BC COVID-19 pandemic update | BC Gov News - BC Gov News

Today, on Orange Shirt Day, and the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Ministry of Health and the Office of the Provincial Health Officer are honouring residential school survivors, their families and loved ones, and the children who did not come home. The recent findings, made throughout the province and across the country, have brought the truth of atrocities at former Indian Residential Schools more fully into the light.

The ministry and the provincial health officer and her staff are observing the first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation Day this year, encouraging employees to learn more about the history and ongoing legacy of residential schools, and to have important conversations about how to bring action to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in B.C.

As of Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021, 88.0% (4,078,469) of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and 81.0% (3,756,363) have received their second dose.

In addition, 88.5% (3,827,508) of all eligible adults in B.C. have received their first dose and 81.8% (3,539,236) have received their second dose.

B.C. is reporting 749 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 186,994 cases in the province.

Note: Due to a delayed data refresh, the numbers of total and new cases are provisional and will be verified when confirmed.

Currently, 145 COVID-19 patients are in intensive care. Given the holiday, the ministry is unable to provide hospitalization numbers, active cases or recovered cases. However, these numbers will be available in tomorrow’s information bulletin.

Note: The number of yesterday’s critical care COVID-19 confirmed cases has been changed to 142 from 146 after a correction from Interior Health.

The new/active cases include:

• 267 new cases in Fraser Health
• 113 new cases in Vancouver Coastal Health
• 157 new cases in Interior Health
• 148 new cases in Northern Health
• 64 new cases in Island Health
• No new cases of people who reside outside of Canada

In the last 24 hours, nine new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 1,962.

The new deaths include:

• Fraser Health: three
• Island Health: two
• Northern Health: one
• Vancouver Coastal Health: one
• Interior Health: two

There are no new outbreaks, for a total of 22 active outbreaks, including:

• long-term care:
  • Willingdon Care Centre, Westminster House, Menno Terrace East, The Residence in Mission, Magnolia Gardens (Fraser Health);
  • Arbutus Care Centre, Louis Brier Home and Hospital (Vancouver Coastal Health);
  • Cottonwoods Care Centre, Kamloops Seniors Village, The Hamlets at Westsyde, Joseph Creek Care Village, Overlander, Village by the Station (Interior Health);
  • Wrinch Memorial Hospital, Jubilee Lodge (Northern Health); and
  • Victoria Chinatown Care Centre (Island Health).
• acute care:
  • University Hospital of Northern BC (Northern Health); and
  • Royal Inland Hospital (Interior Health).
• assisted or independent living:
• Sunset Manor, Hallmark on the Lake (Fraser Health);
• Hardy View Lodge (Interior Health), and
• Cooper Place (Vancouver Coastal Health).

When available, information on school outbreaks will be posted online:
http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/public-exposures

From Sept. 22-28, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 71.2% of cases.
From Sept. 15-28, they accounted for 80.6% of hospitalizations.

Past week cases (Sept. 22-28) – Total 5,251
Not vaccinated: 3,367 (64.1%)
Partially vaccinated: 373 (7.1%)
Fully vaccinated: 1,511 (28.8%)

Past two weeks cases hospitalized (Sept. 15-28) – Total 444
Not vaccinated: 317 (71.4%)
Partially vaccinated: 41 (9.2%)
Fully vaccinated: 86 (19.4%)

Past week, cases per 100,000 population after adjusting for age (Sept. 22-28)
Not vaccinated: 303.4
Partially vaccinated: 101.6
Fully vaccinated: 37.4

Past two weeks, cases hospitalized per 100,000 population after adjusting for age (Sept. 15-28)
Not vaccinated: 46.5
Partially vaccinated: 17.1
Fully vaccinated: 2.0

Since December 2020, the Province has administered 7,846,714 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines.

Learn More:

For the Sept. 28, 2021, modelling presentation, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/9-28_PHO_modelling.pdf

To learn about how B.C. counts its daily COVID-19 cases in hospitals, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021HLTH0058-001844

To learn about the BC Vaccine Card and how to access yours, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/vaccinecard.html

For health measures in the Northern Health region, visit: https://stories.northernhealth.ca/news/new-health-measures-introduced-northern-health-region

For the Aug. 31, 2021, modelling presentation, visit: http://news.gov.bc.ca/files/8-31_PHO_modelling.pdf

For the provincial health officer’s order on masks in public indoor settings, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/25217

For the Aug. 12, 2021, announcement on mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for long-term care workers, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/25143

For health measures in the Central Okanagan, visit: https://www.interiorhealth.ca/AboutUs/MediaCentre/NewsReleases/Documents/IB_COVID_Outbreak_6%20August.pdf

For information on breakthrough cases, see the BC Centre for Disease Control's (BCCDC) weekly data summary: http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/data#summary

Detailed data is posted daily on the BCCDC dashboard: http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/data
Or: www.bccdc.ca

To register to be immunized or to learn about getting your second dose, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/vaccine/register or https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/vaccine/dose-2

To learn about BC’s Restart plan, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/info/restart

For the provincial health officer’s orders and guidance, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/office-of-the-provincial-health-officer/current-health-topics/covid-19-novel-coronavirus

For guidance on restrictions, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/covid-19-provincial-support/restrictions

The latest updates, including case counts, prevention, risks and to find a testing centre near you: http://www.bccdc.ca/
Or follow @CDCofBC on Twitter.

For COVID-19 exposure events, updates and information, visit:

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COVID-19: Nine more deaths, 749 new cases reported in BC | Globalnews.ca - Global News

The British Columbia Centre for Disease Control reported 749 new COVID-19 cases and nine more deaths on Thursday.

It’s a provisional update, the B.C. government said, due to a delayed refreshing of the data.

And because it’s a holiday, it added, it cannot provide hospitalization numbers, active cases or recovery numbers.

