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  • Nurse begs B.C. residents to take pandemic seriously after tear-filled night on COVID-19 unit

    A B.C. nurse is pleading with people to do a few "simple things" to get the pandemic under control after an emotionally crushing shift in the COVID-19 ward. Kendall Skuta, who works at Abbotsford Regional Hospital, posted a photo of herself sobbing to Instagram on Tuesday morning after what she described as a "particularly hard shift." She explained that she had just watched a patient die of COVID-19 not long after he was transferred out of the intensive care unit. She described watching the patient go into cardiac arrest and people running from all over the hospital to take turns doing CPR. "After his death was pronounced, we all stood there for a minute. Silent. Exhausted. Heartbroken. Lumps formed in our throats, tears filled our eyes. We looked at each other, trying to find the words — any words. There wasn't a thing anybody could say," she wrote. "The amount of death I've seen in the last year weighs on me every day." Skuta said she constantly asks herself when the B.C. public will begin taking the pandemic seriously. "Please, I'm begging you all. Stay home, wear a mask and get vaccinated if you're eligible. We are all exhausted, and I don't know how much more pain my heart can take," she wrote. In an interview with CBC News on Tuesday evening, Skuta said this death hit her harder than most. One reason is the patient's age — not yet 60 years old, and with no major underlying conditions. She said her parents are around the same age, and it breaks her heart to think of them getting sick and dying from the novel coronavirus. "A lot of people talk about age with this, and they think everybody who's got COVID or is dying from COVID is old. He wasn't," Skuta said. She'd also thought the patient was out of danger once he was transferred from the ICU. It was a reminder that during this pandemic, even positive developments can quickly turn into bad news. Skuta said she felt compelled to go public with her experience after watching Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announce the extension of B.C.'s "circuit breaker" restrictions and hearing Premier John Horgan say restrictions on travel are coming later this week. "I feel like every time Dr. Henry comes on and announces things, people either argue it or they want something different or they just blatantly ignore the things that she's saying," Skuta said. "I just don't think people realize that the simple things she's asking for like wearing a mask and staying home and not travelling if you don't need to, really will fix the problem. It's very simple, small things to ask, and I just wish more people would be able to see that."

  • 'This system is broken': Nunavut RCMP release few details on man shot dead by police

    IQALUIT, Nunavut — The Nunavut RCMP has released new, but limited details into the death of a 31-year-old man who was shot by an officer in the hamlet of Clyde River last spring. Mounties said two officers responded to a domestic disturbance at the home of Abraham Natanine the night of May 5. They said the situation escalated and Natanine retrieved a weapon, but the RCMP has not released what the weapon was. Police said the interaction evolved and resulted in an officer discharging his firearm at Natanine, who was rushed to the health centre and pronounced dead. The Ottawa Police Service earlier this month issued a statement on its independent investigation into the shooting, which found the officers involved not criminally responsible for Natanine's death. The Ottawa police have a memorandum of understanding with Nunavut RCMP to investigate serious actions involving police to determine whether charges should be laid. The reports are not made public. Qajaq Robinson, a lawyer working with Natanine's family, said she found out about the investigation's conclusion through the media. She noted there was little information in the news release issued by the Ottawa Police Service about the review of Natanine's death. "This isn't serving people and it's also not serving justice," she said. "There's such a challenge in terms of getting information, that this does nothing to enhance confidence in the RCMP, in policing or in institutions of oversight." Natanine's spouse, the mother of his two children, also learned about the investigation's findings through the news. "People, victims, family, relatives, close people to those shot and killed are finding out through the news, even when they have legal counsel supporting them and known to these institutions," Robinson said. "This system is broken and it is not serving Nunavummiut." In a statement, Ottawa police Supt. Chris Renwick said the practice in death investigations is to identify a single family liaison who can pass information from investigators to family members. In Natanine's case, a liaison was established who communicated directly with the lead investigator and was told about the conclusion one day before the news release went out, Renwick said. "The Ottawa Police Service has since learned that, regrettably, not all members of the immediate family of Mr. Abraham Natanine were made aware of the conclusion and findings prior to our release issuance and related media reporting," Renwick said. Since Jan. 1, 2020, there have been six serious encounters involving police in Nunavut, including the shooting deaths of Natanine and Attachie Ashoona in the hamlet of Kinngait. Earlier this year, the Ottawa police also cleared the officer who shot and killed Ashoona as well as the officer who knocked down a Kinngait man with a truck door during an arrest. Nunavut RCMP said they won't comment further on the Natinine shooting because they anticipate there may be other reviews. In December, Nunavut's justice minister introduced a bill that would open the door for civilian oversight of RCMP in Nunavut. The bill, as it stands, still leaves the option open for police forces to conduct third-party investigations. The bill has passed second reading and is being reviewed by Nunavut's standing committee on legislation. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 20, 2021. ___ This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship Emma Tranter, The Canadian Press

  • Female service members blast military police over sexual misconduct investigations

    OTTAWA — Female service members and veterans came out swinging at Canada's military police on Tuesday as they related their own individual experiences after having come forward to report a sexual crime or misconduct. The women, who were testifying before a House of Commons committee, also suggested victims of such acts often end up paying the price for coming forward while perpetrators are largely let off the hook. "Most times the victims pay a greater price than the perpetrator when they come forward," said navy Lt. Heather Macdonald. "That is why most victims are reluctant to come forward. We need to fix this, we need to make this a better, safer place for females to work." The hearings at the committee on the status of women come as the federal government and Canadian Armed Forces are grappling with allegations of misconduct involving several senior officers, including chief of the defence staff Admiral Art McDonald. The specific allegations against McDonald, who temporarily stepped aside in February after the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service launched an investigation, have not been publicly disclosed. But Global News has reported that the allegation relates to sexual misconduct and relates to an incident involving Macdonald, the navy lieutenant who appeared at committee. The outlet reported she was frustrated that someone had leaked details of her case to the media without her consent and she declined to detail the allegations. CBC has reported that the alleged incident occurred during an exercise in the Far North in 2010 when the admiral was captain of HMCS Montreal. The admiral has not responded to repeated requests from The Canadian Press for comment. Macdonald did not speak about the case, nor did committee members ask her about it. She instead spoke about the challenges women in uniform face when trying to report inappropriate or criminal behaviour both at sea and in general, including the approach taken by military police investigators. "It is like you're being interrogated, and like you're a criminal," Macdonald told the committee. Air force technician Emily Tulloch related a similar experience after she came forward to report having been sexually assaulted, describing her meetings with military police as "dreadful." "During these interviews, I felt investigators were not treating me like a human being, but just another case file to them," Tulloch told the committee. "There was no empathy or humanity. ... I felt like I wasn't being heard, and that I was being treated like a criminal. And no one should be treated like a criminal when they're that vulnerable and in need of help." Military police commanders have previously spoken about the steps they have taken to better deal with sexual misconduct since retired Supreme Court justice Marie Deschamps released a scathing report on the Armed Forces' handling of such incidents in 2015. Those measures have included specialized training and even dedicated units tasked with investigating such cases. Tulloch told the committee she has "experienced a lifetime of sexual assault and misconduct" since joining the military in July 2018. "I'm here today to tell you that I was raped only one month into my basic training at (Royal Military College) Saint-Jean. I was also sexually assaulted during my training in Borden and I have been groped and kissed unwillingly at group parties and mess events. And these degrading behaviors are more common than you think," she said. Military police need to improve their training for how to conduct interviews of sexual assault victims, she told the committee. "There needs to be a specific course made to teach them that victims need understanding and empathy. And if there already is a course, then they need to tear it apart and rebuild it from the ground up." Tuesday's frank and at times raw testimony came one day after the government said it was adding $77 million in new funding and redirecting $158 million from other areas to increase victim support services and develop new prevention training. It has also said that it plans to add independent oversight to the military's handling of sexual misconduct complaints, though it has yet to provide further details. Several of those testifying underscored the importance of such external accountability, with Macdonald suggesting one option would be the creation of an independent inspector-general like what some of Canada’s allies have in place. Numerous experts and survivors have echoed that suggestion in recent months, arguing that the military has repeatedly shown its inability to bring about real change on its own. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Apr. 20, 2021. Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press

