Provincial health officials says uncertainty about new variants BA.2
Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 02 Mar, 2022 11:05 AM
British Columbia's provincial health officer says there are still some uncertainties about new variants, including B-A-point-2, with some cases present in B-C.
Doctor Bonnie Henry says the province is prepared for a potential uptick in COVID-19 cases during the next respiratory season.
She says the province will integrate wastewater surveillance testing into its regular surveillance of respiratory illness including influenza, and also include other pathogens to get a periodic snapshot of what else may be circulating in communities.
Henry says a decline in hospitalizations, immunity from vaccination and the availability of at-home rapid tests point the way forward to normal activities like high school graduations, which young people need to feel connected to others.
Canada’s central bank has been told to keep the annual pace of price gains at its historic target, but also to help build up the labour market. Since 1991, the Bank of Canada has targeted an annual inflation rate of between one and three per cent, often landing in a sweet spot at two per cent.
Canada's top doctor is urging the federal government to transform its public health system so the country is better equipped to handle future and present health threats. Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says the COVID-19 pandemic was a wake-up call on the need for "public health renewal" in Canada.
Trudeau says the two countries have been building cars together for more than 50 years — an alliance threatened by President Joe Biden's efforts to boost sales of vehicles made in the U.S. with union labour.
British Columbia health officials say 10 cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 have now been identified in the province. The Health Ministry said in a news release Friday the variant of concern has been found in the Vancouver Coastal, Fraser and Island Health regions.
In a letter to key members of the U.S. Senate, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Trade Minister Mary Ng are promising retaliatory tariffs on American products if the tax credit proposal becomes law.
Popham says the devastation has stressed the need and importance of a federal partnership to ensure support for the farmers who have fed Canadians for years. She says visiting the area gave them a first-hand understanding of the situation and priorities.
