Ontario reports 1,848 new Covid cases

Ontario is reporting its highest number of deaths in COVID-19 patients in any 24-hour period since the spring.

The Ministry of Health says that 45 people who had tested positive for COVID-19 died on Thursday, marking a tragic new high for the second wave of the pandemic.


COVID-19: Four Pfizer vaccine volunteers develop Bell’s palsy

As the United Kingdom started inoculating people with the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, four volunteers who were administered the vaccine in the trial stage developed Bell’s palsy, according to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulators. Bell’s palsy is a form of temporary facial paralysis.

The US FDA regulators, however, noted that it was still unclear how Bell’s palsy was caused in these volunteers due to Pfizer vaccine. The US regulators stressed that doctors should closely monitor the side effect of the vaccine and continue to watch on how many people it strikes.

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Covid: China asks cabin crew to wear nappies to reduce virus risk

China’s aviation regulator has recommended cabin crew wear disposable nappies and avoid using the toilet to cut the risk of Covid-19 infection.

The advice on nappies is in a section on personal protective equipment in new guidelines for airlines.

The regulator said the recommendation applied to charter flights to high-risk Covid-19 destinations.

Globally, airlines and airports have been making big changes to how they operate to get passengers flying again.

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Budget watchdog blasts feds over lack of transparency in coronavirus recovery plan

Parliament’s budget watchdog is raising red flags over the lack of details in the Liberal government’s $100-billion stimulus plan, suggesting Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s phone is likely “ringing off the hook” from lobbyists wanting a piece of the action.

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Melinda Gates Is ‘Incredibly Disappointed’ That Americans Will Get the Vaccine First

Billionaire globalist Melinda Gates is “incredibly disappointed” that President Trump has put Americans first in line to receive the Wuhan coronavirus vaccine.

Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, told CNN’s Poppy Harlow that it’s America’s and other high-income countries’ responsibility to make sure impoverished nations get access to the vaccine just as quickly as everyone else. 

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Ontario’s current coronavirus lockdowns not as effective, easing measures could mean higher cases: officials

Ontario’s current coronavirus lockdowns not as effective, easing measures could mean higher cases: officials

The Ontario government’s current coronavirus lockdown restrictions in areas like Toronto and Peel Region are not as effective as the previous provincial lockdown, officials say, leading to concerns about higher case growth.

In an update provided by Ontario’s science and modelling consensus tables Thursday afternoon, the present lockdown hasn’t impacted affected residents’ travelling and likely contacts with others compared to restrictions put in place in March.

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Calgary promises ‘escalating’ enforcement, court injunctions against anti-mask protests

People gathering to protest COVID-19 restrictions this weekend could be hit with much larger fines and court injunctions, the city’s top bylaw officer warned Wednesday.

While senior city officials said they’re still reluctant to physically prevent the weekly demonstrations from occurring, hiking fines to the maximum $100,000 and using the courts to forestall them are options.


Related… Germany notes ‘violent potential’ among anti-lockdown protesters

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the BfV, said large turnouts of the “Querdenker” (lateral thinker) movement — seen at recent anti-Corona-lockdown protests — harbored “intensified escalation potential.”

The Cologne-based office tasked with upholding Germany’s post-war constitution told newspapers of the Funke Media Group on Thursday that this had been the case at large protests where far-right groups had urged attendance.

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GOLDSTEIN: Canada’s medical wait times longest ever because of COVID-19

GOLDSTEIN: Canada’s medical wait times longest ever because of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic increased wait times for medical treatment in Canada this year to the longest they have ever been in the modern era, according to a new study by the Fraser Institute.

The median wait time for treatment across 12 medical specialities was 22.6 weeks, compared to 20.9 weeks last year and the previous record of 21.2 weeks in 2017, according to the study Waiting Your Turn: Wait Times for Health Care in Canada: 2020.

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Ontario reports a record 1,983 new Covid cases

Ontario reports a record 1,983 new Covid cases

Another record-high number of COVID-19 cases were logged in Ontario today as the province processed more than 60,000 tests, the highest number of tests conducted in a 24-hour period.

Ontario health officials are reporting 1,983 new infections today, surpassing the previous record of 1,925 set on Dec. 7.


Potential conflict of interest involving Ontario nursing home inspectors a ‘big problem’: experts

…Using social media profiles, Global News has identified at least 18 long-term care inspectors who have previously worked in the for-profit industry, including some of Canada’s largest for-profit long-term care homes, like Revera, Chartwell, Sienna Senior Living and Extendicare.

Nursing home inspectors who previously worked in the for-profit sector and are now responsible for investigating the industry are part of a “big problem” that raises questions about the quality of inspections and potential bias, say experts.

It’s called regulatory capture.

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Ottawa’s COVID-19 wage subsidy for salaries — not dividends, says Freeland

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland issued a warning Tuesday to Canadian companies that have tapped into the government’s wage subsidy program: the money is to be used to pay workers, not to pay for dividends or executive bonuses.

“I want to emphasize … for any companies that may be listening, that the wage subsidy must be used to pay workers,” Freeland told members of the House of Commons finance committee Tuesday. “That is very, very clear and we expect companies to comply with that.”

Do you believe a word she says? Does she?

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City of Vancouver freezes police department funding as part of 2021 budget

The City of Vancouver will have a $1.6-billion operating budget next year, a five per cent average property tax increase — and a police budget that stays the same.

Those were the biggest decisions made by city council as it passed its 2021 budget on Tuesday, following weeks of consultations and meetings on how to deal with competing priorities during the pandemic.

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Trudeau PRAISES India farmer protests, while Canadians are FINED for protesting

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently spoke out in support of farmers protesting in India, further damaging international relations between Canada and the world’s largest democracy. India has suggested Trudeau was encouraging “extremist activities,” with the nation now set to skip a Canada-led coronavirus summit following the prime minister’s remarks.

Meanwhile, back in Trudeau’s “home and native land” protesters and churchgoers have been fined across the country, one of the most recent incidents involving a drive-in ceremony held by a Mennonite church in Steinbach, Manitoba where thousands of dollars in fines were dished out.

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