Large bolts of lightning flash overhead in Waterloo, Ontario.
BELGRADE, Serbia — Hamid Ahmadi still can feel the cold of the February night when Serbian police left him and two dozen other refugees in a forest. Crammed into a police van, the refugees from Afghanistan thought they were headed to an asylum-seekers' camp in eastern Serbia. Instead, they were ordered out near the country's border with Bulgaria in the middle of that night four years ago. In below-freezing temperatures and desperately in need of help, they had no choice but to head to Bulgaria — the country they had left just a day earlier. “I will not forget it as long as I live,” said Ahmadi, who was 17 at the time and now lives in Germany. “Even after a period of good life and stability, one cannot forget the tough times.” The Serbian border police had engaged in a pushback, or collective expulsion, one of many such actions along the travel routes used by migrants and refugees trying to reach Western Europe. But unlike most such illegal deportations, the officers' actions in February 2017 resulted in the Afghan refugees winning an unprecedented legal victory in Serbia's highest court. The Balkan country's constitutional Court ruled in December that the border control officers unlawfully deported the refugees and violated their rights. The court also ordered Serbian authorities to pay the 17 members of the group who brought the lawsuit 1,000 euros ($1,180) each in compensation. “The importance of this verdict is immense for Serbia,” said Belgrade lawyer Nikola Kovacevic, who represented the refugees in the case. It sends a “clear message to state authorities to harmonize their border practices with domestic and international law." The ruling is a rare official acknowledgment that countries in Europe conduct pushbacks in violation of European Union and international laws which ban forcibly returning people to other countries without looking into their individual circumstances or allowing them to apply for asylum. Although refugees and economic migrants passing through the Balkans regularly give accounts of the practice, authorities routinely deny that their agencies carry out pushbacks, which are difficult to prove and mostly go unpunished. Turned back and forth at various borders, people fleeing war and poverty spend months, if not years, on the road, exposed to harsh conditions and danger in the hands of people-smugglers and human traffickers. Sometimes, refugees and migrants are sent back over two or three borders it had taken them months to cross. Human rights groups have called repeatedly for governments to uphold their responsibilities involving refugee rights and accused the European Union of turning a blind eye to the illegal activity taking place at its doorstep. The United Nations mission in Bosnia called this month for urgent action to halt pushbacks along EU member Croatia's border with Bosnia after a U.N. team encountered 50 men with wounds on their bodies who reported authorities pushed them back and took their possessions away when they tried to enter Croatia. According to the U.N. refugee agency's office in Serbia and its partners, 25,180 people were pushed back into Serbia from Croatia, Bosnia, Hungary and Romania last year. Kovacevic, the lawyer in Serbia, said collective expulsions became increasingly common after the EU and Turkey made a 2016 agreement intended to curb migration to Europe. More than a million people from the Middle East, Africa and Asia had streamed to the continent the year before. The agreement called for Turkey to control the flow of people departing its territory in exchange for aid for the large number of Syrian refugees in Turkey, as well as other incentives. “All the borders have introduced the practice of systematic violations of the ban on collective expulsions,” Kovacevic said. “But at least now in Serbia, this was officially confirmed, not by a non-government organization, local or foreign, but the highest authority for protection of human rights.” To hide any evidence of wrongdoing, border control officers routinely strip refugees of mobile phones or documents. In the case of Ahmadi and the others, a clear trace of evidence was left behind thanks to what Kovacevic said was the “blatant arrogance” of the Serbian police who “thought they could do whatever they wanted." It started on Feb. 2, 2017, when 25 migrants, including nine children, were caught at the border with Bulgaria and brought to a nearby police station in Serbia. They were kept for hours in a basement room, then taken before a judge to face charges of illegally crossing the border. The judge, however, ruled that the group should be treated as refugees and taken to an asylum centre. Ahmadi, who spoke to the AP from Germany through an interpreter, said he clearly remembers when the judge asked them if they wanted to stay in Serbia. He said he was happy they would finally have a place in the camp after travelling through Turkey and Bulgaria. Hours later, inside the border police van that was supposed to take them to the camp, Ahmadi realized something was wrong. When police abandoned them in the forest, “I felt broken," he recalled. “I thought about my family at home." In the pitch dark and freezing temperatures, the refugees headed on foot toward Bulgaria — and straight into the hands of border police in that country. They managed to phone an interpreter in Serbia, who alerted refugee rights activists in both Serbia and in Bulgaria. The refugees stayed in camps in Bulgaria, some for days and others longer, before making it back to Serbia again and later moving on toward Western Europe. The rights lawyers later collected documentation left behind by the Serbian court and the Bulgarian authorities, establishing a clear trace of events that helped build the case in the court. Four years later, Kovacevic is trying to establish contact with all the people from Afghanistan he represented; they are scattered in countries that also include France and Bosnia. Coronavirus lockdowns have made it more difficult to establish contact and arrange money transfers for the damages they won, he said. “It’s taking a little longer, but we will get there,” smiled Kovacevic. Ahmadi, who was granted asylum in Germany five months ago, said he plans to use the damages to help him and his wife start a new life in Europe. He is now taking German language lessons before looking for a job. “This compensation means a lot to me,” he said. “I will be able to buy a bed and a little something for our flat once we rent it.” ___ Follow AP’s global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration Jovana Gec, The Associated Press
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) reported 66 new COVID-19 cases and no new deaths on Sunday. Since the pandemic began, there have been 14,803 COVID-19 cases recorded in Windsor-Essex and 409 deaths, according to WECHU. There are 472 known active cases in the region. Among Sunday's cases, 28 are close contacts of confirmed cases, 12 are community-acquired and 26 are still being investigated. There are 20 people in hospital in the region, with four in the intensive care unit. According to WECHU, 118,676 residents have received at least one dose of a vaccine — 105,988 people have received their first dose of the vaccine and 12,688 have received both doses. The public health authorities identified 458 preliminary or confirmed variant of concern cases. There are seven ongoing outbreaks. They include one school outbreak in St. John Vianney Catholic School in Windsor. Six workplaces have active outbreaks, including: One in Leamington's agriculture sector. Three in Windsor's health care & social assistance sector. One in LaSalle's manufacturing sector. One in Windsor's manufacturing sector.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Sunday that he plans to propose his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden an extension of one of his key welfare programs to Central America to help curb immigration. "What I want to propose is that the program Sembrando Vida is implemented in Central America," Lopez Obrador said in a video message from Palenque in southern Mexico. One of Lopez Obrador's key welfare programs, Sembrando Vida aims to provide Mexicans with work and support the country's agriculture.