READ MORE: COVID-19: Eleven more deaths, 813 new cases reported in B.C.

Of the new cases, 113 were in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 267 were in Fraser Health, 157 were in Interior Health, 148 were in Northern Health and 64 were in Island Health.

As it stands, 145 patients are in intensive care.

No new outbreaks were reported on Thursday.

2:20 Growing pressure on B.C. government to use COVID-19 rapid testing in schools

Growing pressure on B.C. government to use COVID-19 rapid testing in schools

Health officials said people who were not fully vaccinated made up 72 per cent of all cases over the last week, and 80.8 per cent of cases in hospital over the past two weeks.

As of Thursday, they added, 88 per cent of eligible B.C. residents had received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and 81 per cent had received their second dose.

— With files from Simon Little

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© 2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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Reconciliation Day not holiday because Quebec needs more productivity: Legault - CKPGToday.ca

By Canadian Press

Sep 30, 2021 | 12:54 PM

Quebec Premier François Legault says the province cannot afford to make the national day honouring victims and survivors of residential schools a statutory holiday.

Legault told reporters today the province needs more “productivity,” in response to questions about why Quebec has not officially recognized Sept. 30 as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Events are being held across the country — including in Quebec — for the first annual day in honour of lost children and survivors of the country’s residential schools, the last of which closed in the mid-1990s.

Provinces such as British Columbia, Manitoba and Nova Scotia have followed the federal government’s lead and made the day a statutory holiday, while others, including Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick, have not.

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Manitoba hands out more fines to scofflaw businesses for health order violations - Globalnews.ca

Manitoba businesses that aren’t adhering to COVID-19 public health orders continue to get fined by the province, including some repeat offenders this week.

The owners of Monstrosity Burger and Tuxedo Village Family Restaurant — who have been vocally opposed to the orders — were slapped with four more $5,000 tickets, according to the province’s latest enforcement report.

That makes a dozen such fines over the past three weeks for the Corydon Avenue eateries, whose owners have described the restrictions as tantamount to “fascism” and “tyranny” in social media posts.

Read more: 2 Manitoba restaurants cry ‘tyranny’ after shutdown, $40K fines for health violations

A crowdfunding account aimed at helping the businesses pay the mounting fines was sitting at just under $5,400 on Thursday morning.

Other businesses ticketed include Chaise Cafe and Lounge — another Corydon Avenue restaurant that stirred up controversy earlier in the pandemic for violations of social distancing restrictions.

Chaise was dinged for three $5,000 tickets this week.

Two MORFIT Training Centres in Winnipeg also received a combined total of three $5,000 tickets.

Bong Traders Paraphernalia Co. on Main Street was handed a $1,296 fine.

In Winkler, Del Rios Family Restaurant, the Iceburg Drive-In, and Twister’s Burgers Fries & Malts were each tagged with the same fine.

Steinbach businesses Great Canadian Oil Change ($5,000) and Retro Chique ($1,296) made this week’s list of scofflaws as well.

1:53 Tuxedo restaurants hit with COVID-19 fines

Tuxedo restaurants hit with COVID-19 fines – Sep 22, 2021

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© 2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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'It's really scary': Alberta physicians face more aggressive, misinformed patients - CBC.ca

Some family physicians in Alberta say they are dealing with an increasing number of aggressive, misinformed and untrusting patients who want a note exempting them from getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

Two of three Calgary doctors who spoke to The Canadian Press also said some people have yelled racist comments at them after they declined to write a note because the patients did not have health conditions known to cause serious side-effects to a shot.

"They mostly comment on my brown skin and hijab," said Dr. Sakina Raj. "I'm also Muslim ... so they come to religion and they get personal with that.

"It's really scary because I feel sometimes they were so abusive verbally, that they could harm us. But I still am kind to them. I calm them down nicely. I'm too experienced to be stressed by them."

Raj said since Premier Jason Kenney announced a proof of vaccination program to try to turn back a crippling fourth wave in the province, safety has become such a concern that Sehet Medical Clinic is now dealing with new patients wanting an exemption only on the phone.

Raj and another Calgary physician said more than three patients a day are asking their clinics for an exemption. Dr. Mukarram Zaidi said one patient tried to bribe him with $200.

"He comes and says that he would like to have a note and he will be compensating for that," Zaidi said.

When Zaidi declined, the patient became aggressive and began talking to him louder about ethics, he said.

Zaidi said few people are eligible for an exemption. They include anyone diagnosed with myocarditis or pericarditis — inflammation of the heart or its membrane — or someone who has a confirmed anaphylactic allergy to an ingredient in a COVID-19 vaccine.

This particular patient did not meet those criteria.

"I was really upset with it," Zaidi said.

Doctor thought about calling police

Raj said she has thought about calling police during a few consultations.

"Before, there were individuals coming in without a mask, kind of arguing, but this vaccine proof has brought it to another level," Zaidi said.

Zaidi and Raj said racist comments and an aggressive tone are regular occurrences these days, but they don't want to focus on that. What's most concerning to them is that misinformed patients are walking into their clinics.

Some patients tell stories about family members in other countries having outlandish reactions to the vaccine. Others say their religious leader has told them not to get a shot. Zaidi said some patients don't want to hear any scientific information at all.

"What boggles me is that they come in, trust me for everything else besides COVID. They allow me to examine them for everything else. It frustrates me to understand the mentality of these individuals."

If patients are worried about having an allergic reaction, the doctors direct them to take an allergy test, which some patients decline to do.

Misinformation frustrating

Dr. Memoona Butt, another Calgary physician, said she gets most frustrated with patients who read information about the virus from unverified sources.

"Some people are saying that they don't want any foreign particle or any chemical injected into their body. A number of patients are also worried that we are putting some chips in their system," Butt said.

