nationalobserver--2020-12-09--The legislature has spoken. Will Doug Ford now ban COVID-19 evictions?

Housing advocates seeking a renewed ban on evictions got a surprise boost Tuesday when Ontario Premier Doug Ford 's government allowed the adoption of a non-binding Opposition motion asking that a moratorium on evictions be reinstated .
But no sooner had the motion passed than the legislature adjourned two days ahead of schedule for a two-month break , cutting off opportunity for debate on the motion .
Unless Ford issues an emergency order , evictions will continue .
The premier 's office did not respond to requests for comment on the motion or whether a new emergency order would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the public health crisis that no one would have to choose between food and rent or face eviction because of COVID-19 .
But his government lifted the provincial state of emergency in July , triggering terms in a March court order for the eviction moratorium to end , while retaining the ability to issue emergency orders related to the pandemic .
Hearings resumed in August and picked up pace by September , with around 7,000 people facing the tribunal between now and January in what advocates are calling an eviction blitz .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hunger , researchers say • Canada must close the gap for Indigenous people after COVID-19 , Bellegarde says • This Nova Scotian is ridding the ocean of 'ghost gear ' In response , NDP MPP Suze Morrison put forward the private member 's motion calling for an immediate ban on residential evictions that would hold until the province enters a “ post-pandemic recovery period.
” When it looked like the motion would be put over until next year , Morrison asked the Conservative caucus whether they thought it appropriate to leave people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government 's leader in the House , Paul Calandra , to pass the motion by unanimous consent meant those views would not be recorded .
Morrison is now calling on Ford to issue an emergency order to shut down the Landlord and Tenant Board ( LTB ) again amid a second wave of COVID-19 cases far surpassing the numbers recorded during the first wave of infections .
“ The legislature spoke unanimously today and gave a clear direction to the premier that we need an eviction moratorium in Ontario , and now the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the premier , ” she said in a phone interview after the non-binding motion was passed .
Suze Morrison , the provincial NDP 's critic for tenant rights , speaks during a virtual news conference on Dec. 9 , 2020 .
Photo via screenshot “ It ’ s never been more important ; we need him to act immediately on this , ” Morrison said .
The @ fordnation government passed an @ OntarioNDP motion to ban residential evictions until the pandemic has ended in its rush to adjourn the legislature , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ premier to make it so .
“ We ca n't wait , as we 're going into the holidays in the midst of the second wave of the pandemic and there are more than 7,000 hearings scheduled between now and when the legislature resumes , ” she said .
“ He needs to sign the eviction order immediately.
” Lawyers , medical workers and others at the intersection of housing justice and public health warn the tribunal ’ s work must be either halted entirely or directed to do everything it can to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not think that people are going to be moved to their cars , to encampments , ” said Cathy Crowe , a street nurse and co-founder of the Shelter and Housing Justice Network .
“ The shelters are full.
” In the absence of a full halt to the often chaotic remote proceedings , dozens of legal aid clinics and other publicly funded lawyers ' groups endorsed an Oct. 13 letter from Community Legal Services of Ottawa recommending that the heads of the LTB and wider Tribunal Ontario direct adjudicators to consider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public interest to limit the spread of COVID-19 .
The clinics asked the board to consider alternatives to eviction and whether evicting tenants would push them into homeless shelters or other congregate settings where they would be at higher risk of COVID-19 .
The clinics also want the tribunal to consider whether tighter pandemic-related lockdown restrictions would limit a tenant 's ability to make rent in the future , given the changes to tenancy law the government pushed in Bill 184 between March and July .
Those changes make a tenant liable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrears repayment plan .
But when the government issued an updated policy directive on Dec. 1 , it made no reference to the board needing to consider whether relief from eviction would help fight COVID-19 .
Housing Minister Steve Clark , in comments addressed to the annual meeting of the Building Industry and Land Development Association on Wednesday , said the NDP ’ s push to introduce vacancy rent controls would “ destroy the rental market in Ontario ” by making it less attractive for landlords .
In response to questions about whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evictions during the second wave , a housing ministry spokesperson said it had done so during the first wave , had introduced a 2021 rent freeze for 1.7 million tenants in October and is spending $ 510 million “ through the Social Services Relief Fund which is being put towards rent banks and providing emergency loans for those most in need.
” Conrad Spezowka , a spokesperson for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing , said Bill 184 protects tenants by increasing fines for rule-breaking landlords and making landlords prove they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the provincial public health emergency was declared before turning to the board to seek a tenant 's eviction .
The statement did not say it would halt eviction hearings , nor whether it would direct the LTB to consider the COVID-19-related implications of decisions made there .
The NDP 's Morrison said it was not the time to be focused on cutting into a backlog of cases , especially when priority did not appear to be granted to tenants with long-standing maintenance or other complaints .
“ Respectfully , a backlog of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pandemic , ” she said .
“ This government ’ s priority should be keeping every single person in this province housed until we are through this crisis .
”

Housing advocates seeking a renewed ban on evictions got a surprise boost Tuesday when Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government allowed the adoption of a non-binding Opposition motion asking that a moratorium on evictions be reinstated. But no sooner had the motion passed than the legislature adjourned two days ahead of schedule for a two-month break, cutting off opportunity for debate on the motion. Unless Ford issues an emergency order, evictions will continue. The premier's office did not respond to requests for comment on the motion or whether a new emergency order would be issued. Ford had promised earlier on in the public health crisis that no one would have to choose between food and rent or face eviction because of COVID-19. But his government lifted the provincial state of emergency in July, triggering terms in a March court order for the eviction moratorium to end, while retaining the ability to issue emergency orders related to the pandemic. Hearings resumed in August and picked up pace by September, with around 7,000 people facing the tribunal between now and January in what advocates are calling an eviction blitz.
In response, NDP MPP Suze Morrison put forward the private member's motion calling for an immediate ban on residential evictions that would hold until the province enters a “post-pandemic recovery period.” When it looked like the motion would be put over until next year, Morrison asked the Conservative caucus whether they thought it appropriate to leave people stranded, but the move by the government's leader in the House, Paul Calandra, to pass the motion by unanimous consent meant those views would not be recorded. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Morrison is now calling on Ford to issue an emergency order to shut down the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) again amid a second wave of COVID-19 cases far surpassing the numbers recorded during the first wave of infections.
“The legislature spoke unanimously today and gave a clear direction to the premier that we need an eviction moratorium in Ontario, and now the next step falls squarely on the shoulders of the premier,” she said in a phone interview after the non-binding motion was passed. The @fordnation government passed an @OntarioNDP motion to ban residential evictions until the pandemic has ended in its rush to adjourn the legislature, and now MPP @SuzeMorrison wants the premier to make it so. Suze Morrison, the provincial NDP's critic for tenant rights, speaks during a virtual news conference on Dec. 9, 2020. Photo via screenshot “It’s never been more important; we need him to act immediately on this,” Morrison said. “We can't wait, as we're going into the holidays in the midst of the second wave of the pandemic and there are more than 7,000 hearings scheduled between now and when the legislature resumes,” she said. “He needs to sign the eviction order immediately.” Lawyers, medical workers and others at the intersection of housing justice and public health warn the tribunal’s work must be either halted entirely or directed to do everything it can to keep people housed.
“We absolutely cannot think that people are going to be moved to their cars, to encampments,” said Cathy Crowe, a street nurse and co-founder of the Shelter and Housing Justice Network. “The shelters are full.” In the absence of a full halt to the often chaotic remote proceedings, dozens of legal aid clinics and other publicly funded lawyers' groups endorsed an Oct. 13 letter from Community Legal Services of Ottawa recommending that the heads of the LTB and wider Tribunal Ontario direct adjudicators to consider whether relief from eviction would be in the public interest to limit the spread of COVID-19. The clinics asked the board to consider alternatives to eviction and whether evicting tenants would push them into homeless shelters or other congregate settings where they would be at higher risk of COVID-19.


nationalobserver--2020-12-09--Program granting residency to 'guardian angel' asylum seekers to open next week

