Canada's COVID-19 cases rise again as Moderna booster shot approved

Global News in Canada shows that as Canada's COVID-19 cases start rising again, Health Canada approved Spikevax, Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, to be used as a booster shot. Abigail Bimman reports on when Canadian children might finally get vaccinated, and on chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam's advice about keeping the virus out as more people gather indoors.

The deadline for a global climate accord has come and gone at the COP26 climate summit, and still, nearly 200 countries haven't made a deal. Crystal Goomansingh explains the sticking points.

As COVID-19 case rise, be careful in the pandemic this winter. Health Canada has approved Spikevax, Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, to be used as a booster shot. Soon Canadian children might finally get vaccinated. Keep in mind the advice about keeping the virus out as more people head indoors.

There may be bumps in the virus trajectory on the graph over the coming weeks. Daily cases in Canada increased 11 per cent over the past week, and they will probably continue to rise.

The highly contagious so-called Delta virus variant continues to predominate. The risk of surges and disease activity is likely to increase with more time spent indoors. There is more risk with groups of more unvaccinated people.

On Nov. 10, 2020, 4,302 new cases of COVID-19 were reported across Canada, according to data from PHAC.

This year: 2021, on the same day, only 2,601 cases were reported, though they are trending upwards.

What Canada's priorities are during "Three Amigos" summit

Global News in Canada shows that this week on "The West Block," host Mercedes Stephenson is joined by Canada’s ambassador to the United States, Kirsten Hillman, to outline Canadian priorities ahead of the 'Three Amigos' summit. 

Next week, President Joe Biden will host Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador for the first in-person meeting of North American leaders in five years. 

Plus, Green Party MP Elizabeth May shares her critique of Canada’s new climate goals now that COP26 has concluded. 

Finally, "The West Block" brings a special look back at the national Remembrance Day service in Ottawa.

The North American Leaders' Summit (NALS), sometimes called the "Three Amigos Summit" in the popular press, is the trilateral summit between the Prime Minister of Canada, the President of Mexico, and the President of the United States. The summits were initially held as part of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP), a continent-level dialogue between the 3 countries established in 2005, and continued after SPP became inactive in 2009.

The most recent North American Leaders' Summit was hosted by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on June 29, 2016 at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Trudeau hosted USA President Barack Obama and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto. The 3 leaders discussed a shared commitment to LGBT rights (with Trudeau highlighting their importance after the recent attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando), renewable energy development, and free trade. The leaders also announced the creation of a North American Climate, Clean Energy, and Environment Partnership and associated action plan.

During the presidency of Donald Trump from 2017 to 2021, no official summits were held. The leaders of the 3 countries continued to meet at other events, such as the signing of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement during the 2018 G20 Buenos Aires summit.

NAFTA was an interesting agreement. The USMCA took effect on July 1, 2020, replacing NAFTA.

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA; Spanish: Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte, TLCAN; French: Accord de libre-échange nord-américain, ALÉNA) was an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States that created a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994, and superseded the 1988 Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Canada. The NAFTA trade bloc formed one of the largest trade blocs in the world by gross domestic product.

The impetus for a North American free trade zone began with USA president Ronald Reagan, who made the idea part of his 1980 presidential campaign. After the signing of the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement in 1988, the administrations of U.S. president George H. W. Bush, Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, and Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney agreed to negotiate what became NAFTA. Each submitted the agreement for ratification in their respective capitals in December 1992, but NAFTA faced significant opposition in both the United States and Canada. All three countries ratified NAFTA in 1993 after the addition of two side agreements, the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC) and the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC).

Passage of NAFTA resulted in the elimination or reduction of barriers to trade and investment between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The effects of the agreement regarding issues such as employment, the environment, and economic growth have been the subject of political disputes. Most economic analyses indicated that NAFTA was beneficial to the North American economies and the average citizen, but harmed a small minority of workers in industries exposed to trade competition. Economists held that withdrawing from NAFTA or renegotiating NAFTA in a way that reestablished trade barriers would have adversely affected the USA economy and cost jobs. However, Mexico would have been much more probably severely affected by job loss and reduction of economic growth in both the short term and long term.