  • Alberta reports 1,345 new COVID-19 cases, five more deaths

    Alberta reported 1,345 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday and five more deaths from the illness. Screening detected 816 new cases linked to variants of concern, with the B117 variant first detected in the United Kingdom now the dominant strain of the coronavirus in Alberta. Hospitals across the province were treating 476 patients with the illness, including 105 in ICU beds. About 1.2 million doses of the three available vaccines have been administered in the province so far, Premier Jason Kenney said Tuesday at a news conference. That includes, Kenney said: 82 per cent of those aged 75 and older. 73 per cent of those aged 65 to 74. 50 per cent of those aged 60 to 64. The premier said Alberta has the capacity to administer more than 300,000 doses a week and still plans to offer first shots to all adults in the province by June 30 if vaccine supply keeps up. The premier started off by thanking the thousands of people who have signed up for the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine and said he booked his own appointment to get a shot on Thursday. Watch | Kenney tells eligible Albertans to get immunized By mid-afternoon on Tuesday, he said, 67,900 appointments had been booked for the next 10 days. The province has about 160,000 doses of the vaccine left. "Despite delays and disappointments, our rollout keeps gaining steam," Kenney said. "We promised to offer every adult a first dose by June 30 as long as supply keeps coming in, and we will keep promise if that supply shows up." 2nd dose 'confusion' Kenney was joined at the news conference by Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, who took the opportunity to clear up what she called some "confusion" about the vaccine rollout. "Due to limited supply, as you know, we extended the interval between the first and second doses for all vaccines to a maximum of 16 weeks," Hinshaw said. "However, once we finish offering first doses to all Albertans 16 and over, we will start second doses as soon as our supply allows. This will likely be in later June, based on our current supply estimates. "So if you have had a first dose, please do not yet call your pharmacy or AHS to book your second dose. It will take a few more months to get enough supply for both first doses for everyone and to begin second doses. "As more doses arrive in the coming months, we will look to shorten this interval whenever possible, but this will likely not be until later in the year." 12-week interval for AstraZeneca There has also been some confusion about the interval for AstraZeneca vaccine, Hinshaw said, for which the province is using a 12-week interval between first and second doses, depending on the supply. "The reason for this is that clinical trials for AstraZeneca showed better overall protection when the interval was longer than when it was shorter," she said. "So even if we had enough supply to give second doses sooner, the shortest interval we would use for this vaccine would be 12 weeks. "The extension of timing for all second doses is based on current limited supply and evidence showing that this first dose offers significant protection. "We are also closely monitoring the emerging evidence around timing of second doses for cancer patients and others who are severely immune-compromised. We are consulting with provincial and national partners and will update Albertans if any change is made for these groups." Alberta expanded its immunization campaign on Tuesday, lowering the age of eligibility for the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine to those born in 1981 or earlier.

  • Russia defends foreign navy limits amid buildup near Ukraine

    MOSCOW — Russia insisted Tuesday that it has the right to restrict foreign naval ships' movement off Crimea, rejecting international criticism amid Western worries about a Russian troops buildup near Ukraine. Ukraine last week protested the Russian move to close broad areas of the Black Sea near Crimea to foreign navy ships and state vessels until November. The U.S. also aired its concern Monday, with State Department spokesman Ned Price saying “this represents yet another unprovoked escalation in Moscow’s ongoing campaign to undermine and destabilize Ukraine.” Price noted that the move "is particularly troubling amid credible reports of Russian troop buildup in occupied Crimea and around Ukraine’s borders." The European Union also voiced concern about the troop buildup and the navigation restrictions. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov charged that the restrictions on foreign naval ships were in line with international agreements, arguing that it’s common practice to limit areas where military drills are held. He emphasized in remarks carried by Russian news agencies that the restrictions wouldn’t interfere with commercial shipping. In a separate move, Russia on Tuesday also announced restrictions on flights near Crimea for five days starting Tuesday. The Russian military is holding massive Black Sea manoeuvrs this week, involving more than 20 warships and dozens of aircraft. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov argued that such airspace closures are common international practice. Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 after the country's former Russia-friendly president was driven from power by protests. Moscow then threw its weight behind separatists in eastern Ukraine, and the conflict there has killed more than 14,000 people in seven years. Tensions have risen in recent weeks with increasing violations of a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine and a massive Russian troop buildup along the Ukrainian border. Moscow has rejected Ukraine and Western concerns, arguing that it's free to deploy its forces and charging that they don't threaten anyone. But at the same time, Moscow sternly warned Ukrainian authorities against trying to use force to retake control of the rebel east, noting recent statements by Ukrainian military officers who held the door open for an offensive. The Kremlin said that Russia could be forced to intervene to protect civilians in the region. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday accused Ukraine of trying to destabilize the situation in eastern Ukraine and lashed out at the U.S. and NATO for what he described as “provocative actions” in the Black Sea area. The U.S. and its NATO allies have regularly sent navy ships to the Black Sea and the U.S. flew strategic bombers over Ukraine, vexing Moscow. However, the U.S. reversed a planned deployment of two destroyers in the Black Sea earlier this month amid the heightening tensions. The Russian military has conducted a series of drills in southwestern Russia, in Crimea and other areas. On Tuesday, a pair of Tu-160 nuclear-capable strategic bombers flew over the Baltic Sea for eight hours, and the Northern Fleet conducted massive manoeuvrs in the Arctic, the Defence Ministry said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had previously said that Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin was refusing to take his calls, on Tuesday offered the Russian leader to meet in eastern Ukraine to defuse tensions. "Ukraine would never start a war, but would always stand until the end," he said in a video address. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba insisted Tuesday that Kyiv wasn't planning any offensive in the east. “No, Ukraine is not planning any offensive, military escalation or provocations," he said at a news conference, adding that "we are making every effort for a diplomatic and peaceful resolution of the conflict.” Kuleba charged that the Russian buildup across the border is continuing and is “expected to reach a combined force of over 120,000 troops” in about a week and urged the West to beef up sanctions against Moscow by targeting entire sectors of the Russian economy. On Monday, the EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, told reporters that there are "more than 150,000 Russian troops massing on the Ukrainian borders and in Crimea,” and doubled down on the figure later before his services had to correct it in the transcript, saying the real figure was over 100,000. Recent satellite images showed hundreds of Russian military vehicles stationed at multiple bases, firing ranges and field camps along the border with Ukraine and dozens of warplanes parked at air bases in southwestern Russia and Crimea. ___ Associated Press writer Yuras Karmanau in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report. Vladimir Isachenkov, The Associated Press