OTTAWA — Some asylum seekers who toiled on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis earlier this year will be able to apply for permanent residency in Canada beginning Dec. 14 .
The federal government announced the program for the `` guardian angels '' working in health care back in August and has spent the last several months hammering out the details .
Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino unveiled more specifics Wednesday , saying there will be two streams — one for those who live in Quebec and one for those outside the province .
`` Canadians are appreciative of asylum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the pandemic , '' Mendicino said in a statement .
`` Thanks to this special measure , we are recognizing their significant contribution by providing them with a more secure future in Canada . ''
• This Nova Scotian is ridding the ocean of 'ghost gear' • Food banks are n't the answer to hunger , researchers say • Canada must close the gap for Indigenous people after COVID-19 , Bellegarde says For both programs , asylum seekers who have been working in a specific list of health-care related professions and who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13 will be able to apply for permanent residency .
But eligibility criteria for the program are also being expanded to include spouses or common-law partners of refugee claimants who died after contracting COVID-19 .
The government will now also count internship experience done through a post-secondary or vocational training program as part of the 120 hours of work needed to qualify for the program .
Those hours had to have been worked between March 13 and Aug. 14 , but on top of that , those eligible have to also accrue a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the related jobs by Aug. 31 , 2021 .
That ’ s also the last day to apply for the program .
It ’ s not clear how many people will qualify or apply .
Eligibility criteria for the program are also being expanded to include spouses or common-law partners of refugee claimants who died after contracting COVID-19 .
# cdnpoli Before the border closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic , thousands of people had been arriving in Canada and requesting asylum each month , and while they awaited decisions on their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care .
A large number of one particular cohort of refugee claimants — those who have crossed into Canada from the U.S. — have settled in Quebec , and it is from that province that public pressure began for a special immigration program for those whose jobs put them in harm ’ s way during the early days of the pandemic .
But designing a program for the so-called `` guardian angels '' was tricky , as Quebec retains a degree of control over who is allowed to immigrate to the province and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Quebec ’ s minister of immigration , Nadine Girault , said the program is aimed at recognizing the exceptional contributions made by asylum seekers working with seniors and people who were sick during the first wave of the pandemic .
`` This program , which is a product of the collaboration between the government of Quebec and the federal government , will allow for these people to be selected and granted permanent residence , so they can continue their essential contribution to health care and integrate fully into Quebec society , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the decision to currently limit eligibility for permanent residency only to those asylum seekers providing direct patient care in hospitals and long-term care homes has been met with criticism .

OTTAWA — Some asylum seekers who toiled on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis earlier this year will be able to apply for permanent residency in Canada beginning Dec. 14. The federal government announced the program for the "guardian angels" working in health care back in August and has spent the last several months hammering out the details. Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino unveiled more specifics Wednesday, saying there will be two streams — one for those who live in Quebec and one for those outside the province. "Canadians are appreciative of asylum seekers and the work they are doing during the pandemic," Mendicino said in a statement. "Thanks to this special measure, we are recognizing their significant contribution by providing them with a more secure future in Canada."
For both programs, asylum seekers who have been working in a specific list of health-care related professions and who had already claimed asylum before last March 13 will be able to apply for permanent residency. But eligibility criteria for the program are also being expanded to include spouses or common-law partners of refugee claimants who died after contracting COVID-19. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The government will now also count internship experience done through a post-secondary or vocational training program as part of the 120 hours of work needed to qualify for the program.
Those hours had to have been worked between March 13 and Aug. 14, but on top of that, those eligible have to also accrue a total of six months of working experience in the related jobs by Aug. 31, 2021. Eligibility criteria for the program are also being expanded to include spouses or common-law partners of refugee claimants who died after contracting COVID-19. #cdnpoli That’s also the last day to apply for the program. It’s not clear how many people will qualify or apply. Before the border closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of people had been arriving in Canada and requesting asylum each month, and while they awaited decisions on their claims some had found work in health care. A large number of one particular cohort of refugee claimants — those who have crossed into Canada from the U.S. — have settled in Quebec, and it is from that province that public pressure began for a special immigration program for those whose jobs put them in harm’s way during the early days of the pandemic.
But designing a program for the so-called "guardian angels" was tricky, as Quebec retains a degree of control over who is allowed to immigrate to the province and had to agree to the criteria. Quebec’s minister of immigration, Nadine Girault, said the program is aimed at recognizing the exceptional contributions made by asylum seekers working with seniors and people who were sick during the first wave of the pandemic. "This program, which is a product of the collaboration between the government of Quebec and the federal government, will allow for these people to be selected and granted permanent residence, so they can continue their essential contribution to health care and integrate fully into Quebec society,” she said in a statement Wednesday.


nationalobserver--2020-12-09--Mother Jones' Monika Bauerlein and Steve Katz on Trump, Biden and the power of fearless reporting

Donald Trump ’ s four-year stint as president of the United States will be remembered as ushering in a paradigm shift for journalism , with the most obvious consequence of Trump ’ s tenure being the explosion of a well-fed misinformation culture .
But in conversation with Canada ’ s National Observer editor-in-chief Linda Solomon Wood on Thursday evening , Mother Jones CEO Monika Bauerlein flagged another tangential result of the past four years ’ lunacy : a deluge of hard-hitting , gobsmacking investigative journalism .
“ It ’ s an embarrassment of riches , ” said Bauerlein of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years .
“ Every stone you turn over , there ’ s a scandal under it.
” As the trickle of controversies became a flood , Bauerlein , Mother Jones and news organizations across North America were confronted by a unique dilemma : When every story is a groundbreaking bombshell , how do you keep readers engaged ?
“ Every day brings an outrage that should consume the news cycle for about a year and a half , ” Bauerlein said .
The result , she said , has been constant “ triaging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to readers .
• Conservatives prepared to talk out the clock on assisted dying bill : O'Toole • This Nova Scotian is ridding the ocean of 'ghost gear' • Meng 's lawyers fight on against extradition despite reports of proposed plea deal Video of Mother Jones on courage , Trump and Biden This circumstance has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic , resulting in a specific variety of news fatigue .
At the start of the pandemic , Bauerlein noted , readers were desperate for new information and reporting .
She cited “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in early 2020 , but that ’ s since changed .
“ There ’ s an overload that people are experiencing where they want to turn away , ” said Bauerlein , adopting a tack that wasn ’ t disciplinary or prescriptive , but caring and measured .
“ As journalists , we need to respect that and help curate the information that we share.
” It ’ s a vital directive as news media sit “ at the knife ’ s edge between losing the economic and public trust base for journalism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Bauerlein were joined by Mother Jones publisher Steven Katz , who said these crises have both set the stage for and compounded the severity of misinformation .
The point of the Trump administration ’ s mobilization of opinion around vilifying journalism and journalists was to “ delegitimize a fact-based world that you can verify and then debate , ” he said .
The flagship campaign of this tactic is QAnon , the not-so-fringe far-right conspiracy theory that Trump is combatting a global ring of satanic pedophiles operating a sex-trafficking ring .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Republicans and celebrities , and has now developed a strong following in Canada .
Though Facebook recently banned QAnon-related pages , most analysts have identified the platform as a key contributor to the proliferation of QAnon .
“ There ’ s an overload that people are experiencing where they want to turn away , ” Mother Jones CEO Monika Bauerlein told @ Linda_Solomon last week .
“ As journalists , we need to respect that and help curate the information that we share.
” “ Facebook is in large part a disinformation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mother Jones ’ reporting on the site .
“ That disinformation really took off when people were stuck at home .
There is a lot of incredibly malicious information that made it into people ’ s dreams , particularly in the spring of this year , that has pulled a lot of people into wormholes of conspiracy that are extremely dangerous , and I think there will be long-term consequences to that.
” Katz said this trajectory has been abetted by our failure as a technological culture to “ fully reckon with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the discourse.
” He explained that , typically , users aren ’ t opening Facebook to find and disseminate fringe conspiracy theories .
“ They ’ re talking to their friends , they ’ re looking at pretty animals , but the algorithms that the companies feed oftentimes have been gamed and structured in such a way that it invites people and seduces folks down that wormhole of misinformation , ” Katz said .
Katz allowed that there ’ s an element of responsibility for readers to actively interpret what they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media literacy .
But even those qualities can ’ t keep pace against an international disinformation machine , he said .
“ In terms of the information environment in which we ’ re operating , it could be the most dangerous and unresolved problem that we ’ re facing as a society right now , ” Katz said .
Facebook , which continues to skirt responsibility by denying that it 's a publisher , claims it doesn ’ t want to regulate speech .
“ The problem is not that people are posting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she continued .
“ It ’ s that Facebook is pushing it into the feeds of people who had no interest in searching it out to begin with.
” News organizations , too , have benefited from — and , in some cases , been complicit in — this four-year content purge .
Bauerlein noted that billionaire-owned corporate journalism is in the business of “ aggregating eyeballs and selling them to advertisers ” rather than , like Mother Jones , existing for and because of its readers .
Corporate-backed papers like the Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of the most influential reporting of the past four years , but Katz is interested to see if they remain committed to this track after Trump leaves office .
“ What happens to the editorial stance of the mainstream papers now that there ’ s some sense of a restoration of normality in Washington ?
” Katz asked .
“ They all go to the same cocktail parties , and they all went to the same schools .
They all circulate through the same think tanks and conferences and stuff .
Our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ envision a return to an internal conflict with the journalism scene about how to cover a Democrat when we ’ re not all part of the quote-unquote resistance.
” Phrased more bluntly : will journalists be committed to capital , or to the cause ?

