The latest on the coronavirus outbreak for Feb. 8
- As provinces ready removal of some COVID-19 restrictions, a Liberal MP asks for clarity from his own government.
- COVID-19 protest snarls traffic at busiest Canada-U.S. border crossing.
- Exercise bike CEO takes a hike: Early pandemic darling Peloton announces leadership change, significant layoffs.
- Explore: Follow the latest from Ottawa on the COVID-19 protests there.... New Zealand, too, sees a protest convoy hit its capital as parliament resumes.... Pent-up demand for March Break trips noted, but travellers should research requirements for returning home.... Michael Ignatieff on his new book and finding solace in dark times.
Saskatchewan plans on lifting indoor mask mandate by next month, other provinces eye loosening more restrictions
The Saskatchewan government has announced that it will end its vaccine passport policy after this week.
Businesses, workplaces and other public venues will no longer be mandated by the province to require proof of vaccination or a negative test, effective Monday Feb. 14. The province says it will continue to make proof of vaccination records and QR codes available in case residents need them for travel.
Premier Scott Moe on Tuesday admitted the passport policy helped boost the province's vaccination rates in the final months of 2021, but said with the current wave sparked by the Omicron variant that "the benefits of this policy no longer outweigh the costs." Moe said that while it's been proven that the COVID-19 vaccines are working to prevent serious adverse outcomes in the majority of cases, the evasiveness of Omicron in terms of infecting individuals has made the division less stark between those vaccinated and those who haven't been jabbed.
In addition, Moe said Saskatchewan will let its indoor mask mandate lapse when it expires on Feb. 28.
Moe said the government will still make vaccines widely available and encourage individuals to take up either their primary series or booster doses. He also urged Saskatchewan residents to treat others with respect should some choose to remain masked in public places after it's no longer required.
The Saskatchewan Federation of Labour immediately raised concerns about the plan.
"Workers have the right to be safe at work, and should be able to have access to and wear the [personal protective equipment] that they need to avoid contracting COVID," federation president Lori Johb said in a statement. "Both the government and employers must make sure that workers are able to wear whatever PPE they need to be safe without facing harassment from members of the public."
Last summer, both Saskatchewan and Alberta did away with mask mandates only to have to reverse course as the Delta variant strained health-care systems in both Prairie provinces.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney teased his announcement later Tuesday to lay out "a careful and prudent plan to lift damaging restrictions," but other provinces such as Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island on Tuesday also announced an easing of restrictions in the offing. On Monday, British Columbia's health minister said that province was on track to ease capacity limits next week.
And in four Democratic-led states in the U.S., plans were announced on Monday to scrap mask mandates for indoor settings or at schools in the coming weeks. While several Republican governors and leaders long ago scorned mask mandates, the changes signal a growing inclination even among more cautious leaders to take pandemic-weary residents off an emergency footing and shift toward policies that treat the coronavirus as part of everyday life.
Moe has shared criticisms publicly of the handling of the pandemic by the Liberal government in Ottawa. But on Tuesday he said, "I think, in fairness, you'll probably see the federal government come forward" soon with more clarity as to the months ahead.
That's certainly the desire of federal Liberal MP Joël Lightbound, who on Tuesday held a news conference in Ottawa to say it's time for the federal government to change approach and "provide a road map with clear benchmarks" as to COVID-19 restrictions.
Pointing to more than a dozen developed countries that have started to do away with restrictions already, Lightbound said Tuesday it's reasonable to rethink Canada's COVID-19 approach as it becomes increasingly clear that the world will be dealing with this virus for years to come.
"I can't help but notice with regret that both the tone and the policies of my government have changed drastically since the last election campaign. It went from a more positive approach to one that stigmatizes and divides people," said Lightbound.
The Quebec MP representing Louis-Hébert mentioned comments last week made by Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, who said that the country needs to find a more "sustainable" way to deal with the pandemic and future variants of the virus.
Lightbound said he had no desire to leave his post as the partys Quebec caucus chair, saying he believed he belonged to a big-tent party that's "open for dissent and different opinions." But by late Tuesday afternoon, he announced he was resigning from that role.