WASHINGTON — Less than three months after former President Donald Trump left the White House, the race to succeed him is already beginning. Trump's former secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has launched an aggressive schedule visiting states that will play a pivotal role in the 2024 Republican primaries and he has signed a contract with Fox News Channel. Mike Pence, Trump's former vice-president, has started a political advocacy group, finalized a book deal and later this month will give his first speech since leaving office in South Carolina. And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been courting donors, including in Trump's backyard, with a prominent speaking slot before the former president at a GOP fundraising retreat dinner this month at Mar-a-Lago, the Florida resort where Trump now lives. Trump ended his presidency with such a firm grip on Republican voters that party leaders fretted he would freeze the field of potential 2024 candidates, delaying preparations as he teased another run. Instead, many Republicans with national ambitions are openly laying the groundwork for campaigns as Trump continues to mull his own plans. They’re raising money, making hires and working to bolster their name recognition. The moves reflect both the fervour in the party to reclaim the White House and the reality that mounting a modern presidential campaign is a yearslong endeavour. “You build the arc before it rains,” said Michael Steel, a Republican strategist who worked for Jeb Bush’s presidential 2016 campaign, among others. “They’re going to do the things they need to do if he decides not to run.” Trump, at least for now, is giving them plenty of leeway, convinced they pose little threat to his own ambitions. “It’s a free country. Folks can do what they want," Trump adviser Jason Miller said in response to the moves. “But,” he added, “if Present Trump does decide to run in 2024, the nomination will be his if you’re paying any attention to public polling of Republican voters." Polling does indeed show that Trump remains a commanding figure among GOP voters, despite his loss in November to Democrat Joe Biden. Republican leaders, including those who may hope to someday succeed him, have been careful to tend to his ego and make clear they have no plans to challenge his standing. Florida Sen. Rick Scott, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, last weekend awarded Trump a new “Champion for Freedom Award," which the group publicized — complete with a photo of a smiling, golf-attired Trump holding a small, gleaming cup — even after the former president went after Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky in a profanity-laden speech. A day later, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who many consider a top-tier 2024 candidate, told The Associated Press that she will sit out the race if Trump runs again. “I would not run if President Trump ran, and I would talk to him about it," she said in Orangeburg, South Carolina. “That’s something that we’ll have a conversation about at some point, if that decision is something that has to be made.” The deference is, in part, an acknowledgement of Trump's continued power. Even out of office and without his Twitter megaphone, Trump remains deeply popular with the GOP base and is bolstered by an $85 million war chest that can be shared with endorsed candidates, spent on advertising and used to fund travel and pay for polling and consultants. Trump is making plans to soon increase his visibility, with aides discussing options to hold rallies as soon as late spring or summer. “There’s a pretty strong demand out there to get President Trump on the road,” Miller said. Many Republicans acknowledge Trump would leap to the front of the pack if he chooses to mount a bid to become the only president other than Grover Cleveland to serve two nonconsecutive terms. Still, there is deep skepticism in many corners of the party that Trump will run again. While people close to him insist he is serious, many see Trump’s continued flirtations as a means to maintain relevance as he has settled into a comfortable post-White House life. At Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, he's courted by candidates and met by rounds of applause and standing ovations whenever he enters the dining room. In the meantime, other could-be-candidates are making moves, even as many of their aides insist their focus is squarely on next year's congressional elections and helping Republicans win back control of the House and Senate. Jeff Kaufmann, the chair of the Iowa Republican party, said the activity in his state has begun even earlier this year than in the past two election cycles, with every candidate on his potential 2024 list having already visited or thinking of visiting the first state on the GOP nominating calendar. “I know of no one — honestly no one — that is hesitating to come out," he said. "Now some are a little more subtle than others, but that may not necessarily be tied to Donald Trump. That may be just tied into their campaign style and not wanting to get too far ahead of their skis until they see if they have any traction whatsoever.” Pompeo, arguably the most aggressive to date, is among those who has already spent time in Iowa, as well as New Hampshire, and this week past he addressed Rabbi Shmuley Boteach’s World Values Network in New York, where he was introduced by video by Republican megadonor Miriam Adelson. And on Saturday, he headlined the Palm Beach County Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Day dinner at Mar-a-Lago along with Scott and DeSantis. DeSantis, who is up for reelection next year, recently hired a top Republican strategist who served as executive director of the Republican Governors Association. DeSantis also has been using the race build a deep fundraising network that could support him if he chooses to run nationally. The party, which for a time appeared to be paralyzed by division, has grown more united in its opposition to Biden, even as Trump continues to spar with McConnell and works to defeat incumbents who voted for his impeachment. Republicans in Congress have found common cause railing against Biden’s border policies, voting against his COVID-19 relief bill and pushing for new restrictions on voting, while railing against corporate interference in the voting rights debate. “I think you would find broad agreement in our party that we need to be having the debate about policy," said Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyoming, the No. 3 House Republican, who continues to face enormous backlash after voting for Trump's impeachment. “We need to be talking about policy," she said while speaking to Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service last week. Regardless of Trump's ultimate decision, his critics and acolytes alike say they see the future of the party as dependent on maintaining their appeal Trump voters, while at the same time winning back the suburban voters who abandoned them last fall. “I think everyone’s trying to find that magic combination of ‘Trump-plus,’ of continuing to appeal to the new voters that President Trump brought to the Republican coalition while also bringing back back some of the college-educated suburban folks that were repelled by his antics,” said Steel. ___ Associated Press writer Meg Kinnard in Orangeburg, South Carolina, contributed to this report. Jill Colvin, The Associated Press
