Canadian COVID-19 News

[Montanan]

The pandemic has put an even bigger premium in Canada on large, single detached homes with sizeable yards.

The Second-Largest Country in the World is Running Out of Land

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/real...?ocid=msedgntp

Whereas here in Montana, housing costs have risen by about a third in the past year. A lot of out of staters moving into the 406 Country.

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/fed...mrna-1.6031024



What is that saying about closing barn doors?

I hope this doesn't signal that the federal government has strong suspicions about just how endemic this Covid thing is going to turn out to be...

1. Clearly the plant won't be ready for this pandemic - but hopefully will be for the next.
2. mRNA technology was first used to develop the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson vaccines for Covid-19 - and I'm sure will be used for a great many new drugs in the future. It seems that once the genome sequence of a virus is known the drugs can be developed EXTREMELY quickly (apparently the Pfizer vaccine was developed in two hours (!) and the Moderna vaccine in two days. (All the rest of the time was in the testing and approval processes).

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/mar-...ible-1.5955279

I'm sure the plant will be of HUGE value going forward.

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by Scorpius

I'm sure the plant will be of HUGE value going forward.

I have no doubt—actually kind excited about the technological potentials myself. But I have to admit to a bit of cynicism when the gov't starts throwing money at something like that. Either a) they are taking advantage of the situation to spend some cash that might otherwise cause an uproar or b) they know something we don't

Or I am just a suspicious old curmudgeon.

[Mike OReilly]

I see Trudeau is now saying he wants to see 75% vaccination rate before the CAN/US border will open. I missed whether this was fully vaccinated (two shots) or just one. If two, then we're looking into the Fall, but we should achieve 75% for one shot pretty soon.

[AiniA]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

I see Trudeau is now saying he wants to see 75% vaccination rate before the CAN/US border will open. I missed whether this was fully vaccinated (two shots) or just one. If two, then we're looking into the Fall, but we should achieve 75% for one shot pretty soon.

I think it was one shot at 75%

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by kmacdonald

Please don't. We have it under complete control here and don't need to upset the apple cart.

Still being cocky, I see. Somehow we didn't try to dump on you when you weren't doing so well.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by AiniA

I think it was one shot at 75%

That should be soon then. We're closing in on 50% nationally now. Maybe by Canada Day... maybe.

[Montanan]

Over 46 percent of Canada's population has received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. By comparison, 60.2 percent of the total U.S. population has received one dose, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Canadian Press
Published Tuesday, May 18, 2021

https://www.cp24.com/news/canada-wil...ests-1.5433023
WASHINGTON - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is suggesting that three-quarters of Canadians will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before the Canada-U.S. border can be reopened.

Trudeau acknowledges that discussions about the border are ongoing, but he's tamping down any expectations that travel restrictions could be lifted soon. Discretionary travel between Canada and the United States has been prohibited since March 2020, a restriction that will be extended into June before the end of this week.
Trudeau says Canada is still not out of the current third wave of COVID-19 and has much more work to do before it's safe for travel to resume.

[pcmm]

At the rate we’re vaccinating, I can’t see those conditions being met until close to labour day

[Montanan]

U.S. border agency says COVID vax not essential; Canadians could be denied entry

https://www.cp24.com/news/u-s-border...ntry-1.5434541

Canadians attempting to drive across the American border solely for a COVID-19 vaccination, even with a doctor's referral, would be denied entry, the U.S. border agency said on Wednesday, May 19th. Unlike the Canadian government, Customs and Border Protection said it does not consider a vaccine essential for entry purposes. “Travel for the sole purpose of obtaining a vaccination is not permissible under current travel restrictions,” an agency spokesman said. “If a person is entering the U.S. for legitimate travel reasons, as allowed under current restriction guidelines, and receives a vaccine incidental to their trip, it is not part of the overall admissibility determination.”

. . .

Earlier this week, the Public Health Agency of Canada said it considered driving to the States in a private vehicle for a COVID-19 vaccination on referral from a licensed health-care provider to be an essential medical service. As a result, the agency said such travelers would fall under a quarantine exemption on return if they could show proof of having had the shot and the trip was solely for that purpose. Health Canada did say the decision on whether entry into the U.S. is allowed would fall to American border authorities.

[Montanan]

The Canadian USA border closure was set to expire Friday, May 21, but has been extended another month and is now set to last until June 21. It would mark the 14th such extension, since the two countries originally agreed to close the border March 21, 2020.

. . .

Minister Blair is in regular contact with his American counterparts about issues relating to our shared border,” James Cudmore, the director of communications for the minister of public safety, in a statement to CTVNews.ca when asked about the status of the situation on. “Until the conditions on both sides of the border change very substantively, the measures at our borders will remain intact.”
. . .
One item Canadian officials appear to be considering, according to Bloomberg, was a two-track system for vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers, possibly including quarantine for the those who have not yet been vaccinated.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/report-u-...215343881.html

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

That should be soon then. We're closing in on 50% nationally now. Maybe by Canada Day... maybe.

The numbers I saw were 75% having their first shot, 25% with their second shot - although maybe that's just here for BC to open up fully. At the rate we are going we COULD have 75% with the first shot by July 1, and the 25% with their second shot by August 1. (I did the numbers for another thread).

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by Montanan

U.S. border agency says COVID vax not essential; Canadians could be denied entry

https://www.cp24.com/news/u-s-border...ntry-1.5434541

Canadians attempting to drive across the American border solely for a COVID-19 vaccination, even with a doctor's referral, would be denied entry, the U.S. border agency said on Wednesday, May 19th. Unlike the Canadian government, Customs and Border Protection said it does not consider a vaccine essential for entry purposes. “Travel for the sole purpose of obtaining a vaccination is not permissible under current travel restrictions,” an agency spokesman said. “If a person is entering the U.S. for legitimate travel reasons, as allowed under current restriction guidelines, and receives a vaccine incidental to their trip, it is not part of the overall admissibility determination.”

. . .

Earlier this week, the Public Health Agency of Canada said it considered driving to the States in a private vehicle for a COVID-19 vaccination on referral from a licensed health-care provider to be an essential medical service. As a result, the agency said such travelers would fall under a quarantine exemption on return if they could show proof of having had the shot and the trip was solely for that purpose. Health Canada did say the decision on whether entry into the U.S. is allowed would fall to American border authorities.

Jeez, I guess you'll just have to fly in. Take the puddle jumper from Abbotsford to Bellingham. It's all of about 25 miles straight line.

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by Montanan

Over 46 percent of Canada's population has received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. By comparison, 60.2 percent of the total U.S. population has received one dose, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As of May 18th: At least 1 dose: USA 47% vs Canada 46%
https://ourworldindata.org/explorers...TA~JPN~GBR~USA

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by pcmm

At the rate we’re vaccinating, I can’t see those conditions being met until close to labour day

Current data shows we are at 46.7% as of May 18. On April 18th we were at 24%. On March 18th it was 7.8%. As the graph pelagia posted shows, it's a pretty steep and consistent slope. In another month we should exceed 75% if this stays constant.