Random COVID-19 testing returns at main Canadian airports, together with YVR

Necessary random COVID-19 testing of travellers arriving at 4 main Canadian airport, together with YVR, begins at the moment.

The Public Well being Company of Canada (PHAC) says the exams will likely be completed offsite. This is applicable to travellers arriving at Calgary, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver airports.The exams “will likely be accomplished outdoors of airports, both by way of an in-person appointment at choose testing supplier places and pharmacies, or a digital appointment for a self-swab check,” PHAC mentioned in a press release.

After travellers full their customs declaration — together with those that qualify as totally vaccinated and people who don’t — they may obtain an e mail inside quarter-hour if they’re chosen for obligatory random testing.

Random testing was paused on June 11 as a “non permanent measure” in an effort to coordinate how offsite testing would work.

The rationale for the shift is to have the ability to “shortly reply to new variants of concern, or adjustments to the epidemiological scenario,” in accordance with PHAC.

There are not any adjustments to these crossing land borders, with obligatory random testing nonetheless in place.

— The Nationwide Submit

Albertans over 18 can quickly begin reserving fourth COVID-19 vaccine shot

Albertans over the age of 18 will quickly have the ability to e book their fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Alberta Well being mentioned in a information launch that adults can begin reserving their second booster shot Wednesday, so long as it has been 5 months since their first booster.

It mentioned the expanded availability will give residents extra decisions to guard themselves towards COVID-19 throughout a interval of elevated neighborhood transmission.

“Vaccines stay essential to reducing your threat of extreme outcomes and defending our health-care system,” Well being Minister Jason Copping mentioned within the launch Tuesday.

—The Canadian Press

CDC endorses extra conventional Novavax COVID shot for adults

U.S. adults who haven’t gotten any COVID-19 pictures but ought to think about a brand new choice from Novavax — a extra conventional sort of vaccine, well being officers mentioned Tuesday.

Regulators approved the nation’s first so-called protein vaccine towards COVID-19 final week, however the remaining hurdle was a advice from the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.

“You probably have been ready for a COVID-19 vaccine constructed on a unique expertise than these beforehand out there, now’s the time to affix the thousands and thousands of People who’ve been vaccinated,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, CDC’s director, mentioned in a press release, endorsing an earlier determination from an influential advisory panel.

Most People have gotten a minimum of their main COVID-19 vaccinations by now, however CDC officers mentioned between 26 million and 37 million adults haven’t had a single dose — the inhabitants that Novavax, for now, will likely be concentrating on.

—The Related Press

Youthful Canadian males much less more likely to take pandemic precautions in face of seventh wave: Ballot

Concern amongst Canadians over a looming COVID-19 wave is break up alongside generational and gender strains, with males youthful than 55 much less involved over contracting the virus and fewer more likely to masks up or take precautions, in accordance with a brand new ballot.

The Angus Reid Institute survey, launched Tuesday, discovered that 68 per cent of Canadians 55 and older are extra frightened about getting sick in comparison with 44 per cent for the 35- to 54-year-olds and 43 per cent for 18-to 34-year-olds.

Older Canadians usually tend to have skilled extreme impacts from a COVID-19 an infection, which might result in heightened private concern over contracting the virus, famous the non-profit institute: “Nonetheless, the hole in concern between 35- to 54-year-olds and people over the age of 55 has by no means been as vast as it’s presently.”

Learn the complete story right here.

— Cheryl Chan

Two out of three vaccinated in B.C. prepared for a booster, however vaccine skepticism is critical

Two out of three vaccinated British Columbians are able to get a COVID-19 booster shot as quickly as they’re eligible — among the many highest charges in Canada — in accordance with a brand new ballot from the Angus Reid Institute.

Whereas 66 per cent in B.C. who’ve had a minimum of a few doses say they’re able to get one other shot when it’s provided, the Canadian common is simply over 60 per cent. There are additionally loads of skeptics in regards to the effectiveness of the vaccines within the province, and our neighbours to the east are much more reluctant.