Donald Trump’s four-year stint as president of the United States will be remembered as ushering in a paradigm shift for journalism, with the most obvious consequence of Trump’s tenure being the explosion of a well-fed misinformation culture. But in conversation with Canada’s National Observer editor-in-chief Linda Solomon Wood on Thursday evening, Mother Jones CEO Monika Bauerlein flagged another tangential result of the past four years’ lunacy: a deluge of hard-hitting, gobsmacking investigative journalism. “It’s an embarrassment of riches,” said Bauerlein of the investigative reporting prospects over the past four years. “Every stone you turn over, there’s a scandal under it.” As the trickle of controversies became a flood, Bauerlein, Mother Jones and news organizations across North America were confronted by a unique dilemma: When every story is a groundbreaking bombshell, how do you keep readers engaged? “Every day brings an outrage that should consume the news cycle for about a year and a half,” Bauerlein said. The result, she said, has been constant “triaging” to decide which stories to bring to readers.
Video of Mother Jones on courage, Trump and Biden This circumstance has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a specific variety of news fatigue. At the start of the pandemic, Bauerlein noted, readers were desperate for new information and reporting. She cited “a surge of interest in news” in early 2020, but that’s since changed. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “There’s an overload that people are experiencing where they want to turn away,” said Bauerlein, adopting a tack that wasn’t disciplinary or prescriptive, but caring and measured. “As journalists, we need to respect that and help curate the information that we share.”
It’s a vital directive as news media sit “at the knife’s edge between losing the economic and public trust base for journalism,” she said. “There’s an overload that people are experiencing where they want to turn away,” Mother Jones CEO Monika Bauerlein told @Linda_Solomon last week. “As journalists, we need to respect that and help curate the information that we share.” Solomon Wood and Bauerlein were joined by Mother Jones publisher Steven Katz, who said these crises have both set the stage for and compounded the severity of misinformation. The point of the Trump administration’s mobilization of opinion around vilifying journalism and journalists was to “delegitimize a fact-based world that you can verify and then debate,” he said. The flagship campaign of this tactic is QAnon, the not-so-fringe far-right conspiracy theory that Trump is combatting a global ring of satanic pedophiles operating a sex-trafficking ring. The conspiracy has been tacitly and explicitly supported by Republicans and celebrities, and has now developed a strong following in Canada. Though Facebook recently banned QAnon-related pages, most analysts have identified the platform as a key contributor to the proliferation of QAnon. “Facebook is in large part a disinformation platform,” said Bauerlein, referencing Mother Jones’ reporting on the site. “That disinformation really took off when people were stuck at home. There is a lot of incredibly malicious information that made it into people’s dreams, particularly in the spring of this year, that has pulled a lot of people into wormholes of conspiracy that are extremely dangerous, and I think there will be long-term consequences to that.” Katz said this trajectory has been abetted by our failure as a technological culture to “fully reckon with the impact of these social media platforms on the discourse.”
He explained that, typically, users aren’t opening Facebook to find and disseminate fringe conspiracy theories. “They’re talking to their friends, they’re looking at pretty animals, but the algorithms that the companies feed oftentimes have been gamed and structured in such a way that it invites people and seduces folks down that wormhole of misinformation,” Katz said. Katz allowed that there’s an element of responsibility for readers to actively interpret what they’re reading, and that contemporary civics demand media literacy. But even those qualities can’t keep pace against an international disinformation machine, he said.


nationalobserver--2020-12-09--Health Canada approves Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine

Health Canada has approved the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech , paving the way for vaccinations to begin countrywide next week .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday Canada 's updated contract with the U.S. drugmaker and its German partner should see 249,000 doses shipped to Canada by the end of the month .
But that was always pending the vaccine being deemed safe by Health Canada .
The regulatory team issued that determination this morning .
`` Canadians can feel confident that the review process was rigorous and that we have strong monitoring systems in place .
Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canada will closely monitor the safety of the vaccine once it is on the market and will not hesitate to take action if any safety concerns are identified , '' a statement from the department said .
Ontario Premier Doug Ford , whose province recorded 1,890 new COVID-19 cases this morning and added 28 people to the death toll , called it `` phenomenal news . ''
• Food banks are n't the answer to hunger , researchers say • Canada must close the gap for Indigenous people after COVID-19 , Bellegarde says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ocean of 'ghost gear ' `` As soon as vaccines arrive on Ontario soil , we will be ready to deliver and administer them , '' he said in a statement .
`` Friends , the light at the end of the tunnel grows brighter.
” Canada is the second country in the world to greenlight the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine .
The United Kingdom began inoculating people Tuesday after last week becoming the first to approve its use .
The Food and Drug Administration in the United States said Tuesday it believed the vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are set to meet Thursday to decide whether to authorize it for emergency use .
The U.K. warned that two people had severe allergic reactions on the first day of vaccinations , an issue that had not arisen in clinical trials with more than 44,000 people .
The reactions are being investigated and the U.K. has asked people who are prone to severe allergic reactions to not get the vaccine for now .
The two patients are recovering well , according to British authorities .
Canada is set to receive four million doses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 million in 2021 .
It has the chance to buy 56 million more doses but has not yet exercised that option .
The vaccine must be given in two doses , 21 days apart , and provinces are developing tracking systems to guide the process .
Ottawa is also working on systems to track who got the vaccine and whether any problems arise .
Health Canada has approved the # COVID19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech , paving the way for vaccinations to begin countrywide next week .
The authorization requires Pfizer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Canada about the vaccine .
The initial authorization is only for use on people over the age of 16 .
Pfizer 's initial trials did not include children under 16 .
Pfizer needs to store its vaccine at ultra-cold temperatures — below -70 C — and so the company is planning to ship the doses directly to provinces .
There are 14 sites in the 10 provinces that are now set up to receive the vaccines .
Priority is to be given in most provinces to residents and workers in long-term care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indigenous communities where an outbreak could be hard to manage and seniors over the age of 80 .
Because of the temperature requirements , the initial doses will be given at the 14 delivery sites , which in most cases are hospitals .
Health Canada is reviewing three other vaccine candidates , including one from Moderna , which is set to deliver two million doses to Canada in the first quarter of 2021 .

Health Canada approved the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech Wednesday, paving the way for vaccinations to begin countrywide as early as next Tuesday. The department also released its long-awaited detailed vaccination plan, which suggests the wider Canadian population will be able to line up for vaccines starting in April, and that everyone wanting the shot could be vaccinated before the end of 2021. "This is a momentous occasion," said Dr. Supriya Sharma, the chief medical adviser at Health Canada who oversaw the review process. Sharma said approving a first vaccine is only one step and there are still many months to go in the pandemic, but in a year where the news has mostly been bad, everyone should take a moment to acknowledge the good news. "The geek in me is amazed," she said, unable to hold back a big smile.
"No one would have thought even when we looked back at the first discovery of the virus that less than a year later we'd be authorizing and then distributing a vaccine." Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, appointed vice-president of operations at the Public Health Agency of Canada to run the vaccine rollout, said the first doses will be shipped from Pfizer's factory in Puurs, Belgium on Friday, and begin arriving at 14 delivery sites in Canada three days later. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The first shipment will include 30,000 doses, with another 219,000 coming by Dec. 31. They are mostly being distributed to the provinces on a per capita basis, said Dr. Howard Njoo, Canada's deputy chief public health officer.
Fortin said it will be one or two days after the vaccines arrive before the injections start, because the doses arrive frozen and must be thawed and diluted before being administered. The Pfizer vaccine's temperature requirements are the most difficult of any of the proposed vaccines, and Sharma said if the doses are not kept at temperatures between -60 C and -80 C until just before injection, the vaccines may break down and become unusable. Health Canada has approved the #COVID19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech, paving the way for vaccinations to begin countrywide next week. All the doses will be packed in special boxes with thermal and location sensors. If any box warms too much, its doses will be segregated and, Sharma said, likely thrown out. Fortin said Pfizer has hired UPS to ship the doses to Canada and that the route includes stops in Cologne, Germany and Kentucky before Canada. Once on the ground in Canada there is also some road transportation to get to the final locations. Every province has identified at least one initial delivery site — with two each in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia — mainly hospitals. The initial injections will be done in the same locations. As the provinces grow more comfortable with the process and more doses begin to arrive, the Pfizer vaccine is to be delivered at 205 identified sites. The temperature requirements mean the first doses won't go to the territories. Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and Yukon will be prioritized to receive the doses of the vaccine being developed by Moderna, which can be kept at temperatures of about -20 C. Moderna's vaccine is being reviewed by Health Canada as well, and a decision is expected later this month or in early January.
National figures compiled Tuesday night by the Public Health Agency of Canada showed there were 5,981 new cases that day from 78,290 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 7.6 per cent. The rate of active cases is 191.46 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 45,567 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 6,510. Ontario Premier Doug Ford, whose province recorded 1,890 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday morning and added 28 people to the death toll, called the Pfizer approval "phenomenal news." "As soon as vaccines arrive on Ontario soil, we will be ready to deliver and administer them," he said in a statement.


nationalobserver--2020-12-09--Trump signs order putting Americans at head of vaccine line, while vowing to work with world

