Canada: Restrictions could need to come back for Delta hotspots

CTV News shows the Canada situation. Dr. Ronald St. John, former director-general of the Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response, discusses the Delta variant of the virus.

The SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant is certainly a concern. Remember not to confuse this virus variant with the deltacoronavirus which mainly affects birds.

The so-called SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, also known as lineage B.1.617.2, is a variant of lineage B.1.617 of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It was first detected in India in late 2020. The World Health Organization (WHO) named it the Delta variant on 31 May 2021.

It has mutations in the gene encoding the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein causing the substitutions T478K, P681R and L452R, which are known to affect transmissibility of the virus as well as whether it can be neutralised by antibodies for previously circulating variants of the COVID-19 virus. Public Health England (PHE) in May 2021 observed secondary attack rates to be 51-67% higher than the so-called alpha variant.

On 7 May 2021, PHE changed their classification of lineage B.1.617.2 from a variant under investigation (VUI) to a variant of concern (VOC) based on an assessment of transmissibility being at least equivalent to B.1.1.7 (Alpha variant), first identified in the UK (as the Kent variant). Subsequently on 11 May 2021, the WHO also classified this lineage VOC, and said that it showed evidence of higher transmissibility and reduced neutralisation. The dangerous virus variant is thought to be partly responsible for India's second wave of the pandemic beginning in February 2021.

Canada: Provinces pivoting vaccine rollout over Pfizer shipment delay

CBC News in Canada shows that a delay of up to 3 days in COVID-19 vaccine delivery from Pfizer means that some provinces are postponing second-dose appointments for that vaccine.

In additional news, the USA Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday it plans to move quickly to add a warning about rare cases of heart inflammation in adolescents and young adults to fact sheets for the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.

Will Canadians ever go back to shopping malls post-pandemic?

Global News in Canada discusses certain rumours about the impending so-called "death" of the shopping mall that have been circling for years.

Between 2018 and 2019, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, foot traffic to Canada’s top 10 malls (as measured by revenue per square foot) declined by 22 per cent, according to research from Deloitte Canada. And when the consulting giant measured foot traffic in February 2020, still before the COVID-19 lockdowns, and February 2019 it found an even steeper drop of 42 per cent.

But as COVID-19 restrictions across the country loosen up amid soaring vaccination rates, some experts believe the pandemic may have given shopping malls (or at least some of them) a new lease on life.

Canada's border reopening plans as travel rules ease: Confusion and Frustration

Global News in Canada shows that the Canadian federal government had announced that fully vaccinated Canadians and permanent residents are now free to enter the country without quarantine rules after travel restrictions were eased. 

But, the feds have also said it's still not safe for the country to fully reopen to non-essential travel.

Fully vaccinated foreigners are still restricted from entering, including Americans living immediately to the south.

It's also leaving the tourism industry flustered over another potentially lost summer. As David Akin reports, the frustration is growing on the vagueness of the country's next steps.

Canada: New federal guidelines released for those fully vaccinated for COVID-19

Global News in Canada shows that the Public Health Agency has finally issued guidelines for Canadians who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Canada's top doctor, Dr. Theresa Tam admits they're coming late, and will likely change as more data surfaces. 

There are fears that the Delta variant will bring a fourth wave Canada's way. 

Eric Sorensen explains the rules, and the urgency to get more Canadians immunized.

Canada’s Housing Market: Developer’s plan to buy $1B in homes

Global News shows that Toronto-based condo developer Core Development Group is under fire for its plan to buy $1 billion worth of single-family homes and convert them into rental properties. This comes as housing prices have climbed rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company has said it intends to buy 4,000 rental units in Ontario, Quebec, B.C. and Atlantic Canada, as first reported by the Globe and Mail. The company hasn’t provided an overall timeline for its acquisitions, but the idea is to buy homes that can be split into two units (for example, with a second unit in the basement) and turn both over to the rental market.

As Anne Gaviola reports, reducing the supply of homes for sale could make the affordability crisis even worse for those trying to get into the market.

Canada: Delta variant 'growing rapidly' in Ontario, warns Yaffe

CTV News talks about how many people in Ontario need to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity. Dr. Barbara Yaffe isn't sure because of Delta variant.

"Herd Immunity" (also called herd effect, community immunity, population immunity, or mass immunity) is certainly a form of indirect protection from infectious disease that can occur with some diseases when a sufficient percentage of a population has become immune to an infection, whether through vaccination or previous infections, thereby reducing the likelihood of infection for individuals who lack immunity. Immune individuals are unlikely to contribute to disease transmission, disrupting chains of infection, which stops or slows the spread of disease. The greater the proportion of immune individuals in a community, the smaller the probability that non-immune individuals will come into contact with an infectious individual.

Individuals can really become immune by recovering from an earlier infection or through vaccination. Some individuals cannot become immune because of medical conditions, such as an immunodeficiency or immunosuppression, and for this group herd immunity is a crucial method of protection. Once the herd immunity threshold has been reached, disease gradually disappears from a population. This elimination, if achieved worldwide, may result in the permanent reduction in the number of infections to zero, called eradication.

Infectious vs Contagious:

Contagious diseases are spread by contact, while infectious diseases are spread by infectious agents. Something "contagious" is by default "infectious" because contact exposed you to the infectious agent, but something infectious isn't always contagious.

Infectious diseases are caused by microscopic germs (such as bacteria or viruses) that get into the body and cause problems. Some (but not all) infectious diseases spread directly from one person to another. Infectious diseases that spread from person to person are said to be contagious.

"Food poisoning" is a good example of something infectious but not contagious: food can be contaminated with a bacteria that makes you sick, but you can't give your food poisoning to someone else just by shaking their hand or even giving them a kiss.