summer.

See what a little fear, in political circles, can achieve.
Now how can we apply this to other problems?
Best Wishes.

[pcmm]

The most significant news in a while is vaccinations are finally available to 40+ We've stopped the 4 month focus on the 70+ crowd!!

https://www.cp24.com/news/ontario-lo...o-40-1.5392496

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Midnight Son

See what a little fear, in political circles, can achieve.
Now how can we apply this to other problems?
Best Wishes.

What is that all about?


Are you sure you're posting in the right thread?

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by pcmm

The most significant news in a while is vaccinations are finally available to 40+ We've stopped the 4 month focus on the 70+ crowd!!

https://www.cp24.com/news/ontario-lo...o-40-1.5392496

... and if you have the great good fortune () of being in a hot postal code, the age is now supposedly 18+. And the cutoff in our area was 60+ for at least 3 weeks now.

Even better than age would be if there was specific focus on identifiable groups who have the highest percentage of infection. I thought that it was maybe young people and poor compliance, but a friend said that it was mainly factory workers and other "essential" workers who made up the bulk of new infections. I haven't yet seen any confirmation of this (... which is itself curious).

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

One bit of good news: Canada surges ahead with vaccinations, now vaccinating 0.75 per 100 people per day, not that far behind the U.S. at 0.96, and far ahead of the EU average of 0.49:

Exactly right . There's been this persistent story that Canada's vaccine rollout has been slow and lagging behind everyone else. The facts simply do not bear this out. By all measures our rollout has been near the top of the global list, notwithstanding the fact that we don't have any national vaccine production.

In the G20 we are third (last I looked), and ahead of most globally. But our two main country comparators, the USA and the UK, are significantly ahead of almost everyone.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

... and if you have the great good fortune () of being in a hot postal code, the age is now supposedly 18+. And the cutoff in our area was 60+ for at least 3 weeks now.

Even better than age would be if there was specific focus on identifiable groups who have the highest percentage of infection. I thought that it was maybe young people and poor compliance, but a friend said that it was mainly factory workers and other "essential" workers who made up the bulk of new infections. I haven't yet seen any confirmation of this (... which is itself curious).

I was arguing that months ago and got shouted down.

If we want vaccination to stop death in the short run, don't vaccinate anyone else until we get all old people and people with co-morbities vaccinated.

But if we want to stop the pandemic, allocate a certain proportion of the available doses to people with large number of social contacts, particularly those who have large number of contacts as a result of their work -- "essential workers".

We should sure as hell be vaccinating essential workers -- factory workers, service personnel, all those people who work for hourly wages and can't work from home. Not only will that stop the pandemic faster, but it's morally correct -- these people have no choice to avoid exposure by staying home, and so they deserve protection!

[Midnight Son]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

What is that all about?


Are you sure you're posting in the right thread?

Yes, politicians fear bad polls more than anything else.

In Ontario, Ford got a huge wakeup call with the surge, also the people are seeing, like I am, in Ontario and further West, that a lot of the vaccines in Pharmacies, would be at their shelf life before being distributed. So a bit of grumbling in the media, with not so nice comment sections, led to an about face, by Ontario, Saskatchewan. Manitoba is coming around, but slower.
Saskatchewan, the fastest, with US style drive through vaccination sites, until their supply is exhausted.
Ontario, looks to be following suit, shortly (Toronto Pharmacies got the ball rolling there), with Manitoba, considering (must not look like we are rushing, now, can we)?
A little disjointed, but that is it, in as few words as I can get it down.
Best wishes from the far North.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Midnight Son

Yes, politicians fear bad polls more than anything else.

In Ontario, Ford got a huge wakeup call with the surge, also the people are seeing, like I am, in Ontario and further West, that a lot of the vaccines in Pharmacies, would be at their shelf life before being distributed. So a bit of grumbling in the media, with not so nice comment sections, led to an about face, by Ontario, Saskatchewan. Manitoba is coming around, but slower.
Saskatchewan, the fastest, with US style drive through vaccination sites, until their supply is exhausted.
Ontario, looks to be following suit, shortly (Toronto Pharmacies got the ball rolling there), with Manitoba, considering (must not look like we are rushing, now, can we)?
A little disjointed, but that is it, in as few words as I can get it down.
Best wishes from the far North.

So you mean fear on the part of the politicians, motivating them to take some action at last?

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

What is that all about?


Are you sure you're posting in the right thread?

