Today’s coronavirus news: Ontario reporting 159 new cases of COVID-19, 10 deaths; Province enters Step 3 of the province’s reopening plan
The latest coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Friday. This file will be updated throughout the day. Web links to longer stories if available.
10:22 a.m. Ontario is reporting 159 new cases of COVID-19 and 10 deaths. Locally, there are 34 new cases in Grey Bruce, 25 in the Region of Waterloo, 23 in Toronto and 12 in Peel Region; more than 28,100 tests completed.
The seven-day average is down to 151 cases per day or 7.3 weekly per 100,000 and up to 6.9 deaths per day. Labs are reporting 28,126 completed tests and a 0.6% positive, according to the Star's Ed Tubb.
9:50 a.m. Next time your home insurance comes up for renewal, don't be surprised if there's an extra paragraph in the policy, thanks to COVID.
Some Canadian homeowners are finding a new clause in their insurance policies when they go to renew - they're not covered if someone sues them for catching an infectious disease on their property.
The clause is aimed squarely at preventing a rush of potentially costly claims because of the global COVID-19 pandemic, said insurance law expert Joseph Campisi.
They're concerned about someone making a claim. With liability clauses, the insurer covers legal costs, even if a suit isn't successful," said Campisi, an adjunct professor of insurance law at York University's Osgoode Hall.
This policy does not insure against loss or damage, caused directly or indirectly by any communicable disease,' or the fear or threat (whether actual or perceived) of a communicable disease,'" reads a typical clause sent to customers of one major insurance company renewing their homeowner policies.
Read the full story from the Star's Josh Rubin
9:45 a.m. No documentation of vaccination required.
That's the message from Premier Doug Ford when asked if Ontario would require proof-of-vaccination certificates as the province emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
No, we aren't doing it - simple as that," Ford told reporters Thursday in Etobicoke.
We aren't going to have a split society," he said, referring the dividing vaccinated and unvaccinated Canadians.
But the premier stressed it would be Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's decision if Ottawa wants to see proof that people coming into Canada have been vaccinated.
Now, if it's ... getting across the border, that's up to the federal government. We'll see what they decide to do," said Ford.
Read the full story from the Star's Robert Benzie
9:38 a.m. The federal government says cruise ships will be allowed back in Canadian waters in November, but they must follow public health requirements.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said the prohibition on cruise ships because of COVID-19 will be lifted Nov. 1, eliminating a ban that was in place until the end of February 2022.
In a news release Thursday, Alghabra said the $4-billion cruise industry generates about 30,000 jobs and is an important part of the country's domestic tourism sector.
"As Canadians have done their part to reduce the spread of COVID-19, our government continues to work hard to safely restart our economy and build back better," he said in the release.
Ian Robertson, CEO of the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority said the ban lifting earlier than planned was welcome news.
"This is what we've been advocating for," he said in an interview. "For government to send a positive signal that cruise would be welcome back in 2022. It's a good day."
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said the cruise industry is an important part of the economy of south Vancouver Island.
9:33 a.m. Fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents could be allowed into Canada as of mid-August, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said late Thursday after a meeting with provincial premiers.
Travellers from other countries could be allowed in by early September if our current positive path of vaccination rate and public health conditions continue," Trudeau said in a statement following the meeting.
The news came after Trudeau had signalled earlier in the day he was prepared to put a plan to ease border measures on the table at the premiers' meeting, and in turn before Canadians, ahead of the expiration of the current deal that governs the closure of the Canada-U.S. border.
During an event in Montreal, Trudeau had acknowledged the importance for tourists and business people to have clarity on when they'll be able to enter Canada, and if the premiers were onside, we'll have an announcement to make next week," he said in French.
Read the full story from the Star's Stephanie Levitz
8:35 a.m. For the first time in 280 days, Ontarians are able to enjoy a meal indoors at a restaurant - as well as work out in a gym, go to the cinema or attend an indoor sporting event - as the province moves into Step 3 of reopening. The new freedoms come about a week earlier than expected as a result of rising vaccination rates and a steady decline in cases.
After a slow-out-the-gate vaccine rollout and a deadly third wave that nearly pushed the province's health-care system to its breaking point, Ontario COVID-19 metrics are finally heading in the right direction.
Chief medical officer Dr. Kieran Moore said Tuesday things are trending correctly" entering Step 3 as more and more people line up for second doses, but warned with the contagious Delta variant now accounting for most new infections, it will be a challenge" to ease most remaining restrictions in August.
Since a partial spring reopening precipitated the highest case counts and hospitalizations the province had ever seen, Ontario has adopted a slow and steady approach to easing restrictions, lagging behind other Canadian provinces.
Read the full story from the Star's Lex Harvey
8:20 a.m. The Ontario government is suggesting you hold on to your COVID-19 vaccine receipt.