The United States will `` work with the world '' to distribute COVID-19 vaccines , President Donald Trump vowed Tuesday , even as he signed an order aimed at putting Americans at the head of the line .
In virtually the same breath , Trump delivered two diametrically opposed promises : to ensure U.S. citizens are first to reap the benefits of the country 's effort to develop vaccines , but also to ensure other countries receive them as well .
`` We 're working very closely with other nations , to get the vaccines out to other nations ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Trump said .
With that , he signed an executive order `` to ensure that American citizens have first priority to receive American vaccines , '' adding that the U.S. would begin working with other countries `` almost immediately . ''
Ironically , it was the U.K. that became the first Western country Tuesday to administer a fully tested COVID-19 vaccine outside a clinical setting , doling out the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine after British regulators approved it last week .
• This Nova Scotian is ridding the ocean of 'ghost gear' • Food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , researchers say • Canada must close the gap for Indigenous people after COVID-19 , Bellegarde says The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has offered a glowing assessment of the vaccine , saying it provides rapid , strong protection after the first of two doses and works well regardless of age , weight or ethnicity .
U.S.-based Pfizer and Germany 's BioNTech have already reported an efficacy rate of about 95 per cent after two shots .
There are also plenty more vaccines still in development , said Trump , promising they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spotlight-hungry president might be keen to see the fruits of his development plan — dubbed `` Operation Warp Speed '' — deployed promptly beyond U.S. borders .
It was n't abundantly clear how sharp-edged Trump 's executive order would prove to be .
`` We must ensure that Americans have priority access to COVID-19 vaccines developed in the United States or procured by the U.S. government , '' it reads .
`` After ensuring the ability to meet the vaccination needs of the American people , it is in the interest of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. government COVID-19 vaccines . ''
The order also requires national security officials to co-ordinate an interagency strategy for the implementation of international access to the vaccines within 30 days , provided a `` sufficient supply '' exists `` for all Americans who choose to be vaccinated . ''
Donald Trump signs an order putting Americans first for vaccine , while insisting U.S. will `` work with the world '' to distribute # COVID19 vaccines .
# Pfizer # BioNTech # vaccine Dr. Raywat Deonandan , an epidemiologist and health sciences professor at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine deployment around the world would have broader consequences beyond just the pace of immunization .
`` No one is safe until everybody is safe , '' Deonandan said in an interview .
`` Until the epidemic is stamped out in the darkest corners of Bangladesh , it is not over for everybody … so the argument can be made that it is not an advantageous position for anybody to be advocating for one population to get it before another . ''
Trump was under fresh political pressure following reports the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million extra doses of Pfizer 's vaccine .
But that pressure did n't seem to spawn much fresh protectionist rhetoric .
North of the border , federal officials greeted the prospect of Trump 's order with a collective yawn .
`` We 're very confident that Pfizer and other vaccine manufacturers that are contractually obligated to deliver vaccines to Canada will be able to meet those obligations , '' said Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc .
`` We have already assumed that we shouldn ’ t be tied to one particular manufacturing site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pfizer , for example , has many manufacturing facilities in Europe as well as the United States . ''
It would n't be the first time Trump has tried to deny medical resources to Canada as part of his `` America First '' doctrine .
In April , he tried to prevent U.S.-based 3M from honouring contacts with Canadian buyers of American-made N95 masks , vital in limiting the spread of the virus .
The Minnesota company pushed back , eventually brokering a solution that involved using masks manufactured overseas to meet unprecedented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Trump order authorizing states , pharmacies and wholesalers to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada , part of his plan to tackle staggering drug costs in the U.S. , went into effect .
But it was pre-emptively blocked by the federal Liberal government , which implemented a rule prohibiting the export of drugs meant for the domestic Canadian market that are either already in short supply or at risk of becoming scarce .
Dr. Jacalyn Duffin , a professor of medical history at Queen 's University who writes a blog about Canada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump administration has a clear track record of focusing on its own priorities .
`` It just breaks my heart that there is n't solidarity out there in the United States … it 's just being so selfish when it comes to the products that could help , '' Duffin said .
`` We 're all going to be going through the social distancing , the isolating and the mask-wearing for a long , long time , even when the vaccines make it to our shores . ''
This report by The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 .

The United States will "work with the world" to distribute COVID-19 vaccines, President Donald Trump vowed Tuesday, even as he signed an order aimed at putting Americans at the head of the line. In virtually the same breath, Trump delivered two diametrically opposed promises: to ensure U.S. citizens are first to reap the benefits of the country's effort to develop vaccines, but also to ensure other countries receive them as well. "We're working very closely with other nations, to get the vaccines out to other nations; we're working with the world," Trump said. With that, he signed an executive order "to ensure that American citizens have first priority to receive American vaccines," adding that the U.S. would begin working with other countries "almost immediately." Ironically, it was the U.K. that became the first Western country Tuesday to administer a fully tested COVID-19 vaccine outside a clinical setting, doling out the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine after British regulators approved it last week.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has offered a glowing assessment of the vaccine, saying it provides rapid, strong protection after the first of two doses and works well regardless of age, weight or ethnicity. U.S.-based Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech have already reported an efficacy rate of about 95 per cent after two shots. There are also plenty more vaccines still in development, said Trump, promising they would "end the pandemic. The famously spotlight-hungry president might be keen to see the fruits of his development plan — dubbed "Operation Warp Speed" — deployed promptly beyond U.S. borders. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions It wasn't abundantly clear how sharp-edged Trump's executive order would prove to be.
"We must ensure that Americans have priority access to COVID-19 vaccines developed in the United States or procured by the U.S. government," it reads. Donald Trump signs an order putting Americans first for vaccine, while insisting U.S. will "work with the world" to distribute #COVID19 vaccines. #Pfizer #BioNTech #vaccine "After ensuring the ability to meet the vaccination needs of the American people, it is in the interest of the United States to facilitate international access to U.S. government COVID-19 vaccines." The order also requires national security officials to co-ordinate an interagency strategy for the implementation of international access to the vaccines within 30 days, provided a "sufficient supply" exists "for all Americans who choose to be vaccinated." Dr. Raywat Deonandan, an epidemiologist and health sciences professor at the University of Ottawa, said limiting vaccine deployment around the world would have broader consequences beyond just the pace of immunization. "No one is safe until everybody is safe," Deonandan said in an interview.
"Until the epidemic is stamped out in the darkest corners of Bangladesh, it is not over for everybody … so the argument can be made that it is not an advantageous position for anybody to be advocating for one population to get it before another." Trump was under fresh political pressure following reports the White House passed up a chance to secure 500 million extra doses of Pfizer's vaccine. But that pressure didn't seem to spawn much fresh protectionist rhetoric. North of the border, federal officials greeted the prospect of Trump's order with a collective yawn.


nationalobserver--2020-12-09--B.C. pays tribute to Joseph Arvay, lawyer and civil rights champion

British Columbia 's attorney general paid tribute Tuesday to a lawyer he credited with reforming Canada 's legal landscape and fighting for the rights of all Canadians throughout his lifetime .
David Eby said the death of Joseph Arvay , 71 , who successfully argued constitutional cases supporting same-sex marriage benefits , LGBTQ rights and the right to assisted dying , will leave an indelible mark and a gap that will not be filled .
Eby told the legislature Arvay revolutionized a section of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms guaranteeing equality to all Canadians with successful cases in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the right to assisted death .
`` He was unapologetic and unafraid on asserting the rights of even unpopular groups at the time , '' said Eby .
`` He dramatically reformed the legal landscape in Canada .
I am so grateful for the chance to know him .
I am so grateful for his work promoting the rights of all Canadians . ''
Among Arvay 's most recent cases was his appearance in Federal Court on behalf of 15 young people seeking to compel Ottawa to develop a climate recovery plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are n't the answer to hunger , researchers say • Canada must close the gap for Indigenous people after COVID-19 , Bellegarde says • This Nova Scotian is ridding the ocean of 'ghost gear ' Earlier this year , Arvay was in the B.C .
Supreme Court representing Canadian Doctors for Medicare , the B.C .
Health Coalition , two doctors and two patients in a long-running legal battle over public and private health care .
Murray Rankin , B.C .
's Indigenous relations and reconciliation minister , told the legislature Arvay was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of history for many people in Canada who faced discrimination and injustice .
`` Were it not for Joe Arvay , marriage equality in this country would not exist , '' he said .
`` Were it not for Joe Arvay , discrimination against LGBTQ2+ people in our schools and in our bookstores would have persisted .
Were it not for Joe , people suffering with interminable pain would not have been able to avail themselves of medically assisted dying . ''
Rankin said he and Arvay were law partners and friends .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court of Canada more than 75 times .
`` He was like a brother to me , '' said Rankin .
`` He was the bravest person I ever knew and he made all of us better for having lived in our world . ''
A profile of Arvay on his law firm 's website says he held law degrees from Western University in London , Ont.
, and Harvard .
When he was named an officer of the Order of Canada in 2017 , the citation mentioned that he often took on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a pro bono basis .
`` With keen legal acumen and dedication to social justice , he has played an unparalleled role in shaping the interpretation of the law on matters of civil rights and liberties . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8 , 2020 .

