The Liberal government’s economic update swung between painting a rosy picture of an economy on the rebound and a gloomy portrait of uncertainty ahead. OTTAWA—The Liberal government’s economic update Tuesday swung between painting a rosy picture of an economy on the rebound and a gloomy portrait of uncertainty ahead thanks to the newest COVID-19 variant…
Category: Community News
Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine protects well against severe illness from Omicron, South African study shows
Early data shows that the Pfizer vaccine is less effective against the new Omicron coronavirus variant but still provides relatively strong protection against severe illness and hospitalization from the variant, according to a major South African health insurer. Two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine seem to provide 33 per cent protection against Omicron infection, compared to…
Ontario needs new pandemic response strategy as Omicron COVID-19 variant makes inroads: experts
Experts say Ontario needs to look at pivoting its COVID-19 response as the Omicron variant rapidly spreads. The province’s expert advisory group estimates that Omicron makes up about 11 per cent of cases and is expected to become dominant within weeks. Based on trends seen in Omicron-dominant regions, one infectious diseases physician says strategies must be developed…
Safeguarding people living in vulnerable conditions in the COVID-19 era through universal health coverage and social protection
Summary The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented. The pandemic not only induced a public health crisis, but has led to severe economic, social, and educational crises. Across economies and societies, the distributional consequences of the pandemic have been uneven. Among groups living in vulnerable conditions, the pandemic substantially magnified the inequality gaps, with possible negative implications…
Will we need COVID-19 vaccine booster shots forever?
The question: I’ve had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and I thought I was fully inoculated. Now some provinces are rolling out booster shots. Is this going to turn into an every-six-months thing? The answer: There is still a lot we don’t know about COVID-19 and the emergence of new variants of the coronavirus– most recently Omicron –…
We have the tools to combat Omicron and preserve personal freedoms. Now we need the political will
Brooks Fallis is a critical care physician and the former medical director and division head of critical care at the William Osler Health System. It’s just like the flu. About 99 per cent of people are fine after infection. It does not spread in schools. It does not hurt children. The vaccine will end the…
Ontario Taking Action to Protect Against Omicron Variant
Vaccines Remain Best Defence Against COVID-19 and Variants TORONTO —The Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, is taking action to further encourage vaccination and help limit the spread of COVID-19 and the Omicron variant. These measures will help reduce the risk of transmission during the winter months and further encourage…
Will COVID-19 boosters be required to be considered ‘fully vaccinated’? Expert weighs in
As provinces and territories work to inoculate their populations against COVID-19, questions are swirling over whether booster shots will soon be required for individuals to be considered “fully vaccinated.” In October, Israel announced that those with two doses of a COVID-19 shot would not be considered “fully vaccinated” unless they got a third jab. What’s…
‘I think those discussions need to happen now,’ Experts call on Ontario to decide how it will deal with explosive Omicron growth
TORONTO – With the Omicron variant poised to become Ontario’s dominant COVID-19 strain, experts want the province to explain how it plans to shift its pandemic response if many people are infected much more quickly than in previous waves. “We obviously have dealt with this for two years, but this is very different,” said Dr….
Ontario to clamp down on dubious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccination
Queen’s Park is “clamping down” on dubious medical exemptions by beefing up Ontario’s system for proof of COVID-19 vaccinations, the Star has learned. “It’s not going to be OK just to have a doctor’s note — we know most of them aren’t valid,” a senior government official said Thursday night. “We’re clamping down on ‘valid…