The three doctors said colleagues across the province have successfully persuaded the vaccine-hesitant to get their shots by walking them through what's involved and addressing their concerns.

"I also tell them that Canada's independent drug authorization ... has high standards and a rigorous review process," Butt said.

Raj said she worries about her patients who don't want to be vaccinated.

"Some of them are smokers, or have underlying lung conditions, or they're diabetic. If they catch COVID, they might end up in [an intensive care unit]."

She said her clinic has been calling patients to educate them on why they need to get their shots.

"We have seen how interactions with patients on this topic may become emotional and difficult," the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta wrote in a statement to doctors.

The college, which regulates the practice of medicine in the province, says doctors can ask patients to leave if they become abusive.

"You and your team are not expected to tolerate this type of behaviour," the statement says.

Raj said the best advice she gives to her patients is to keep an open mind.

"I still want to help them."

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More First Nations communities call on the province to investigate Indian day school sites - CBC.ca

The Chiefs of three of the largest rural First Nations communities in New Brunswick are calling for the government to launch an investigation into the province's Indian day schools.

Arren Sock, the chief of Elsipogtog First Nation, Alvery Paul, chief of Esgenoopetitj and Ross Perley, chief of Neqotkuk First Nation, head the Mawiw Council, which represents their communities' joint interests.

They want the government of New Brunswick to take concrete actions to "show First Nations people that their past abuse will not be forgotten and won't be left uncorrected."

"It is imperative to recognize the injustices of the past. As a people, we need healing and forward thinking. Uncovering hidden history is a first step that cannot be taken lightly. The First Nations peoples of New Brunswick deserve the truth," said chief of the Esgenoopetitj First Nation Alvery Paul.

The Council said significant Indigenous involvement and oversight is required if an investigation were to take place.

An investigation would also include research into past settlers' family history, as many children were sent to live with settlers in the area.

The call comes one day before the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sep. 30, the first time a federal statutory holiday has been dedicated in memory of the lost Indigenous children and survivors of residential schools, their families and communities. 

The three First Nations join the The Wolastoqey Nation in calling for a government investigation and a ground-penetrating radar survey of Indian day school properties, particularly the former Sussex Indian School. along with the Shubenacadie residential school in Nova Scotia, as many Indigenous people from New Brunswick were sent there.

History of Indian day schools

In the 18th century, the government introduced "Indian Schools," established to isolate Indigenous children from their families, language and culture.

Early schools pushed a religious message on Indigenous children, who received little in the way of a promised education and were ultimately forced to work as unpaid labourers and domestic servants for the settlers they lived with.

The Sussex Indian Academy in Sussex Vale, which opened in the late-1780s, had the same goals of assimilation into colonial culture that existed in residential schools. The school closed in the late-1820s.

After Confederation in 1867, the federal government funded 12 day schools for Indigenous children that were run by churches. The last one to close was in Metepenagiag in 1992.

Following up on government promises

In June, Premier Blaine Higgs and Minister of Aboriginal Affairs Arlene Dunn made a vague commitment to "get to the bottom" of what happened at government-run schools for Indigenous children in New Brunswick.

These comments were made after the news that the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation found the possible graves of 215 children at the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C.

The discovery of more than 200 possible graves found recently at the residential school site in Kamloops, B.C. has led to calls for investigations at former school sites across the country. (Gary Moore/CBC)

"We will investigate each and every one of these located in New Brunswick," said Higgs during a message of condolences in the legislature.

On 'Resilience Day' in Fredericton in July, Dunn said the government was working to rectify the harm that institutions have caused Indigenous peoples.

At the time, she said government officials had met with Wolastoqey Nation chiefs to discuss an investigation into day schools in the province. It is unclear what progress has been made since then.

Frustration over N.B. decision

New Brunswick is one of multiple provinces that have chosen not to observe National Day of Truth and Reconciliation as a provincial holiday, choosing to keep schools and government institutions open. 

The new holiday is one of 94 calls to action in the 2015 Calls to Action report by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

The Mawiw Council wrote to the province last week, calling for a reverse in the decision to not mark Sept. 30th as a holiday. 

In response, Higgs said during the Sep. 29 COVID-19 update that the government is moving reconciliation forward in other ways, such as bringing First Nations history into school curriculum and establishing a systemic racism commissioner. 

"I'm disappointed if it's seen as a slight in any way, because having more people take a day off is not necessarily going to encourage [them to] learn more about the challenges we're facing together in our country, and how we can manage them together."

With the call for the official commemoration of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation rejected, the Mawiw Council Indigenous leaders said they are concerned about the state of relations with the provincial government. 

"We see the decision as a missed opportunity to repair damaged relations between Indigenous people in the province and the provincial government," said Ross Perley. "We believe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is important to the Truth and Reconciliation process and not recognizing it as a statutory holiday diminishes the importance of that process."

The Council said it hopes the government will investigate day schools as an actionable way to continue forward with reconciliation.

"We need to learn from our past mistakes as a society and do whatever is in our power to make sure that we do not forget," said Arren Sock.

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Gang battle in Ecuador prison kills more than 100 - CBC.ca

A battle between gangs in a prison killed at least 116 people and injured 80 in what authorities are calling the worst penitentiary massacre in Ecuador's history.

President Guillermo Lasso decreed a state of emergency in Ecuador's prison system, allowing the government to deploy the police and soldiers to penitentiaries among other powers. Authorities attributed Tuesday's bloodshed at the Litoral penitentiary in the coastal city of Guayaquil to gangs linked to international drug cartels fighting for control of the lockup.

At least five dead were reported beheaded, officials said Wednesday.

Lasso, visibly affected, said at a news conference that what was happening in the Guayaquil prison was "bad and sad" and he could not, for the moment, guarantee that authorities had regained control of the lockup.