After USA President Donald Trump took office in January 2017, he sought to replace NAFTA with a new agreement, beginning negotiations with Canada and Mexico. In September 2018, the United States, Mexico, and Canada reached an agreement to replace NAFTA with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), and all 3 important countries had ratified it by March 2020. NAFTA remained in force until USMCA was implemented. In April 2020, Canada and Mexico notified the U.S. that they were ready to implement the agreement. The USMCA took effect on July 1, 2020, replacing NAFTA. The new law involved only small-size changes.

COVID-19: USA rushes to vaccinate more Americans as cases rise ahead of holidays

Global News in Canada shows that the United States faces renewed urgency to get more Americans vaccinated against COVID-19, as cases spike again in many states. 

On average, the daily case rates are almost four times higher than in Canada. And every single day, the USA still records an average of 1,200 COVID-related deaths, which are on track to exceed one million deaths by March. 

Jackson Proskow reports on where infections are multiplying, as millions of people prepare to travel over Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The dangerous COVID-19 pandemic in the USA is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Since January 2020, 47,050,502 confirmed cases have been reported with 762,972 deaths, the most of any country, and the nineteenth-highest per capita worldwide. As many infections have certainly gone undetected, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that, as of May 2021, there could be a total 120.2 million dangerous infections in the United States, or more than a third of the total population. COVID-19 is the deadliest pandemic in USA history; it was the third-leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2020, behind heart disease and cancer. From 2019 to 2020, U.S. life expectancy dropped by 3 years for Hispanic Americans, 2.9 years for African Americans, and 1.2 years for white Americans. These effects have persisted as much USA deaths due to COVID-19 in 2021 exceeded those in 2020.

On December 31, 2019, China announced the discovery of a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan. The first American case was reported on January 20, and President Donald Trump declared the USA outbreak a public health emergency on January 31. Restrictions were placed on flights arriving from China, but the initial USA response to the pandemic was otherwise slow, in terms of preparing the healthcare system, stopping other travel, and important virus testing.

Canada: Here's why car prices are skyrocketing

CTV News in Canada shows that ongoing supply chain issues have led to shortages in new and used cars, driving up vehicle prices with no relief in sight.

A so-called "used car", a pre-owned vehicle, or a secondhand car, is a vehicle that has previously had one or more retail owners. Used cars are sold through a variety of outlets, including franchise and independent car dealers, rental car companies, buy here pay here dealerships, leasing offices, auctions, and private party sales. Some car retailers offer "no-haggle prices," "certified" used cars, and extended service plans or warranties.

In Ontario, Canada, new and used vehicle sales are regulated by the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC). In Alberta, Canada, new and used vehicle sales are regulated by the Alberta Motor Vehicle Industry Council (AMVIC).

A so-called luxury car is a car that provides increased levels of comfort, equipment, amenities, quality, performance, and status compared to regular cars for an increased price. The term is subjective and reflects both the qualities of the car and the brand image of its manufacturer. Luxury brands rank above premium brands, though there is no fixed demarcation between the two.

Traditionally, most luxury cars were large vehicles, though smaller sports-oriented models were always produced. "Compact" luxury vehicles such as hatchbacks, and off-road capable sport utility vehicles, are relatively modern trends.

Canada: Saskatchewan: Health officials are monitoring a new mutation of COVID-19

CTV News in Canada shows that Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer said he’s closely watching a new mutation of COVID-19 in the province.

Derivatives of the Delta variant, called AY.25 and AY.27, have been detected in Saskatchewan.

The dangerous COVID-19 pandemic in the geographical area of Saskatchewan is part of an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19], a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The province of Saskatchewan, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada ranks 6th amongst provinces and territories in terms of overall cases, and 3rd in total cases per-million residents.

The virus timeline is interesting for the province of Saskatchewan in the country of Canada. Chief Medical Officer Saqib Shahab announced the first presumptive case of in the province on March 12, 2020, a person in their 60s that had recently returned from Egypt. A provincial state of emergency was declared on March 18, and the province began to institute mandatory closures of non-essential facilities and lines of business over the days that followed. Saskatchewan reported its first deaths from COVID-19 on March 30. By April 6, the number of new recoveries began to regularly equal or exceed the number of new cases, which also began to steadily drop. On April 23, Premier Scott Moe stated that Saskatchewan's caseload was 70% below the national average per-province, and hospitalizations and deaths were 90% below average.

