A week of frosty strolls and dire variant warnings
Public health officials say early data show ‘high’ protection from first shot
Canada’s public health officials are in “live” discussions but not offering a position on doling out single doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, rather than planning for the two shots at the recommended interval, amid vaccine scarcity and new evidence suggesting strong protection from the single shot. One dose of Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine had an efficacy […]
Pandemic must reorient Canada’s pharmaceutical policy away from market-based approach
The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a harsh light on Canada’s capacity to respond to a public health crisis. Indeed, many Canadians were shocked to learn that our country would receive sporadic access to COVID-19 vaccines because we lack the manufacturing capacity to produce doses domestically. This dependence on imports has also made Canada vulnerable to […]
COVID-19 innovations hold lessons for national policy
As the COVID-19 pandemic erupted in early 2020, we witnessed an unprecedented mobilization of the world’s scientific community to develop solutions. Canadian researchers and companies are making vital contributions to these efforts, especially in the area of therapeutics and vaccines. These accomplishments should be celebrated, but also studied, as they can teach us a great […]
COVID-19 driving change in Canada’s urban centres
Cities are the economic engines of the country. As such, they are also centres of innovation: places to test out new ideas, spaces to combine new ways of thinking and doing, and sites to advance new technologies. COVID-19 has temporarily turned our urban worlds upside down and has made dense urban life seem dangerous rather […]
We must ensure that innovation leaves no Canadian behind
As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. For instance, back at the beginning of the pandemic, we never imagined that the world would produce several effective COVID-19 vaccines in less than a year. Whether it is telemedicine, vaccines, rapid tests, or automation, the urgent needs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have given […]
New quarantine measures won’t affect hotel industry’s bottom line, but may create more stress, say stakeholders
Hotel industry stakeholders say that Canada’s new quarantine measures for incoming air travellers aren’t likely to have too much of a financial benefit on business, but may put strain on an already strained industry. Introduced Jan. 29, the new rules state that all air passengers returning from non-essential trips abroad must quarantine within a government-chosen […]
N.L. election chaos a case study in COVID campaigning
OTTAWA—Even for Newfoundland and Labrador, a place with a colourful and controversial political history, the latest electoral plot twist enters Twilight Zone levels. You see, by now, the provincial election was supposed to be done, and the winner, likely incumbent Premier Dr. Andrew Furey, was going to go about the mundane business of governing. But […]
Persistent labour abuses abound in supply chain, and the pandemic has made it worse
From sweat shops that continue to churn out cheap clothes and electronics, to the recent controversy over personal protective equipment being made under horrendous conditions, Canadian companies are likely importing billions of dollars of risky products every year. The problem is much more widespread than most Canadians realize. New research by World Vision shows that, […]
Indigenous groups wary but hopeful as consultations start on co-developing distinctions-based health legislation
The Liberal government’s promise to co-develop distinctions-based Indigenous health legislation is being welcomed as an opportunity solidify jurisdiction by some Indigenous groups, who are also cautious of Ottawa’s approach to consultations. For many, self-determination and the provincial and territorial transfer of health service delivery to Inuit, Métis, and First Nations is the key outcome. Any legislation […]