Friends and family are concerned about the well-being of a 65-year-old missing man in Moncton, N.B., who doesn't speak English or French. Abdulgadir Nur was last seen Thursday around 11:30 a.m. on Paul Street in Dieppe. He speaks Tigrinya, a language common to Eritrea and parts of Ethiopia, and some Arabic. Nancy Biddington, a friend of the family, has been part of a group searching for Nur since he was last seen. "We're very concerned," she said. Biddington described Nur as shy and said he is not likely to ask for help because of the language barrier. According to Biddington, Nur doesn't know his way around Moncton very well, aside from his daily travels in his neighborhood, and only walks or takes the bus. RCMP along with family and friends are searching for Abdulgadir Nur.(Submitted by Codiac Regional RCMP) "He only goes from his house to the language class," she said, noting he sometimes stop at the mall. Nur was missing once before. In September 2020, he was lost in the city for a day before he was found, according to Biddington. "He was just lost and he didn't know where he was," she said. "He was just walking. He didn't know how to get back home." Biddington said family and friends think that may have happened again. They have been searching the city for him. A group of 30 people searched for Nur until close to midnight Saturday. Searchers were planning to head out to look for Nur again Sunday afternoon. Nancy's husband, Ken, said they are asking people to check their backyards for Nur. Codiac Regional RCMP described Nur as five-foot-three and about 185 pounds. He has short white hair, a white beard, and brown eyes. Anyone with information on Nur's whereabouts is asked to contact the RCMP at 506-857-2400.
The woman who shot a video of a violent arrest by a private security guard at a Saskatoon FreschCo. earlier this week says she was frozen in fear as she watched the incident unfold before her. Now, after taking some time to reflect and steady herself, she says she's glad she recorded the video, but wishes she had stepped in. Jade Acikahte watched the entire arrest unfold, saying the Indigenous woman complied with the security guard fully before she was arrested. Acikahte says the security guard stopped the woman as she was leaving the store on 33rd Street West in the city's Mayfair Neighbourhood, and said he suspected her of theft. She says that when asked, the woman followed instructions from the man fully, emptying the contents of her purse as requested. However, when that didn't satisfy the guard, the man told the woman to follow him back to the store, at which time she said she didn't want to. "As she was putting her stuff back in her purse, she said 'No, I don't want to go with you. I'm not going with you,'" Acikahte said. The guard was blocking the woman's path, according to Acikahte, when the woman tried to walk away. Acikahte said the security guard grabbed the woman by her wrist and tried to force her into handcuffs. When she fought back, the man threw her to the ground. "With her hands still behind her back, so she wasn't able to brace for that fall," she said, and at that point, that's when she took out her phone and started to record. The incident has spurred calls for the security guard in the video to be fired and has already resulted in the termination of the contract between the FreshCo. store and the security firm that employs him. The woman, a 30-year-old, has been charged with theft under $5,000 and assault as a result of the incident. Calls for guard to be fired, charged The security guard has not been charged, but many — including Indigenous leaders with the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations and the Saskatoon Tribal Council — want that to change. They also want all charges against the woman dropped. As for Acikahte, she says she had never seen anything like the arrest before, noting she agrees the guard should be fired and charged. "I felt really confused and scared for her," she said. "All I know is that I had to record." A photo of Jade Acikahte, an Indigenous woman in Saskatoon who recorded a violent arrest in a Saskatoon parking lot by a private security guard on April 14,2021. (Supplied by Jade Acikahte ) The company that employs the guard, Emergency Security Management Solutions, has told CBC News previously that every company has its policies and procedures around their employees and says they will be followed. Acikahte says the recording has been shared with police, as she does not feel the guard's behaviour was appropriate. It's also circulated widely online, with the original post being shared almost 2,000 times. WATCH | Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations calls for security guard to be fired following violent arrest at Saskatoon store: Acikahte, who saw photos of the arrests aftermath, says the woman in the video suffered numerous injuries as a result. "It was literally her entire body," she said. Acikahte, who is also Indigenous, says the fact the woman was charged as a result of the incident is "absolutely outrageous." "Just witnessing it from beginning to end, the force he used at the very beginning was just not necessary," she said. "I feel like she acted out of self-defence. Completely." However, Acikahte says while the video was shocking, it wasn't surprising, as it's a sign of a larger problem. "This is normal life for Indigenous people. I really hope that this situation can be an example and it's rectified in a positive way," she said. "It's upsetting. It's really, really upsetting to watch this unfold." Mayor addresses racism, profiling Saskatoon's Mayor Charlie Clark has also publicly stated the video has left him feeling angry, and this type of violence "needs to stop. "We can't ignore as a community that not everyone would have been treated this way. Our city has been coming to terms with the reality of our history and ongoing impacts of violence against women, and violence against Indigenous women," said Clark in the statement. "We have also been coming face to face with the reality that systemic racism, and profiling of people in stores and institutions in our community, carries on in large and small ways," he said. "The video of this arrest highlighted this. I hear too often from people who are Indigenous, Black, and people of colour that they regularly face discrimination, profiling and violence." In the statement, Clark says this type of violence has a real impact on a person's life and those who do not