9 per cent in B.C. say they’re unvaccinated, which is in regards to the nationwide common, in contrast with 16 per cent in Alberta, the best charge of non-vaccination within the nation.

Learn the complete story right here.

— Joe Ruttle

Quebec avoids new COVID mandates forward of fall election as hospitals refill

A brand new wave of COVID-19 instances and rising hospitalizations forward of an October election are creating contemporary complications for Quebec’s authorities, which says it has no plans to reintroduce masks mandates within the Canadian province regardless of calls by some medical doctors to take action.

A worldwide surge in instances, principally of the Omicron BA.4/5 variants, has authorities grappling with rising sickness whereas making an attempt to keep away from extending or reintroducing unpopular restrictions.

In Quebec, some now say the federal government that when imposed a few of North America’s hardest COVID-19 measures shouldn’t be going far sufficient.

Donald Vinh, a health care provider with the McGill College Well being Centre in Montreal, known as on Quebec to reinstate a masks mandate in indoor public locations to stop worsening sickness and loss of life.

— Reuters

Catholic nurse wins proper to be exempted from COVID vaccine

A Catholic nurse in Ontario had a proper to a spiritual exemption from COVID-19 vaccination due to the “fairly distant” hyperlink between the pictures and aborted fetuses, an arbitrator has dominated in one of many first authorized pronouncements on the problem.

Pope Francis and different Catholic leaders have urged adherents to get COVID pictures, with the pontiff suggesting it’s a “ethical obligation.” The actual fact some vaccines have been developed or made with cell strains derived from fetuses terminated many years in the past doesn’t imply Catholics are condoning abortion, they are saying.

However arbitrator Robert Herman mentioned Public Well being Sudbury discriminated towards the unnamed nurse — a member of the conservative “Latin Mass” group of Catholics — when it fired her for not being immunized.

COVID vaccination would intrude with “the train of her religion and her relationship with the divine,” he mentioned.

Vaccine mandates have progressively been lifted all through Canada and staff have at all times been capable of a minimum of apply for a spiritual exemption, with no assure of success.

— The Nationwide Submit

Europe faces ‘difficult autumn’ with lax COVID guidelines, WHO says

A prime World Well being Group official known as on European international locations to beef up virus monitoring and convey again some curbs to deal with Covid-19’s resurgence in bid to guard well being programs and avert disruption.

Hans Kluge, the WHO’s regional director for Europe, requested governments to advertise mask-wearing in public transportation, ventilate crowded areas like colleges, and bolster vaccination as he forecast “a difficult autumn and winter.”

The variety of instances in Europe has tripled prior to now six weeks, with nearly 3 million infections reported final week, Kluge mentioned in an emailed assertion Tuesday.

Governments throughout Europe have been reluctant to embrace obligatory measures, as an alternative opting to roll out further booster pictures to essentially the most weak, ship security messages and let residents make their very own decisions.

— Bloomberg

ArriveCan ‘glitch’ ordering vaccinated Canadians into quarantine with out cause

OTTAWA — In line with the federal government of Canada’s ArriveCan app, David Crouch needs to be at house, avoiding all contact, quarantining, to guard others from the COVID-19 there’s completely no indication he has.

Crouch is quadruple vaccinated, has not examined optimistic for COVID-19 and is displaying no signs. The border guard who waved him again into Canada final week mentioned nothing about getting a COVID check, or quarantine, however when he obtained house he discovered an e mail and a notification in his ArriveCan app, telling him to remain house for 2 weeks.

Learn the complete story right here.

— Postmedia Information

Shanghai, different Chinese language cities implement testing, prolong lockdowns

A number of giant Chinese language cities together with Shanghai are rolling out new mass testing or extending lockdowns on thousands and thousands of residents to counter new clusters of COVID-19 infections, with some measures being criticized on the web.

