In our top story: There are multiple warning signs the weeks ahead in Canada could be worse than anything we’ve seen since the coronavirus first arrived in a year ago. Case counts are rising and more Canadians are becoming seriously ill. More than 4,000 Canadians are in hospital, with more than 800 in critical care and an average of 136 deaths being reported daily. It is a sign public health restrictions are not working and Ontario Premier Doug Ford said more measures are coming but did not specify when or if it may involve a curfew like Quebec. Some provinces are also cautioning about potential vaccine shortages. David Akin reports on what the federal government is doing to accelerate deliveries.
In the U.S., Democrats have drafted new articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump and there’s an effort underway to restrict his access to the nuclear codes. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says Trump could be dangerous in the final days of his presidency and has spoken with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff about the President’s nuclear command authority. Some people from the pro-Trump mob who stormed the Capitol building are being tracked down and arrested. And here in Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has often sidestepped directly criticizing Trump, but that changed today when he accused the president of inciting the violence. As efforts ramp up to have a vote soon on the articles of impeachment, the U.S. Justice Department is not ruling out charging him with criminal liability for the violence.
Among those being vaccinated for COVID-19 in Canada are several hundred inmates in federal institutions. It’s a pilot program that got underway Friday. Elderly and medically-vulnerable inmates will get the shot. As Abigail Bimman reports, the project is not without controversy.
In the U.K., the mayor of London has declared a major incident, a move normally reserved for terror attacks or natural disasters. The rate of COVID-19 infection in the city is out of control. In London’s worst-hit boroughs, it’s believed one in every 20 people have the virus. The U.K. reported its highest daily toll of the pandemic today, more than 1,300 deaths and 68,000 new infections in just 24 hours. As Redmond Shannon reports, hospital staff are barely coping.
A year of time has barely dimmed the grief of those who lost loved ones in the Ukrainian International Airlines Flight PS752, which crashed after it was shot down by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. A lack of answers from Iran or anyone being held accountable is further compounding their grief. Farah Nasser spoke to an Ontario man who lost his wife and only son one year ago today.