  • The downside to the real estate boom in Nova Scotia

    Christina Provost moved into her rental home in Prospect, N.S., a year ago. She decorated the house, she enrolled her kids in school nearby, and she expected to stay for years. About a month ago, Provost's landlord told her she was selling the house. Provost and her three kids had to find a new place to live by July 1. "I am devastated," Provost told CBC News. "I made this my home. Even though she owns it, it's still my home and I'm being displaced with absolutely no options whatsoever." Provost is part of a growing number of renters across Nova Scotia who are being evicted because their landlords are selling their homes or small rental units. Due to the current housing crisis in the province, many have no place to go. Provost said her post about the issue in a public Facebook group garnered over 100 messages from people in the same boat. "There's this middle class where we don't need to be in [subsidized] housing, but we also can't qualify for a mortgage right now due to divorce, being a single mother, accidents, work layoffs," she said. "There's so many reasons why people can't qualify for a mortgage that doesn't make them a bad person, but that genre of people, the in-betweens, are being completely left in the wind right now." ACORN's Halifax peninsula chapter advocates for low-income tenants and workers.(Francis Ferland/CBC) Hannah Wood, the chair of the Halifax peninsula chapter of ACORN Nova Scotia, an organization that advocates for low-income tenants and workers, said her group has been seeing a massive increase in tenants whose landlords are selling their units. Wood noted that "because landlords are selling homes and not rental buildings, most of the tenants living there are families and people who are going to have a very difficult time finding affordable rentals." The vacancy rate in the Halifax Regional Municipality grew to 1.9 per cent in 2020, but remains one of the lowest in the country. ACORN said there are 4,000 people on the wait list for public housing and the construction of new housing can't keep up with the number of people who are being displaced. Breaking sales records The growing demand for housing, meanwhile, is taking place against the backdrop of a real estate boom in the province. The Nova Scotia Association of Realtors compiled data that shows 1,577 units were sold across the province last month, a new sales record for the month of March and an increase of more than 65 per cent from March 2020. The average selling price of a home was also up by more than 26 per cent from the previous year. For many landlords, it's more profitable to sell their homes than to rent them out. Some are getting out of the business and moving into more profitable ventures like AirBnB or house flipping. Others are offloading their income properties now as a way to recoup costs from damages and regular maintenance. CBC spoke to multiple landlords from across the province who all had similar reasons for selling. John Bartlett, who owns rental properties in Dartmouth and Middleton, said he's selling most of his units because they've been damaged by tenants and trying to remedy the situation by going through the residential tenancy board simply takes too long. "Quite frankly, the way the housing market is now, it is the only time that I've looked at my property and said, 'Now I may be able to recoup some of my money that I've lost over the years.' And it has been a lot," he said. 2% rent cap a challenge for landlord A two per cent rent cap was instated in the province last November as a way to combat what advocates call a housing crisis in the province. Paul Finnemore stands in front of one of his rental properties in Kentville.(Submitted by Paul Finnemore) Some small landlords say the legislation makes it difficult to turn a profit because the cost of building supplies has risen since the COVID-19 pandemic. Paul Finnemore owns 17 rental units in Kentville and Middleton. He said his business plan revolves around buying old, run-down rentals, fixing them up and making them more livable. "And then we were planning to increase those rents. A little more than two per cent," Finnemore said. "Two per cent doesn't even cover ... the rate of inflation. "There's a mortgage payment. There's property taxes. There's insurance. Sometimes there's often utilities, water, heat lights — the whole bit — and then regular maintenance and stuff like that. So to make that formula work can be very challenging when we're not able to raise the rent even to a reasonable level." Finnemore cleaned up and renovated this property in hopes of renting it out.(Submitted by Paul Finnemore) This week, Provost found a new rental home to move to with her children. Not everyone is so lucky. Chris Ramsay had lived in his three-bedroom duplex in Colchester County for a year when he received a two-month eviction notice because his landlord was selling the property. He said having kids makes it much harder for someone to find a rental, though discriminating against families with children is illegal. Chris Ramsay and his two year old daughter, who are racing to find a new place to live before the two month eviction notice is up. (Submitted by Chris Ramsay) He said there are hundreds of people applying for each rental as soon as it goes on the market, and many landlords don't even respond to his inquiries. Ramsay said he had to apply for a rental in Cape Breton because he is so desperate to find a place to live. He is worried this will impact his ability to see his eldest daughter, who lives in the Annapolis Valley. Ramsay said he might have to resort to some unconventional living situations for himself and his two-year-old daughter if he doesn't find a place soon. "If I don't get approved [for the place in Cape Breton], in all honesty, me and my friend have shopped the idea around that if I could go on Marketplace or Kijiji and find an old camper or pop-up trailer to camp in his backyard and figure out what to do from there," he said. "Or try to find a motel, or anything, because right now those are getting pretty booked up as well. It's desperate times." MORE TOP STORIES

  • Man pointed gun at driver in 'road rage' incident: Windsor police

    Windsor police say an arrest has been made after a man allegedly pointed a gun at another driver in Walkerville on Sunday. According to police, two vehicles "became involved in a road-rage incident" around 6 p.m. on Sunday in the area of Moy Avenue and Wyandotte Street East. The vehicles entered an alley in the area of Gladstone Avenue and Wyandotte, where the man driving a black Lincoln left the vehicle and allegedly pointed a gun at the other driver, police said in a media release on Monday. Officers located the vehicle at around 7:45 p.m. at a home in Windsor. When police arrived, the suspect was outside and wearing a ballistic-style vest. No firearm has been recovered. A 34-year-old man was arrested and charged with: Pointing a firearm Threatening to use a weapon Possession of a handgun for a purpose dangerous to public peace Having face masked with intent to commit an offence Failure to comply with a release order

  • Ontario reports 3,469 new COVID-19 cases, 22 more deaths linked to illness

    Ontario reported 3,469 more cases of COVID-19 and 22 more deaths from the illness on Tuesday, as the province announced that some pharmacies in the Greater Toronto Area would begin offering 24/7 appointments for the AstraZeneca vaccine. In a news release, the provincial government said 20 Shoppers Drug Mart locations would open round-the-clock appointments starting as early as Wednesday. Sixteen of the 20 locations are in Toronto and Peel and York Regions, according to the release. Additionally, pharmacies will now be allowed to offer walk-in vaccine appointments, the province said. Eligible adults are urged to call their local pharmacy beforehand to see if it is offering walk-in services. More than 1,400 pharmacies and some primary care providers in Ontario began offering the AstraZeneca to adults aged 40 and over this morning. WATCH | Co-chair of Ontario's science table on latest restrictions: 'It wasn't what we recommended' Meanwhile, today's case count is the fewest in the province since April 8. The new infections come as labs completed 40,596 tests for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and logged a positivity rate of 10 per cent. Another 158 people with COVID-19-related illnesses were admitted to hospital, according to the Ministry of Health, bringing the total to 2,360. Of those, 773 are being treated in intensive care, while 537 require a ventilator to breathe. All three figures are new pandemic highs for Ontario. Critical Care Services Ontario, a government agency that compiles a daily internal report for hospitals and health organizations, said that 68 additional patients were admitted to ICUs Monday alone. Public health units collectively administered 90,409 doses of vaccines Monday, a third straight day below the province's target of at least 100,000 daily. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, however, said that an all-day Rogers outage forced some clinics to do paper-based reporting, meaning today's total is an underestimate of how many shots were actually administered. Clinics are expected to upload revised data to Ontario's central tracking system through the day. Some 347,597 people have gotten both shots of a COVID-19 vaccine. As of last night, Ontario had used about 76 per cent of the 5,242,495 doses it has received to date. Ontario Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk said this morning that as part of the 2021 audit cycle, her office will review data the province used to develop its vaccine distribution strategy. Earlier this month, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath called on the auditor general to look into how the government built its list of 114 hot spot postal codes, and if any political considerations were introduced in the process. The Ministry of Health said previously that the decisions were based on data from Public Health Ontario. Meanwhile, today's new cases include: 1,074 in Toronto 775 in Peel Region 406 in York Region 256 in Durham Region 197 in Ottawa 130 in Halton Region 106 in Niagara Region The seven-day average of daily cases fell to 4,319. A nearly month-long period of exponential growth in the seven-day average appears to have slowed in recent days. The 22 additional deaths reported today push the official toll to 7,757. The seven-day average of daily deaths rose to 25, a new high for the third wave of the pandemic. Paid sick leave dominates question period The question of paid sick leave for workers who fall ill with COVID-19 was front and centre again during question period at the legislature, where Premier Doug Ford was conspicuously absent for a second straight day. The issue resurfaced after new COVID-19 restrictions announced by Ford last week did not include emergency sick leave despite repeated calls from the government's science table, outside public health experts and physicians for Ontario to supplement the federal program currently available. Horwath attempted to garner unanimous consent for a provincial paid sick day program, which existed in Ontario until the Ford government nixed it in 2018. Government MPPs voted down the motion. Labour Minister Monte McNaughton then went on to say he was disappointed the federal government didn't boost or improve its own paid sick leave program, the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB), in Monday's budget. McNaughton's comments echoed comments made on the budget by Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy, who acknowledged that sick pay is key to curbing the pandemic but stopped short of committing any provincial help, even though paid sick leave is provincial jurisdiction. Speaking to reporters afterward, Health Minister Christine Elliott suggested the province might be rethinking that position. "It was apparent yesterday with the federal budget that they weren't making any amendments to their sick benefits program and so those gaps still remain and that is what we are going to be addressing." For his part, Ford has said the province doesn't want to duplicate the CRSB. Public health experts and labour advocates have criticized the program as needlessly complicated and financially insufficient. Inconsistent policies are 'ineffective', experts say Meanwhile, Ontario's Science Advisory Table released a document outlining what it believes should be the province's next steps, in which it reiterated the importance of paid sick leave. The document urges the province to offer an emergency benefit to workers that's immediately paid out and more money than the federal program currently provides. "Policies that harm or neglect racialized, marginalized and other vulnerable populations will not be effective against a disease that already affects these groups disproportionately," the advisory table said. "As noted in repeated studies from around the world, inconsistent policies with no clear link to scientific evidence are ineffective in fighting COVID-19." The province needs to allocate more vaccines to hotspot neighbourhoods with vulnerable populations and essential workers, the group said. It also called for the province to deem more workplaces non-essential and order their closure, as well as restrict travel between regions. The advisory table also urged the province to allow small groups of people from different households to meet outdoors if they're wearing masks and physically distancing. "Policies that discourage safe outdoor activity will not control COVID-19 and will disproportionately harm children and those who do not have access to their own greenspace, especially those living in crowded conditions," said the advisory table. People should not be gathering indoors with people from other households with the exception of safe essential workplaces, it said. That advice goes against the province's current rule that allows up to 10 people to attend wedding ceremonies, funerals and other religious gatherings indoors.