experience need to "listen and hear directly from people who do. "We have work to do to address the training and accountability of security guards, the racial profiling of people in stores and institutions, to address the hard truths of the impacts of a colonial relationship, and to build a way forward where we see each other as relatives and where everyone has opportunity here." Clark says he's committed to the work necessary to bring an end to this type of injustice and has already had communication with Saskatoon Tribal Chief Mark Arcand on steps forward. "I will keep working with leaders throughout the community towards these goals," he said in the statement. "We can only be successful by doing it together as a community." The woman has been offered support by both the FSIN and the STC, and Acikahte says she too will do all she can to help. She's spoken to the woman about why she didn't get involved, as she was afraid of charges, and for her safety and said the conversation was important. "I apologized profusely for not stepping in for not being more help," she said. "She was not upset with me. She was not angry with any of us bystanders, she was glad it was recorded." On Friday morning, the Saskatoon Police Service confirmed its investigation into the matter is ongoing, but did not have any updates. "As with any call for service, we respond with the information we have at the time," the statement said. "I can add that if we need to seek an opinion from the Crown following the investigation, we will."
The latest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday April 18, 2021. There are 1,121,498 confirmed cases in Canada. Canada: 1,121,498 confirmed cases (87,925 active, 1,009,950 resolved, 23,623 deaths).*The total case count includes 13 confirmed cases among repatriated travellers. There were 7,593 new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is 231.35 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 59,023 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 8,432. There were 32 new reported deaths Sunday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 294 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 42. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.11 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 62.16 per 100,000 people. There have been 29,907,670 tests completed. Newfoundland and Labrador: 1,043 confirmed cases (26 active, 1,011 resolved, six deaths). There was one new case Sunday. The rate of active cases is 4.98 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there has been 14 new case. 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 234,141 tests completed. Prince Edward Island: 170 confirmed cases (10 active, 160 resolved, zero deaths). There were three new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is 6.26 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of eight 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 134,704 tests completed. Nova Scotia: 1,807 confirmed cases (49 active, 1,691 resolved, 67 deaths). There were seven new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is five per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 39 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is six. There were zero new reported deaths Sunday. 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 464,263 tests completed. New Brunswick: 1,788 confirmed cases (154 active, 1,601 resolved, 33 deaths). There were 10 new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is 19.71 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 66 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 283,622 tests completed. Quebec: 336,952 confirmed cases (13,449 active, 312,701 resolved, 10,802 deaths). There were 1,344 new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is 156.85 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 10,569 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,510. There were nine new reported deaths Sunday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 60 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is nine. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.1 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 125.98 per 100,000 people. There have been 7,813,292 tests completed. Ontario: 416,995 confirmed cases (41,588 active, 367,691 resolved, 7,716 deaths). There were 4,250 new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is 282.26 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 30,387 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 4,341. There were 18 new reported deaths Sunday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 164 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 23. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.16 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 52.37 per 100,000 people. There have been 13,328,247 tests completed. Manitoba: 36,159 confirmed cases (1,688 active, 33,512 resolved, 959 deaths). There were 170 new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is 122.38 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 946 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 135. There was one new reported death Sunday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 10 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 69.53 per 100,000 people. There have been 626,901 tests completed. Saskatchewan: 38,160 confirmed cases (2,742 active, 34,953 resolved, 465 deaths). There were 289 new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is 232.63 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 1,856 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 265. There was one new reported death Sunday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 11 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is two. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.13 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 39.45 per 100,000 people. There have been 723,594 tests completed. Alberta: 170,795 confirmed cases (17,935 active, 150,820 resolved, 2,040 deaths). There were 1,516 new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is 405.6 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 9,893 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,413. There were three new reported deaths Sunday. 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 46.13 per 100,000 people. There have been 3,913,177 tests completed. British Columbia: 117,080 confirmed cases (10,259 active, 105,291 resolved, 1,530 deaths). There were zero new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is 199.29 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 5,221 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 746. There were zero new reported deaths Sunday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 21 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is three. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.06 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 29.72 per 100,000 people. There have been 2,349,763 tests completed. Yukon: 76 confirmed cases (two active, 73 resolved, one deaths). There were zero new cases Sunday. 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 8,740 tests completed. Northwest Territories: 43 confirmed cases (one active, 42 resolved, zero deaths). There were zero new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is 2.21 per 100,000 people. 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 16,904 tests completed. Nunavut: 417 confirmed cases (22 active, 391 resolved, four deaths). There were three new cases Sunday. The rate of active cases is 55.9 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 22 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is three. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 10.16 per 100,000 people. There have been 10,246 tests completed. This report was automatically generated by The Canadian Press Digital Data Desk and was first published April 18, 2021. The Canadian Press