British Columbia's attorney general paid tribute Tuesday to a lawyer he credited with reforming Canada's legal landscape and fighting for the rights of all Canadians throughout his lifetime.
David Eby said the death of Joseph Arvay, 71, who successfully argued constitutional cases supporting same-sex marriage benefits, LGBTQ rights and the right to assisted dying, will leave an indelible mark and a gap that will not be filled.
Eby told the legislature Arvay revolutionized a section of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms guaranteeing equality to all Canadians with successful cases in the Supreme Court of Canada on book censorship and the right to assisted death.
"He was unapologetic and unafraid on asserting the rights of even unpopular groups at the time," said Eby. "He dramatically reformed the legal landscape in Canada. I am so grateful for the chance to know him. I am so grateful for his work promoting the rights of all Canadians."
Among Arvay's most recent cases was his appearance in Federal Court on behalf of 15 young people seeking to compel Ottawa to develop a climate recovery plan based on science.


nationalobserver--2020-12-09--Two Vancouver police officers charged with assault in violent arrest of Black man

Assault charges have been laid against two Vancouver police officers after the arrest of a Black man in February 2018 .
The B.C .
Prosecution Service said Tuesday that Const .
Jarrod Sidhu is accused of one count of assault with a weapon and Const .
Jagpreet Ghuman is charged with assault in connection with their involvement in the arrest of Jamiel Moore-Williams .
The 24-year-old former University of British Columbia football player filed a civil lawsuit months after the arrest , alleging that an officer stopped him for jaywalking in the city 's entertainment district , then three other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kicking and hitting him .
He says he was jolted seven to 14 times with a stun gun .
None of the allegations in the criminal case or civil lawsuit have been tested in court .
• Food banks are n't the answer to hunger , researchers say • Canada must close the gap for Indigenous people after COVID-19 , Bellegarde says • This Nova Scotian is ridding the ocean of 'ghost gear ' The City of Vancouver filed a response to the civil lawsuit denying all claims , saying in August 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launched in the alleged assault .
In a statement of claim , Moore-Williams alleges that the police asked for his identification because of his size and skin colour for an improper purpose contrary to his civil liberties .
`` The fact the plaintiff stepped out on the road against the light became a convenient excuse to detain the plaintiff and request his identification , '' it says .
Moore-Williams works in Vancouver as a personal trainer and his statement of claim said he had a concussion and injuries to his arms , neck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the arrest .
The lawsuit says he was placed in handcuffs and shackles .
It asks for damages for humiliation , embarrassment , loss of dignity , pain , permanent injury and mental anguish .
Lawyer Donna Turko says her client 's lawsuit is ongoing and he has also filed a complaint with the B.C .
Human Rights Tribunal alleging he was treated unfairly because he is Black .
Two # Vancouver police officers charged with assault in arrest of a Black man .
# BLM # VPD # bias Moore-Williams says he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for others who look like him .
`` It 's not about me , per se .
What hurts is when people in your family call your phone , or your friends … and they ’ re hurt by what happened to you , '' he said in an interview on Tuesday .
The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner said Tuesday the RCMP completed its investigation but did n't refer the matter to the prosecution service for consideration of criminal charges .
The commissioner said in a statement that after reviewing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or more officers may have committed criminal offences and referred the matter directly to the B.C .
Prosecution Service for consideration of charges .
The office says a disciplinary conduct investigation under the Police Act will take place , but it is suspended pending the outcome of the criminal charges .
The accused officers are expected to make their first appearance in Vancouver provincial court on Jan. 14 .

Assault charges have been laid against two Vancouver police officers after the arrest of a Black man in February 2018. The B.C. Prosecution Service said Tuesday that Const. Jarrod Sidhu is accused of one count of assault with a weapon and Const. Jagpreet Ghuman is charged with assault in connection with their involvement in the arrest of Jamiel Moore-Williams. The 24-year-old former University of British Columbia football player filed a civil lawsuit months after the arrest, alleging that an officer stopped him for jaywalking in the city's entertainment district, then three other officers "converged" on him, kicking and hitting him. He says he was jolted seven to 14 times with a stun gun. None of the allegations in the criminal case or civil lawsuit have been tested in court.
The City of Vancouver filed a response to the civil lawsuit denying all claims, saying in August 2018 that an RCMP criminal investigation had been launched in the alleged assault. In a statement of claim, Moore-Williams alleges that the police asked for his identification because of his size and skin colour for an improper purpose contrary to his civil liberties. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "The fact the plaintiff stepped out on the road against the light became a convenient excuse to detain the plaintiff and request his identification," it says.
Moore-Williams works in Vancouver as a personal trainer and his statement of claim said he had a concussion and injuries to his arms, neck and back allegedly as a result of the arrest. Two #Vancouver police officers charged with assault in arrest of a Black man. #BLM #VPD #bias The lawsuit says he was placed in handcuffs and shackles. It asks for damages for humiliation, embarrassment, loss of dignity, pain, permanent injury and mental anguish. Lawyer Donna Turko says her client's lawsuit is ongoing and he has also filed a complaint with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal alleging he was treated unfairly because he is Black. Moore-Williams says he hopes speaking out will lead to changes for others who look like him. "It's not about me, per se. What hurts is when people in your family call your phone, or your friends … and they’re hurt by what happened to you," he said in an interview on Tuesday.
The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner said Tuesday the RCMP completed its investigation but didn't refer the matter to the prosecution service for consideration of criminal charges. The commissioner said in a statement that after reviewing the RCMP investigation, it considered that one or more officers may have committed criminal offences and referred the matter directly to the B.C. Prosecution Service for consideration of charges. The office says a disciplinary conduct investigation under the Police Act will take place, but it is suspended pending the outcome of the criminal charges.


nationalobserver--2020-12-09--Federal tourism efforts will focus on travelling local to help hard-hit sector, Joly says

Economic Development Minister Mélanie Joly says federal marketing strategies might need to shift away from attracting foreign visitors to Canada for the foreseeable future , as COVID-19 keeps suppressing travel .
She and her international counterparts have agreed that domestic travel is likely to take priority even after vaccinations begin .
Efforts earlier this year to redirect $ 40 million in marketing budgets yielded some results , Joly says , citing high attendance at Banff National Park in Alberta and visitors to Quebec 's Gaspé region .
The government will likely keep that approach until the pandemic is in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview that the strategy will likely be to first promote people travelling within their regions , then to travel across the country .
• Canada must close the gap for Indigenous people after COVID-19 , Bellegarde says • This Nova Scotian is ridding the ocean of 'ghost gear' • Food banks are n't the answer to hunger , researchers say She says international efforts would come last , once officials in this country are sure other countries have widespread vaccination efforts that would protect Canadians ' health and safety .
But waiting it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses .
Travel is down and the tourism sector was hit earlier and harder by public health restrictions .
Although the country has recouped just over four-fifths of the approximately three million jobs lost during spring lockdowns at the outset of the pandemic , over one-quarter of the remainder are in what Statistics Canada refers to as the accommodation and food services sector , which includes tourism operators .
Some tourism businesses were unable to operate at full capacity or earn enough during the summer travel season to make it through the winter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be needed for some time to ensure there are jobs to return to when the pandemic is over , '' said Goldy Hyder , president of the Business Council of Canada .
Last month 's fall economic update offered to inject some long-sought support .
Message from feds to Canadians will be travel local , says Economic Development Minister Mélanie Joly .
# COVID19 # cdnpoli # RecoveryPlan The statement set aside $ 500 million for regional development agencies to spend on tourism businesses through to next June , trying to bolster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people and makes up about two per cent of gross domestic product .
It also outlined a new loan program for highly affected sectors like tourism .
The government plans to back low-interest loans of up to $ 1 million that can be repaid over 10 years once things bounce back , Joly said .
`` Then they can generate revenues , potentially more revenue than they thought even possible , because people will want to travel , '' she said in an interview this week .
`` That will help them eventually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loans and basically get through this tough time . ''
Joly could n't say exactly when the loan program will become available .
She said work is underway with the Business Development Bank of Canada on the fine details , and negotiations with banks to make sure rates offered are below what is currently offered in the market .
`` We know that time is of the essence , '' she said .