  • How 'orphaned voters' may end up deciding the next Alberta election

    (CBC) There's a subgenre on TikTok of conservative Albertans whose video posts on the social media platform involve strongly worded political rants spoken directly into the camera. These videos are often visceral, profanity-laced and directed at Justin Trudeau. But lately, they've taken aim at a different target. "Jason Kenney, you're spineless," one man says in a post from early April, shortly after the Alberta premier announced a re-introduction of public-health restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19. "It's a sad day that we voted you in as a conservative leader for this province because we thought you were going to do something good for us. You never did nothin'." Another man, who describes himself as a "separatist Albertan" who has "had enough of dictatorship," echoed the sentiment. "Jason Kenney, your big, tough growl seems to have become a puppy's whimper," he says, his lips curling into a snarl at the end of each sentence. "Your bulls--t lockdowns are splitting this province and your caucus." "And by the way," he adds, lifting a middle finger to the camera. "Lock this down. Because I can't wait to vote your ass out." These guys are presumably among the 27 per cent of Albertans who, according to a recent CBC News poll, would vote for neither the UCP nor the NDP if an election were held immediately. Analysts say these voters could play a significant role in determining the outcome of the next election, depending on how they ultimately decide to cast their ballots. Exactly what role, however, is a complicated question, because these voters are a diverse group. The angry guys posting videos on TikTok highlight just one segment of that group, who fall more at the right end of the political spectrum. There's also a sizable chunk of more centrist voters, and a smaller contingent who lean to the left. But the largest group of these non-NDP, non-UCP voters didn't specify a particular party they would support; they just knew they didn't like either of the top two choices. In political-science terms, these folks are sometimes referred to as "orphaned voters." The poll gives us some insight into who these people are. Respondents were asked about much more than just their vote choice, and a pattern emerges when you examine the orphaned voters' answers to other questions. For the most part, they look like disaffected conservatives. That highlights a serious — but not necessarily fatal — threat for the re-election hopes of Kenney and his United Conservative Party which, for now at least, looks more divided than ever. What 'orphaned voters' look like You can see how this all breaks down in the following chart. Each dot represents a respondent in the poll. They are grouped by their vote choice and organized, left to right, by where they self-identify on the political spectrum. (Chart: John Santos & Robson Fletcher) The red dots at top represent voters who said they support either the Alberta Liberal Party, the Green Party of Alberta or another, smaller political party. Add them all up, and this group represented about six per cent of voters. For the most part, they clustered around the centre with a lean to the political left. Another five per cent of voters said they support the Alberta Party. These people also tend to be centrists, but lean a little more to the right. They are represented by the turquoise dots in the second row. The third row of green dots shows supporters of the Wildrose Independence Party and the Independence Party of Alberta. These folks made up about five per cent of voters as well, and tended to veer further right. The fourth row of grey dots — accounting for about 11 per cent of the electorate — indicates those who said they wouldn't vote NDP or UCP, but did not specify a particular party that they would support. These are the "orphaned voters" and they could be one of the biggest wildcards in the upcoming election, according to data scientist John Santos, who helped design the poll. When Santos looks at those grey dots, he sees a lot of similarity with the row of blue dots right below them, which indicate UCP supporters. This, he says, suggests that many of the orphaned voters "have been disenchanted with the UCP but can't bring themselves to vote for the NDP, and either don't know about or aren't sold on one of the independence parties." "They're still sitting on their hands," Santos said. Where do 'orphaned voters' go? Santos says it's obviously bad news for Kenney and his party to have lost the support of these Albertans, many of whom likely voted for the UCP in the 2019 election. But, with the next election set for 2023, there's still plenty of time to staunch the bleeding and heal the wounds. "They might all or mostly go back to the UCP en masse," Santos said. "Or they might go to one of the right-leaning independence parties. But I think there's few of these folks who would go to the NDP, and that's a big problem for Rachel Notley." For now, the NDP leader must be pleased with the poll numbers, which put her party at 40-per-cent support. That's enough to likely win a majority government, but it's far from a shoo-in victory. And plenty can change between now and the next election. Melanee Thomas, a professor of political science at the University of Calgary, believes the UCP has reason for hope, despite its poor polling numbers. "I actually don't think it's all that grim for their future prospects," she said. The threat of the UCP losing significant support on its right flank to an upstart party, she believes, is not as dire as some within the party might worry. Historically, she said, it may have been a "political pastime" in Alberta to build new parties from the ground up when voters tire of the ones they have. But going from a nascent political movement to a viable alternative is easier dreamed than done. Far more upstart parties have fizzled than have succeeded, and the key for those rare successes has typically been a strong leader. "That leadership factor matters," Thomas said. "It's one thing to have a party. It's quite another thing to have a party that has a leader who is able to get fundraising done in such a way that they can actually then get onto the stage to compete meaningfully." Jason Kenney celebrates his 2017 victory as the first official leader of the Alberta United Conservative Party with his opponent, Brian Jean, at right.(Jeff McIntosh/Canadian Press ) She said the absence of a competitive third party may leave some voters who find themselves angry with the UCP considering scant alternatives: supporting the NDP, which may not be ideologically aligned with their general beliefs, or exiting the political process altogether. That scenario could present a different kind of threat to the UCP, one in which the party simply can't regain the trust of the voters who are currently disaffected and make up enough ground on the NDP. If that degree of anger against the governing party persists until the next election, Thomas believes Kenney will only have himself to blame. "In 2018 and 2019, I think Kenney's particular strategy of being willing to stoke anger was effective in the short term, but really dangerous in the long term, because once people get angry, they stay angry," she said. "The anger doesn't go away, but the target can move." The 3rd (and 4th and 5th) party voters That anger is palpable in the anti-Trudeau TikTok users who have recently turned on Kenney. But many of these folks also express support for independence parties to the UCP's right. If their words match their actions, they're not coming back to a party with Kenney at the helm anytime soon. The bigger question will be which way the genuinely "orphaned voters" who supported the UCP in the last election decide to break when (or if) they vote again in 2023. How many are angry enough to throw their support behind an upstart party further to the right than they are normally inclined to vote, especially if that party espouses full on Western separation? Conversely, how many are disillusioned enough to back the provincial New Democrats, a party that tries to position itself closer to the political centre but remains tied at the hip to the federal NDP and its staunchly left-wing politics? Further complicating the political calculus are the small but potentially meaningful group of voters who currently support one of the minor parties. Will Alberta Party supporters stick to their guns or resign themselves to a new, two-party reality and pick one side over the other? Do the Alberta Liberals continue to try to build their brand in the province, after winning zero seats and less than one per cent of the popular vote in the last election? Alberta Liberal Party leader David Khan, 2nd from left, and Alberta Party leader Stephen Mandel, at right, greet their opponents at the 2019 Alberta Leaders Debate in Edmonton. Both Khan and Mandel stepped down from their parties' helms after failing to win any seats in the ensuing election. (Codie McLachlan/Canadian Press) After decades of one-party rule, Alberta has morphed into more of a two-party political system. But Thomas believes the current lack of enthusiasm for the UCP throws the doors open for all sorts of political manoeuvres and outcomes over the next two years. "When people don't identify really forcefully with a party, it makes more space for other issues to have more of an effect," she said. Santos believes there is the possibility of the harder-right vote coalescing around a third-party alternative, but that would likely require that side of the spectrum, which is currently splintered, to see a merger of its own. Many conservatives fear a reborn Wildrose or strong separtist party on the right could split the conservative vote and allow NDP candidates to come up the middle, but Santos says that fear could also be a blessing in disguise for the UCP if push comes to shove. "If the Wildrose Party and the Independence Party merge and suddenly become a more potent electoral force, people's preferences will change," he said. "That could bleed away more supporters from the UCP on their right flank … but that could have a second-order effect of making centrists who weren't so sold on the UCP now suddenly think, well, I need to go back to the UCP to block the NDP from becoming government again." Play this game of hypothetical politics long enough, and you can come up with all sorts of different permutations of how things might unfold. It's enough to make your head spin. The bottom line is that — one way or another — the voters who currently look at the UCP and the NDP and say "none of the above" could very well be the ones who ultimately end up deciding which party wins power in two years' time.