For decades, McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., has been a hub for research on blood and its diseases — known as hematology — but in recent weeks it has taken on an even more prominent role in the field: working to identify the rare blood-clotting syndrome linked to certain COVID-19 vaccines. The lab, a small space on the third floor of the university hospital, is the only one in Canada with the equipment and expertise to test for the syndrome, known as vaccine-induced prothrombotic immune thrombocytopenia, or VIPIT. "It's not that huge, but it is the centre of the country right now," said Dr. Ishac Nazy, associate professor of medicine at McMaster and director of the McMaster Platelet Immunology Laboratory. So far, the lab has only tested about a dozen samples from across the country that are potentially linked to the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine. The test is completed within 24 to 48 hours. Two people in Canada, a woman in Quebec and a man in Alberta, have had confirmed cases. Both received treatment and are recovering. The lab has tested about a dozen samples so far potentially linked to the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine. The test is completed within two days. (McMaster University) Dr. Menaka Pai, a clinical hematologist at McMaster who isn't affiliated with the lab, said being able to quickly identify the syndrome will be crucial in properly treating it. Pai said the syndrome, VIPIT, occurs when the body's immune system begins to attack blood platelets, leading to clotting in the brain in some rare cases. "If things happen, we can help with that. And I think that's a silver lining message," said Pai, a member of Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. The initial reports out of Europe, Pai pointed out, suggested a mortality rate of roughly 40 per cent blood clots linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine. But Pai believes that rate is likely to be substantially reduced, as more cases are more quickly identified and the treatment of them improves. A key aspect is avoiding heparin, a blood-thinning medication commonly used to treat some kinds of clots — but which seems to make VIPIT worse. Hamilton lab in a 'unique position' The lab's founders at McMaster were, in the 1970s, the first to discover heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, a clotting condition that can occur in patients given heparin. The team now uses a variation of the same test to identify potential cases of VIPIT. Experts have warned against prescribing heparin in such cases. "It just so happens that the blood clot issue that we're seeing with the vaccine is very much overlapping with one of these pretty rare platelet disorders that our lab has come to know very commonly," said Dr. Donald Arnold, a clinical hematologist who runs the lab with Nazy and Dr. John Kelton. "We're in a very unique position where we're able to get the test done for these patients who are suspected of having a vaccine-induced clot and tell them pretty much within a day or two that we can confirm that is, in fact, the diagnosis." WATCH | Dr. Ishac Nazy on how the lab test works: Striving for better treatment While the risk of blood clots is very rare, people who receive the AstraZeneca shot in Canada will be told to look out for symptoms, including severe headaches, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath. Pai said health-care professionals in Canada, Europe and beyond have been in communication to discuss best practices for how to treat the syndrome. Medical professionals across Canada, she said, have been advised to take caution in cases where a patient was recently vaccinated, and consult a hematologist if needed. "We have to remember that this disease is only three-and-a-half weeks old, so at the beginning maybe people didn't know that you have to use a non-heparin blood thinner," she said. "Now as we're learning more, and developing guidelines and sharing information, my hope is that this is going to become a disease that is much more responsive to treatment." Benefits of vaccine outweigh the risks Dr. Supriya Sharma, Health Canada's chief medical adviser, said last week the benefits of this vaccine clearly outweigh any risks. "Get whatever vaccine is available to you. It's that simple. The longer you wait to get vaccinated, the longer you're not protected," Sharma said. "We know the risks of getting these side effects from the vaccine are very rare." People wait in line at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine at Olympic Stadium in Montreal earlier this month. Quebecers 55 and over can now get the AstraZeneca vaccine at walk-in clinics across the province.(Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press) Based on evidence from the U.K., which has administered 20 million doses of AstraZeneca, Sharma said the chance of developing these clots is roughly one in 250,000. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization has yet to update its advice that AstraZeneca not be used on patients under 55, although Ontario has announced it will make the vaccine available to those 40 and over. The issue of blood clots extended to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week, which uses the same technology as AstraZeneca but has a different formula. The United States temporarily stopped using the vaccine after six people developed clots. More than 6.8 million doses have been administered in the U.S. Health officials recommended suspending the vaccine in large part to inform doctors about what to look for and ensure the proper treatments are followed. The first doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine are expected to arrive in Canada at the end of the month.
Simply including more women at organizations without addressing underlying power structures and practices does little good. Representation isn't synonymous with change.
