Canadian COVID-19 News

[LauraleeG]

Originally Posted by GordMay

A Rare Moment of Cross-Partisan Consensus:
Elite and Public Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Canada
*The Media Ecosystem Observatory recently launched a research project, surveying 2,500 Canadians between March 25 and 31. When they analyzed the data, they found no differences, across partisan lines, in terms of social distancing measures that are being taken. Conservative voters are just as likely to engage in social distancing, as Liberal voters, and NDP voters.

Survey data show that individual-level partisan differences are small, and disappear when controlling for demographics, and left-right ideology. Elite and public response to the COVID-19 pandemic can be characterized as a cross-partisan consensus.
➥ https://osf.io/xas4u/

➥ https://www.mediaecosystemobservatory.com/

Hmmm yes I saw that too. Now let’s do a study measuring intelligence!! 😉

[GordMay]

Health Canada says rapid blood test for COVID-19 remains under review
Health Canada says a rapid coronavirus blood test, that's being manufactured in Canada, by Markham, Ont., company BTNX, and shipped to the United States, the U.K. and Europe, is not ready for use here, until a "greater national strategy on their use is developed." .
Much more ➥ https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/healt...view-1.5529590

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by LauraleeG

Hmmm yes I saw that too. Now let’s do a study measuring intelligence!! 😉

Why smart people believe coronavirus myths
“... One poll by YouGov and the Economist in March 2020 found 13% of Americans believed the Covid-19 crisis was a hoax, for example, while a whopping 49% believed the epidemic might be man-made. And while you might hope that greater brainpower or education would help us to tell fact from fiction, it is easy to find examples of many educated people falling for this false information ...”
Much more ➥ https://www.bbc.com/future/article/2...=pocket-newtab

[GordMay]

Closure of Canada-U.S. border extended for another 30 days.
➥ https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/tru...date-1.5537251

B.C. prepares to ease some COVID-19 restrictions in May, after data suggests province has flattened the curve.
➥ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...s-bc-1.5535716

See the latest figures on COVID-19 in Canada & Worlwide. (33,183 Total confirmed cases as of April 18)
➥ https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/coronavirustracker/

[GordMay]

“Inside Canada's frayed pandemic early warning system and its COVID-19 response”
The Global Public Health Intelligence Network was getting an overdue tech upgrade when COVID-19 hit.
CBC News has obtained a series of internal public health agency documents and slide-presentation decks — including one given by a senior epidemiologist from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) last November on the eve of a pandemic that has since killed tens of thousands and crippled the world economy.
The documents bring into sharper focus the kind of information key decision-makers had (and didn't have) at their fingertips as the outbreak started in China and raise questions about how seriously global pandemic preparedness was being taken within the federal government.
More ➥ https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cov...ning-1.5537925

[GordMay]

Stronger Together Benefit
Recording artists Justin Bieber, Avril Lavigne and Geddy Lee, Toronto Raptors players Serge Ibaka and Pascal Siakam, members of the Cirque du Soleil and actors Ryan Reynolds, Kiefer Sutherland and the cast of Schitt's Creek are among a hefty batch of stars joining the upcoming Canadian pandemic benefit Stronger Together, Tous Ensemble. Dozens more artists, sports figures and prominent individuals have been added to the list of those taking part, joining previously announced names such as Céline Dion, Shania Twain, Michael Bublé, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Russell Peters, Penny Oleksiak, Tessa Virtue, Connor McDavid, and more ...
It's also a fundraiser for Food Banks Canada, which supports local food banks across the country, that are seeing an increase in demand, at the same time as needed volunteers dwindle amid the pandemic.
The joint presentation will be broadcast (90 minutes), and shared across myriad platforms, on Sunday night, April 26 (6:30 p.m. across all markets and 7 p.m. NT.), including TV, radio and online, along with streaming and on-demand services.
More ➥ https://globalnews.ca/news/6841226/s...semble-global/

[Dymaxion]

Thread drift seems to be building. My province, New Brunswick, has moved from: marinas must remain closed, to: either prohibit docking or allow docking provided people observe a two meter separation distance unless already living at the same address. So it's in the marina operators hands. Our club is not optimistic on a spring launch, due to the numbers of persons required plus close proximity work required for mooring field prep, mast stepping etc.

Can't speak on getting across our international border, believe they are still closed except for essential personnel.

[Nightsky]

Originally Posted by Dymaxion

Thread drift seems to be building. My province, New Brunswick, has moved from: marinas must remain closed, to: either prohibit docking or allow docking provided people observe a two meter separation distance unless already living at the same address. So it's in the marina operators hands. Our club is not optimistic on a spring launch, due to the numbers of persons required plus close proximity work required for mooring field prep, mast stepping etc.

Can't speak on getting across our international border, believe they are still closed except for essential personnel.

Canadian citizens on Canadian registered boats are allowed to enter Canada (at least from the US) according to one CBSA info agent I spoke to yesterday.

[GordMay]

Estimates suggest that, close to 100,000 patients across Canada have had their surgical procedures delayed, due to COVID-19.
Between 15,000 and 20,000 Canadians have likely had their cardiac procedures, delayed due to COVID-19, according to an estimate by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.
And there are thousands of other surgical procedures — including high volumes of cataract surgeries, and hip and knee replacements — that have also been cancelled.

