[TrickyRicky]

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coron...chools-a-cautionary-tale-for-canada-1.5062834

Cautionary tail. It’s entirely possible that something similar could happen in Canada. I complained about poor leadership, rigidity of thinking, and decentralization as key elements of our early pandemic failures. These elements are present in the thinking of both government and the teacher unions in our back to school plan

 

[tiffer24]

Officials warn up to 550 people may have been exposed after Toronto strip club employee tests positive for COVID-19.

https://www.cp24.com/news/employee-...positive-for-covid-19-public-health-1.5064283

 

[Rufus8]

I don't think a vaccine is the answer, we are going to have to live with this. Even now being distant is starting to feel more normal (or less unnatural?). Remember when the biggest threat to the world was the plastic straw? A life time ago.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I don't think a vaccine is the answer, we are going to have to live with this.

It's both, we get the vaccine, return gradually to pre-pandemic normalcy and we live with it. If we had protected our senior and longterm care homes Canada's total Covid deaths would likely be 1/10 of what they are today. So if we protect those places now, and vaccinate everyone we can we should be fine.

 

[AlbertC]

GTA residents confirmed as 11 visitors to Muskoka who tested positive for COVID-19

Aug 14 2020

The 11 visitors to the Muskoka region who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week, have now been linked to the GTA.

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit confirmed to Daily Hive that the Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Charles Garner, said the cases were people living in the GTA.

--------

On Wednesday, it was reported that about 30 people in the group of the GTA residents who tested positive, stayed at the Deerhurst Resort and also dined at the Three Guys and a Stove restaurant in Huntsville from August 1 to 3.

“None of them had symptoms at the time, individuals among them developed some symptoms after when they went home, out of region, and sought testing with results coming back being positive for 11 of those individuals,” said Gardner at the time.

The health unit is in the middle of investigating possible contacts at the restaurant and resort to determine who should go into self-isolation and get tested.

Cluster of coronavirus cases in GTA linked to weekend spent in Muskoka | News

Earlier this week, the 11 visitors to the Muskoka region who tested positive for COVID-19, have now been linked to the GTA.

dailyhive.com

 

[lenaitch]

I don't think a vaccine is the answer, we are going to have to live with this. Even now being distant is starting to feel more normal (or less unnatural?). Remember when the biggest threat to the world was the plastic straw? A life time ago.

I don't know if a vaccine is "the" answer or 'an' answer. Much will depend on how rapidly the virus mutates, and I'm not sure they have a handle on that yet. Some, like smallpox, mutate very slowly and we have been able to eradicate or virtually eradicate them; others, like influenza, mutate rapidly and we're always playing catch-up. No doubt there will also be treatments developed to reduce Covid's virulence and mortality.

 

[TrickyRicky]

As I mentioned in a previous post a vaccine isn’t a total answer but it’s enough of an answer to neutralize the pandemic. Our special-case bias impairs our ability to see logic.

A vaccine doesn’t need to be highly effective, universally administered or to permanently protect in order to neutralize the pandemic. For example a vaccine that is 70% effective, only 60% of people take and that only imparts immunity for one year is already a total game changer.

 

[Fresco]

Finally some good news. Scientists see signs of lasting immunity to COVID-19, even after mild infections:

Scientists see signs of lasting immunity to COVID-19, even after mild infections

To the immune system, not all germs are equally memorable. But our body’s cells seem to be seriously studying up on the coronavirus. Scientists who have been monitoring immune responses to th…

www.chicagotribune.com

 

[gabe]

Air Corona is at it again. Despite the Canadian government travel warnings. Air Canada is promoting leisure travel to the US, a country that is still breaking Covid death records. So expect more infected passengers coming to Canada.

Air Canada promoting ‘leisure’ travel to U.S. despite advisories warning against non-essential trips - National | Globalnews.ca

Even as coronavirus cases surge in the U.S., Air Canada is promoting 'leisure and business' flights to see 'friends and relatives.'

globalnews.ca

US sees highest COVID-19 daily death toll since May

The southern half of the country continues to report the highest death tolls, which nationally may be higher than thought, based on new excess death estimates.

www.cidrap.umn.edu

 

[Johnny Au]

Air Corona is at it again. Despite the Canadian government travel warnings. Air Canada is promoting leisure travel to the US, a country that is still breaking Covid death records. So expect more infected passengers coming to Canada.

Air Canada promoting ‘leisure’ travel to U.S. despite advisories warning against non-essential trips - National | Globalnews.ca

Even as coronavirus cases surge in the U.S., Air Canada is promoting 'leisure and business' flights to see 'friends and relatives.'

globalnews.ca

US sees highest COVID-19 daily death toll since May

The southern half of the country continues to report the highest death tolls, which nationally may be higher than thought, based on new excess death estimates.

www.cidrap.umn.edu

The federal government prohibits professional athletes from travelling across the border, despite being work-related.