"It is regrettable that the prisons are being turned into territories for power disputes by criminal gangs," he said, adding that he would act with "absolute firmness" to regain control of the Litoral prison and prevent the violence from spreading to other penitentiaries.

Images circulating on social media showed dozens of bodies in the prison's Pavilions 9 and 10 and scenes that looked like battlefields. The fighting was with firearms, knives and bombs, officials said. Earlier, regional police commander Fausto Buenano had said that bodies were being found in the prison's pipelines.

Relatives of prisoners await news outside the prison. At least 116 people died in the riot. (Angel DeJesus/The Associated Press)

Outside the prison morgue, the relatives of inmates wept, with some describing to reporters the cruelty with which their loved ones were killed.

"In the history of the country, there has not been an incident similar or close to this one," said Ledy Zuniga, the former president of Ecuador's National Rehabilitation Council.

Zuniga, who was also the country's minister of justice, said she regretted that steps had not been taken to prevent another massacre following deadly prison riots last February.

Violence blamed on prison gangs

Earlier, officials said the violence erupted from a dispute between the "Los Lobos" and "Los Choneros" prison gangs.

Col. Mario Pazmino, the former director of Ecuador's military intelligence, said the bloody fighting shows that "transnational organized crime has permeated the structure" of Ecuador's prisons, adding that Mexico's Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels operate through local gangs.

"They want to sow fear," he told The Associated Press on Wednesday, urging the government to temporarily cede control of the prisons to the National Police.

Ecuador's president said that care points had been set up for relatives of the inmates with food and psychological support. He added that a $24-million program to address the country's prisons will be accelerated, starting with investments in infrastructure and technology in the Litoral prison.

The former director of Ecuador's prison bureau, Fausto Cobo, said that inside penitentiaries authorities face a "threat with power equal to or greater than the state itself." He said that while security forces must enter prisons with shields and unarmed, they are met by inmates with high-caliber weapons.

In July, the president decreed another state of emergency in Ecuador's prison system following several violent episodes that resulted in more than 100 inmates being killed. Those deaths occurred in various prisons and not in a single facility like Tuesday's massacre.

Previously, the bloodiest day occurred in February, when 79 prisoners died in simultaneous riots in three prisons in the country. In July, 22 more prisoners lost their lives in the Litoral penitentiary, while in September a penitentiary centre was attacked by drones, leaving no fatalities.

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PST refund extension saves businesses more money | BC Gov News - BC Gov News

A StrongerBC program that refunds businesses the PST paid on select machinery and equipment will be extended for an additional six months.

This extension will give businesses another chance to reduce costs and make new investments to adapt to the changes the pandemic has required, and to set them up to take advantage of future opportunities.

“When we consulted with the business community on our StrongerBC Economic Recovery Plan, they told us a PST rebate would help them make the kind of capital investments that would not just be about short-term recovery, but also long-term growth,” said Selina Robinson. “As the program deadline approaches, we see there is still a need, so we are extending the program to give more businesses time to apply.”

Businesses will have until March 31, 2022 – an additional six months – to purchase qualifying items like tools, furniture, computers, software and zero-emission vehicles and charging equipment.

Little Falls Foods in Okanagan Falls is one of thousands of B.C. businesses that have already benefited from the program. Dahlia Millington and her husband Derek opened the business this summer after the community of 2,500 had gone without a grocery store for years.

“This rebate helped us set up our business,” said Millington. “We were able to get the PST back on everything from our refrigeration equipment to the computers we use to monitor our inventory. That money, in turn, has helped us get food to seniors, to keep staff employed and continued to keep our community fed. This extra little bit really helps.”

Almost 2,000 businesses have received millions in rebates on more than $100 million in qualifying equipment and machinery so far, with most applications still expected in the coming months.

Most applicants are small and medium-sized businesses. The construction industry is the largest recipient by sector, followed by the transportation and retail sectors.

“This is not just about COVID recovery. It's also about setting up B.C. for success and growth in the future. Little Falls Foods is a great example of that. The rebate is supporting a new business and a keystone service in the community at the same time,” said Roly Russell, MLA for Boundary-Similkameen.

Quick Facts:

• This funding is part of B.C.’s $10-billion COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.
• An estimated 110,000 incorporated B.C. businesses are eligible for the rebate.
• Rebate eligibility is based on the Capital Cost Allowance classes used under the federal income tax system.
• The PST savings on a new zero-emission vehicle can be more than $3,000.

Learn More:

Apply for the PST Rebate on Select Machinery and Equipment online: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/sales-taxes/pst/rebate-machinery-equipment

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TikTok Shopping expands with more partnerships, LIVE Shopping, new ads and more - TechCrunch

TikTok is expanding its investment in e-commerce. Earlier this year, the video platform began piloting TikTok Shopping in the U.S., U.K. and Canada, in partnership with Shopify. The deal allowed Shopify merchants with a TikTok For Business account to add a Shopping tab to their TikTok profiles and sync their product catalogs to the app to create mini-storefronts. Now, TikTok is announcing a slate of new brand partners for TikTok Shopping, including Square, Ecwid and PrestaShop, with Wix, SHOPLINE, OpenCart and BASE coming soon. It also introduced a fuller slate of solutions for TikTok commerce, including ad products and later this year, a TikTok Shopping API.

The company detailed its further plans for TikTok Shopping at an online event called TikTok World on Tuesday.

Here, TikTok shared how popular commerce had become on its platform. For example, it noted that the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt hashtag — which users post when sharing products they had discovered through TikTok videos — has grown to include 4.6 billion views and is still climbing. The company also touted how well its video could push users from product awareness to action, claiming that, compared with competitors, TikTok users are 1.7 times more likely to have purchased products through the app, citing a survey conducted by Material in August 2021.