Conservatives, meanwhile, used Lightbound's comments Tuesday during Question Period as ammunition to criticize Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for what they called "divisive" vaccine mandates.
From CBC News
Ambassador Bridge protest halts vehicles from leaving Michigan
People protesting pandemic restrictions and lockdowns prevented vehicles from using the Ambassador Bridge for a second day on Tuesday, with traffic halted from Michigan to Windsor, Ont., and limited in the opposite direction.
Dozens of vehicles are jamming the area around the bridge in solidarity with convoy protests targeting Ottawa and in other parts of Canada, by lining Windsor's Huron Church Road, the main road connecting Highway 401 to the bridge. Police are asking nearby residents or would-be border hoppers to avoid the area, which has been clogged since Monday afternoon.
An unvaccinated truck driver, Jack Dyck, was among protesters at the site on Tuesday. He told CBC News he wants Ottawa will drop the policy that all Canadian cross-border essential workers — including truckers — must show proof of vaccination at a port of entry to avoid testing requirements and quarantine.
"We're not giving up. It's gonna stay until they drop all mandates, as long as it takes," he said.
Dyck said he hoped the government will drop the mandate "so I can get back to work."
According to Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, about $300 million worth of commercial traffic crosses the border in the city each day, including about 10,000 transport trucks using the Ambassador Bridge. Dilkens told CBC News that any lengthy demonstration will be harmful to the just-in-time deliveries employed by the automotive and auto parts companies that are vital economic drivers for both Michigan and southwestern Ontario.
"It is one thing to protest, and set up and be an annoyance in the streets of Ottawa, and another thing to come down and shut down the international border crossing where a large majority of trade flows, so we're doing our best," Dilkens said. "The Windsor police are doing their best to work with the protesters, but I would submit that you have some folks who are making irrational decisions and you're trying to find and set a rational solution, but you're not working with rational actors in every case."
Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino on Tuesday also gave an update on the situations in Windsor as well as near Coutts, Alta., where a similar border demonstration is taking place.
Mendicino told reporters that additional supports have been provided at other Ontario crossings, including Blue Water near Sarnia, to help with an influx of travellers rerouted from Windsor.
Peloton replaces CEO and lays off 2,800 people as once-hyped stock continues downhill ride
Peloton has been on a wild ride for the past two years during the pandemic, and shareholders and investors will now have to assess what the right path is going forward.
Company shares surged more than 400 per cent in 2020 amid early COVID-19 lockdowns that included gyms. By November of 2020, Peloton was trumpeting a deal with Beyoncé for the singer to produce exclusive content for the brand's fitness classes.
Nearly all of the stock market gains were wiped out last year, however, as the distribution of vaccines sent many people out of their homes and back into gyms.
Peloton announced Tuesday that it was cutting 2,800 jobs, including approximately 20 per cent of corporate jobs at the New York City headquarters. The instructors who lead interactive classes for Peloton will not be included in cuts, nor will the content that the company relies on to lure users.
In addition, co-founder John Foley is giving up the CEO position to become executive chair at Peloton Interactive Inc. Barry McCarthy, who served as CFO at Spotify as well as at Netflix, will take over as CEO, the company said.
In a conference call with analysts, Foley acknowledged that mistakes had been made and that the company had looked to expand too quickly.
"We own it. I own it and we are holding ourselves accountable," Foley said. "That starts today."
The moves will inevitably lead to speculation of whether the company is ripe for a sale, with reports last week that Amazon and Nike could be interested.
"We believe Foley leaving makes it more likely that Peloton ultimately sells the company and the board clearly has major decisions to make in the days/weeks/months ahead," wrote Wedbush analysts Daniel Ives and John Katsingris.
Raj Shah, North America lead for tech, media, and telecom at digital consulting firm Publicis Sapient, wasn't as convinced that will transpire.
"I think the moves, as a whole, do not signify that Peloton is throwing in the towel. I believe this means they are going to slim down, refocus, and stay independent," he said.
COVID-19 vaccine booster dose percentage per 100 people
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With files from Reuters, The Canadian Press, The Associated Press