You may be asking, wait, what receipt? It's understandable if you were so excited after getting your second shot that you forgot to meticulously file away the piece of paper you should have received that confirmed you're double dosed, along with other personal information and details about the vaccine itself.
Now, with some businesses saying they'll be asking potential customers to prove their vaccination status for entry, that little piece of paper suddenly seems much more important.
The government has said your vaccine receipt received post-vaccination is what is currently available as valid proof of your shots. If you haven't thought about it until now, don't fret - here's everything you need to know about your vaccine receipt in Ontario.
Read the full story from the Star's Omar Mosleh
8 a.m. On Friday, Ontario enters Step 3 of its reopening plan, which means that indoor spaces like gyms, movie theatres and indoor dining areas can start welcoming guests again. These environments, however, still come with health risks.
Unlike outdoor spaces, indoor spaces aren't as spacious or well-ventilated. There are measures all indoor environments should enforce, including proper ventilation, requiring masks whenever possible, limiting the number of people and not allowing people who are feeling sick or have tested positive for COVID-19 inside.
The Star spoke with epidemiologist Maria Sundaram to better understand the risks that come with certain indoor spaces and how to use them as safely as possible.
Before deciding to enter any indoor space, Sundaram encourages people to think of people, place, time and space: The number of people that are in the area, the type of place that it is (its size and how well its ventilated for example), the amount of time that you're spending there and what other protections are being enforced in a space.
Read the full story from the Star's Celina Gallardo
7:50 a.m. At exactly one minute after midnight, the wait was over for Toronto's club-goers and party-starters.
As the clock struck 12:01 a.m. Friday, some of the city's most popular dance venues resumed operations after a many months-long dry spell, signifying the official beginning of Ontario's transition to Step 3. LGBTQ+ bars and nightclubs took the lead, refusing to waste one more second.
Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines," said Morgan James, a drag performer and emcee at Flash on Church, just as the club's gold doors pushed open.
Feluis Lama, 48, was at the very front of the line. He arrived an hour early to secure his spot inside, knowing capacity limits were in place.
It's the beginning of the new beginning," said Lama. It's nice to feel like life is back to normal."
Read the full story from the Star's Maria Sarrouh
6:48 a.m.: The Eiffel Tower is reopening Friday for the first time in nine months even though the French government introduced new virus rules this week aimed at taming the fast-spreading Delta variant.
The Iron Lady" of Paris was ordered shut in October as France battled its second virus surge of the pandemic. The tower remained shut for renovations even after most of France's major tourist draws reopened last month.
Its reopening comes four days after President Emmanuel Macron announced new measures aimed at warding off a fourth surge, including mandatory vaccinations for health workers and mandatory COVID-19 passes to enter restaurants and venues such as the Eiffel Tower.
Starting Wednesday, all visitors to the monument over age 18 will need to show a pass proving they've been fully vaccinated, had a negative virus test or recently recovered from COVID-19.
The number of daily visitors to the tower will be limited to 10,000 a day instead of 25,000.
6:42 a.m.: Could the recent COVID-19 resurgence force California to walk back its month-old reopening?
The answer is no - at least for now.
Despite the startling increases in new coronavirus infections and hospitalizations over the last few weeks, officials are quick to point out that, so far, this uptick is different from what the state endured earlier in the pandemic.
Even with the latest rise, California's COVID-19 metrics remain far below the levels seen during previous surges. And there's confidence that will remain the case, given how much of the population has already been vaccinated.
The spread, officials say, is overwhelmingly occurring among those who have yet to roll up their sleeves. In L.A. County, 99% of new cases involve those who have not gotten their shots.
Those that are in the hospitals, those that have died, overwhelmingly are people that have not been vaccinated," Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a news conference Wednesday. I cannot impress upon you more the power of getting vaccinated. If we want to extinguish this pandemic, this disease, we've got to get vaccinated, period, full stop."
So the focus, at this point, is less on restricting the movement of vaccinated individuals and more about getting the unvaccinated to get their shots.
5:43 a.m.: Public health restrictions on businesses and gatherings are rolling back further in Ontario today.
Step 3 of the province's reopening plan allows gyms, cinemas, theatres, museums and other venues to reopen for indoor service.
Dining inside restaurants is also allowed and night clubs can reopen with capacity limits.
Social gatherings of up to 25 people indoors and 100 people outdoors are permitted.
The province is entering Step 3 of the reopening plan a few days earlier than scheduled based on high COVID-19 vaccination rates and other positive public health trends.
The changes took effect at 12:01 a.m., with rules around masks and physical distancing still in place.
The majority of remaining restrictions in Ontario will be lifted as soon as 21 days after Step 3, the province has said.
