The latest coronavirus news from Canada and around the world on Wednesday. This file will be updated throughout the day. Web links to longer stories if available.
6:10 am Hundreds of companies have rallied in opposition to Ontario’s new vaccine passport rules, openly refusing to verify customers’ vaccine receipts despite the threat of sanctions from public health officials.
Driven by a mix of vaccine skepticism, business decisions and fear of government overreach, these owners, ranging from burger joints in Toronto to a Brazilian jiu-jitsu class in Thornhill, have formed an extensive and well-documented network. from restaurants, gyms and cafes. and more where the clientele can enter regardless of the state of the jab.
And while Ontario municipalities have already received hundreds of complaints about the new policy being applied by businesses since it went into effect last Wednesday, the province says it is taking an “education first” approach that encourages women. companies to change their policies before imposing fines.
Read the full story of Jacob Lorinc from Star
05:30 am Oxygen-deprived patients may have a better chance of surviving the next time a COVID-19-like pandemic emerges and ventilators are a rare commodity, thanks to new research from doctors in the US and Japan.
However, there is a catch: they will have to breathe through their bottoms.
That’s the gist of the recently published study showing that mammals given an oxygen-enriched liquid enema were able to absorb that oxygen into their blood.
His research, conducted so far in mice, rats and pigs, shows that some mammals were able to absorb oxygen through their rectums efficiently enough that their blood was oxygenated even when undergoing respiratory failure.
Read the full story of Steve McKinley from Star
5:20 am Hundreds of unvaccinated employees continue to work at GTA hospitals, even as other healthcare facilities in Ontario have already begun suspending employees who refuse their COVID vaccinations.
Several Toronto hospitals are giving firm deadlines that run from next week to the end of October, and will suspend or lay off employees who don’t get vaccinated by then, except those with medical exemptions. This comes despite the challenges of ongoing staff shortages and burnout.
But Sunnybrook and Sinai Health will allow people without the vaccine to continue working if they agree to undergo regular testing and complete a vaccine education course.
Read the full story of Star’s May Warren
Wednesday 5 am New Zealand reports 45 new local cases of the coronavirus, the most in nearly a month as an outbreak continues to grow in Auckland.
Auckland remains under lockdown, although authorities have relaxed some restrictions since the outbreak began last month.
COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said Wednesday that people must remain stable as officials continue efforts to curb the outbreak.
Authorities say some of the cases have been spreading among homeless people living in transitional housing, a group that may be more reluctant than most to seek health care.
About 64 percent of New Zealanders have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
Wednesday 4 am The Australian government is increasing pressure on state governments to end pandemic lockdowns by outlining plans to end financial aid.
The government says in a statement Wednesday that its payments to workers who lose hours due to lockdowns will end two weeks after a state or territory reaches its vaccination benchmark. That benchmark is that 80% of residents 16 and older are fully vaccinated with a double dose of AstraZeneca, Pfizer, or Moderna.
State and territorial leaders agreed in July that the blockades would no longer be necessary once that level was reached. But with the delta variant outbreak worsening in Sydney and Melbourne, some leaders have suggested they may maintain the restrictions until 90% are fully vaccinated.
The Australian government reported Tuesday that less than 53% of the population is fully vaccinated.
Tuesday 9:15 pm The internal fight over the TTC vaccine mandate escalated Tuesday when the transit agency formally accused its largest union of engaging in an illegal labor action by opposing the policy and causing “abysmally low” compliance rates among employees.
In an application filed with the Ontario Labor Relations Board Tuesday afternoon and obtained by Star, the TTC claims that Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113, which represents about 12,000 transit agency employees, is violating labor laws by order its members not to share their vaccines. been with management.
Having employees confirm their status is the first step in the vaccine mandate that the TTC introduced on Sept. 7, which requires all workers and contractors to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 30.
The union’s directive is illegal and “interferes with the TTC’s ability to operate and manage the public transportation system safely,” states the app, which has not been tested at the board.
A spokesman for Local 113 said the union was unable to respond to the Star’s request for comment Tuesday night. But in an earlier statement, Local 113 president Carlos Santos defended the union’s opposition to the vaccine mandate.
Click here to read more of this Ben Spurr story.
Tuesday 6 pm Alberta Prime Minister Jason Kenney stands on a podium, locked in a handshake with his Saskatchewan counterpart Scott Moe.
The image appeared in a July tweet from Kenney with the caption: “Congratulations to my friend @PremierScottMoe and all of our Saskatchewan neighbors on lifting pandemic health restrictions and initiating a #GreatSKSummer. … Once again, the prairies are showing the rest of Canada how it’s done! “
It was something of a celebration for the two prairie provinces: Alberta strutted in the summer when it lifted almost all of its public health restrictions on Canada Day, opening up its economy and seemingly seeing the end of the pandemic in its sights. . Ten days later, Saskatchewan did the same.
Read the full story of Star’s Kieran Leavitt
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Reference-www.thestar.com