By Canadian Press

A look at the latest COVID-19 developments in Canada

Jan 11, 2022 | 2:20 PM

A look at the latest COVID-19 news in Canada:

— Quebec Premier Francois Legault says adult residents who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19 will be charged a financial penalty. Legault says the levy will only apply to people who do not qualify for medical exemptions. It is the first time a government in Canada has announced a financial penalty for people who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Legault says the amount of the penalty hasn’t been decided but will be “significant.”

— Internationally educated nurses will be allowed to work in Ontario hospitals, long-term care homes and other health settings grappling with pandemic-related staffing challenges. Health Minister Christine Elliott says more than 1,200 applicants had expressed interest in the programs that would see the internationally trained professionals deployed where extra help is needed, under the supervision of another regulated health-care provider. The province will run the programs with Ontario Health, which oversees the health system, and the College of Nurses of Ontario.

— Teachers unions are expressing safety concerns ahead of schools reopening in Ontario next week, as the government sharply limits access to PCR tests for students and teachers. Karen Brown, president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, says while many teachers want to return to in-person learning and feel it is the “best way” to engage with students, some are still concerned about whether there will be enough safety measures in place by Monday to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Her union and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation are calling for more HEPA filters in schools, reduced class sizes to promote physical distancing, along with COVID-19 testing, tracing and monitoring to ensure a safe return to schools. 

— A small number of children in an international study that included Canadian researchers experienced severe outcomes after visiting an emergency room and testing positive for COVID-19. Researchers found that about three per cent — or 107 infected kids — of 3,221 children had severe outcomes within 14 days of their ER visit, just under 23 per cent were hospitalized and four children died. Severe outcomes included cardiovascular complications, such as inflammation of the heart, as well as neurologic, respiratory or infectious problems. Researchers also discovered that young infants were not at a higher risk for severe outcomes.

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— Nunavut’s education minister says students will return to school remotely next week and in-person on Jan. 24. The territory of 40,000 people has been under lockdown since late December after COVID-19 cases spread rapidly across multiple communities. Pamela Gross says the plan is to open schools on Jan. 24, but the chief public health officer will make a final call later this week based on COVID-19 case numbers.

— New Brunswick’s chief epidemiologist says if current trends continue, the province could see 5,500 people testing positive each day for COVID-19 by the end of the month. Mathieu Chalifoux says that could result in nearly 220 people in hospital. There are currently a record 88 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the province, including 14 in intensive care and 11 on a ventilator.

— A Nova Scotia government official says 25 of the province’s 133 nursing homes are currently not accepting new admissions because of staffing issues partly caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Katelyn Randell, director of long-term care, says the “pause” on admissions is to allow facilities to address what she says are “staffing gaps.” Randell didn’t say how many workers are missing because the number changes almost daily.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 11, 2022.

The Canadian Press