Canadian COVID-19 News

[Pelagic]

To keep things in perspective guys here are the latest rules in Philippines.

We have a population afraid of taking the vacine

We have a government unable to pay for it,

not willing to waive liability if gifted it

And

Will not allow the private sector to.procure and sell to those who want it

Its more fun in the Philippines!

[GordMay]

“How well have Canadians complied with COVID-19 restrictions?
New data offers a glimpse”
Data analysis suggests, yes, the stricter the restrictions, the less people seemed to move about.
The CBC compared one year of COVID-19 mitigation measures to how much people moved about outside their homes, according to mobility data provided by Google. In most provinces, as the rules became stricter, mobility levels dropped — just as public health officials had hoped.
As parts of Canada enter a possible third wave of infections caused by highly contagious coronavirus variants, this data suggests restrictions are indeed effective at getting people to stay home.
Much more ➥ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/mobil...ance-1.5956947

[Mike OReilly]

Of particular interest to me, and a few others:

Open N.L. to all Canadians by July 1, tourism council says

Newfoundland and Labrador open to all Canadians by July 1, given projected vaccination timelines — or even earlier, if evidence allows.

So you might be right Lake-Effect ... maybe.

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Of particular interest to me, and a few others:

So you might be right Lake-Effect ... maybe.

I saw a new NL Tourism advert on TV yesterday...(they have great ads!)....

I think it looks good for you Mike. Maybe well before July 1.

[Mike OReilly]

Maybe... Of course, this is just the tourism folks recommending the province open asap. No surprise they would recommend this -- they're dying.


So far the NL government's response has been completely non-commital and cautious. I really think they're going to assess how the Atlantic bubble goes, and how quickly and effective the vaccine rollout happens. Keep your fingers crossed .

[capemiker]

I’m hearing rumors around vaccine passports and the prospect that Canada might be formulating a plan.
We are waiting in VA with hopes they open the maritimes to vaccinated sailors June or July.
Anyone have any further news?
Thanks,
Mike

[desodave]

This was posted on CBC last week, and may not be what you want to hear;


https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/canada...ning-1.5948695


It is still a bit prickly here even with province to province travel, especially in the Atlantic provinces

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by desodave

This was posted on CBC last week, and may not be what you want to hear;


https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/canada...ning-1.5948695


It is still a bit prickly here even with province to province travel, especially in the Atlantic provinces

There is no plan because essential travel is being allowed so trade is not hindered in any significant fashion, only non-essential / discretionary travel is being inhibited.

There be a lot of improvement in the pandemic situation before non-essential stuff will rise to be matters worthy of consideration.

The countries are doing quite well with out cross border flow, just increases domestic tourism.

Eh, but we do miss our Canadian visitors here in Montana; Costco in Kalispell is much less crowded then usual without Albertan shoppers. And there is much less competition for purchase of vehicles, the Canadians purchasing lease returned vehicles sight unseen has been curtailed.

Perhaps the border will open in time for the Snowbirds to flow south for the winter this year, but I don't see summer being a realistic reopening time schedule.

Hope your vaccination rate escalates. I perceive by June that the USA will be awash in vaccines and will begin exporting the surplus to many countries, we have tens of millions of the AstraZeneca vaccines in cold storage awaiting the completion of the Phase III clinical trial data and authorization for emergency use in the USA. The USA unfortunately appears to have a sizeable portion of the population that is "hesitant" [to say it nicely] to being vaccinated and until that group becomes a smaller portion, I don't see herd immunity being fully effectuated and thus community spread will linger. If the cases in the USA remain higher on a per capita basis than in Canada, I suspect Canada may remain reluctant to opening to Covid Chucks.

Stay safe, stay healthy.

[GordMay]

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has caught 30 people, who have allegedly tried to enter the country with suspected fake COVID-19 test results.
Between Jan. 7 and March 24 of this year, officers intercepted 10 suspected fraudulent test result documents at airports.
Then between Feb. 15 and March 24, officers at land ports of entry found people trying to enter the country, with suspected fake COVID-19 test results 20 times.

In January, the federal government ordered that all travellers returning to Canada by air from abroad must produce evidence of a negative COVID-19 test before boarding their flights.

Every traveller over the age of five must show a negative test result from a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or a reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) test administered in the 72 hours before their flight's departure.

Similar requirements were instituted for non-essential travellers at land border crossings last month.

According to the CBSA, failure to comply with the current border entry restrictions could lead to up to six months in prison and/or $750,000 in fines.

As well, the agency says, a person who causes a risk of imminent death or serious bodily harm to another person while wilfully or recklessly contravening the Quarantine Act could be liable for a fine of up to $1,000,000 or imprisonment of up to three years, or both.

[Montanan]

First ‘real-world’ study from the United States on Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines found 90% efficacy

The CDC study included 3,950 people in the U.S. who received either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine during the height of country's winter surge, from mid-December to mid-March. All were essential workers, including health care personnel and first responders from six states: Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, Oregon, Texas and Utah.

Two weeks after participants received both of the recommended doses, their risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection was reduced by 90%. (People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after they received their final dose.) Even the first dose had an effect, reducing infection risk by 80%, the study found.
Importantly, the research also showed that both vaccines not only prevent people from getting sick with COVID-19, they also help prevent asymptomatic infections, in which people never develop symptoms.

[Mike OReilly]

More real world developments:
Immunization committee to recommend provinces stop giving AstraZeneca vaccine to those under 55: sources

Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is expected to recommend today a pause in the use of the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine on those under the age of 55 because of safety concerns, sources told CBC News.
...
Specifically, it pointed to 18 cases of an extremely rare type of blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), a condition that is much more common in women than men. Most of the cases occurred within 14 days of receiving the AstraZeneca shot, and the majority were in women under the age of 55.
...
Reimer said it's not known yet how common this rare blood clot side effect is but early data out of Europe suggest it could be an outcome for 1 out of 100,000 AstraZeneca shots deployed, or even more than that — the science isn't settled, she said.

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

More real world developments:
Immunization committee to recommend provinces stop giving AstraZeneca vaccine to those under 55: sources

And Dr Henshaw who had previously stated she wouldn't give an afternoon briefing has suddenly decided to give an update—I am guessing no vaccine for younger Albertans which is really making me wonder about any sailing plans this May

[desodave]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

And Dr Henshaw who had previously stated she wouldn't give an afternoon briefing has suddenly decided to give an update—I am guessing no vaccine for younger Albertans which is really making me wonder about any sailing plans this May

And Dr Henry along with Premier Horgan and the Health Minister at 1 PM PDT - about 5 minutes. Given 908 new cases on Friday, I wouldn't be too optimistic either

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by desodave

And Dr Henry along with Premier Horgan and the Health Minister at 1 PM PDT - about 5 minutes. Given 908 new cases on Friday, I wouldn't be too optimistic either

BC: indoor dining and indoor fitness groups shut down for 3 weeks. Whistler-Blackcomb ski area closed for 3 weeks (hits us again, as we live here in Whistler).

Probably should have happened a few weeks ago....

AstraZeneca "paused" for next few days, until clarification.

[desodave]

CBC story
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...d-19-1.5968334