Image Credits: TikTok Shopping

The company said it’s able to work with online merchants in a couple of different ways. One is a direct integration and full-service shopping solution where TikTok manages everything from shipping to fulfillment and point-of-purchase. This is a system TikTok has been testing in Indonesia, as TechCrunch previously reported. It’s also now available in the U.K.

The second way involves working with third-party commerce partners, like Shopify, who can provide sellers with essential backend tools and support.

Later this year, TikTok said it would also launch a TikTok Shopping API, which will allow businesses to integrate their product catalogs directly into TikTok, and eventually include those products in their organic content.

Image Credits: TikTok Shopping

In the meantime, TikTok will offer businesses a handful of other tools to get their products in front of consumers.

With Product Links, first introduced alongside the TikTok Shopping pilot, brands can highlight one or more products directly from an organic TikTok video, which then points users to product detail pages on their own website. This is essentially TikTok’s version of something like Instagram’s product tags and stickers.

With the new LIVE shopping feature, brands on TikTok can connect with users in the community in real time, and share dynamic links to products and services while the content is streaming live. In the past, Walmart hosted a couple of LIVE shopping events as a pilot partner on the feature.

The company also now offers a trio of in-feed ad products for online shopping: Collection Ads, Dynamic Showcase Ads (DSAs), and Lead Generation.

Image Credits: TikTok (Collection Ad)

Collection Ads are a new ad product that allows brands to include custom, swipeable product cards in their in-feed videos. Each card can feature a different product for sale and, when tapped, brings users to a fast-loading instant gallery page where TikTok users can browse items and make a purchase. This type of ad can be used to drive traffic to a merchant’s website, and can be particularly useful for things like limited-time deals, seasonal sales and recent launches. TikTok cited one case study with a brand called Princess Polly which saw a 6x return on ad spend and an over 50% increase on overall product page visits with the ad.

Dynamic Showcase Ads are another new product, and allow brands to promote thousands (or even millions) of product SKUs via personalized video ads. DSA will generate video ads that target specific audiences based on their interests and commerce activities, such as adding items to a cart or viewing a product. TikTok has created a suite of DSA templates that follow the platform’s creative principles of offering creative clips with music and text overlays. TikTok claims early DSA tests indicate the templates are driving higher click-through rates and conversion rates for advertisers but didn’t share metrics. On this effort, it’s partnered with video marketing company SHAKR, plus Productsup and feedonomics which can help integrate product catalogs.

Image Credits: TikTok (DSA)

Lead Generation, meanwhile, continues to be available within in-feed video ads offering brands an easy way to collect information from TikTok users through online forms. These ads are best for businesses that have longer sales cycles, like audio and education. It has also partnered with Zapier and LeadsBridge to automatically connect a brand’s CRM to TikTok for a lead-generation campaign. In a test with Southeast Asian marketplace Lazada, nearly half of the users who signed up on a form during the first week of a lead-gen campaign ended up selling on the marketplace, TikTok says.

Image Credits: Lazada on TikTok

Combined, this suite of solutions is what makes up TikTok Shopping.

“The future of commerce on TikTok is a shopping experience that allows brands of all sizes to tap into the enthusiasm of our user base,” said TikTok Shopping Head of Product Javier Irigoyen. “The magic of TikTok happens in the For You page, where e-commerce content is recommended to our users in the same way as short videos and live streams. TikTok is a place where users and brands can connect directly, and where an end-to-end shopping experience can happen organically. That’s the basis on which we’re building a long-term commerce division,” he said.

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Toews will play first game for Blackhawks in more than one year - NHL.com

Jonathan Toews will to play for the Chicago Blackhawks for the first time in more than a year in a preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday (8:30 p.m. ET; NHLN [joined in progress], NBCSCH+).

The 33-year-old captain missed last season with chronic immune response syndrome. He has participated in all five days the Blackhawks have held training camp this month, including a three-period scrimmage (15 minutes each period) Tuesday.

"We want to get everyone in," Chicago coach Jeremy Colliton said. "He's one of them, so it'll be obviously a step up in just the load, playing a real game and intensity. So we'll see."

Toews has not played since Aug. 18, 2020, in Game 5 of the Western Conference First Round when he scored one goal in a 4-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights that eliminated the Blackhawks from the best-of-7 series. He is projected to be the center on a line with Dominik Kubalik at left wing and Philipp Kurashev at right wing.

"It's just been great to have him back, first of all," Colliton said. "He's worked extremely hard to get himself ready and that process is ongoing. But he means a lot, just his presence to the team and leadership in the room. And he's a pretty good player too, so we want to get him back to as high a level as we can. But we're going to be patient and tonight will be good to see him out there."

Toews said Sept. 23 he hopes to play in Chicago's regular-season opener at the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 13.

"That's my goal," Toews said, "but I think I just have to keep being patient, and I think there are things you can learn as far as how I approach the game when you're not firing on all cylinders, and the conditioning is not quite there yet. So I'm just chipping away at that and getting back into watching video and thinking the game. That's my plan. I'd love to [play in the opener], but the focus is on tomorrow for now."

Toews scored 60 points (18 goals, 42 assists) in 70 regular-season games and nine points (five goals, four assists) in nine Stanley Cup Playoff games in 2019-20.

The No. 3 pick in the 2006 NHL Draft, Toews has scored 815 points (345 goals, 470 assists) in 943 regular-season games and 119 points (45 goals, 74 assists) in 137 postseason games. He helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015. In 2010, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy voted the most valuable player in the playoffs after scoring 29 points (seven goals, 22 assists) in 22 games.

Blackhawks forward Alex Nylander will also play for the first itme since Game 4 against the Golden Knights. He had surgery for a torn meniscus in his left knee Dec. 21.

