Canada column for Sunday, Dec.13 /20
THE CANADIAN REPORT
By Jim Fox
Now that Canada has begun giving the COVID-19 vaccine, health authorities say everyone should remain vigilant over the holidays.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the “darkest days of the outbreak” could lie ahead with several provinces reporting record case counts and hospitalizations.
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, said new modeling predicts there could be 12,000 new infections daily by January.
This has led to cautions against holiday merriment over the vaccine and there could be deadly consequences with the national death toll nearly 14,000.
Trudeau said this is the largest immunization campaign in Canada’s history with the approval of the Pfizer vaccine.
There are also plans to distribute a second vaccine that’s currently under regulatory review.
Canadians should “hold tight and don’t give up,” Trudeau said. “We know how to make it through long, cold winters and we’re going to do that once again,” he added.
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The Canada-United States land border will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least Jan. 21 – a 30day extension.
The world’s longest international border has been closed for months except for commerce and health care professionals.
Canadians can still fly to U.S. destinations but face 14 days of quarantine upon their return.
As virus numbers are increasing the U.S. and Canadian governments mutually agreed to continue restricting movement across the border.
Americans driving through Canada to Alaska must take the most direct route and are limited to five crossing points in the west.
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News in brief:
- Canada’s central bank was looking for the virus vaccine to give the economy a shot in the arm to start 2021 but it hasn’t so far. The Bank of Canada is keeping its key interest rate on hold at a record low of 0.25 percent while warning rising COVID-19 cases will hamper near-term growth. The bank is also buying up bonds to drive down interest rates for mortgages and business loans to boost spending.
- The Canadian government plans a $15-billion plan to meet its climate change commitments. It includes steady increases of its carbon tax in each of the next 10 years. “It can no longer be free to pollute anywhere in the country,” Prime Minister Trudeau said.
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Facts and figures:
Canada’s dollar has advanced to 78.29 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.277 Canadian before exchange fees.
The Bank of Canada key interest rate is steady at 0.25 percent while the prime lending rate is 2.45 percent.
Canadian stock markets are higher with the Toronto index at 17,548 points and the TSX Venture index 780 points.
The average price for gas in Canada is lower at $1.01 a liter (Canadian) or $3.85 for a U.S. gallon.
Lotto Max: (Dec. 8) 5, 13, 14, 21, 36, 37 and 43; bonus 40. (Dec. 4) 5, 7, 14, 23, 24, 46 and 47; bonus 11.
Lotto 6/49: (Dec. 9) 10, 11, 14, 19, 27 and 39; bonus 40. (Dec. 5) 3, 10, 13, 21, 27 and 45; bonus 23.
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Regional briefs:
- A lack of business, with Air Canada carrying just 8 percent of its normal traffic, has led to cutbacks of flights across Canada. The airline is suspending all flights until further notice in Sydney, Nova Scotia and Saint John, New Brunswick as well as service between Halifax and Deer Lake, Halifax and Ottawa, and Fredericton and Toronto. As well, Air Canada is cutting flights between Charlottetown and Toronto but will add flights between Charlottetown and Montreal.
- A New Brunswick businessman decided to “let them eat cake” as he emptied the shelves to help a struggling bakery in Fredericton. With business suffering due to the pandemic, Shawn Bordage went into Monkey Cakes bakery and said he’d buy everything on the shelves. He shared the goods with other businesses and said it was part of a movement to help small companies in the city. That’s the “icing on the cake,” said bakery owner Jonathan Ramirez.
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Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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