Moderna has not violated its contractual obligations with Canada, Procurement Minister Anita Anand says, despite continued setbacks over promised COVID-19 vaccine deliveries to this country. "There has not been a breach of contract at this stage, and indeed, strong relationships with our suppliers [have] been fundamental to ensuring that we've accelerated 22 million doses already from one quarter to the next," Anand said in an interview on Rosemary Barton Live. The minister's comments come as a shipment of 1.2 million Moderna doses bound for Canada this month has been scaled back and delayed. The shots, which were set to arrive this week, have been slashed to 650,000 doses and will now arrive later in April or by early May. A further 12.3 million doses expected to arrive by the end of June will also shrink by one to two million shots and are now scheduled to show up between July and September. The Massachusetts-based company is struggling to meet ramped-up global demand at its European facilities, partly due to labour shortages. "Moderna continues to make substantial capital investments to support production increases ... and explore other potential collaboration opportunities," the company said in a statement on Friday. FedEx workers in Toronto offload a plane carrying Moderna vaccine doses originating from Europe in March 2021. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press) Flexible contracts allow for accelerated deliveries Both Moderna and Pfizer wrestled with production holdups earlier this year as the companies scaled up their capacity to handle increased demand — but Pfizer has maintained a consistent delivery schedule since then. "Pfizer has been an incredibly stable partner in the bringing in of vaccines to this country," Anand told CBC chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton. "We continue to ask them for earlier and earlier doses, and they continue to ensure that we are able to do that." On Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada signed an agreement with the pharmaceutical giant for eight million more doses of its mRNA vaccine. A driver pulls his truck out of the Pfizer plant in Puurs, Belgium, on Dec. 21, 2020. Pfizer scaled up the production capacity of the plant earlier this year.(Valentin Bianchi/The Associated Press) The country is not paying a premium for the accelerated deliveries, Anand said. "We are paying fair market value for these doses, and they are obliging our requests. We exercised options for those eight million doses, and we had built that flexibility into our contracts." The minister said the nature of Canada's agreements with its suppliers means delivery schedules are not necessarily set in stone. "The ability for Canada to bring in increasing numbers of doses goes back to the diversified portfolio of vaccines that we put in place back last August, and [we] made sure that we have flexibility here so that we can draw down on our contractual arrangements." Accessing U.S. supply When asked at what point the United States might be able to open up access to its vaccine stocks, Anand said she's not focused on that country's supply chain. "I'm not focused on the U.S. timeline as much as I am on ensuring we're having those discussions right now, and that's why we have been engaged with the U.S. administration since January," she said. So far, Canada has received 1.5 million AstraZeneca-Oxford doses on loan from its southern neighbour that will be returned later this year. "We are in constant discussion with the United States and will continue to do that through our ambassador, Kirsten Hillman, and with her excellent help in order to have Canada as being well placed to continue to draw doses from multiple countries, not just the U.S.," Anand said. You can watch full episodes of Rosemary Barton Live on CBC Gem, the CBC's streaming service.
China will expand digital yuan experiments to more cities, but there is no specific timetable for its official rollout, central bank vice governor Li Bo told an annual gathering on Sunday of top Chinese and foreign policymakers, executives and academics. China is one of the frontrunners in the global race to launch central bank digital currencies to modernise financial systems, ward off the threat from cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and speed up domestic and international payments. Li said testing had shown that the issuance and distribution mechanism of the digital yuan, or e-CNY, are compatible with the existing financial system, and help minimize the impact on the banking sector.
A Saskatoon hotel has spent the pandemic serving as an assisted self-isolation site — a place for people to go if they have tested positive for COVID-19 and don't have a safe place to stay. And in this case, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) understands 'safety' to mean more than the risk of transmitting COVID-19 in the community. Individuals spending their quarantine at an isolation site have access to doctors, nurses, medications, mental health professionals, addiction counselors and elders. In Saskatoon, the SHA has also contracted Prairie Harm Reduction (PHR) to organize supervised drug consumption on-site for people who need it. Jason Mercredi, PHR's executive director, says this has been a smooth and fruitful working relationship for everyone involved since the partnership started about a month ago. "We are grateful the SHA contacted us and asked to partner with us," he said. "And it's been a breeze working with the Health Authority on this, to be honest. They move mountains. … "I can't say enough good things about the frontline staff at SHA and the leadership at SHA for being innovative on this and being responsive to the needs of the clientele." Last year, Health Canada created an exemption to the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, allowing people in temporary self-isolation sites to use illicit drugs without facing criminal charges. This means people don't have to fear going into withdrawal — or going to jail — if they test positive for COVID-19 and need to isolate. Saskatchewan's Minister for Mental Health, Addictions, Seniors and Rural and Remote Health Everett Hindley said the province's self-isolation sites have been serving particularly vulnerable members of the community since the start of the pandemic. "They are utilized by individuals who have tested positive with COVID-19 and need to self-isolate, but for any number of reasons they are not able to - perhaps they live in a crowded house, or they might be homeless," he said. "The intention is to allow a vulnerable population to have the ability to isolate safely and also be supported at the same time." Supervision mostly digital In the month since PHR staff arrived on site, they have offered digital supervision — using video conferencing to observe from a safe distance — and going into rooms only when necessary. "It's been new for us, the digital stuff, but it's good," said Mercredi. The province's self-isolation sites all have harm reduction supplies available, a decision Mercredi praised. "The health authority has been pretty great about offering a safe supply — they've been doing prescription replacements and getting people connected to things like methadone and Suboxone," he said. However, after Prairie Harm Reduction's supervised consumption site was again left out of the provincial budget this year, Mercredi is left pondering a "paradox." "Why, when they know these sites are needed in their own facilities, are they not providing that same level of support when it comes to protecting individuals in the community?" he asked. Hindley says the government has prioritized harm reduction, and that they are trying to do so in a sustainable way — making more treatment beds available, expanding access to Naloxone and developing mobile harm reduction busses. He says the types of resources available at the assisted isolation sites are important to the physical and mental health of the people residing there — but they were never meant to be permanent. "We're hopeful to see the light at the end of the tunnel of COVID-19, but that will eventually end, and so will all these supports," he said. "There's been a variety of supports ... but it will come to an end. "Addiction, however, unfortunately, is an ongoing issue. We're not going to fix it in one year or two years. And we need to make sure that we continue to make sustainable long-term investments into this area and try to provide support across the province."