  • A look at COVID-19 vaccinations in Canada on Tuesday, April 20, 2021

    The latest numbers on COVID-19 vaccinations in Canada as of 10:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 20, 2021. In Canada, the provinces are reporting 240,000 new vaccinations administered for a total of 10,483,418 doses given. Nationwide, 944,342 people or 2.5 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated. The provinces have administered doses at a rate of 27,661.261 per 100,000. There were 1,198 new vaccines delivered to the provinces and territories for a total of 13,304,460 doses delivered so far. The provinces and territories have used 78.8 per cent of their available vaccine supply. Please note that Newfoundland and Labrador, P.E.I., Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the territories typically do not report on a daily basis. Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting 26,085 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 138,422 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 264.35 per 1,000. In the province, 1.85 per cent (9,674) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Newfoundland and Labrador for a total of 173,840 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 33 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 79.63 per cent of its available vaccine supply. P.E.I. is reporting 7,925 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 43,018 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 271.186 per 1,000. In the province, 6.04 per cent (9,579) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to P.E.I. for a total of 53,545 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 34 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 80.34 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Nova Scotia is reporting 60,428 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 218,018 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 223.402 per 1,000. In the province, 3.31 per cent (32,255) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Nova Scotia for a total of 320,200 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 33 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 68.09 per cent of its available vaccine supply. New Brunswick is reporting 42,913 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 204,576 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 262.263 per 1,000. In the province, 2.44 per cent (19,028) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to New Brunswick for a total of 255,205 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 33 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 80.16 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Quebec is reporting 48,475 new vaccinations administered for a total of 2,448,409 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 286.141 per 1,000. There were 1,198 new vaccines delivered to Quebec for a total of 3,042,405 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 36 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 80.48 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Ontario is reporting 90,409 new vaccinations administered for a total of 3,995,187 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 271.984 per 1,000. In the province, 2.37 per cent (347,597) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Ontario for a total of 5,242,495 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 36 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 76.21 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Manitoba is reporting 9,051 new vaccinations administered for a total of 350,977 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 254.885 per 1,000. In the province, 5.08 per cent (69,997) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Manitoba for a total of 479,010 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 35 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 73.27 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Saskatchewan is reporting 5,278 new vaccinations administered for a total of 357,447 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 303.139 per 1,000. In the province, 3.64 per cent (42,950) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Saskatchewan for a total of 397,575 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 34 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 89.91 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Alberta is reporting 31,205 new vaccinations administered for a total of 1,196,428 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 271.789 per 1,000. In the province, 5.44 per cent (239,277) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Alberta for a total of 1,456,295 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 33 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 82.16 per cent of its available vaccine supply. British Columbia is reporting 34,484 new vaccinations administered for a total of 1,414,644 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 275.674 per 1,000. In the province, 1.72 per cent (88,263) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to British Columbia for a total of 1,731,470 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 34 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 81.7 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Yukon is reporting 580 new vaccinations administered for a total of 45,971 doses given. The territory has administered doses at a rate of 1,101.603 per 1,000. In the territory, 49.74 per cent (20,755) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Yukon for a total of 54,320 doses delivered so far. The territory has received enough of the vaccine to give 130 per cent of its population a single dose. The territory has used 84.63 per cent of its available vaccine supply. The Northwest Territories are reporting zero new vaccinations administered for a total of 44,646 doses given. The territory has administered doses at a rate of 989.517 per 1,000. In the territory, 42.71 per cent (19,271) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to the Northwest Territories for a total of 56,300 doses delivered so far. The territory has received enough of the vaccine to give 120 per cent of its population a single dose. The territory has used 79.3 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Nunavut is reporting 487 new vaccinations administered for a total of 25,675 doses given. The territory has administered doses at a rate of 662.991 per 1,000. In the territory, 29.13 per cent (11,282) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Nunavut for a total of 41,800 doses delivered so far. The territory has received enough of the vaccine to give 110 per cent of its population a single dose. The territory has used 61.42 per cent of its available vaccine supply. *Notes on data: The figures are compiled by the COVID-19 Open Data Working Group based on the latest publicly available data and are subject to change. Note that some provinces report weekly, while others report same-day or figures from the previous day. Vaccine doses administered is not equivalent to the number of people inoculated as the approved vaccines require two doses per person. The vaccines are currently not being administered to children under 18 and those with certain health conditions. In some cases the number of doses administered may appear to exceed the number of doses distributed as some provinces have been drawing extra doses per vial. This report was automatically generated by The Canadian Press Digital Data Desk and was first published April 20, 2021. The Canadian Press

  • High-Res Video Showing Helicopter Completing First Flight On Mars

    NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter successfully completed its first historic flight on Mars. The helicopter climbed to an altitude of 10 feet (3 meters), hovered, and then touched back down on the surface of Mars. Credit to "NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS".

  • China-linked hackers used VPN flaw to target U.S. defense industry -researchers

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) -At least two groups of China-linked hackers have spent months using a previously undisclosed vulnerability in American virtual private networking devices to spy on the U.S. defense industry, researchers and the devices' manufacturer said Tuesday. Utah-based IT company Ivanti said https://blog.pulsesecure.net/pulse-connect-secure-security-update in a statement the hackers took advantage of the flaw in its Pulse Connect Secure suite to break into the systems of "a very limited number of customers." Ivanti said https://kb.pulsesecure.net/pkb_mobile#article/l:en_US/SA44784/s that while mitigations were in place, a fix for the issue would be unavailable until early May.

