COVID

The province’s education minister says schools in COVID-19 hot spots in and around Toronto should be planning for a return to classrooms at a yet-to-be-determined date.

Lorraine Graves barely has the energy to hold a pen some days as "brain fog" leaves her forgetful and sudden worsening vision has her increasing the font size on her computer.

Winter-weary Canadians eyeing a vacation were told to spike travel plans Friday as Ottawa cancelled flights to popular sun destinations, ordered all arrivals to test for COVID-19 and swallow hefty quarantine costs.

For Cass Van Wyck and Luis Fernandes at Assembly Theatre, an independent performance space in Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood, tight budgets and low overheads were a staple of life well before a pandemic upended their plans for 2020.

Rachelle Wintzen had just reopened her boutique yoga studio after dropping $150,000 on a major renovation when it was forced to close again last March. She has been accumulating more debt and hustling to hang on ever since.

The new Biden administration is pushing U.S. grocers to once again offer their employees pandemic pay — an effort Canadian labour advocates say is needed from governments in Canada as well.

Fashion designer Sinéad Clarke whipped up thousands of face masks starting last March to contribute to local pandemic-fighting efforts, and has been adapting the operations of Toronto’s Irish Design House ever since.

Two restaurant groups in downtown Vancouver reportedly lost a quarter of a million dollars on New Year's Eve between them.

Dr. Samantha Hill said if people fear the vaccines they won't get them, and whether vaccines are delayed by supply issues or patients hesitant to take them, the result will be tragic.

Despite the extremely low risks that approved COVID-19 vaccines pose to health compared to COVID-19 itself, these concerns need to be treated as valid by health experts and vaccine decision-makers because they are justified, writes PhD candidate Cathy Slavik. 

The COVID-19 vaccine rollout is highlighting the disconnect between the way Canadians see their role in the world and reality, according to international affairs experts.

For students who dive into every social activity and ask for help when needed, their institution’s response to COVID-19 and their mental health needs is enough. But experts say they aren’t the only ones post-secondary schools need to reach.

Human behaviour is finally on the table as a factor in epidemic coronavirus infection, writes family physician Warren Bell.

The focus must be on justice for those fleeing the impact of extreme weather events, says a new scientific aide to the Vatican.

Procurement minister Anita Anand said Canada faces an "unfortunate" delay that is nonetheless expected to be made up by the end of March, while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau insisted most Canadians will still be vaccinated by the fall.