COVID-19 'Pandemic'
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Intelligence committee warns China, Russia targeting Canadian COVID-19 research
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Lee Berthiaume
Publishing date:Apr 12, 2021 • 1 day ago • 3 minute read • Join the conversation
MP David McGuinty.
MP David McGuinty. PHOTO BY JULIE OLIVER /Postmedia
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OTTAWA — The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rise in espionage attacks against Canada, according to a new report from Parliament’s special intelligence committee, which repeatedly singles out concerns about the threat posed by China and Russia.
The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians says the pandemic has provided extra incentive for foreign states to target Canada’s health, science and technology sectors, particularly when it comes to vaccine research.
Russia in particular is blamed by Canadian intelligence agencies as “primarily responsible for this espionage, using clandestine cyber operations to steal proprietary data,” according the committee’s report, which was tabled in Parliament on Monday.
However, the report also flags concerns about China when it comes to both espionage and foreign interference in Canada. It goes on to accuse both of using cyber operations to target Canadian governments, companies and academic institutions.
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“When it comes to espionage and cyber, this has markedly been affected by COVID,” Liberal MP David McGuinty, chairman of the committee, said in an interview.
“And yes, the two core actors in this space remain Russia and China.”
The report is the latest from the intelligence committee, which was first established in 2017 to provide independent oversight of Canada’s national security apparatus and includes members of Parliament and senators from all major political parties.
It provides an update on the committee’s previous assessment in 2018 of five security threats to Canada: terrorism; espionage and foreign interference; malicious cyber activities; organized crime; and weapons of mass destruction.
The report also has four recommendations for better dealing with attempts by foreign countries to interference in Canadian politics, including more frequent engagement with political parties and more thought on how to report incidents to the public.
McGuinty underscored that the report and recommendations were arrived at following extensive discussions between all members, and the whole point is to provide non-partisan advice when it comes to issues of extreme importance to the country.
One of the key changes from the committee’s previous threat assessment in 2018 relates to terrorism.
While the committee found Islamic extremist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant still posed a threat, the landscape has changed to where right-wing extremism now figures prominently.
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The report cites a 2019 study that found a 320 per cent increase between 2013 and 2018 in “ideologically motivated violent extremism,” as intelligence agencies refer to hate like that espoused by neo-Nazis or the misogynist “incel” culture.
The pandemic is believed to be contributing to the problem, according to the committee report, which notes an increase in anti-government rhetoric and racism while noting the rise in social isolation, online activity and financial hardship during COVID-19.
While one silver lining is that the pandemic has made it more difficult to launch attacks on large groups of people, the report says terrorist groups and sympathizers are adapting to the current reality.
Still, the report leaves no doubt that, in the committee’s estimation and those of Canada’s national security officials, the greatest threat to Canada comes from espionage and foreign interference. Of those, Russia and China are front and centre.
“Several states are responsible for conducting activities in Canada, but intelligence shows that China and Russia remain the primary culprits,” reads the report, which was first presented to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in December.
“Though the effects of espionage and foreign interference are not as readily apparent as those of terrorism, they are the most significant long-term threats to Canada’s sovereignty and prosperity.”
The two countries are also identified as having targeted Canadian government systems at a time when foreign actors have “taken advantage of the global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to further their objectives.”
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“Malicious state and non-state actors have targeted the health sector and government services and conducted online disinformation campaigns aimed at manipulating public opinion and undermining confidence in the functioning of key public health systems.”
The report says in several sections that Canadian security and intelligence agencies monitored or investigated a number of incidents related to espionage, foreign interference or cyber attacks, including by China and Russia. However, the specific details are redacted.
The committee also flagged concerns about adversaries such as China, Russia, Iran and North Korea developing cyber capabilities to disrupt Canadian infrastructure, and the potential vulnerabilities inherent with a continuing shift to online services and cloud computing.
The report, which was first presented to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in December, did not find a significant change in the threat posed by organized crime groups or weapons of mass destruction, though it did say there are ongoing concerns with both.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Lee Berthiaume
Publishing date:Apr 12, 2021 • 1 day ago • 3 minute read • Join the conversation
MP David McGuinty.
MP David McGuinty. PHOTO BY JULIE OLIVER /Postmedia
Article content
OTTAWA — The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rise in espionage attacks against Canada, according to a new report from Parliament’s special intelligence committee, which repeatedly singles out concerns about the threat posed by China and Russia.
The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians says the pandemic has provided extra incentive for foreign states to target Canada’s health, science and technology sectors, particularly when it comes to vaccine research.