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Unvaccinated 60 times more likely to end up in ICU with COVID-19, Ontario data shows - Global News

A new report on COVID-19 in Ontario has found that vaccines are “highly effective” against catching the infection and especially so against being hospitalized due to the disease.

The report, released Tuesday afternoon by the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, found that compared with fully vaccinated people, unvaccinated individuals are seven times more likely to catch COVID-19, 25 times more likely to be hospitalized, and 60 times more likely to be in the ICU due to the disease.

Charts released by the Science Table show a rise in cases and hospitalizations among unvaccinated people during Ontario’s fourth wave of COVID-19, while the rate of positive cases and especially, hospitalization and ICU use by vaccinated people, remains relatively stable over time.

Read more: Science table says Ontario’s 4th wave has ‘flattened,’ releases ‘wide range’ of case projections

A chart showing ICU occupancy rates for vaccinated and unvaccinated people in Ontario, taken from a Sept. 28, 2021, report. Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table

“There are very few things in medicine in my career that I’ve seen that are protective in the way that these vaccines are protective against a severe illness,” said Dr. Fahad Razak, a member of the Science Advisory Table and internal medicine physician at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.

A chart showing COVID-19 hospitalization rates for vaccinated and unvaccinated people in Ontario, taken from a Sept. 28, 2021 report. Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table

“What the data in Ontario now shows is that vaccines are overwhelmingly protective against COVID-19,” Razak said. “And you can see that effect across the three categories.”

While there are fully vaccinated individuals in hospitals and ICUs — 40 as of Wednesday morning, according to provincial data — it’s a relatively rare occurrence given how many people are vaccinated, Razak said.

A chart showing COVID-19 case rates for vaccinated and unvaccinated people in Ontario, taken from a Sept. 28, 2021, report. Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table

“We’re a population of about 15 million people in Ontario. So at that larger population, there will be the occasional individual who still ends up in hospital, who is vaccinated,” he said, adding that the chances are 25 times less for a vaccinated person.

Read more: Ontario reports fewer than 500 new COVID-19 cases for 2nd straight day

As a physician, he has cared for COVID-19 patients in hospital throughout the pandemic.

“Starting wave three, I personally did not care for a single patient in hospital with COVID-19 who was fully vaccinated. I was only caring for unvaccinated patients,” Razak said.

The report also notes that case numbers, in general, are levelling off in Ontario, and attributes this effect to vaccination rates as well as public health measures like mask mandates.

Razak said he can’t emphasize enough the importance of getting vaccinated.

“In medicine, almost every therapy we give, we talk about the risks and the benefits,” he said. “This is an example with these vaccines where the benefit is astronomically greater than the risk.”

Read more: ‘We weren’t thinking about other people’: unvaccinated Alberta man on his time in ICU with COVID-19

Razak acknowledged there are some individuals who will have an adverse reaction to the vaccine, but that’s “extremely rare.”

“And we’re talking about a vaccine that’s been given out to more than five billion people globally and that has been watched and evaluated very, very carefully, looking for side effects,” he said.

“On the other hand, this data in Ontario and data we’re seeing from across the world just shows how overwhelmingly protective these vaccines are.”

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Google Search update will provide more context about websites, including descriptions and what others say - TechCrunch

Google is making a change to its search results with the goal of improving the media literacy of online users. The company is expanding the capabilities of its “About this Result” feature, launched earlier this year, to also now include information about the source itself, including its description from Wikipedia and what the site says about itself, as well as news, reviews and other context that can help people better evaluate unfamiliar or new sources. It will also point users to other information about the same topic, to point users to other sources of information that may be related to the user’s original query.

The company introduced “About this Result” in February to its search results in English in the U.S., with a short description pulled from Wikipedia, if available, when the site first came online, and if your connection to the website was secure, among other things.

It will soon update this panel with more details. Instead of just a description of the site from Wikipedia, it will now also include what a website says about itself, in its own words. This information is pulled directly from the website, when available. Often, a site includes details about its authors, publishers or its purpose in an “about section” that introduces the website to new visitors. This information will now be extracted to enhance the “About the Source” panel with more details.

Below this, Google will display when the site first came online — a piece of information that could help users identify websites that have sustained themselves over a longer period of time, versus newcomers that may have popped up more recently as part of recent misinformation or propaganda campaign.

Image Credits: Google

Google will also connect users to more information about the source itself, as indexed across the web. Here, people can analyze what others are saying about the site in question, whether that’s news outlets, reviews, trusted organizations like the Better Business Bureau and more. This could help people learn what sort of reputation the website has online, as documented by other sources.

The company clarifies this section of “others” will be based on Google Results from the open web, which identify pages that may give you context about the website. Google also attempts to prioritize the helpful results which are not created or controlled by the source website in order to provide independent perspectives, it says.

In addition, Google will add an “About the Topic” feature that will point web searchers to more information about their original query, including top news coverage or other search results about that same subject. This could help people learn more about something they’re interested in. But it could also potentially prevent people from isolating themselves inside a so-called “filter bubble” — something that has become a significant complication of the social media era, where people aren’t exposed to other sources of information as their preferred social platforms learn their preferences, then feeds them more of the same to boost engagement.

The updates were announced today by Danielle Romain, Google’s VP of Trust, who was speaking at Google’s Search On live event.

The feature is not immediately available but will roll out in the “coming weeks” in English in the United States. Google says it working to bring “About this Result” to more countries in the future.

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More tickets available for Maple Leafs alumni event at Budweiser Gardens - Global News

More Londoners now have a chance to catch some of their favourite sport stars in action after Budweiser Gardens released more tickets for a pair of weekend events featuring the Toronto Raptors and Toronto Maple Leafs alumni.

On Saturday, the Toronto Raptors will visit the downtown London, Ont., arena for a late afternoon open practice. This will be followed by a Sunday afternoon hockey game featuring former Leafs players including Wendel Clark, Darryl Sittler, Darcy Tucker and Tomáš Kaberle.