Eventually, surgeries will slowly resume using a triage system, starting with the most urgent cases.
The key factors, that must be in place, before a surgical ramp-up can proceed:
Government funding to pay for surgical overtime, including running evenings and weekends.
Enough COVID-19 testing kits for every patient to check if they are infected before undertaking surgery.
A reliable supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) for surgical staff as well as the rest of the hospital.
Another critical factor to get surgeries moving again, will depend on whether Canadians continue to follow public health guidelines, including physical distancing, frequent and thorough handwashing, and staying home whenever possible — because if COVID-19 cases rebound, surgeries will have to be quickly halted again.

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by Nightsky

Canadian citizens on Canadian registered boats are allowed to enter Canada (at least from the US) according to one CBSA info agent I spoke to yesterday.

Thanks, good to know.

There is an outside chance we will be returning from Caribbean.
I Canadian/US citizen (me), 1 USA citizen -wife, USA registered boat.

Any idea when intra-provisional travel will be reopened?

It would not be until July 1 at any rate. I suspect we would be OK. It’s an unlikely eventuality.

[rbk]

Originally Posted by hpeer

Thanks, good to know.

There is an outside chance we will be returning from Caribbean.
I Canadian/US citizen (me), 1 USA citizen -wife, USA registered boat.

Any idea when intra-provisional travel will be reopened?

It would not be until July 1 at any rate. I suspect we would be OK. It’s an unlikely eventuality.

Most intra-provincial travel is open but requires your complete travel plans including destination and quarantine plans (14 days) on arrival.

[Montanan]

Update on Immunity Passports - Path forward to avail freedom of movement.

"Immunity passports" in the context of COVID-19
Scientific Brief
24 April 2020
WHO has published guidance on adjusting public health and social measures for the next phase of the COVID-19 response.1 Some governments have suggested that the detection of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, could serve as the basis for an “immunity passport” or “risk-free certificate” that would enable individuals to travel or to return to work assuming that they are protected against re-infection. There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection.

The measurement of antibodies specific to COVID-19

The development of immunity to a pathogen through natural infection is a multi-step process that typically takes place over 1-2 weeks. The body responds to a viral infection immediately with a non-specific innate response in which macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells slow the progress of virus and may even prevent it from causing symptoms. This non-specific response is followed by an adaptive response where the body makes antibodies that specifically bind to the virus. These antibodies are proteins called immunoglobulins. The body also makes T-cells that recognize and eliminate other cells infected with the virus. This is called cellular immunity. This combined adaptive response may clear the virus from the body, and if the response is strong enough, may prevent progression to severe illness or re-infection by the same virus. This process is often measured by the presence of antibodies in blood.

WHO continues to review the evidence on antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection.2-17 Most of these studies show that people who have recovered from infection have antibodies to the virus. However, some of these people have very low levels of neutralizing antibodies in their blood,4 suggesting that cellular immunity may also be critical for recovery. As of 24 April 2020, no study has evaluated whether the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 confers immunity to subsequent infection by this virus in humans.

Laboratory tests that detect antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in people, including rapid immunodiagnostic tests, need further validation to determine their accuracy and reliability. Inaccurate immunodiagnostic tests may falsely categorize people in two ways. The first is that they may falsely label people who have been infected as negative, and the second is that people who have not been infected are falsely labelled as positive. Both errors have serious consequences and will affect control efforts. These tests also need to accurately distinguish between past infections from SARS-CoV-2 and those caused by the known set of six human coronaviruses. Four of these viruses cause the common cold and circulate widely. The remaining two are the viruses that cause Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. People infected by any one of these viruses may produce antibodies that cross-react with antibodies produced in response to infection with SARS-CoV-2.

Many countries are now testing for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies at the population level or in specific groups, such as health workers, close contacts of known cases, or within households.21 WHO supports these studies, as they are critical for understanding the extent of – and risk factors associated with – infection. These studies will provide data on the percentage of people with detectable COVID-19 antibodies, but most are not designed to determine whether those people are immune to secondary infections.

Other considerations

At this point in the pandemic, there is not enough evidence about the effectiveness of antibody-mediated immunity to guarantee the accuracy of an “immunity passport” or “risk-free certificate.” People who assume that they are immune to a second infection because they have received a positive test result may ignore public health advice. The use of such certificates may therefore increase the risks of continued transmission. As new evidence becomes available, WHO will update this scientific brief.

http://https://www.who.int/news-room...xt-of-covid-19

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by rbk

Most intra-provincial travel is open but requires your complete travel plans including destination and quarantine plans (14 days) on arrival.

Originally Posted by hpeer

... Any idea when intra-provisional travel will be reopened? ...

Are you talking about travel between provinces, or within a province?
Inter- is a prefix that means between two things, and intra- is a prefix which means within or inside one thing.
Between two (or more) provinces would be interprovincial, whilst intraprovincial would be within a single province.

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Are you talking about travel between provinces, or within a province?
Inter- is a prefix that means between two things, and intra- is a prefix which means within or inside one thing.
Between two (or more) provinces would be interprovincial, whilst intraprovincial would be within a single province.

Yes, my fat thumbs win again.

Between Providence’s. Specifically crossing from Maine to NB and heading to NL.

July at the earliest.

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by hpeer

Yes, my fat thumbs win again.

Between Providence’s. Specifically crossing from Maine to NB and heading to NL.

July at the earliest.

Well I just had an acquaintance drive from Alberta to PEI, so while there are rules, their borders aren't shut. Apparently you get stopped and lectured at some of the border crossings but that is about it. Some provinces are asking for a 14 quarantine on arrival (I know Nfld is one of those) but not all.