This is in reaction to the provincial announcements on Friday that extended the lockdown orders, made them more strict and gave the police the power to stop anyone in the street and ask them why they are not at home. That in combination with people that have been clamoring for weeks to shift the focus to the groups that are actually at risk (the young who tend to work in frontline "congreate" workplaces that have lot of contact with random people, etc.) in hotspots they're now allowing anyone 18+ to get a shot, and just announced anyone 40+ can get the A-Z. Under the previous rules I would not likely have seen my first shot until late June at best (I'm 47)

[LakeSuperior]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

It appears that politics have greatly exacerbated the pandemic in the USA. But there is no evidence I'm aware of that indicates it's going to disappear after your election.

The virus isn't political, even if the reaction to it has been in the USA (and a few other countries). If current trends continue, it will be magnitudes worse by November.

It appears that our US politics has diffused through our Northern boarder.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Exactly right . There's been this persistent story that Canada's vaccine rollout has been slow and lagging behind everyone else. The facts simply do not bear this out. By all measures our rollout has been near the top of the global list, notwithstanding the fact that we don't have any national vaccine production.

In the G20 we are third (last I looked), and ahead of most globally. But our two main country comparators, the USA and the UK, are significantly ahead of almost everyone.

Well, it's turned around recently.


In terms of cumulative doses administered, Canada is still only at 26.4, right about at the European average. That's where the UK was in mid-February, and the U.S. at the beginning of March. The daily rate exceeded 0.5, the current European average, only a couple of weeks ago.



But better late than never! The daily rate now is impressive. Good call to forge ahead with Astra Zeneca. Maybe you can buy some doses off the Danes.



Incidentally, in terms of cumulative doses administered, the U.S. has now caught up with the UK! At about 63.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Well, it's turned around recently.


In terms of cumulative doses administered, Canada is still only at 26.4, right about at the European average. That's where the UK was in mid-February, and the U.S. at the beginning of March. The daily rate exceeded 0.5, the current European average, only a couple of weeks ago.



But better late than never! The daily rate now is impressive. Good call to forge ahead with Astra Zeneca. Maybe you can buy some doses off the Danes.



Incidentally, in terms of cumulative doses administered, the U.S. has now caught up with the UK! At about 63.

Hopefully we can ramp things up and get moving. Ontario has only in the last week been vaccinating at a rate that will meet the September goal of every adult in Ontario getting a first dose. Unfortunately we are still moving to slow to get to the "end of June" time line recently announced. We're currently vaccinating at roughly half the rate needed to meet the goal! We need to be vaccinating roughly 200,000 per day to meet the goal!

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Well, it's turned around recently.

I'm not sure which dataset you're referencing DH. Post?

Here's the G20 World Data graph showing "the share of total population that received at least one vaccine dose" (attached). If you look at the Canadian curve I'd say it has been consistently higher than most. But you're correct to say the rate has increased since about mid/late-March.

This dataset says (https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations):

• Europe (in general): 17.3%
• European Union: 18.3%
• Canada 24%

Originally Posted by Dockhead

But better late than never! The daily rate now is impressive. Good call to forge ahead with Astra Zeneca. Maybe you can buy some doses off the Danes.

Canada's rollout has consistently done better than most, just not as well as some. Subjectively, I don't think that means Canada has been "late," but it is a narrative some politicians and media babblers have been pushing here. I don't think the facts bear this out.

But yes, good news indeed about AZ. And now with two provinces taking Health Canada's advice and lowering the age group to 40 and above (down from 55 and above), we'll really be able to get a lot more jabs in people.

ADD: I think I see the difference. You're looking at the "Total number of vaccination doses administered per 100 people". I'm quoting from "Share of the total population that received at least one vaccine dose." Interesting that they are showing different outcomes. Shouldn't doses/100 people equate to percentage of population?

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by pcmm

Hopefully we can ramp things up and get moving. Ontario has only in the last week been vaccinating at a rate that will meet the September goal of every adult in Ontario getting a first dose. Unfortunately we are still moving to slow to get to the "end of June" time line recently announced. We're currently vaccinating at roughly half the rate needed to meet the goal! We need to be vaccinating roughly 200,000 per day to meet the goal!

Barring further supply problems or widespread apathy/hesitance, I still think the rough deadline of first shots in all adults before July is possible. The current scare has added some urgency and they are supposedly adding clinics and shifting stocks around to match capabability and demand.