Canada column for
Sunday, June 14/20
THE CANADIAN REPORT
By Jim Fox
A vaccine for
COVID-19 will be ready in months, not years, says Dr. Gary Kobinger, one of
Canada’s top infectious disease experts.
The director of the
Research Center on Infectious Diseases at Laval University in Quebec previously
helped develop a vaccine and treatment for the deadly Ebola virus.
He is working now
with labs in Canada, the United States, Chile, China, Europe and Africa on various
vaccines of which more than 100 are in development around the world.
Most vaccines take
more than a decade to become approved for human use but work on COVID is moving
much faster with so many scientists seeking a breakthrough.
Governments and
public health experts warn that physical distancing restrictions, public
gathering limitations, handwashing and wearing masks should continue to help prevent
the spread of the virus.
The total number of
cases in Canada is 97,943 with 8,049 deaths.
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Six incidents of alleged
police brutality against black and indigenous (native) people are being
examined including one case called “shocking” by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
He called for an
“independent, transparent investigation” into the beating by Mountie officers seen
in a dash-cam video in the arrest of Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca
Chipewyan First Nation in Alberta.
The confrontation
began after police stopped Adam in downtown Fort McMurray for having expired
license plates on his truck.
Mountie Commissioner
Brenda Lucki agreed with Trudeau that there is “systemic racism” within Canada’s
prestige police force that must be addressed.
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News in brief:
- The ban on
non-essential travel between Canada and the United States is expected to
continue for another six weeks. The two countries enacted the ban in mid-March
to all but essential travel due to the virus outbreak. Deputy Prime Minister
Chrystia Freeland said the travel ban has “permitted the movement of vital
goods and essential services, preserving critical supply chains, while also
keeping the risk of spreading COVID-19 between the two countries to a bare
minimum.”
- Canadian aviation
investigators are still waiting to examine the black boxes from the downed Ukraine
Airlines jetliner. Transport Minister Marc Garneau said he agrees with the
latest plan to send the boxes to France as it has been three months since Iran
said it wold send the recorders to the Ukraine within 14 days but didn’t. The
plane was shot down on Jan. 8 by the Iranian military, killing all 176
passengers and crew including more than 50 Canadians.
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Facts and figures:
The Canadian dollar
is lower at 73.6 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.358 Canadian before
exchange fees.
The Bank of Canada’s
key interest rate is unchanged at 0.25 percent while the prime lending rate is
2.45 percent.
Canadian stock
markets are lower with the Toronto index at 15,256 points and the TSX Venture
index is 554 points.
The average price
for gas in Canada is higher at 99.3 cents a liter (Canadian) or $3.77 for a
U.S. gallon.
Lotto Max: (June 9)
4, 16, 19, 32, 35, 36 and 38 bonus 28.
(June 5) 1, 8, 15, 16, 32, 39 and 40; bonus 31.
Lotto 6/49: (June
10) 3, 13, 25, 33, 34 and 45; bonus 14. (June 6) 6, 22, 38, 45, 48 and 49;
bonus 2.
---
Regional briefs:
- Mark Saunders, Toronto’s
first black police chief, has made the surprise announcement that he will
retire on July 31. He was appointed chief in April 2015 and has worked for the
force for 37 years. His current contract was extended to 2021 and he
didn’t give a reason for his departure now other than there are “things” he
wants to do for the city as a “free agent.” He underwent a kidney transplant in
2017 but said his health isn’t an issue.
- The Ontario
government will allow people to form “social circles” of up to 10 people that
can include family and friends with “hugging and kissing” allowed as the pandemic
continues to decline. “Within any given circle, social distancing measures are
not necessary” and this will allow people to see more of their family members
or close contacts,” said Premier Doug Ford. Several other provinces are doing
something similar, calling them “social bubbles.”
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Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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