  • Yukon's vaccine uptake seems to be 'stalling out,' says head of medical association

    Dr. Ryan Warshawski says he's a little bit addicted to watching Yukon's online vaccine tracker. It keeps a running tab on how many Yukoners have received their first and second doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. But Warshawski, president of the Yukon Medical Association, is a little concerned by what he's seen lately. "Every time I watch it, I try and see that needle go a little bit higher — and it seems like we're stalling out," he said. "And I worry now that the limitation is not lack of access to vaccines, or lack of access to vaccinators, but lack of interest in getting vaccinated." The last weekly update showed that 25,065 people, or 71 per cent of eligible adults in Yukon, had received their first shot as of Monday, while 20,326 people, or 59 per cent of those eligible, had also received their second shot. Warshawski calls that an "absolutely fantastic" achievement — but says there's still a ways to go in order to reach herd immunity in the territory. "The unfortunate problem with vaccines and with pandemics is, we really need to get as many people as we can vaccinated." Yukoners don't even need an appointment anymore to get vaccinated — clinics now accept walk-ins. Lower uptake in some regions So far, the lowest rate of vaccine uptake is in the central territory and the southeast. As of Monday, 47 per cent of eligible adults in central Yukon had received their second dose, compared to 74 per cent in western Yukon. Younger adults in Yukon have also been slower to get jabbed, according to the government's data. The rate of vaccination increases by age group, with those 70 years and older most likely to have received their shots. Yukon's COVID-19 vaccination rate by region, as of Monday.(Yukon government) Warshawski says there may be many reasons why the vaccination rate has slowed. "I think some people are just, you know, a little bit blasé about it. They sort of say, 'well, if I get COVID, I'm young, I'll probably be fine. I don't really feel the need to get vaccinated,'" Warshawski said. He also says some people just don't trust institutions, or don't like feeling as though they're being told what to do. "Listen, I live in the Yukon, too. I get it. You know, I don't always like being told something by an authority figure," he said. "So I would encourage anyone who has questions, who isn't sure, who's really just feeling like this is just being pushed upon them — please just talk to us. You know, call your doctor, call your community health nurse." He also recognizes that some people just won't be persuaded, no matter what. He points to misinformation that circulates online, and how some people can become deeply immersed in it. "The challenge is, is that it is virtually impossible to have a real conversation with these individuals," he said. "I don't think there's a lot of hope of me reaching some people." The Whitehorse COVID-19 vaccine clinic opened to all adults over the age of 18 last month, becoming the first capital city in Canada to do so. It's now open for walk-ins.(Steve Silva/CBC) Still, he encourages others to do what they can to battle misinformation by asking questions of their health providers, and sometimes, by pushing back on social media. "It would be wonderful if, you know, people were chiming in and we were creating sort of an online movement that was sort of evidence-based." Vaccinations, he says, still offer the best chance to move beyond the pandemic — and Yukon health officials are trying to figure out how to keep people from feeling blasé about the shot. "The reality is, I don't want to be up at three in the morning looking after COVID patients — I would rather be sleeping. You know, I would rather be taking my kids to the pool that no longer has any restrictions on it," he said. He also has a message for those who've been vaccinated already. "Take a moment, pat yourself on the back. You know, you've done the single greatest thing you can to help end this pandemic."

  • Long time coming, but budget has early childhood educators finally doing 'happy dance'

    Early childhood educators on P.E.I. are doing a "happy dance" after seeing their wish of a national child-care plan included in Monday's federal budget. If the federal Liberals carry through on the plan, the cost of child care could fall by 50 per cent by the end of 2022, with the goal of getting the price down to $10 a day by 2026. Daycares might also see better wages to help recruit and retain workers, said Jennifer Nangreaves, the executive director of the Early Childhood Development Association of P.E.I. "There were many people before me advocating for this for many, many years — going back 50 years. So it's been wished for, hoped for, so there's many people doing a happy dance." While she's excited for what the federal plan means for early childhood educators, she's also happy about what it means for parents. Currently about $680 a month The monthly cost for child care on P.E.I. is now about $680 a month, or $34 a day. "When you're thinking about how child care can sometimes be like university tuition or mortgage payments — you know, you're saving for child care — it shouldn't be that way," Nangreaves said. She said she doesn't believe Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland's budget pledge is a hollow election promise, and looks forward to seeing more details and legislative changes to make the plan a reality. "Canada's economy needs Canada's families, needs this national child-care system. It's been talked about for many years," she said. "So I think, election or not, it's happening." More from CBC P.E.I.

  • New Brunswick reports first case of 'rare blood clot' related to AstraZeneca vaccine

    FREDERICTON — New Brunswick confirmed on Tuesday a first case in the province a patient experiencing blood clots after receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. The patient in their 30s received the vaccine in mid-March, before its use was limited to people over the age of 55, chief medical officer of health Dr. Jennifer Russell said in a statement, adding that the individual has recovered. She said health officials have confirmed "a case of a rare blood clot associated with low platelets known as vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia." “While every adverse reaction is unfortunate, it is important to remember that these blood clots are extremely rare,” Russell later told reporters in Fredericton. “The vaccine helps prevent the much higher risks associated with COVID-19 infections.” She said New Brunswick will continue to provide the AstraZeneca vaccine to people 55 and older. New Brunswick on Tuesday reported no new cases of COVID-19 for the first time in more than one month. The province has 139 active reported infections and 21 patients in hospital with the disease, including eight in intensive care. A portion of the Edmundston region in the northwestern part of New Brunswick has been under a lockdown for 10 days and has the majority of the active reported cases in the province. Russell said travel continues to be the biggest factor in the spread of the novel coronavirus. "Travel is riskier now than at any other time during the pandemic," she said. "If you are going to travel, you must be prepared to properly self-isolate away from your loved ones for an entire two-week period. If you can't do that, then you really shouldn't travel." Health Minister Dorothy Shephard said the Atlantic premiers may delay the reopening of the regional travel bubble beyond May 3. The bubble would allow residents of Atlantic Canada to travel freely between the four provinces without having to isolate. Shephard said people 65 and older in New Brunswick can now schedule an appointment for their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. There will be 19,000 spaces available at clinics over the next two weeks, she added. Meanwhile, Shephard said she has issued a call for health-care workers available to respond to a request for help from Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Ontario is hard-hit by a third wave of COVID-19 that is putting its health-care system under tremendous strain. "We are seeking individuals who have the necessary skills and are able to go to Ontario to assist with their health-care efforts," Shephard said. "Specifically, Ontario is in need of nurses, respiratory therapists, perfusionists and anesthesia assistants. "While New Brunswick does not have the available resources within the regional health authorities, any health-care workers who are retired or working outside the health-care system are being encouraged to assist," the minister said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 20, 2021. Kevin Bissett, The Canadian Press

