Nearly 80 per cent of the Canadian population is vaccinated with at least two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. But with studies pointing to the protective benefits of these vaccines, it may be puzzling to see that the majority of virus-related hospitalizations in most provinces involve people who are fully vaccinated against the disease. In Quebec, for…
Category: Community News
COVID deniers have taken their protests to his front door. Why Peterborough’s top doctor is standing his ground
Dr. Thomas Piggott has travelled the world fighting viruses. On the homefront, he is facing down a different kind of scourge. Dr. Thomas Piggott opens his front door to a middle-aged woman holding a small food container who greets him with a friendly, “Welcome to the neighbourhood.” He’s new in town — and to his…
Solutions for preventing the next pandemic
The cost of preventing the next pandemic is 2% of the cost we’re paying for COVID-19. A study published in Science, “Ecology and Economics for Pandemic Prevention,” found that the costs of preventing future zoonotic outbreaks like COVID-19—by preventing deforestation and regulating the wildlife trade—are as little as $22 billion a year, 2% of the economic and…
Coronavirus, Climate Change, and the Environment
A Conversation on COVID-19 with Dr. Aaron Bernstein, Director of Harvard Chan C-CHANGE Below are some of the most common questions we have been receiving in relation to the environment and coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). This page will continue to be updated as new information arises. If you would like to talk to someone at our…
Canadian employment plummets in January with Omicron spread
Canadian employment plummeted in January and work absences due to illness soared to record levels as the Omicron variant drove a steep uptick in COVID-19 infections. The country lost 200,000 jobs last month, the first decline in employment since May, Statistics Canada said Friday. The unemployment rate rose to 6.5 per cent from December’s 6…
Ontario’s COVID-19 measures should be reassessed within ‘weeks and months,’ top doctor says
Ontario’s chief medical officer says it’s time to “reassess” vaccine passports and other public health measures in the coming weeks as COVID-19 declines and other countries drop most restrictions. Ontario’s chief medical officer says it’s time to “reassess” vaccine passports and other public health measures in the coming weeks as COVID-19 declines and other countries…
How Bill 7 bursary benefits LGBTQ+ students
Award recipients continue to pursue studies and community support thanks to funding This academic year, two Ryerson University students were awarded the Bill 7 bursary, an award established in 1987 to support 2SLGBTQIA+ students who demonstrate financial need. Named after the 1986 Ontario legislation that extended the protection of the Human Rights Code to lesbian…
Ontario eyes creation of a ‘portable’ benefits program for workers who might otherwise be shut out
Program would open up health, vision and dental care for millions of workers. Ontario wants to expand workers’ access to health care benefits through a new system that will make affordable medication and other supports available, even when employers do not provide insurance, Labour Minister Monte McNaughton says. In a move expected to be announced…
Pfizer asks FDA to allow COVID-19 vaccine for kids under 5
WASHINGTON (AP) – Pfizer on Tuesday asked the U.S. to authorize extra-low doses of its COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5, potentially opening the way for the very youngest Americans to start receiving shots as early as March. In an extraordinary move, the Food and Drug Administration had urged Pfizer and its partner BioNTech to apply earlier than the…
TDSB to spend upwards of $2M on medical grade masks for all students
The Toronto District School Board says it will provide medical grade masks to every one of its students. During a regular board meeting on Wednesday night, the trustees approved a motion to purchase Level 3 medical grade masks for distribution at all of its schools. “Medical masks can be cost-prohibitive for many families. By providing…