The province's first major outbreak began in late-April, centred upon the remote northwestern community of La Loche. It was traced to an outbreak at the Kearl Oil Sands Project in northern Alberta, with wider community spread attributed to overcrowded living conditions in local First Nations communities. In June and July, a new outbreak emerged in the western and central regions of the province, centred around communal Hutterite colonies. The province hit a new peak of 332 active cases during the spike, which subsided by late-August. In early-October, the number of new cases in Saskatchewan began to rapidly increase in urban communities, with a gospel outreach in Prince Albert being attributed as a superspreader event, and increasing community spread in Saskatoon - particularly at nightclubs.

Canada: Winter tires affected by supply chain crunch

CBC News: The National in Canada show that as temperatures fall across Canada, winter tires have joined the long list of products that are being affected by a supply chain crunch.

So-called "snow tires", also known as "winter tires", are tires designed for use on snow and ice. Snow tires have a tread design with larger gaps than those on conventional tires, increasing traction on snow and ice. Such tires that have passed a specific winter traction performance test are entitled to display a 3PMSF (Three-Peak Mountain Snow Flake) symbol on their sidewalls. Tires designed for winter conditions are optimized to drive at temperatures below 7 °C (45 °F). Some snow tires have metal or ceramic studs that protrude from the tire to increase traction on hard-packed snow or ice. Studs abrade dry pavement, causing dust and creating wear in the wheel path. Regulations that require the use of snow tires or permit the use of studs vary by country in Asia and Europe, and by state or province in North America.

All-season tires have tread gaps that are smaller than snow tires and larger than conventional tires. They are quieter than winter tires on clear roads, but certainly less capable on snow or ice.

"Snow chains", or "tire chains", are devices fitted to the tires of vehicles to provide maximum traction when driving through difficult snow and ice.

Such important snow chains attach to the drive wheels of a vehicle or special systems deploy chains which swing under the tires automatically. Although named after steel chain, snow chains may be made of other materials and in a variety of patterns and strengths. Chains are usually sold in pairs and often must be purchased to match a particular tire size (tire diameter and tread width), although some designs can be adjusted to fit various sizes of tire. Driving with these so-called chains reduces fuel efficiency, and can reduce the allowable speed of the automobile to approximately 50 km/h (30 mph), but increase traction and braking on snowy or icy surfaces. Some regions require chains to be used under some weather conditions, but other areas prohibit the use of chains, as they can deteriorate road surfaces.

COP26 draft deal lacks details amid push to strengthen targets

Global News in Canada shows that as COP26 nears its end, a draft agreement is setting the stage for the last-minute negotiations underway between 200 participating countries. Crystal Goomansingh reports on how the plan is being criticized and how two of the planet's biggest polluters have now issued their own pledges.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador are set to meet with USA President Joe Biden at the White House on November 18. Jackson Proskow looks at what's expected to be on the agenda for the North American Leaders' Summit, which is being dubbed the "Three Amigos" summit.

The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (commonly acronymized as COP26) was the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference, held at the SEC Centre in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, from 31 October to 13 November 2021. The president of the conference was UK cabinet minister Alok Sharma. Delayed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the third meeting of the parties to the 2015 Paris Agreement (designated CMA1, CMA2, CMA3), and the 16th meeting of the parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP16).

The conference marked the first time since COP 21 that parties were expected to commit to enhanced ambition towards mitigating climate change, because, as outlined in the Paris Agreement, parties are required to carry out a process colloquially known as the 'ratchet mechanism' every 5 years to give new national pledges. As such, the Glasgow Climate Pact, the first ever climate deal with the aim of reducing coal, the worst fossil fuel for greenhouse gases, emerged as a consensus of the representatives of the 197 attending parties. The deal also presses for more urgent emissions cuts and promises more money for developing countries and to help them adapt to climate impacts. Owing to a late intervention from India and China that weakened a move to end coal power and fossil fuel subsidies, the conference ended with the adoption of a less stringent resolution than some people anticipated.