China has reported a mean of round 390 native day by day infections within the seven days ending on Sunday, increased than about 340 seven days earlier, in accordance with Reuters calculations based mostly on official information as of Monday.

Whereas that’s tiny in contrast with a resurgence in different elements of Asia, China is adamant about implementing its dynamic zero COVID coverage of eliminating outbreaks as quickly as they emerge. Beforehand when a flare-up grew to become a significant outbreak, native officers had been compelled to take harder measures equivalent to month-long lockdowns, even at the price of financial progress.

Learn the complete story right here.

— Reuters

Japan COVID instances hit report as summer time holidays set to start

Japan discovered a report 110,600 new COVID instances on Saturday, surpassing the earlier excessive set in February, simply because the nation prepares for the summer time holidays, public broadcaster NHK mentioned.

Deaths and extreme sickness have remained at comparatively low ranges to this point within the present wave.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed a July 14 information convention that he wasn’t planning any return to restrictions on individuals’s actions, nor considering of strengthening border controls at that time. The premier — contemporary from a July 10 higher home election victory — has beforehand received public assist for his cautious stance on Covid, together with encouraging mask-wearing and sustaining border restrictions lengthy after different developed international locations had opened up.

Learn the complete story right here.

— Bloomberg

Pandemic behind ‘largest backslide in childhood vaccination in a technology’: UN

Round 25 million kids world wide missed out on routine vaccinations final yr that defend towards life-threatening ailments, because the knock-on results of the pandemic proceed to disrupt well being care globally.

That’s two million extra kids than in 2020, when COVID-19 precipitated lockdowns world wide, and 6 million greater than pre-pandemic in 2019, in accordance with new figures launched by the United Nations Youngsters’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Well being Group (WHO).

Learn the complete story right here.

— Reuters

What are B.C.’s present public well being measures?

MASKS: Masks are usually not required in public indoor settings although particular person companies and occasion organizers can select to require them.

Masks are additionally inspired however not required on board public transit and B.C. Ferries, although they’re nonetheless required in federally regulated journey areas equivalent to trains, airports and airplanes, and in well being care settings.

GATHERINGS AND EVENTS: There are presently no restrictions on gatherings and occasions equivalent to private gatherings, weddings, funerals, worship companies, train and health actions, and swimming swimming pools.There are additionally no restrictions or capability limits on eating places, pubs, bars and nightclubs; and no restrictions on sport actions.

CARE HOMES: There are not any capability restrictions on guests to long-term care and seniors’ assisted residing services, nevertheless, guests should present proof of vaccination earlier than visiting. Exemptions can be found for youngsters underneath the age of 12, these with a medical exemption, and guests attending for compassionate visits associated to end-of-life.

Guests to seniors’ houses are additionally required to take a speedy antigen check earlier than visiting the ability or be examined on arrival. Exemptions to testing can be found for these attending for compassionate visits or end-of-life care.

How do I get vaccinated in B.C.?

Everybody who resides in B.C. and eligible for a vaccine can obtain one by following these steps:

• Get registered on-line at gov.bc.ca/getvaccinated to e book an appointment in your neighborhood.
• Or, if you happen to favor, you will get registered after which go to a drop-in clinic in your well being authority.
• The system will provide you with a warning when it’s time to go to your second dose.
• The identical system may also provide you with a warning when it’s time to your booster dose.

The place can I get a COVID-19 check?

TESTING CENTRES: B.C.’s COVID-19 check assortment centres are presently solely testing these with signs who’re hospitalized, pregnant, thought-about excessive threat or dwell/work with those that are excessive threat. You could find a testing centre utilizing the B.C. Centre for Illness Management’s testing centre map.

You probably have delicate signs, you do not want a check and may keep house till your fever is gone. These with out signs don’t want a check.

TAKE-HOME RAPID ANTIGEN TESTS: Eligible British Columbians over the age of 18 with a private well being quantity can go to a pharmacy to obtain a free take-home check package containing 5 COVID-19 speedy antigen exams.

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