Vancouver police say they're investigating the shooting death of a man in the city's Coal Harbour neighbourhood Saturday night. Officers responded to calls about shots fired outside Cardero's Restaurant shortly after 8:30 p.m., police said in a written release. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say preliminary evidence suggests the shooting was targeted, and investigators don't believe there is any further risk to the public. "Although this shooting was targeted, we are very concerned about the potential impact on the public of an incident like this," said Const. Tania Visintin. "This happened in a busy spot on a nice evening and an innocent person could have gotten hurt." Visintin said police have yet to arrest anyone in relation to the shooting. This was Vancouver's fifth homicide of the year. Area taped off Video from the scene in front of Cardero's Restaurant shows about a dozen officers and paramedics working in a taped-off area and what appears to be a body under a white tarp. Another image shows what looks like a gun lying on the ground nearby. At one point officers struggled with a man screaming while he tried to access the scene. The man was later seen shouting as he lay on the ground and spoke on a cellphone.
With Ontario’s intensive care units approaching a breaking point, doctors are preparing to use triage protocols to determine which of the sickest patients there is capacity to save.
Israelis went about barefaced on Sunday after the order to wear masks outdoors was rescinded in another step towards relative normality thanks to the country's mass-vaccination against COVID-19. With about 81% of citizens or residents over 16 - the age group eligible for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in Israel - having received both doses, contagions and hospitalisations are down sharply. But entry by foreigners is still limited and non-immune Israelis who return from abroad must self-isolate, due to concern virus variants could challenge the vaccine.
After a delay for processing reassigned and unassigned cases, Saskatchewan reported 289 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, and one more death due to illness linked to the novel coronavirus. As of Saturday, 4,664 of the more transmissible variants of the coronavirus have been identified in Saskatchewan — over half of which have been in the Regina area. However, the central east, south west, south central and southeast zones, as well as Saskatoon, have all seen over 100 variant cases as well. Of the 38,160 known COVID-19 cases to date in the province, 2,742 are considered active. The seven-day average of daily new cases in Saskatchewan is 261 — 21.3 new cases per 100,000 population. 189 people in Saskatchewan are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, of which 45 are in the ICU.(Government of Saskatchewan) The new cases Sunday are in the following provincial zones: Far northwest: nine. Far northeast: two. Northwest: 21. North central: 12. Northeast: two. Saskatoon: 32. Central west: seven. Central east: 26. Regina: 106. Southwest: six. South central: 15. Southeast: 41. Ten new cases have pending residence information. There are currently 189 people in hospital in the province due to COVID-19, including 45 in intensive care. 30 people are in intensive care in Regina. The province also reported 205 new recoveries. There have been 34,953 known recoveries in total as of Sunday. To date, 728,491 COVID-19 tests have been processed in Saskatchewan, 3,623 of which were processed on Saturday. Upcoming vaccine shipment reduced 11,063 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were administered in the province on Saturday. The total number of vaccines given in the province has now reached 345,126, and nearly half of Saskatchewan residents over the age of 40 have received their first dose. Those 48 and older can now book their vaccine appointment online or over the phone. Drive-thru and walk-in COVID-19 vaccination clinics are now open to people aged 48-54. However, Regina's drive-thru clinic has used up its supply of vaccine for now, and is temporarily closed. The government does not expect it to reopen until May 2. The Ministry of Health has also said that a shipment of Moderna vaccines — expected to arrive on April 26 — has been reduced by 47 per cent. The Ministry says it is working with the Saskatchewan Health Authority and Indigenous Services Canada to mitigate the impact of this reduction on booked appointments and other vaccination availability.
