Coronavirus update: Ontario rejects Toronto school board’s request to keep mask mandate

Good evening, here are the COVID-19 updates you need to know tonight.

Main titles:

1. Ontario school boards seek answers on extending mask mandate after school break
2. Deloitte rolls back COVID-19 vaccine mandate, but remains one of few major employers to do so
3. WHO may reject Canadian-made Medicago COVID-19 vaccine over ties to big tobacco

Due to changes in testing prevalence, case counts alone are no longer a reliable indicator of the spread of COVID-19. Going forward, we will only include weekly death rates and hospitalizations in the newsletter. For an overview of COVID-19 data in Canada, visit coronavirus tracker.

Over the past seven days, there have been 283 reported deaths, down 26 % over the same period. At least 3,607 people are treated in hospitals.

The inoculation rate in Canada is 13th among countries with a population of one million or more.

Sources: Canada data is compiled from government websites, Johns Hopkins and the COVID-19 Canada Open Data Task Force; international data is from Johns Hopkins University.

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Coronavirus explainers: Coronavirus in maps and graphs • Vaccine dose tracking • Lockdown and reopening rules

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Photo of the day

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Coronavirus in Canada

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In Ottawa, Official announcement by Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos Vaccinated travelers will no longer need to present a COVID-19 test to enter Canada as of April 1.

• Incoming tourists will still need to be vaccinated to visit Canada, and all incoming travelers must also upload their details to the ArriveCan app.
• Unvaccinated Canadians and other travelers who are exempt from the vaccination mandate will still need to provide a negative rapid antigen or molecular test, or an accepted form of proof of recent infection to enter the country.
• Unvaccinated travelers will also be tested on arrival, again eight days later, and must quarantine for 14 days.

Moderna Approved for Kids: Health Canada has approved Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for use in children ages 6-11.

Vaccine made in Canada: The World Health Organization has said it plans to reject Medicago’s two-dose Covifenz COVID-19 vaccine because of the company’s ties to big tobacco.

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Coronavirus around the world

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Coronavirus and business

Deloitte Canada is reversing its mandatory vaccination policy for employees, being one of the few large white-collar employers so far to backtrack on vaccination mandates for employees.

• The other major accounting firms – KPMG, PWC Canada and EY Canada – are keeping vaccine requirements in place, according to statements to The Globe and Mail. All of the Big Five banks – Bank of Montreal, Bank of Nova Scotia, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Royal Bank of Canada and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce – have also said they will continue to stick to a mandatory vaccination policy. for employees.

And: As provinces end the last of their COVID-19 public health restrictions, small businesses are bracing for an influx of customers — and many businesses are opting to keep masks in place, despite mandates ending.

Also today : As Canadian businesses look forward to an end to pandemic-related employment restrictions and a return to some semblance of how we worked before COVID-19, they must be prepared for new employee relationships.

More: The Globe wants to know: How do you feel about returning to the office? In this survey, share your thoughts and feelings on return to work plans, remote work and traditional 9 to 5.

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More reports

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Information Center

Sources: Canada data is compiled from government websites, Johns Hopkins University and the COVID-19 Canada Open Data Task Force; international data is from Johns Hopkins.

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