Canada’s vaccination rate rises and country reopens

The pandemic is never over. However, Canada seems to be erasing at least some of its sleep, as various restrictions have been lifted in most states.

This long weekend has regained slack as the number of vaccinations continued to grow.Number of fully vaccinated adults as of Friday Reached 31% of Canadians, 68% had at least one shot..

The· Latest Covid-19 modeling The Public Health Agency of Canada has announced that the vaccination campaign is working. Hospitalizations, cases, and, thankfully, deaths are steadily declining. The R number, which indicates the number of people infected with the virus, has been below 1 since April 17, and it is strongly confirmed that the virus has receded.

That does not mean that the delta variant is no longer a problem and that precautions can be completely abandoned.The Public Health Agency publishes useful charts and offers some Advice for fully and partially vaccinated Canadians, When Interactive risk assessment questionnaire..

In short, if we want to postpone the fourth wave and another restricted round, more Canadians need to continue to be vaccinated. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, states that even fully vaccinated people cannot return to normal life until 80 percent of Canadians are vaccinated.

“To date, more than 36 million vaccines have been given in states and territories, and we’re making great strides, but we need precautions to further boost immunity across the community,” said Dr. Tam. .. Said in a Canadian Day message..

Resumptions vary from country to country, just as states impose various restrictions.Canada Day, Alberta Remove almost all pandemic restrictionsAlthough companies and institutions can still request measures such as wearing masks. Saskatchewan is set to do the same on July 11th.

Wednesday, Nova Scotia Reopened borders with other parts of Canada — Or at least to fully vaccinated people from other states.

And on Monday, fully vaccinated Canadians returning to the country no longer need to be quarantined at government hotels as they wait for test results. It remains unclear when the border will fully reopen.

He returned from his first out-of-state mission about a week ago since the blockade began last March. Then I headed to Western Canada, the destination of my previous pre-pandemic trip.

I was there to report on the discovery of the bodies on the premises of a former residential school in British Columbia and Alberta.

[Read: With Discovery of Unmarked Graves, Canada’s Indigenous Seek Reckoning]

After traveling about 3,000 km in Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan, it’s impossible to see any significant differences between the three states and Ontario, where I live, when it comes to reopening. did.

There is certainly no big resurgence in travel. My flight from Ottawa to Calgary was full, but the airport terminals in both cities are almost unmanned. The overwhelming majority of their stores and restaurants often emptied everything, including coffee carafe, rather than just closing. Even the vending machines were stripped of goods.

When I rented a car, the clerk told me that the business was still down about 90 percent. Like my airfare, the rent was much higher than what I usually charged in the past. When I checked out at the 224 hotel, I saw a tally sheet that only 29 rooms were occupied that night. The hotel has limited or absent restaurant and room service, and wisely, the housekeeper did not clean the room unless requested.

I felt it was closer to normal than other states, probably because British Columbia wasn’t as closed as the other states. (I left just before the heat wave dome got off.) 50 high school students appeared at the hotel graduation party. An indoor rally of that size is still a distant memory in Ontario.

Downtown Calgary also seemed more lively than Ottawa or Regina. In Medicine Hat, Alberta Former medal ta Chinese factory, Today, it’s a great museum about Alberta’s once powerful pottery industry. Returning here to Ottawa, the museum remains locked and indoor dining is still banned.

Of course, Canada Day was more modest than it used to be, and most were de facto events. But it wasn’t just because of the pandemic. Some communities and groups have canceled or modified their celebration plans in honor of the demands of indigenous leaders and groups.

[Read: After Bodies Are Found, Some Say Canada Day Is Nothing to Celebrate]

Now that summer has come and the rules have been relaxed, what are your plans? Do you tend to fly again for an out-of-state vacation, or do you stay close to your home until you reach full vaccination levels? What do you think about welcoming guests from afar?

Email your full name and your thoughts where you live [email protected].. Unless otherwise stated, we may use some of the answers in future newsletters.

• Record breaking is a used term when it comes to describing the weather. However, my colleague Dan Bilevsky and Vijosa Isai, the new editorial assistant of the Canadian Times, report: This week was almost understated When it comes to British Columbia and Alberta.Burning heat Caused death to many people And by Canada Day, the fire had destroyed most of one village and had to evacuate other villages.Layoutd up shot How extreme The temperature is.

• Canada Goose boasts that expensive hoodies are still made in Canada to ensure better labor practices. However, Nome Scheber reports that the union says the formerly fully unionized company is now owned by Boston-based Bain Capital. It ’s a stuffy attempt to organize workers. At the three Winnipeg factories.

• Many years ago, more than I thought, one of the first issues I raised was a trade dispute caused by US tariffs on Canadian softwood. It’s still going on. And, as many claim, Already high timber prices In the United States. Thomas Kaplan reports that there is increasing pressure on President Biden to end it in the end, but added that “finding a solution to a trade dispute would not be an easy task.”

• Montreal Canadiens The first Canadian team to play the Stanley Cup Finals Since 1993 they also won. However, the first two games in the series were not auspicious for fans.

Originally from Windsor, Ontario, Ian Austen is educated in Toronto, lives in Ottawa, and has reported on Canada in the New York Times for the past 16 years. Follow him on Twitter @ianrausten.

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