The Parti Québécois will push for the province's language laws to be applied to the CEGEP network, meaning it wants to force francophone and allophone Quebecers to do their collegial studies in French. At an online meeting Sunday, party members voted overwhelmingly (94 per cent) to back a motion put forward by the PQ's youth wing to extend the application of Bill 101 to CEGEPs. "We see it every day: our national language is losing ground. Taking strong measures is no longer an option; it is a necessity," the party said in a statement on social media. It is a notable policy shift for a number of reasons. Current party leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, opposed the measure during his leadership campaign. The previous PQ leader, Jean-François Lisée, also left it out of the party's 2018 provincial election platform. In the past, many in the party had been uneasy at the idea of dictating the language of instruction of Quebecers older than 18. But concerns about the health of the French language have been running high in recent months. And the PQ's main rival on French-language issues is the governing Coalition Avenir Québec. The government has promised to present plans this spring to beef up Bill 101, but it has ruled out expanding the scope of the law to CEGEPs. "We're a democratic party. Either I don't give members and MNAs the right to vote freely, or this right is exercised freely and offers up a democratic result," Plamondon said following the vote. He added the PQ would only support the CAQ's Bill 101 reforms if they include an expansion to CEGEPs. Bill 101, also known as the Charter of the French Language, was passed by the first PQ government in 1977. Party members will have to meet again in the fall to vote on whether to include the proposition in the platform for the next provincial election, scheduled to take place in October of 2022.
Ottawa police say they will have officers stationed at all five interprovincial bridges and two ferries linking the Outaouais and Ottawa. It's all in response to a provincial order restricting only essential travel into Ontario from neighbouring provinces. The measures come into effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday, and restrict travel to those who live or work in Ontario, are entering the province for health-care reasons, Indigenous Treaty Rights, child care or custody matters, transporting goods, or are travelling through the province to go somewhere else. Officers will be stationed 24/7 on the Ontario side of the Champlain, Portage, Chaudière and Macdonald-Cartier bridges as well as the docks for the Quyon and the Bourbonnais ferries, the Ottawa Police Service wrote in a release Sunday afternoon. Officers will also be stationed at the Alexandra Bridge, as the provincial order also applies to pedestrians and cyclists, according to the statement. We have to trust that people are going to be honest. - Inspector Michel Marin Police said officers will only stop private passenger vehicles and not commercial ones, which are exempt from the provincial order. "We're going to ask for a reason why you're going into Ontario and then you'll be sent on your way," said Inspector Michel Marin. "If we're asking [drivers] to turn around for whatever reasons, we'll be keeping tabs on that." No written documentation needed He said officers don't have plans to issue fines to people who may re-offend. "Most people we're dealing with have the good commonsense approach to why we're doing this and the general public generally tends to be very co-operative and we're not anticipating any major issues on those bridges," said Marin. He said officers won't require written documentation to show someone has an essential reason for entering Ontario. "We have to trust that people are going to be honest," he said. "There are quite a number of people that live on the Gatineau, Que., side that come to Ottawa every day to work and a lot of those folks are essential workers ... We'll simply allow them through." Ontario Provincial Police will also have officers stationed on interprovincial roadways, including highways 401, 417, and 17, and the interprovincial bridge at John Street in Hawkesbury, Ont.
Alma Wahlberg, the mother of entertainers Mark and Donnie Wahlberg and a regular on their reality series “Wahlburgers,” has died, her sons said on social media Sunday. She was 78. “My angel. Rest in peace,” Mark Wahlberg tweeted. Donnie Wahlberg posted a longer tribute to his mother on his Instagram account. “It’s time to rest peacefully, mom,” Donnie Wahlberg wrote. “I love you, miss you, thank you and will celebrate you, today and always.” No information was given about the cause, date or location of her death. Donnie Wahlberg often posted about his mother on his accounts and in July updated his fans on her health, writing that she “didn’t remember much and was often confused but somehow she was still Alma.” The Boston-born mother of nine became a household name thanks to her appearances on the A&E series “Wahlburgers,” about the family’s burgeoning burger chain. “She made no apologies for who she was, but never put herself above anyone else. She kicked our butts if we messed up, kicked anyone else’s butts if they messed with us. Taught us right, made us pay the price when we were wrong,” Donnie Wahlberg wrote Sunday. “She was the epitome of the word grace.” He also included a video of them dancing at his wedding to one of her favourite songs, “If I Could” by Regina Belle. He wrote that she danced to that song at each of her children’s weddings, but at his own, he surprised her by having Belle there to perform it live. On the “Today” show in 2018, Alma Wahlberg opened up about her parenting and how hard it was early on. “I invented the craziest meals,” she said. English muffin pizzas were among her creations to feed her hungry lot. More than a few of her children went on to great successes and fame. Her son Paul Wahlberg, who is the chef behind the namesake burger chain, also named the Alma Nove restaurant in Hingham, Massachusetts, after her. “People know me as being the mother of famous children, and although this fact has brought many gifts into my life and has afforded me opportunities that may never have been possible otherwise, there is a whole lot more to my story than most people know,” Alma Wahlberg said in an interview with Boston’s WCVB-TV in 2018. “I’ve lived with alcoholism and abuse; struggled with poverty and experienced great wealth; lost so many that I’ve loved; struggle to raise nine children, and I love them more than anything else; watch them suffer, learn and come out on the other side; lost myself; found myself, again and again; and kept moving forward, no matter what.” Alma Wahlberg is survived by eight children. Her daughter Debbie died in 2003. Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
Hong Kong will suspend flights from India, Pakistan and the Philippines from April 20 for two weeks after the N501Y mutant COVID-19 strain was detected in the Asian financial hub for the first time, authorities said in a statement late on Sunday. The three countries would be classified as "extremely high risk" after there had been multiple imported cases carrying the strain into Hong Kong in the past 14 days, the government said. Hong Kong has recorded over 11,600 cases in total and 209 deaths.
