In our top story: The race to contain new, highly-contagious COVID-19 variants is continuing as countries also work to roll out vaccines to protect us from the coronavirus. That rollout is not going as planned in Canada, with supplies slowing to a trickle in the last two weeks even as variants keep spreading. New variants have been detected in six provinces, with at least 195 cases confirmed. The full extent of the spread is uncertain because Canada’s capacity to screen for variants is limited. But as Heather Yourex-West explains, there is evidence the variants are already spreading throughout the community and the window to contain them has already closed.
Testing is key to tracking the spread of the coronavirus. These new variants require another level of testing beyond the basic COVID-19 test. It’s called genomic sequencing and it’s being ramped up across the country. Eric Sorensen explains how and why this is done.
One of the highly-transmissible variants has already spread through a seniors’ home in Ontario with deadly consequences. Adding to that concern, the provincial government admitted today it will miss its own deadline to give the first vaccine dose to all long-term care residents and other vulnerable people. Health researchers say international travel restrictions should have come sooner. As Ross Lord explains, Canada is now playing catch up as a result.
Canada’s newly-retired chief of defence staff, Gen. Jonathan Vance, is being investigated after Global News reported on allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour. Vance stepped down from the military’s top job last month, but remains a member of the Forces. Mercedes Stephenson broke this story and reports on new developments on where things go from here.
The Canadian government has designated 13 new groups as terrorist entities including the Proud Boys. Canada is the first country in the world to add them to this kind of list. The decision will freeze assets and make it illegal to contribute to groups labelled a serious terror threat. Abigail Bimman takes a look at what it all means.
The stock market has been a David and Goliath tug of war lately, but a Vancouver couple decided to make some quick cash playing the market – and it paid off. They bet $5,000 on AMC stock and woke up the next day with double the money. They’re now donating part of their gains to make their community better. Robin Gill reports.
