Tag: Canada pandemic response

Is Canada Ready to Meet the Next Wave of Pandemic Challenges?

As Canada grapples with rising COVID-19 cases and new, more transmissible strains of the virus, experts in medicine and emergency preparedness say it’s worth taking stock and preparing to better meet the next stage of pandemic challenges. Dr. Shawn Whatley, a past president of the Ontario Medical Association, says that last year in the early…


Three Experts on How Well Canada Has Fought COVID 19 and How We Could Do Better

OTTAWA—As new cases of COVID-19 surge across Canada, the federal government and the provinces have been imposing stricter measures to try to limit the illness’s spread. The Canadian Press interviewed three leading Canadian experts in disease control and epidemiology, asking their thoughts on Canada’s handling of the pandemic, the new restrictions on activities—and what else…


Feds Look at Using Border Data to Find Travellers Applying for Sickness Benefit

OTTAWA—A federal official says the government is considering using data on incoming travellers to prevent vacationers from claiming a benefit for people who must quarantine or isolate due to COVID-19. The Canadian Press isn’t identifying the source because the person was not authorized to speak publicly on behind-the-scenes discussions. The government promised earlier this week…


Public Health Didn’t Cite Input From Military Intelligence on Pandemic, Relying Exclusively on WHO Instead: Report

Canadian federal health officials did not cite early warnings about the threat of COVID-19 gathered from military intelligence, while appearing to rely almost exclusively on assessments from the World Health Organization (WHO), according to a CBC report.   The warnings were created by a specialized unit of the Canadian military in early January 2020. The unit…


Mass Rapid Testing Key to Saving Lives Amid Slow Vaccine Rollout, Says Advocacy Group

As Canada’s vaccine rollout continues at a slow pace amid rising COVID-19 cases, an advocacy group is pleading with health officials to immediately employ widespread rapid testing—a strategy it says could save thousands of lives. Rapid Test & Trace Canada launched a campaign to advocate for mass rapid testing last month, calling on federal and…


Canada’s Vaccine Delays Latest in ‘Pandemic Management Failures,’ Says Drug Company Exec Behind H1N1 Vaccine Rollout

Canada is lagging significantly behind other G7 countries in its vaccine rollout—the latest in a series of critical “pandemic management failures” by the federal government, says the former CEO of pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline. Before retiring in 2012, Paul Lucas served as president and CEO of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Canada for 16 years. He was intimately involved…


Business Coalition Sues Quebec Government for ‘Excessive’ Lockdown Measures

A coalition of Quebec business leaders has filed a lawsuit against the Legault government, saying the province’s decision to continually extend its state of health emergency and impose widespread lockdown measures is unconstitutional.    The recently formed group “Entrepreneurs en Action du Québec (EAQ) filed the appeal, which seeks to obtain “the nullity of decrees…


Ontario to Start COVID-19 Vaccinations in Long Term Care Within Days: Hillier

TORONTO—Residents in long-term care will start receiving COVID-19 vaccines within days, and more than half of Ontarians—including some in the general population—are slated to be immunized by mid-summer, the head of the province’s inoculation campaign said Tuesday. In an update on Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccination plan, retired Gen. Rick Hillier said the province expects to receive…


Canada’s Pandemic Response Deeply Flawed, Says Former Provincial Emergency Agency Chief

The premise and focus of Canada’s pandemic response has been misguided—but it’s not too late to change course, says a former emergency management expert and retired Canadian army officer, who has been trying to get all of Canada’s premiers on board with his detailed action plan since the spring. David Redman is a former executive…