Read more: London’s Budweiser Gardens welcomes bump in capacity limits at certain Ontario venues

While both events were previously capped at 1,000 tickets each, “a limited number” of tickets were made available on Wednesday morning.

However, by 2 p.m., tickets were seemingly already sold out for the Raptors’ open practice, with would-be ticket holders presented with a prompt that reads “Unable to secure seats at this time,” when attempting to purchase a spot for Saturday.

THIS JUST IN 🚨 With the recent update on provincial guidelines on capacity limits for events, a limited number of tickets will be available this morning at 10am for the Toronto Raptors Open Practice & the Toronto Maple Leafs Alumni Game! 🏀 🏒

🎟️ ➡️ https://t.co/4EJhYN0eCA pic.twitter.com/mKrgLbXO3q

— @BudGardens (@BudGardens) September 29, 2021

The new tickets come less than a week after Budweiser Gardens, along with other major outdoor and indoor sporting venues in Ontario, received a boost in its capacity limit amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Venues such as Budweiser Gardens are now allowed to fill seats to 50 per cent of capacity or 10,000 people, whichever is less.

In pre-pandemic times, Budweiser Gardens’ capacity was up to 9,036 people for hockey games and up to 10,200 for certain concerts​​​.

On Friday, when the London Knights host a pre-season OHL game against the Hamilton Bulldogs, the arena will be allowed to flex its capacity limit gains with roughly 4,500 people allowed to attend.

Read more: Get to know the London Knights: Three pre-season signings

Proceeds for both events will benefit Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) Foundation’s Change The Game campaign, which aims to build awareness and help eliminate barriers facing youth.

Budweiser Gardens says “MLSE and MLSE Foundation are working with the City of London and local Muslim Community Stakeholders to develop a legacy project” that aims to provide “lasting change and access to sport for London’s youth.”

“The project is rooted in the community’s need and will be an infrastructure investment that will be announced officially on the weekend of the events,” Budweiser Gardens added in a release announcing the events.

Read more: Western University holds service for alumni killed in London attack

The event will mark the latest show of solidarity among the outpouring of support that followed June’s targeted vehicle attack in northwest London, which claimed the lives of four members of a local Muslim family and left their young child in hospital.

“My aunt, Madiha Salman, was the epitome of strength, the embodiment of hard work, and a pillar for her community,” said Hajra Naram, a relative of the family that was targeted in the attack.

“An event like this, which champions community and stands for anti-hate, is a perfect way to honour her legacy.”

1:38 Ontario to increase capacity limits at sports arenas

Ontario to increase capacity limits at sports arenas

© 2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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Christian Horner - 'The more Toto gets wound up, the more fun it becomes' - ESPN

10:03 AM ET

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is enjoying his rivalry with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, saying the more the Austrian gets "wound up", the "more fun it becomes".

Mercedes and Red Bull are in a head-to-head battle for this year's constructors' title, while their drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, are fighting for the drivers' title.

The close battle has led Wolff and Horner to engage in a war of words through the media at times this year -- Wolff called Horner a windbag at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix -- but Horner insist he is enjoying the personal battle with his opposite number.

"Of course this is the first time Mercedes, and the first time Toto has even been in a situation where he has been challenged," Horner told Channel 4 ahead of last weekend's Russian Grand Prix.

"He's been in a situation where he came into the team, the drivers were already signed, the engine was already in place.

"He's done a great job to keep that team winning, but there has been no real competition. So this is the first time it's a true scrap, a true competition.

Christian Horner and Toto Wolff have never shied away from criticising each other. Dan Istitene/Getty Images

"And there is a respect I think between the teams, but I think we operate in very different ways. I very much want to be on the front line. I sit on the pit wall with the strategists and the engineers, Toto will sit in the garage next to the press guy.

"So they are different functions, they are different roles, they are different outlooks. But of course the competition is fierce. I think that's the key thing about this championship.

"We are loving the competition and the more Toto gets wound up, the more fun it becomes."

Following the result of the Russian Grand Prix, Hamilton moved two points clear of Verstappen in the drivers' championship and Mercedes moved 33 points clear in the constructors'.

Red Bull was last in a position where it could challenge for titles in 2013, and Horner said his team was relishing the fight.

"Mercedes are beatable but it's only if we are at our very best that we can succeed," he added. "We've proved that we can do it and we have proved to ourselves that we can do it. We have got ourselves into that position."

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Ontario reports 495 new coronavirus cases, eight more deaths - CP24 Toronto's Breaking News

Ontario reported fewer than 500 new COVID-19 cases for a second day in a row and eight more deaths on Wednesday.

Provincial health officials logged 495 new infections today, up slightly from 466 on Tuesday and 463 a week ago.

Of the latest cases, 302 of the individuals are unvaccinated, 36 are partially vaccinated, 115 are fully vaccinated and 42 have an unknown vaccination status.

About 30 per cent of Ontarians are unvaccinated, including children under 12 years old who are not yet eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.

Ontario reported 613 new cases on Monday, 653 on Sunday and 640 on Saturday.

The seven-day rolling average now stands at 610, compared to 692 a week ago.

Another 760 people recovered from the disease in the past 24 hours, resulting in 4,989 active cases across the province.

The Ministry of Health reported eight more deaths today, all of which occurred in the last month.

The province’s virus-related death toll since March 2020 stands at 9,723.

Provincial labs processed more than 36,400 tests in the past 24 hours, resulting in a positivity rate of 1.7 per cent, relatively unchanged from a week ago, according to the ministry.

Among the latest cases, 84 are children between zero and 11 years old, 40 are individuals between 12 and 19 years old, 191 are between 20 and 39 years old, 133 are between 40 and 59, 44 are between 60 and 79 and four are 80 and older.