But that will only happen once 75 per cent of people 12 and older have been fully vaccinated and every public health unit has fully vaccinated at least 70 per cent of eligible residents.
5:42 a.m.: Pivoting is something that has taken on a new meaning over the course of COVID-19.
Business owners, for instance, have been working tirelessly to pivot their operations to work in the new normal, hospitals and medical providers have had to pivot on how they deliver services, and artists too have had to pivot not only in how they deliver art to the masses but earn a living as well when concert venues are all but shuttered.
How artists have survived, thrived, and even flourished over the course of the pandemic is the topic of the second Arts Talk, which will be hosted by the Aurora Cultural Centre this Tuesday, July 20.
Hosted by Jane Taylor, From an Artists' Viewpoint: Art during - and emerging from - COVID" will bring together jazz artist Barbra Lica, visual artist Salman Khattak, and classical pianist Charles Richard-Hamelin to share insights on how they maintained their creativity during the pandemic and what they see as the next steps to rebuilding their careers - on the stage and in galleries.
We have been so fundamentally aware since March 12, 2020, that on that day livelihood ended for those artists we serve in the community," says Ms. Taylor. The interesting thing was to see the number of artists who just hopped onto digital platforms straight away to essentially give their art to the world, especially in a healing process."
5:41 a.m.: As millions of Californians return to in-person work with a requirement to say whether they've been vaccinated for COVID-19, legislators who represent some of those residents have refused disclosure, either ignoring the question or insisting their employers - the state's taxpayers - don't have the right to know.
In a survey conducted by The Times, 12 members of the California Legislature refused to disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status. Eleven of the lawmakers are Republicans, comprising almost 40% of all GOP members.
There are no current requirements that lawmakers get vaccinated, and a number of safety protocols are in place inside the state Capitol. Even so, there are few, if any, repercussions for legislators who choose not to vaccinate. Capitol guidelines advise lawmakers and staff to provide vaccination information to health officials, but members of the state Senate and Assembly have no traditional workplace manager and, for the most part, answer only to their constituents.
I'm not going to, because it's my choice," said state Sen. Brian Dahle (R-Bieber), when asked Monday about why he refused to reveal whether he's vaccinated against COVID-19.
Dahle and his wife, Assemblywoman Megan Dahle (R-Bieber), both declined to answer vaccination questions this week while the Legislature was in session. Several other legislators also rejected The Times' repeated efforts to determine their vaccination status or to learn the reasons for their unwillingness to provide it.
I'm not answering any of those questions," Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) said as he walked toward an Assembly floor session.
5:40 a.m.: No beds, medicines running low and hospital wards prone to fire - Iraq's doctors say they are losing the battle against the coronavirus. And they say that was true even before a devastating blaze killed scores of people in a COVID-19 isolation unit this week.
Infections in Iraq have surged to record highs in a third wave spurred by the more aggressive Delta variant, and long-neglected hospitals suffering the effects of decades of war are overwhelmed with severely ill patients, many of them this time young people.
Doctors are going online to plea for donations of medicine and bottled oxygen, and relatives are taking to social media to find hospital beds for their stricken loved ones.
Every morning, it's the same chaos repeated, wards overwhelmed with patients," said Sarmed Ahmed, a doctor at Baghdad's Al-Kindi Hospital.
Widespread distrust of Iraq's crumbling health care system only intensified after Monday's blaze at the Al-Hussein Teaching Hospital in the southern city of Nasiriyah, the country's second catastrophic fire at a coronavirus ward in less than three months.
Days after the latest fire, the death toll was in dispute, with the Health Ministry putting it at 60, local health officials saying 88, and Iraq's state news agency reporting 92 dead.
Many blame corruption and mismanagement in the medical system for the disaster, and Iraq's premier ordered the arrest of key health officials.
Doctors said they fear working in the country's poorly constructed isolation wards and decried what they called lax safety measures.
Friday 5:39 a.m.: Los Angeles County residents will again be required to wear masks indoors, regardless of their vaccination status, while the University of California system said that students, faculty and staff must be inoculated against the coronavirus to return to campuses.
The announcements Thursday came amid a spike in COVID-19 cases, most of them the highly transmissible Delta variant that has proliferated since California fully reopened its economy on June 15 and did away with capacity limits and social distancing. The vast majority of new cases are among unvaccinated people.
The rapid and sustained increase in cases in Los Angeles County requires restoring an indoor mask mandate, said Dr. Muntu Davis, public health officer for the county's 10 million people. The public health order will go into effect just before midnight Saturday.
This is an all-hands-on-deck moment," Davis said during a virtual news conference.
He didn't fully detail what would be some exceptions to the mask rule but said, for example, people could still take off their masks while eating and drinking at restaurants.
Davis said officials will focus on education rather than enforcement. Handing out citations to people who don't comply is not something we really want to have to do," he said.