How can we expect leisure travellers to behave?

 

[AlbertC]

Churches again being a major cause of Covid outbreaks in South Korea:

South Korea pastor tests positive amid virus spike at church

Monday, August 17, 2020

A conservative South Korean pastor who has been a bitter critic of the country's president has tested positive for the coronavirus, health authorities said Monday, two days after he participated in an anti-government protest in Seoul that drew thousands.

More than 300 virus cases have been linked to the Rev. Jun Kwang-hun's huge church in northern Seoul, which has emerged as a major cluster of infections amid growing fears of a massive outbreak in the greater capital region.

Officials are concerned that the virus's spread could worsen after thousands of demonstrators, including Jun and members of his Sarang Jeil Church, marched in downtown Seoul on Saturday despite pleas from officials to stay home.

South Korea pastor tests positive amid virus spike at church

A conservative South Korean pastor who has been a bitter critic of the country's president has tested positive for the coronavirus, health authorities said Monday, two days after he participated in an anti-government protest in Seoul that drew thousands.

www.ctvnews.ca

 

[AlbertC]

Global report: alarm over Covid case rates in 19 European countries

Aug 17, 2020

Nineteen European countries have crossed a key threshold of new coronavirus infections, with Spain’s figures particularly worrying.

According to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the countries have recorded cumulative 14-day infection totals higher than 20 per 100,000 inhabitants, considered an early alarm level by many health experts.

Luxembourg and Spain have reported more than 100 new cases per 100,000 people in the past two weeks, the figures show, with Malta recording more than 80, Belgium more than 60, and France and the Netherlands more than 40. The UK has 20.7.

Spain reported on Monday a total of 1,833 new infections in the past 24 hours, bringing its seven-day total to 32,329. The daily figure provided by the health ministry was lower than Friday’s post-lockdown record of 2,987, but infection statistics in many European countries often dip on Mondays due to diagnosis and reporting delays on Sunday.

Global report: alarm over Covid case rates in 19 European countries

Countries cross threshold for cumulative 14-day totals, with Spain particularly worrying

www.theguardian.com

 

[Johnny Au]

Churches again being a major cause of Covid outbreaks in South Korea:

South Korea pastor tests positive amid virus spike at church

Monday, August 17, 2020

A conservative South Korean pastor who has been a bitter critic of the country's president has tested positive for the coronavirus, health authorities said Monday, two days after he participated in an anti-government protest in Seoul that drew thousands.

More than 300 virus cases have been linked to the Rev. Jun Kwang-hun's huge church in northern Seoul, which has emerged as a major cluster of infections amid growing fears of a massive outbreak in the greater capital region.

Officials are concerned that the virus's spread could worsen after thousands of demonstrators, including Jun and members of his Sarang Jeil Church, marched in downtown Seoul on Saturday despite pleas from officials to stay home.

South Korea pastor tests positive amid virus spike at church

A conservative South Korean pastor who has been a bitter critic of the country's president has tested positive for the coronavirus, health authorities said Monday, two days after he participated in an anti-government protest in Seoul that drew thousands.

www.ctvnews.ca

Whenever there's a pandemic, it's better to put faith in a government that uses evidence-based policies (definitely not Bolsonaro's Brazil) or in an organization that also uses such evidence-based policies than in [insert deity here] or in the likes of Bolsonaro. As has been proven over and over again, the laying on of hands is a placebo at best (based on hard empirical evidence).

That South Korean pastor must have been ordained by the anti-evidence Ancient Mystical Order of His Holiness Jair Bolsonaro, which apparently runs the Sarang Jeil Church.

 

[Jonny5]

The large, though US-based, financial institution I work for has formally notified staff that the work from home protocols will likely continue well into 2021. I imagine a lot of PATH businesses that haven't kicked the bucket yet are about to do so. I got my haircut down there last Friday and I was the only customer in the shop at 8:30 a.m. a long with the woman who cuts my hair and the receptionist. Pre-COVID there would be eight to ten staff there covering at least six to eight people getting their hair done at that time. She noted their business is still down by about 70% and suspects the owner will pull the plug on the shop soon.

Essentially, financial district retail space is about 300% over capacity right now and through the end of this year.

 

[Jonny5]

Interesting story. It's all US based, but I'm sure applicable to Toronto and confirms some things I suspected back in April and May that many businesses of all types never really shut down for COVID.

Secret Gyms And The Economics Of Prohibition

COVID-19 safeguards have created a black market for gyms.

www.npr.org