Economic Development Minister Mélanie Joly says federal marketing strategies might need to shift away from attracting foreign visitors to Canada for the foreseeable future, as COVID-19 keeps suppressing travel. She and her international counterparts have agreed that domestic travel is likely to take priority even after vaccinations begin. Efforts earlier this year to redirect $40 million in marketing budgets yielded some results, Joly says, citing high attendance at Banff National Park in Alberta and visitors to Quebec's Gaspé region. The government will likely keep that approach until the pandemic is in the rear-view mirror. Joly says in an interview that the strategy will likely be to first promote people travelling within their regions, then to travel across the country.
She says international efforts would come last, once officials in this country are sure other countries have widespread vaccination efforts that would protect Canadians' health and safety. But waiting it out won't be easy for many businesses. Travel is down and the tourism sector was hit earlier and harder by public health restrictions. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Although the country has recouped just over four-fifths of the approximately three million jobs lost during spring lockdowns at the outset of the pandemic, over one-quarter of the remainder are in what Statistics Canada refers to as the accommodation and food services sector, which includes tourism operators.
Some tourism businesses were unable to operate at full capacity or earn enough during the summer travel season to make it through the winter. Message from feds to Canadians will be travel local, says Economic Development Minister Mélanie Joly. #COVID19 #cdnpoli #RecoveryPlan "Targeted help for those employers will be needed for some time to ensure there are jobs to return to when the pandemic is over," said Goldy Hyder, president of the Business Council of Canada. Last month's fall economic update offered to inject some long-sought support. The statement set aside $500 million for regional development agencies to spend on tourism businesses through to next June, trying to bolster a sector that normally employs about 750,000 people and makes up about two per cent of gross domestic product. It also outlined a new loan program for highly affected sectors like tourism. The government plans to back low-interest loans of up to $1 million that can be repaid over 10 years once things bounce back, Joly said.
"Then they can generate revenues, potentially more revenue than they thought even possible, because people will want to travel," she said in an interview this week. "That will help them eventually be able to repay some of the loans and basically get through this tough time." Joly couldn't say exactly when the loan program will become available. She said work is underway with the Business Development Bank of Canada on the fine details, and negotiations with banks to make sure rates offered are below what is currently offered in the market.


nationalobserver--2020-12-10--Pandemic awakens memories of war for these Syrian refugees

Five years after the first of them arrived in Canada , tens of thousands of Syrian refugees have had to adapt to COVID-19 lockdowns that brought back the memories of war horrors and upset the lives they had begun to rebuild .
On Dec. 10 , 2015 , following a promise by the Liberals during the 2015 election campaign to make it much easier for them to reach Canada , the first plane bearing Syrian refugees landed in Toronto .
A total of 45,919 Syrian refugees were resettled in Canada by April 2017 and more continued to arrive under other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Montreal less than three years ago with her husband and their two sons .
Earlier this year , when they had started to enjoy their new life in Canada , the city went into a lockdown , forcing them to stay at home and to put their work plans on hold .
`` In the beginning , we were worried and scared , '' she said .
• This Nova Scotian is ridding the ocean of 'ghost gear' • National Chief Perry Bellegarde wo n't seek re-election as leader of Assembly of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ territories have said about COVID-19 vaccine plans so far `` Suddenly , streets were empty , stores were shut down .
It was something similar to war . ''
Before coming to Canada , Naseraldeen spent years with her family in a suburb south of Damascus hiding from mortar shells .
She said the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic put them in the same profound anxiety they had lived with in Syria .
`` We would always hear the sirens of ambulances and wait for the news , '' she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was going to happen next . ''
Bayan Khatib , the co-founder and executive director of the Syrian Canadian Foundation , said Syrian newcomers she worked with told her they were locked down in their homes in Syria for months or a year at a time because of the constant bombings outside and their inability to leave town .
`` Everybody wearing masks must have been difficult to see , too , for people , perhaps , who are coming from areas that were attacked with chemical weapons , '' she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ war for some Syrian refugees .
# Syria # refugees # war # COVID-19 Khatib 's organization is based in Mississauga , Ont.
, and provides services for newcomers in several cities in Ontario .
She said a lot of Syrian families came from places where the schools were shut down because of war , so when the schools were closed earlier this year , they must have felt horrible .
`` Experiencing the second lockdown now in their new home as they 're trying to live life in a safe place , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stressful for them . ''
Before the pandemic , Naseraldeen , 34 , pursued a passion for drawing and participated in a few art shows with other artists in Montreal .
Her first show of her own at the Montreal Art Centre was put off from May to December , then scrubbed .
`` It was a disappointment '' she said .
`` First , ( the show ) was delayed and I thought that would give me more time to prepare , then it was a shock that it was cancelled .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an actor and a musician .
In February , he finished shooting his part as the lead actor in a Canadian movie about a Syrian family that moved to Canada , but the movie release was also put off until next year .
`` It was supposed to be screened at several festivals , but it was all cancelled , '' he said .
Abou Ammar , 36 , said he feels he lost the joy of watching his first movie on the big screen .
`` It 's a turning point to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .
`` I still hope it will be released next year . ''
Abou Ammar has taught music to youngsters in Montreal occasionally , but with limited participation due to physical-distancing rules .
The career shift was more dramatic for Noor Sakhniya , who finished his training to become a pilot last year in Ottawa , almost four years after landing in Canada with his family .
Sakhniya was hired by Buffalo Airways in Yellowknife in December 2019 but was laid off in March because of the pandemic .
Returning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had to work in survival jobs including making deliveries and as a personal grocer .
`` You work hard for four years and you spend a lot of money on the training and on your dream … then , you ( have ) to let it all go , '' he said .
`` I believe it 's not just my case .
It 's the case of many pilots , whether they 're beginner pilots or pilots who have years of experience , they will have to let it go due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be active in organizing events for the Syrian community in the city and he coached a soccer team for immigrant kids last year , but all of that was on hold this year .
`` In our countries , we were used to having a circle of support from family and friends … For many Syrians , during the war , they all moved together into their family houses to support each other , '' he said .
`` During the pandemic , it 's really hard to do that , especially here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't have family sometimes .
Even though you have family sometimes , it 'd be hard because you have to isolate yourself . ''
He works now at a manager in a restaurant in downtown Ottawa .
Expecting aviation to be slow for many years , he 's planning to study aerospace engineering at Carleton University next year .
Naseraldeen also is creating a new career path for herself in case she is not able to make living of painting in the near future .
She finished training as a makeup artist recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her to paint artwork now , with the amount of uncertainty that COVID-19 pandemic has put her in .
Yet she said she still has hope .
`` We were living in a war zone and we lost our jobs and homes and there was always hope , '' she said .
`` I 'm always optimistic … and I 'm sure good things will follow . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 10 , 2020 This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and @ @ @ @ @

Five years after the first of them arrived in Canada, tens of thousands of Syrian refugees have had to adapt to COVID-19 lockdowns that brought back the memories of war horrors and upset the lives they had begun to rebuild. On Dec. 10, 2015, following a promise by the Liberals during the 2015 election campaign to make it much easier for them to reach Canada, the first plane bearing Syrian refugees landed in Toronto. A total of 45,919 Syrian refugees were resettled in Canada by April 2017 and more continued to arrive under other programs after that. Dima Naseraldeen arrived in Montreal less than three years ago with her husband and their two sons. Earlier this year, when they had started to enjoy their new life in Canada, the city went into a lockdown, forcing them to stay at home and to put their work plans on hold. "In the beginning, we were worried and scared," she said.
"Suddenly, streets were empty, stores were shut down. It was something similar to war." Before coming to Canada, Naseraldeen spent years with her family in a suburb south of Damascus hiding from mortar shells. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions She said the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic put them in the same profound anxiety they had lived with in Syria.
"We would always hear the sirens of ambulances and wait for the news," she said. "We didn't know what was going to happen next." The pandemic has brought back memories of war for some Syrian refugees. #Syria #refugees #war #COVID-19 Bayan Khatib, the co-founder and executive director of the Syrian Canadian Foundation, said Syrian newcomers she worked with told her they were locked down in their homes in Syria for months or a year at a time because of the constant bombings outside and their inability to leave town. "Everybody wearing masks must have been difficult to see, too, for people, perhaps, who are coming from areas that were attacked with chemical weapons," she said. Khatib's organization is based in Mississauga, Ont., and provides services for newcomers in several cities in Ontario. She said a lot of Syrian families came from places where the schools were shut down because of war, so when the schools were closed earlier this year, they must have felt horrible.
"Experiencing the second lockdown now in their new home as they're trying to live life in a safe place, sure has been very challenging and extra stressful for them." Before the pandemic, Naseraldeen, 34, pursued a passion for drawing and participated in a few art shows with other artists in Montreal. Her first show of her own at the Montreal Art Centre was put off from May to December, then scrubbed. "It was a disappointment" she said. "First, (the show) was delayed and I thought that would give me more time to prepare, then it was a shock that it was cancelled."


nationalobserver--2020-12-10--Here's what it's like inside Toronto's COVID-19 isolation hotel

