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Reduce contacts now or hospitals will be overwhelmed by Omicron, says Tam

Canada’s chief public health officer has said it won’t be the holiday season Canadians have been hoping for, warning people that if they don’t reduce their contacts in the coming weeks, hospitals across the country will be overwhelmed.

Dr Theresa Tam said The National Andrew Chang Monday is not the time to gather in large numbers.

“Even though Omicron turns out to be milder than previous viral variants because it spreads so quickly… even a small proportion of people ending up in hospital will overwhelm our systems.â€

Canada reported more than 14,000 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, although some of the cases have been over the weekend, with cases of the highly transmissible variant of Omicron skyrocketing and quickly overtaking Delta in many jurisdictions .

While some provinces have already decided to reduce capacity limits in indoor spaces, Tam believes more restrictions may be needed.

“Putting on the brakes, as we all know, quickly can get us back to business on the other end faster,†she said.

In its early days, Omicron seemed to primarily affect young people. But as it spreads, says Tam, it will target more and more workers and workplaces, so it is crucial that workplaces provide their employees with the most effective protection possible: “The best. possible masks that you can get hold of, making sure ventilation is improved in those workplaces and making sure they have access to vaccines. Read more about this story here.

12 remarkable Canadian stories from 2021 captured in photos

(Ben Nelms / CBC)

From the coronavirus pandemic to natural disasters to the two Michael’s, 2021 has not been short of Canadian journalists. Click here for a look back at the remarkable stories CBC photographers and others have covered this year.

In short

A month after the high-profile arrests of dozens of people in Wet’suwet’en territory, a group identifying themselves as land defenders returned Sunday to reoccupy a protest camp, blocking access to a drilling site Coastal GasLink pipeline in northern British Columbia. “The eviction notice of the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs at Coastal GasLink is still in effect,” Jennifer Wickham, media coordinator for the Gidimt’en checkpoint, told CBC News. She said the Wet’suwet’en and their supporters “are doing what they can to ensure that no pipeline crosses traditional territory.” Wickham didn’t want to say how many people had returned to the remote coyote camp. Coastal GasLink said “10 to 12 camouflaged and masked opponents have taken over the Marten Forest Service Road and Morice River drilling site.” The company statement said security officials “left the site out of fear for their safety.” Read more about this story here.

For years, Amanpreet Kaur’s parents set aside all the money they could so their daughter could study abroad.. In 2020, Kaur enrolled in Business Administration at M College of Canada, a private college in Montreal. His tuition fees totaled over $ 15,000 for the year. But there was a problem: Kaur was unable to come to Canada because she did not have her study permit, which was delayed after the college came under investigation last winter for her recruitment practices. In February 2021, she instead opted for online courses. With her license still not approved by the federal government in the spring, she decided to withdraw from school. The college initially told her it would take six to eight weeks to return her just $ 7,300 (less than half of what she paid), but that wait now extends to over six months. Learn more about Indian students trying to get their money back from Quebec colleges they can’t attend.

Beginning tomorrow, the NHL is taking a game-hiatus until after its Christmas vacation due to an increase in COVID-19 cases that have more than 15% of the league’s 700-plus players in protocol. virus. The shutdown gives the 32 teams an extended break before players, coaches and staff can meet again on Sunday to skate and undergo coronavirus testing. Under the collective agreement, the Christmas holidays generally prohibit team activities before December 27. Matches must always resume on that day. When team facilities reopen, anyone traveling with a team must first present a negative COVID-19 test result before they can enter a facility. The latest wave of closures linked to the coronavirus on Monday resulted in the closure of the facilities of 10 teams. Of 49 game postponements, 44 have taken place in the past two weeks with the Delta and Omicron variants spreading across North America. Learn more about stopping the NHL.

Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller said he was “absolutely open” to an independent review of the residential school compensation agreement between the federal government and the Catholic Church. “I would say we’re absolutely open to the idea; we have to get to the bottom of what we’ve done,†Miller said in a phone interview Monday. “The job that has been given to me is to get to the bottom of these things… This is not the end of the story. Lawyers say that while this is encouraging news, Miller could show good faith by immediately releasing key government documents related to the deal which he admits to already being in his possession. “We expect the federal government to release everything. This is a necessary step for many survivors on their own healing journey, â€said Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations leader Bobby Cameron. Read the full story here.

A single US senator detonated a political bomb, the large radius of which struck his political party, his country and his planet. West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin has, until further notice, killed President Joe Biden’s hope of signing major legislation. Resurrecting the Build Back Better mega-bill might happen, but it won’t be easy and it’s dead in its current form. In a Fox News interview on Sunday, Manchin said he was done negotiating this bill. Because he holds the 50th vote in a 100-seat Senate, Manchin’s statement was a game-changer on several fronts. It shook Biden’s presidency, angered the Democratic Party, jeopardized about two dozen major initiatives affecting millions of Americans, canceled economic forecasts, torched America’s climate plan, called into question a global tax plan and, possibly for the benefit of Canadians, suspended a major Canada-US irritant, a potential violation of trade agreements. Read more from CBC Washington correspondent Alexander Panetta.

This was supposed to be the year international travel resumed after being shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in another viable tourist season for Goa, India. The small Indian coastal state depends on tourism for more than 16% of its gross domestic product. But the Omicron variant changed everything, forcing once again the cancellation of international charter flights, booked to resume in December – a month after the traditional start of Goa’s peak season, which runs from late October through March, but is particularly well known. for her Christmas and New Years celebrations. Read the full article from CBC India correspondent Salimah Shivji.

Now, some great news to start your Tuesday: It’s a good thing Jonny Vu ​​couldn’t give up his waiter service at Woodyard Brewhouse & Eatery in Yellowknife on a Thursday night earlier this month, as he had hoped. Vu served a table of 10 women that evening who, after paying for their meal and leaving a tip, handed him a card they had each signed. “I looked inside the card and there is $ 1,000 in cash,†he said. “It was super overwhelming. I had no idea how to react. Yeah, it was just very, like, speechless.” The card was from a group of women who have gathered for a meal over the holidays since 2019 and gave their server $ 1,000 as a gift. Learn more about the generous donation here.

Front Burner: Why the Matrix still resonates today

The matrix was a smash hit when it was released in 1999. Today, more than 20 years later, the movie still seems relevant – whether it’s about people talking about ‘taking the red pill’ or theorizing that we all really live in a computer simulation – the film starring Keanu Reeves as Neo and Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus has permeated the culture.

With Matrix resurrections Opening in Canada Wednesday, Jayme Poisson talks with John Semley about why the film had such an impact then, and how its influence is still felt today. Additionally, Charley Archer explains why the original film, directed by two trans women, Lilly and Lana Wachowski, is an iconic work of trans art.

Today in History: December 21

1894: Sir Mackenzie Bowell becomes Prime Minister of Canada following the death of Sir John Thompson.

1942: Butter rationing begins in Canada during wartime.

1967: Louis Washkansky dies 18 days after becoming the world’s first heart transplant patient in Cape Town, South Africa.

2010: In the early hours of the morning, many Canadians witness a rare total lunar eclipse at the winter solstice. NASA says this last happened 372 years earlier.