  • The latest numbers on COVID-19 in Canada for Tuesday, April 20, 2021

    The latest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 20, 2021. There are 1,139,043 confirmed cases in Canada. _ Canada: 1,139,043 confirmed cases (87,872 active, 1,027,458 resolved, 23,713 deaths).*The total case count includes 13 confirmed cases among repatriated travellers. There were 7,276 new cases Tuesday. The rate of active cases is 231.21 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 60,487 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 8,641. There were 46 new reported deaths Tuesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 321 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 46. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.12 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 62.39 per 100,000 people. There have been 30,168,562 tests completed. _ Newfoundland and Labrador: 1,048 confirmed cases (31 active, 1,011 resolved, six deaths). There were two new cases Tuesday. The rate of active cases is 5.94 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 17 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is two. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 1.15 per 100,000 people. There have been 235,541 tests completed. _ Prince Edward Island: 174 confirmed cases (13 active, 161 resolved, zero deaths). There was one new case Tuesday. The rate of active cases is 8.14 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been nine new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is one. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is zero per 100,000 people. There have been 135,297 tests completed. _ Nova Scotia: 1,831 confirmed cases (68 active, 1,696 resolved, 67 deaths). There were nine new cases Tuesday. The rate of active cases is 6.94 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 50 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is seven. There were zero new reported deaths Tuesday. Over the past seven days there has been one new reported death. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is zero. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.01 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 6.84 per 100,000 people. There have been 468,265 tests completed. _ New Brunswick: 1,797 confirmed cases (140 active, 1,624 resolved, 33 deaths). There were zero new cases Tuesday. The rate of active cases is 17.91 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 61 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is nine. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 4.22 per 100,000 people. There have been 285,774 tests completed. _ Quebec: 339,180 confirmed cases (12,363 active, 315,984 resolved, 10,833 deaths). There were 1,136 new cases Tuesday. The rate of active cases is 144.18 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 9,708 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,387. There were 17 new reported deaths Tuesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 77 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 11. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.13 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 126.34 per 100,000 people. There have been 7,878,652 tests completed. _ Ontario: 424,911 confirmed cases (42,941 active, 374,213 resolved, 7,757 deaths). There were 3,469 new cases Tuesday. The rate of active cases is 291.44 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 30,232 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 4,319. There were 22 new reported deaths Tuesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 175 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 25. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.17 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 52.65 per 100,000 people. There have been 13,424,896 tests completed. _ Manitoba: 36,470 confirmed cases (1,783 active, 33,727 resolved, 960 deaths). There were 211 new cases Tuesday. The rate of active cases is 129.27 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 1,017 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 145. There was one new reported death Tuesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of nine new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is one. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.09 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 69.6 per 100,000 people. There have been 635,043 tests completed. _ Saskatchewan: 38,651 confirmed cases (2,640 active, 35,546 resolved, 465 deaths). There were 249 new cases Tuesday. The rate of active cases is 223.98 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 1,759 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 251. There were zero new reported deaths Tuesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of eight new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is one. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.1 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 39.45 per 100,000 people. There have been 729,935 tests completed. _ Alberta: 173,531 confirmed cases (18,481 active, 153,002 resolved, 2,048 deaths). There were 1,345 new cases Tuesday. The rate of active cases is 417.94 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 10,412 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,487. There were five new reported deaths Tuesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 27 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is four. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.09 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 46.32 per 100,000 people. There have been 3,957,488 tests completed. _ British Columbia: 120,889 confirmed cases (9,377 active, 109,973 resolved, 1,539 deaths). There were 849 new cases Tuesday. The rate of active cases is 182.16 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 7,187 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,027. There was one new reported death Tuesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 24 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is three. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.07 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 29.9 per 100,000 people. There have been 2,381,346 tests completed. _ Yukon: 77 confirmed cases (two active, 74 resolved, one death). There were zero new cases Tuesday. The rate of active cases is 4.76 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of two new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 2.38 per 100,000 people. There have been 8,822 tests completed. _ Northwest Territories: 43 confirmed cases (zero active, 43 resolved, zero deaths). There were zero new cases Tuesday. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of zero new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is zero per 100,000 people. There have been 17,005 tests completed. _ Nunavut: 428 confirmed cases (33 active, 391 resolved, four deaths). There were five new cases Tuesday. The rate of active cases is 83.86 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 33 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is five. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 10.16 per 100,000 people. There have been 10,422 tests completed. This report was automatically generated by The Canadian Press Digital Data Desk and was first published April 20, 2021. The Canadian Press

  • Border towns, tourist destinations brace for B.C. travel restrictions

    Communities on both sides of the Alberta-British Columbia border are bracing for travel restrictions that the B.C. government says will be coming Friday. At a news conference Monday, B.C. Premier John Horgan announced that travel restrictions are in the works that are expected to be in place through the Victoria Day weekend in May. Horgan said his government has been working with the tourism industry to reject bookings from people travelling outside their local areas, and that orders are in the works to stop people from leaving their health authority's region for non-essential reasons. He said there will be random audits of travellers, and that BC Ferries will stop taking recreational vehicle bookings. There's a plan to post signs along the Alberta-B.C. border, reminding travellers that they should only be entering B.C. for essential reasons, an addition that will be a bit strange to see, said Grande Prairie Coun. Dylan Bressey. "There are a lot of unknowns, but it definitely is hard when you are in one of these border areas that really does seem like a region unto its own, instead of two different provinces," he said Monday. He said he hopes the restrictions make allowance for people who cross the border to work, for outdoor recreation, and for B.C. residents who travel to Grande Prairie to shop for essentials because it's the largest centre in the region. Across the border in Dawson Creek, B.C., Mayor Dale Bumstead echoed the concern for balancing the economic impact against the threat of COVID-19. Bumstead said that as of Monday, his community in northern B.C. had the highest rate of COVID-19 per 100,000. He said essential workers in the energy, agriculture, and forestry sectors moving between the two provinces keep the border busy, but that he understands the need to put a stop to non-essential travel through the corridor. "We need to find a way to flatten this curve of this virus impacting our community," he said. Tough on tourist locales Further south, communities popular with Albertans for both visits and vacation homes are preparing to weather another hit to their economies. Fernie, B.C. Mayor Ange Qualizza said she'll wait to hear the details Friday, but said whatever the health restrictions are she'll advise people to follow them. For Albertans who have vacation homes in her community, she's said she's hopeful the restrictions are short-lived. "To have those folks either locked out or feeling unwelcome — that's not what we want. But what we do want is for all of us to stay safe, not be bringing variants back and forth to each other and respect the travel orders in both of our provinces," she said. Tourism Kelowna said in a statement Monday it has halted marketing efforts outside the central Okanagan region back in November, and will continue to focus on encouraging local residents to stay local and support businesses at home. Officials advise against travel As the third wave has hit some regions hard in recent weeks, health officials have warned against recreational travel between provinces. In a statement Monday, Alberta Health spokesperson Tom McMillan said Alberta hadn't yet received any details about the restrictions from B.C. "We continue to strongly recommend against any non-essential travel outside of the province," he said. Earlier this month while speaking to concerns about variant spread, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam raised avoiding recreational travel and visits to other provinces as a key way to stop transmission. "Do not travel for recreational purposes outside your own locality. Right now, that's really important," Tam said.

  • Say it ain't snow! 5 cm in the forecast for Windsor

    It may be late April, but Windsor-Essex is about to get another visit from Old Man Winter. For Tuesday afternoon, there's a 40 per cent chance of rain or snow, according to Environment Canada and winds of 20 km/h are also in the forecast. The evening is expected to bring snow, but not as much as originally predicted. On Tuesday morning, the weather agency said between five and 10 centimetres of snow are expected but later downgraded the snowfall amount to five centimetres. Temperatures are forecast to drop to a low of zero. Chatham-Kent and Sarnia are also in line for five centimetres of snow Tuesday night. The low of zero won't be enough to beat the record low for this day in Windsor, which was set in 1956 with -3.3 C. There's a chance of flurries on Wednesday as well, but temperatures are expected to return to double-digits later this week in Windsor, with a high of 12 C on Thursday and 16 C on Friday. Earlier this spring, Windsor-Essex saw temperatures way above seasonal, with several days with temperatures higher than 20 C.

