Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Reported daily COVID-19 caseloads in Canada could reach unprecedented highs later this month if current levels of virus transmission are not reduced, new federal modelling data shows.
On the eve of the Labour Day weekend, chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam took aim at young adults, describing an "urgent need" for more people between the ages of 18 and 39 to get vaccinated in order to prevent a rapid worsening of Canada's COVID-19 situation.
"The moment you get people back indoors … we will see accelerations," she said Friday at a press conference.
Data released by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) shows that 74 per cent of those between the ages of 18 and 29 and 77 per cent of those in their 30s have been fully vaccinated, versus 82 per cent of those in their 40s and even higher percentages of older age groups.
In addition, Tam said, those younger adults "continue to have the highest rates of infection," in part because they are more likely to have close contact with people outside their household for work-related or recreational reasons.
There is also a regional disparity in vaccination rates. While 84 per cent of eligible vaccine recipients across Canada have received at least one dose, the rate is only 78 per cent in Alberta and 76 per cent in Saskatchewan.
From mid-July to mid-August, Tam said, the COVID-19 infection rate was 12 times higher among the unvaccinated than the vaccinated, and the hospitalization rate was 36 times higher.
PHAC estimates that 5.2 million eligible Canadians have not yet received any COVID-19 vaccination, while another 2.5 million are only considered partially vaccinated.
"The bottom line is that millions of people across Canada remain unvaccinated and at high risk of COVID-19 infection and severe illness outcomes," Tam said.
Tam also called on all Canadians to limit their contacts as summer comes to a close, sending many back to schools and workplaces.
"Right now is not the time to gather in huge numbers with people that are not in your household, without taking significant layers of protection," she said.
However, the chief doctor repeatedly emphasized that the country still has a "window of opportunity" to avoid skyrocketing case counts and an overwhelmed health-care system later this month, suggesting that renewed provincial restrictions could have an impact.
"Of course we can do something about a resurgence, and I've seen provinces do that," she said.
The PHAC modelling data suggests that if public health measures are able to reduce the level of transmission across the country by 25 per cent, the fourth wave of the pandemic could soon plateau at a lower daily infection rate than the peaks of the second and third waves.
Source: Public Health Agency of Canada
PHAC reports that Canada is experiencing "ongoing rapid acceleration" of COVID-19 activity, including in cases causing severe illness. Tam said that the number of new hospitalizations related to COVID-19 in Canada has more than doubled since the last modelling was released on July 30, and is now above 1,200 per day.
She attributed the increase in virus activity to slow vaccine uptake and an "earlier than expected reopening" in some parts of the country.
There is not yet any indication that the fourth wave is resulting in an increase in deaths among COVID-19 patients, the data shows.
Source: Public Health Agency of Canada
Friday was the first time Tam or other PHAC officials directly addressed reporters since the federal election was called in mid-August. Such press conferences had been a regular occurrence prior to the election.
The modelling was initially slated to be released without a press conference, in what would have been a departure from PHAC's usual practice. The agency reversed course on that decision last week, amid questions about changing communications strategy during the federal election.
Asked about the reversal, Tam said that she had been communicating with the public during the election campaign through written press releases and her social media accounts, and hinted that there will be more press conferences to come.
"Given where the epidemic is heading, I expect to be providing regular briefings to all of you," she said.
A previous version of this story stated that 84 per cent of eligible vaccine recipients have received two doses. That is the percentage that have received at least one dose.
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
B.C. conservation officers recently seized a nine-foot-long Burmese python from a home in Chilliwack.
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
The Ontario government is introducing changes to auto-insurance, but some experts say the move is ill-advised.
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Newfoundland’s unique version of the Pine Marten has grown out of its threatened designation.
A Toronto man is out $12,000 after falling victim to a deepfake cryptocurrency scam that appeared to involve Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
It started small with a little pop tab collection to simply raise some money for charity and help someone — but it didn’t take long for word to get out that 10-year-old Jace Weber from Mildmay, Ont. was quickly building up a large supply of aluminum pop tabs.
There’s a group of people in Saskatoon that proudly call themselves dumpster divers, and they’re turning the city’s trash into treasure.
Ontario is facing a larger than anticipated deficit but the Doug Ford government still plans to balance its books before the next provincial election.