As I reached the end of the corridor , I spotted an open door on my right and hustled inside , shutting it behind me as quickly I could .
It had been two days since I developed a strange cough , seven hours since I found out I had the novel coronavirus .
It looked just like your average hotel — somewhere you ’ d stay for a conference or a work trip , back in the days when we had those .
Except it was eerily silent , I ’ d been escorted to the elevator by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because I had COVID-19 .
I trudged down the brightly lit hallway , slightly out of breath as I searched for the room I ’ d remain inside for the next 10 days .
But by Monday night I was shivering feverishly under a pile of blankets , muscles aching and chest congested , while my partner had lost his ability to smell .
His test came back positive that evening , then mine followed the next morning .
My roommates and I had talked before about what we ’ d do in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , wear masks , sanitize thoroughly — but in the moment it felt surreal .
I had planned to buy groceries on the way , but instead I went straight home , a pit in my stomach .
I let my roommates know , my boyfriend and I booked COVID-19 tests and I wore a mask inside my house , but I didn ’ t really think I could possibly have the virus .
We ’ d been so careful , wearing masks , practising social distancing and washing our hands often .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ home from buying a coffee in Kensington Market .
It was small — maybe one every half-hour .
But it also felt different than any cough I ’ d ever had , rattling deep in my lungs in a way that felt unsatisfying and unfamiliar .
I set down my bags shakily and sunk onto the bed , trying to make sense of the absurd situation .
At 1:30 p.m. , she called to confirm I had a room — at an unoccupied hotel that had been converted into the Toronto Voluntary Isolation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come to pick me up .
By 11:30 a.m. , I was on the phone with a kind but efficient contact tracer .
As I explained the layout of the house , I heard her fingers flying across her keyboard .
This phone call was crucial : Somewhere along the way , someone had input my cell number wrong , a vital error that I was able to correct early .
And I was able to ask Toronto Public Health to flag my file as urgent , something that allowed me to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boyfriend , even though he got his results back 12 hours before I did .
I remembered seeing a press release about a City of Toronto COVID-19 isolation hotel , and that seemed like my best shot to keep my roommate safe .
So when the city ’ s COVID-19 hotline opened Tuesday morning , I called , desperately hoping to secure a spot .
His room is separated from the bathroom by a glass door and a curtain , the bed a metre from the entryway .
Every time I went to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of my breaths was poison , seeping through the cracks in the door and into the room where he slept .
It seemed like only a matter of time before I would infect him .
I live in a small Toronto house with three other people , and I share a bathroom with the roommate I was texting , a friend so close he ’ s practically family .
“ You literally have COVID , ” my roommate texted me from the other room as we tried to sort out next steps .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ worst-case scenario.
” If I needed anything else , friends and family could drop it off .
I would be allowed to leave if I wanted to , but otherwise , I would stay inside my room .
Most importantly , I would not need to pay a cent .
Those minutes were a blur , a flurry of phone calls and frenzied packing .
The contact tracer ran me through the details : I would spend 10 days in the hotel , and meals would be delivered three times a day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which I should be prepared to feed myself just in case the caterers couldn ’ t make an extra meal on short notice .
There would be coffee and tea and disposable cups .
I should bring everything I 'd need to manage my COVID-19 symptoms , and since no one would enter my room except me , I might want to bring a few spare dishes and some cleaning supplies .
When I arrived , I found a letter on the counter from Toronto ’ s medical officer of health , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to every resident of the Voluntary Isolation Centre .
“ Thank you for agreeing to stay at the centre , ” it said .
“ You are protecting others from getting infected , especially your family or anyone else you live with .
You should be proud of your choice .
Toronto is grateful for it.
” With the door shut behind me , I felt relieved .
Like I was no longer a risk to anyone I love .
The room itself was calm and comfortable , awash in soothing greys , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ window faced an enormous empty parking lot , suburbia sprawling out in the distance .
I had the essentials : a tea kettle , a mini-fridge , a sparkling clean bathroom , a desk and a reading chair .
The more I looked , the more I noticed little , typical hotel things were missing : the closet lacked coat hangers , only one of the beds had sheets , there was no Bible in the drawers and a shelf that was clearly meant to hold an iron was empty .
It seemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that as few items as possible would need to be disinfected later .
Even the TV remote was wrapped in a layer of plastic that I was instructed not to remove .
Most of all , the room was quiet .
Aside from the crinkling of a paper bag that signalled the arrival of a meal , I can count on one hand the number of sounds I heard during my stay : twice , hotel staff had to shout at another guest , ordering them to stay inside their room and close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a faint laugh through the wall .
I started keeping the TV on to fill the silence .
Much to my delight , I received my first meal that night , a wholesome chicken dish .
I started tweeting out photos of the room and the food , mostly to keep myself entertained .
I cracked jokes about the whole saga and my own declining sense of smell and taste — yet another COVID-19 symptom — but privately , there were scary moments .
Though my fever and muscle aches were gone before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I was so exhausted that I ’ d have to lie down after washing two dishes .
At first , even sitting up for a couple of hours was too much .
My nostrils burned every time I took a deep breath .
My ability to smell was completely gone by my third day in the hotel , and I could only taste whether something was sweet , salty , bitter or sour .
I was terrified that those senses might never come back .
I tried sniffing a bottle of peppermint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be overwhelming , and started to cry when my nose picked up absolutely nothing .
Normally , I have a robust appetite .
That vanished .
Kind , encouraging Toronto Public Health case managers who called me daily to check in encouraged me to keep eating anyway , so I spent entire days forcing myself to finish every single bite of my meals , even if it took hours .
Even if dinner arrived before I ’ d finished lunch .
I have to give kudos to the chef behind these meals , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to include all my favourite comfort foods : tomato soup , orzo , macaroni and cheese .
All things that have a lovely texture , even if you can ’ t taste them .
The chef was also a good sport about my tweets , sending me a kind note and an extra portion of incredible carrot cake on one of my final days at the hotel .
That was a real bright spot .
Another upside : the love and support I received from my friends and family .
They conspired to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ snacks , and kept me busy with phone calls and virtual game nights .
The case managers said I might have to stay longer if my symptoms weren ’ t getting better by the time the 10 days were up .
So I rested aggressively , spending as much time lying down as possible .
Bit by bit , I started to feel better .
One morning I could smell the peppermint oil again , faintly .
The breakthrough food was a waffle with home fries , doused in syrup .
I felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Days flew by as I watched snow fall , then melt outside my window .
And on a Thursday , more than a week after I arrived , I got the all-clear to go home .
A paramedic — there ’ s always one on-site at the hotel , just in case — helped me carry my bags down to the lobby .
Nothing has ever felt as good as the fresh air when I stepped outside , or the enormous hug I got from my boyfriend after two lovely city employees dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mysteries remain : My boyfriend and I still don ’ t know how we picked up the virus .
Our best guess is his work , or perhaps my recent trip to the grocery store — my contract tracer told me that the virus is so rampant in Toronto right now that such stories are common .
I got sick the day before the city entered a second lockdown , and as I write this , Toronto has reported 553 new cases in the last day .
All things considered , I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that I was able to access a resource like the isolation hotel .
In the end , it did what it was supposed to do : None of my roommates got COVID-19 , and I had a safe , comfortable place to recover .
I ’ m also grateful that my boyfriend remained mostly asymptomatic .
But I don ’ t want to downplay my experience with the virus , either .
I ’ m young and active .
I was healthy before this .
Hiking , rock climbing and soccer kept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , and I can usually bike from one end of the city to the other without breaking much of a sweat .
When I was released from the isolation centre , a walk around the block felt impossible .
Stairs still leave me lightheaded .
If I overdo it and move too quickly , I feel faint and have no choice but to lie down until it passes .
I ’ ve always had excellent circulation , but now my fingers and toes are perpetually freezing .
My hunger signals have gone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but I ’ m struck at random times with a feeling of deep ravenousness that doesn ’ t go away .
I could have eaten an hour beforehand , but it feels as if my last meal was days ago .
Loud noises send a shockwave through my entire body .
Something as small as stubbing my toe jolts me to my core .
For lack of a better word , I feel fragile .
I ’ m also endlessly thirsty , as if my body is trying to flush something out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fall asleep , but I feel awful if I get any less than 10 hours .
Some people have used what happened to me to claim that masks and distancing don ’ t work — if I was so careful , they ask , how did I get sick ?
I think that ’ s the wrong way to look at this .
In reality , the fact that I wore a mask at home and stayed in my room as soon as I started feeling sick appears to have made all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There ’ s also emerging research that shows masks might lessen the severity of illness for those who do fall ill , although I don ’ t know for sure what happened in my case .
My symptoms are getting better day by day , but progress is slow .
I don ’ t know when I ’ ll feel like myself again .
Every night , I read first-hand accounts from COVID-19 long-haulers , hoping I won ’ t be one of them .
But I ’ m also starting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time I was able to take a short walk at my normal pace .
I ’ ll take that as a sign that maybe , by the time it ’ s safe for me to hug everyone I love , I ’ ll feel well enough to squeeze them with all my might .