  • Indigenous woman whose violent arrest at Saskatoon store was caught on video traumatized by incident: lawyer

    Annette Custer, who identified herself Tuesday as the woman involved in a videotaped incident where she was pinned to the ground by a Saskatoon FreshCo security guard, "had her dignity stripped from her," says a lawyer representing the Indigenous woman. "Too often … this type of treatment of Indigenous people, especially Indigenous women, goes unnoticed," said Michael Seed, legal counsel for the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations. "It gets routed into the shadows and gets forgotten." On Tuesday, the FSIN — which represents 74 Saskatchewan First Nations — held a press conference demanding accountability from the Saskatoon Police Service and elected officials following the incident. "We know the abuse of authority … happens," Custer said. "It happens in our city, it happens in our communities." A nine-minute video showing the altercation at the FreshCo on Saskatoon's 33rd Street W. last Wednesday shows a man who identifies himself as the grocery store security guard trying to force handcuffs on the woman, who has now been identified as Custer. What led to the incident is not entirely clear. Seed says after Custer was pinned to the ground, she sustained physical and psychological injuries, but he did not elaborate on their extent. GRAPHIC WARNING | Video of altercation between Annette Custer and security guard: Custer has been charged with theft and assault following the incident. She remains the only person charged. Seed said he wants Custer's complaint against the security guard investigated and wants police to bring forth charges against the security guard. A spokesperson for Saskatoon police said the incident remains under investigation, and that if police need to seek an opinion from the Crown on whether to lay charges they will do so. Public Prosecutions will review any referral made by police. The Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety's Private Investigator's and Security Guards Programs is also reviewing the incident. Saskatchewan Attorney General and Justice Minister Gord Wyant issued a statement condemning all forms of racism, discrimination, intolerance and bigotry. However, because the matter remains under investigation he declined to provide further comment. Management at the FreshCo location where the incident took place said they've terminated their contract with ESM Solutions — the company that employed the guard — as a result of the incident. The store's owner, Chris Fowler, said in a Facebook post last week he was "shocked and horrified" by the incident. Indigenous communities traumatized by incident Custer, a 30-year-old mother who is originally from Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation in northern Saskatchewan, remains traumatized, Seed said. She publicly identified herself as the person involved in the incident for the first time at Tuesday's press conference, but she did not speak. "Annette is going to be scarred for the rest of her life," said Prince Albert Grand Council Vice-Chief Chris Jobb. But the incident, which was recorded by a witness, didn't just traumatize Custer, says FSIN Vice-Chief David Pratt. "This is something that's very traumatic for all of us to witness," he said. Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Vice-Chief David Pratt, right, addresses Annette Custer and her partner during a press conference Tuesday at the Dakota Dunes Resort Hotel in Saskatoon. (Chanss Lagaden/CBC) The federation fields daily phone calls from Indigenous people facing discrimination within every Saskatchewan sector, including health, child welfare, justice and education, said Pratt. "Saskatchewan has a racism problem, whether people want to acknowledge that or not. Whether they're government or sitting in this society, it has to be addressed," Pratt said. He is calling for a provincewide anti-racism strategy, and for mandatory Indigenous studies classes in the school system. "People need to know the true history of what's happened to our people, and why we're where we are today. Otherwise, these acts of violence will continue," Pratt said. "If she was a white woman, would that have happened? That's the question we have to ask ourselves." Violence against women FSIN Vice-Chief Heather Bear said the force Custer faced is fuelled by violence against women. "This is not an isolated incident. [It's] an incident that occurs more often than not when it comes to Indigenous women and girls: the mistreatment, the abuse, the attacks, the racism, the marginalization," Bear said. Custer's experience is a clear example of systemic racism that needs to be addressed, she said. "You have laws to protect animals that don't get treated like this," said Bear. "We need to have better effort for training and cultural sensitivity."

  • Seriously ill COVID-19 patients from Southern Ontario being transferred to ICU in Sudbury

    The seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario has taken a step closer to Sudbury. Health Sciences North confirmed Monday that one seriously ill Southern Ontario COVID-19 patient is being transferred to Sudbury. More COVID-19 patients are expected and Sudbury patients, who are not seriously sick, might be sent to other hospitals across Northern Ontario for the time being. "We are in a tough spot provincially with active cases, hospitalizations and ICU admissions. The situation is serious and we know these trends will continue this way for the short term, which is why most hospitals have ramped down activities to redeploy staff to repurpose acute beds into critical care beds," said Dominic Giroux, the president and CEO of HSN. "At this stage, we have received a request to accept one COVID patient from the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). That patient has not been transferred yet (3 p.m. Monday). And the Sault area hospital has also been asked to admit a COVID patient in critical care from central Ontario," Giroux said, saying he expects a number of similar requests to happen in the coming days. Giroux said that so far, the transfers of critical care patients from the south have all been COVID-19 patients. He said the method of transportation, whether by land or air, depends on availability of transport and the location of the hospital in Southern Ontario. Giroux also confirmed that the arrival of additional patients from the South would mean some services being ramped down at HSN. "We are preparing for that eventuality while northern hospitals weren't excluded at this stage from the provincial surgical ramp down, HSN is supporting the provincial approach as we know the system needs to work as one." He said HSN is responding as part of the provincial hospital network to the growing need for critical care beds that has been driven by the increase in COVID-19 cases in Southern Ontario. "We are stepping up to the plate to do all that we can to help by extending our critical care capacity and being ready to accept ICU patients from hot spot regions when necessary," said Giroux. He outlined the local ICU numbers as being nearly three-quarters of regular capacity. "As of today for instance, our occupancy in ICU is 73 per cent. Thirty of our 41 critical care beds have patients receiving care. We have the ability in the short-term as required to increase our ICU capacity from 41 beds to 53 beds. And should that be required then we would need to redeploy some staff. This of course would require us to ramp down some surgical and other clinical services," Giroux explained. He added that any decision to ramp down clinical services in Sudbury would be done "in a thoughtful and prudent way". Giroux said the plans are ready to open and staff additional critical care beds, in increments of five, 10 or 15 additional beds. "One of the measures that helps, of course we have been preparing for this for months, one of the steps we've taken as you know is to open 40 beds in Daffodil Lodge, which has created additional bed capacity in the hospital." In addition to that, said Giroux, the province last week asked long-term care (LTC) homes throughout the province to re-open 1,500 LTC beds that were closed for various reasons back during the first wave of the pandemic. Along with that, Giroux said all new hospital patients are being told that the potential is there they might be transferred out to another hospital, if their personal situation does not require critical care. "So for patients from Sudbury, this could mean a transfer to a hospital in Espanola, to Manitoulin Island or Parry Sound. These hospitals regularly transfer patients to and from HSN. We have a high degree of connection to them," said Giroux. "And if patients are from another part of Northeastern Ontario, it could mean sending them back to their local hospital sooner than planned." HSN is not alone with having to cope with changes, he said. He said hospitals across the province are facing decisions on cutting back some clinical programs in order to bolster critical care. "There is no doubt that as we continue to see a surge in the number of critical care patients in the province, including for COVID-19, this leads all hospitals including HSN to have to redeploy staffing and potentially reduce non-critical care services.” He said the approach is not to target any one particular medical unit at the hospital, but to target those medical professionals, physicians and nurses that have the training, the expertise and ability to practise the full scope of critical care. "As these staff members are pulled in to staff additional critical care beds then in each of their home departments we would need to ramp down specific services," said Giroux. Giroux said that is the current approach, but then again, that, too, could change. "There may be a time the province will order a ramp down of all clinical services in Northern Ontario hospitals, as was done recently in Southern Ontario hospitals. But that is not the approach currently in the North," he said. Giroux added that anyone doubting the dire situation that is in Ontario right now only has to look at the numbers. "It is very serious. There are now more than 2,200 patients in Ontario hospitals will COVID. That number doubled since the beginning of April. It is way beyond the peak of Wave One, where there were 1,700 hospitalizations at the peak," Giroux explained. "The situation is particularly concerning in ICUs. There are more than 750 patients with COVID patients in ICUs today. At the peak in Wave One we had only 400 patients in ICUs." Len Gillis is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter at Sudbury.com, covering health care in Northern Ontario. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the federal government. Len Gillis, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Sudbury.com