Meanwhile, 170 school-related coronavirus cases were reported by the province today. There are 4,844 public schools across Ontario.

In the Greater Toronto Area, Toronto logged 107 new cases, while 33 were reported in Peel Region, 35 in York Region, 20 in Halton and 10 in Durham.

Meanwhile, 39 new cases were reported in both Ottawa and Hamilton and 33 cases were logged in Windsor-Essex.

There are currently 292 patients in Ontario hospitals with the disease and 172 are in intensive care units.

Of those in ICUs, Health Minister Christine Elliott says 164 are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status and eight are fully vaccinated.

To date, there have been 585,502 lab-confirmed coronavirus cases and 570,790 recoveries since Jan. 2020.

So far, 86 per cent of Ontarians 12 years and older have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 80 per cent have received two doses and are considered fully vaccinated.

The numbers used in this story are found in the Ontario Ministry of Health's COVID-19 Daily Epidemiologic Summary. The number of cases for any city or region may differ slightly from what is reported by the province, because local units report figures at different times.

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COVID-19 cases in children hit record high as more schools see outbreaks - Calgary Herald

'What is happening with children now has been completely predictable, and completely preventable'

Author of the article:

Eva Ferguson

Publishing date:

Sep 28, 2021  •  11 hours ago  •  4 minute read  •  8 Comments

Desks spaced out in a Calgary classroom. Photo by Gavin Young/Postmedia

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COVID-19 cases among Alberta children have hit record highs as more schools face outbreaks and absences continue to climb amid the province’s pandemic crisis.

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Alberta doctors say the only resolution is a “firebreak” — including closing schools — after provincial data showed Alberta children hit a seven-day average of 68 cases per 100,000 last week, the highest for those aged 5 to 11 years since the start of the pandemic.

The next-highest peak occurred in May 2021, when kids aged 5 to 11 years hit a seven-day average of 54 cases per 100,000.

“The provincial government is continuing to spin this narrative that schools are safe and they are not drivers of transmission. Yet we can see that in fact they are, and transmission is occurring in record numbers,” said Dr. Shazma Mithani, an emergency room physician who treats COVID patients at Edmonton’s Royal Alexandra and Stollery Children’s hospitals.

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Mithani has been warning since August that without more restrictions such as school closures, community transmission will rise, as will severe outcomes among children.

“We have to stop transmission of this virus, and now, unfortunately, that means we have to close schools,” Mithani said.

“We cannot wait for a terrible outcome, like a child’s death. That would be so devastating on so many levels. And it would be entirely the fault of the policy-makers if that were in fact to happen.

“What is happening with children now has been completely predictable, and completely preventable.”

Premier Jason Kenney appeared Tuesday along with several other provincial officials to say they will enact legislation to protect hospital access from anti-vax protesters.

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But even while admitting that hospital capacity pressures won’t abate until at least the end of October, no new restrictions were introduced.

In fact, Kenney said the province is “determined” to keep schools open for the well-being of students, parents and the outer community.

“We are prioritizing schools realizing there are very real impacts on mental health and well-being. Not having the opportunity for socialization and in-class instruction can be very difficult,” Kenney said.

Still, more than 198 schools across Alberta are on outbreak notification, meaning at least 10 per cent of their school population is absent due to respiratory illness. And that’s already a big jump from late last week, when numbers hovered around 160 schools.

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But the number of actual COVID cases in schools remains unknown after the province abandoned tracking cases, providing resources for contact tracing and ensuring students and staff exposed to positive cases stay at home to prevent further spread.

Both the Calgary Board of Education and the Calgary Catholic School District are not making public the number of positive cases in their schools since they can only be voluntarily reported by families and may not represent an accurate total.

1. 

   COVID-19 cases soaring in schools with no plan announced to increase supports

2. 

   Calgary Board of Education demands province reinstate contact tracing as cases grow in elementary schools

3. 

   Calgary Board of Education taking on responsibility of notifying families of COVID-19 cases

4. 

   Calgary schools investigated for outbreaks as parents demand return of contact tracing

Dr. Tahseen Ladha, pediatrician and assistant professor in public health at the University of Alberta, agreed the province needs to conduct a “firebreak,” meaning a shutdown of all non-essential services and the closure of schools.

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“Schools, which are essential, need to close. Unfortunately, we have left this for so long that we can’t get out of it now without closing schools.

“But we also need to provide the supports to families who may have to stay home with children.”

Ladha also argued that as cases in children rise, so will severe outcomes.

“If we keep allowing this rapid surge, when you increase the number of cases in children, you will increase the number of cases in children with severe outcomes.

“And that will be a very scary thing when it happens.”

This week, the Canadian Paediatric Society also raised concerns around rising cases in children, sending a letter to the province asking for the reinstatement of testing, tracing and isolation protocols in schools.

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“Not only are we extremely worried about the direct health impacts of Alberta’s COVID-19 crisis on children and youth, we are anxious about the threat posed to their access to education, community supports and essential services,” said the letter, signed by Dr. Ruth Grimes, president of the society, and Dr. Raphael Sharon, board representative for Alberta.

The society also asks for vaccines to be mandated for all education workers in schools, including teachers, educational assistants and other support staff.

The Alberta Teachers’ Association is also supporting vaccine mandates for education workers.

But while school districts have said it’s up to the province to implement mandates, provincial officials have said it’s up to individual school districts as employers to put them in place.

Medeana Moussa, spokeswoman for the Support Our Students advocacy group, said families continue to feel abandoned as fear and uncertainty around COVID exposures in schools continue to rise.

“Students are already facing disruptions to their education because of the amount of fear, stress and anxiety around COVID, and the lack of information coming from this government.”

eferguson@postmedia.com

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