The cough started Sunday while I walked home from buying a coffee in Kensington Market. It was small — maybe one every half-hour. But it also felt different than any cough I’d ever had, rattling deep in my lungs in a way that felt unsatisfying and unfamiliar.
I set down my bags shakily and sunk onto the bed, trying to make sense of the absurd situation.
As I reached the end of the corridor, I spotted an open door on my right and hustled inside, shutting it behind me as quickly I could. It had been two days since I developed a strange cough, seven hours since I found out I had the novel coronavirus.
It looked just like your average hotel — somewhere you’d stay for a conference or a work trip, back in the days when we had those. Except it was eerily silent, I’d been escorted to the elevator by a masked security guard and I was there because I had COVID-19 .
I trudged down the brightly lit hallway, slightly out of breath as I searched for the room I’d remain inside for the next 10 days.
But by Monday night I was shivering feverishly under a pile of blankets, muscles aching and chest congested, while my partner had lost his ability to smell. His test came back positive that evening, then mine followed the next morning. My roommates and I had talked before about what we’d do in this situation — isolate in our rooms, wear masks, sanitize thoroughly — but in the moment it felt surreal.
I had planned to buy groceries on the way, but instead I went straight home, a pit in my stomach. I let my roommates know, my boyfriend and I booked COVID-19 tests and I wore a mask inside my house, but I didn’t really think I could possibly have the virus. We’d been so careful, wearing masks, practising social distancing and washing our hands often.
This phone call was crucial: Somewhere along the way, someone had input my cell number wrong, a vital error that I was able to correct early. And I was able to ask Toronto Public Health to flag my file as urgent, something that allowed me to get a call back two days before my boyfriend, even though he got his results back 12 hours before I did.
I remembered seeing a press release about a City of Toronto COVID-19 isolation hotel, and that seemed like my best shot to keep my roommate safe. So when the city’s COVID-19 hotline opened Tuesday morning, I called, desperately hoping to secure a spot.
His room is separated from the bathroom by a glass door and a curtain, the bed a metre from the entryway. Every time I went to the washroom, I felt like each of my breaths was poison, seeping through the cracks in the door and into the room where he slept. It seemed like only a matter of time before I would infect him.
I live in a small Toronto house with three other people, and I share a bathroom with the roommate I was texting, a friend so close he’s practically family.
“You literally have COVID,” my roommate texted me from the other room as we tried to sort out next steps. “It’s kind of the worst-case scenario.”
At 1:30 p.m., she called to confirm I had a room — at an unoccupied hotel that had been converted into the Toronto Voluntary Isolation Centre — and that a taxi would come to pick me up.
By 11:30 a.m., I was on the phone with a kind but efficient contact tracer. As I explained the layout of the house, I heard her fingers flying across her keyboard.
“Can you be ready in 90 minutes?” she asked.
Those minutes were a blur, a flurry of phone calls and frenzied packing. The contact tracer ran me through the details: I would spend 10 days in the hotel, and meals would be delivered three times a day, except for my first 24 hours, in which I should be prepared to feed myself just in case the caterers couldn’t make an extra meal on short notice. There would be coffee and tea and disposable cups. I should bring everything I'd need to manage my COVID-19 symptoms, and since no one would enter my room except me, I might want to bring a few spare dishes and some cleaning supplies.
If I needed anything else, friends and family could drop it off. I would be allowed to leave if I wanted to, but otherwise, I would stay inside my room. Most importantly, I would not need to pay a cent.
“Try to treat it like a spa weekend,” the contact tracer told me. "Relax."
A room at the Toronto Voluntary Isolation Centre. Photo by Emma McIntosh
When I arrived, I found a letter on the counter from Toronto’s medical officer of health, Dr. Eileen de Villa — one given to every resident of the Voluntary Isolation Centre.
“Thank you for agreeing to stay at the centre,” it said. “You are protecting others from getting infected, especially your family or anyone else you live with. You should be proud of your choice. Toronto is grateful for it.”
With the door shut behind me, I felt relieved. Like I was no longer a risk to anyone I love.
The room itself was calm and comfortable, awash in soothing greys, soft lighting and warm-toned wood. The window faced an enormous empty parking lot, suburbia sprawling out in the distance. I had the essentials: a tea kettle, a mini-fridge, a sparkling clean bathroom, a desk and a reading chair.
The more I looked, the more I noticed little, typical hotel things were missing: the closet lacked coat hangers, only one of the beds had sheets, there was no Bible in the drawers and a shelf that was clearly meant to hold an iron was empty.
It seemed like the space had been designed so that as few items as possible would need to be disinfected later. Even the TV remote was wrapped in a layer of plastic that I was instructed not to remove.
A TV remote at the hotel, plastic-wrapped for sanitary purposes. Photo by Emma McIntosh
Most of all, the room was quiet. Aside from the crinkling of a paper bag that signalled the arrival of a meal, I can count on one hand the number of sounds I heard during my stay: twice, hotel staff had to shout at another guest, ordering them to stay inside their room and close their door. Once, I heard a faint laugh through the wall. I started keeping the TV on to fill the silence.
Much to my delight, I received my first meal that night, a wholesome chicken dish. I started tweeting out photos of the room and the food, mostly to keep myself entertained.
I cracked jokes about the whole saga and my own declining sense of smell and taste — yet another COVID-19 symptom — but privately, there were scary moments.
Though my fever and muscle aches were gone before I’d arrived at the hotel, I was so exhausted that I’d have to lie down after washing two dishes. At first, even sitting up for a couple of hours was too much. My nostrils burned every time I took a deep breath.
My ability to smell was completely gone by my third day in the hotel, and I could only taste whether something was sweet, salty, bitter or sour. I was terrified that those senses might never come back. I tried sniffing a bottle of peppermint essential oil, something that would normally be overwhelming, and started to cry when my nose picked up absolutely nothing.
Normally, I have a robust appetite. That vanished. Kind, encouraging Toronto Public Health case managers who called me daily to check in encouraged me to keep eating anyway, so I spent entire days forcing myself to finish every single bite of my meals, even if it took hours. Even if dinner arrived before I’d finished lunch.
What have we here!? Mac and cheese is my favourite food normally and one is pretty darn good! pic.twitter.com/9fyiWPLuSs — Emma McIntosh (vacation mode) (@EmmaMci) November 26, 2020
I have to give kudos to the chef behind these meals, who put together a menu that happened to include all my favourite comfort foods: tomato soup, orzo, macaroni and cheese. All things that have a lovely texture, even if you can’t taste them.
The chef was also a good sport about my tweets, sending me a kind note and an extra portion of incredible carrot cake on one of my final days at the hotel. That was a real bright spot.
Another upside: the love and support I received from my friends and family. They conspired to send me care packages of tea and snacks, and kept me busy with phone calls and virtual game nights.
I’m not crying, you’re crying!! Thank you Chef, this is absolutely delicious! pic.twitter.com/Lyftlio4NT — Emma McIntosh (vacation mode) (@EmmaMci) December 1, 2020
The case managers said I might have to stay longer if my symptoms weren’t getting better by the time the 10 days were up. So I rested aggressively, spending as much time lying down as possible.
Bit by bit, I started to feel better. One morning I could smell the peppermint oil again, faintly. The breakthrough food was a waffle with home fries, doused in syrup.
I felt hungry again, then less tired. Days flew by as I watched snow fall, then melt outside my window. And on a Thursday, more than a week after I arrived, I got the all-clear to go home. A paramedic — there’s always one on-site at the hotel, just in case — helped me carry my bags down to the lobby.
Nothing has ever felt as good as the fresh air when I stepped outside, or the enormous hug I got from my boyfriend after two lovely city employees dropped me off outside my house.
Some mysteries remain: My boyfriend and I still don’t know how we picked up the virus. Our best guess is his work, or perhaps my recent trip to the grocery store — my contract tracer told me that the virus is so rampant in Toronto right now that such stories are common. I got sick the day before the city entered a second lockdown, and as I write this, Toronto has reported 553 new cases in the last day.
All things considered, I was lucky to have a mild case, and that I was able to access a resource like the isolation hotel. In the end, it did what it was supposed to do: None of my roommates got COVID-19, and I had a safe, comfortable place to recover. I’m also grateful that my boyfriend remained mostly asymptomatic.
But I don’t want to downplay my experience with the virus, either.
I’m young and active. I was healthy before this. Hiking, rock climbing and soccer kept me sane through this hellscape of a year, and I can usually bike from one end of the city to the other without breaking much of a sweat.
When I was released from the isolation centre, a walk around the block felt impossible. Stairs still leave me lightheaded. If I overdo it and move too quickly, I feel faint and have no choice but to lie down until it passes. I’ve always had excellent circulation, but now my fingers and toes are perpetually freezing.
My hunger signals have gone haywire. I never feel peckish anymore, but I’m struck at random times with a feeling of deep ravenousness that doesn’t go away. I could have eaten an hour beforehand, but it feels as if my last meal was days ago.
Loud noises send a shockwave through my entire body. Something as small as stubbing my toe jolts me to my core. For lack of a better word, I feel fragile.
I’m also endlessly thirsty, as if my body is trying to flush something out. It’s hard for me to fall asleep, but I feel awful if I get any less than 10 hours.
Some people have used what happened to me to claim that masks and distancing don’t work — if I was so careful, they ask, how did I get sick? I think that’s the wrong way to look at this.
In reality, the fact that I wore a mask at home and stayed in my room as soon as I started feeling sick appears to have made all the difference in keeping my roommates safe. There’s also emerging research that shows masks might lessen the severity of illness for those who do fall ill, although I don’t know for sure what happened in my case.
My symptoms are getting better day by day, but progress is slow. I don’t know when I’ll feel like myself again. Every night, I read first-hand accounts from COVID-19 long-haulers, hoping I won’t be one of them.
But I’m also starting to feel hopeful. Today marked the first time I was able to take a short walk at my normal pace.
I’ll take that as a sign that maybe, by the time it’s safe for me to hug everyone I love, I’ll feel well enough to squeeze them with all my might.
Editor's Note: In a new podcast, the Canada's National Observer team takes you behind the scenes of a news organization in the early days of the pandemic. Listen here.