Russia in particular is blamed by Canadian intelligence agencies as “primarily responsible for this espionage, using clandestine cyber operations to steal proprietary data,” according the committee’s report, which was tabled in Parliament on Monday.
However, the report also flags concerns about China when it comes to both espionage and foreign interference in Canada. It goes on to accuse both of using cyber operations to target Canadian governments, companies and academic institutions.
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“When it comes to espionage and cyber, this has markedly been affected by COVID,” Liberal MP David McGuinty, chairman of the committee, said in an interview.
“And yes, the two core actors in this space remain Russia and China.”
The report is the latest from the intelligence committee, which was first established in 2017 to provide independent oversight of Canada’s national security apparatus and includes members of Parliament and senators from all major political parties.
It provides an update on the committee’s previous assessment in 2018 of five security threats to Canada: terrorism; espionage and foreign interference; malicious cyber activities; organized crime; and weapons of mass destruction.
The report also has four recommendations for better dealing with attempts by foreign countries to interference in Canadian politics, including more frequent engagement with political parties and more thought on how to report incidents to the public.
McGuinty underscored that the report and recommendations were arrived at following extensive discussions between all members, and the whole point is to provide non-partisan advice when it comes to issues of extreme importance to the country.
One of the key changes from the committee’s previous threat assessment in 2018 relates to terrorism.
While the committee found Islamic extremist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant still posed a threat, the landscape has changed to where right-wing extremism now figures prominently.
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The report cites a 2019 study that found a 320 per cent increase between 2013 and 2018 in “ideologically motivated violent extremism,” as intelligence agencies refer to hate like that espoused by neo-Nazis or the misogynist “incel” culture.
The pandemic is believed to be contributing to the problem, according to the committee report, which notes an increase in anti-government rhetoric and racism while noting the rise in social isolation, online activity and financial hardship during COVID-19.
While one silver lining is that the pandemic has made it more difficult to launch attacks on large groups of people, the report says terrorist groups and sympathizers are adapting to the current reality.
Still, the report leaves no doubt that, in the committee’s estimation and those of Canada’s national security officials, the greatest threat to Canada comes from espionage and foreign interference. Of those, Russia and China are front and centre.
“Several states are responsible for conducting activities in Canada, but intelligence shows that China and Russia remain the primary culprits,” reads the report, which was first presented to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in December.
“Though the effects of espionage and foreign interference are not as readily apparent as those of terrorism, they are the most significant long-term threats to Canada’s sovereignty and prosperity.”
The two countries are also identified as having targeted Canadian government systems at a time when foreign actors have “taken advantage of the global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to further their objectives.”
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“Malicious state and non-state actors have targeted the health sector and government services and conducted online disinformation campaigns aimed at manipulating public opinion and undermining confidence in the functioning of key public health systems.”
The report says in several sections that Canadian security and intelligence agencies monitored or investigated a number of incidents related to espionage, foreign interference or cyber attacks, including by China and Russia. However, the specific details are redacted.
The committee also flagged concerns about adversaries such as China, Russia, Iran and North Korea developing cyber capabilities to disrupt Canadian infrastructure, and the potential vulnerabilities inherent with a continuing shift to online services and cloud computing.
The report, which was first presented to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in December, did not find a significant change in the threat posed by organized crime groups or weapons of mass destruction, though it did say there are ongoing concerns with both.
Intelligence committee warns China, Russia targeting Canadian COVID-19 research
OTTAWA — The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rise in espionage attacks against Canada, according to a new report from Parliament’s special intelligence…
LILLEY: Trudeau Liberals always viewed the pandemic as 'opportunity'
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Publishing date:Apr 13, 2021 • 14 hours ago • 3 minute read • 90 Comments
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is pictured at an April 13, 2021 press conference in Ottawa.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is pictured at an April 13, 2021 press conference in Ottawa. PHOTO BY REUTERS /Toronto Sun
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Maybe if the Trudeau government were focused on dealing with COVID-19 instead of seeing the pandemic as a political opportunity, we’d be in better shape than we are now.
Canada has surpassed the United States for the number of COVID cases per capita for the first time.
Our slow vaccine program, and the Trudeau government’s failure on this front, has now been showcased on CNN for the world to see. The Trudeau government doesn’t seem bothered by that. They have a budget coming up, they need to reimagine Canada.
That appears to be their big focus, using the pandemic to change the country.
“I really believe COVID has created a window of political opportunity,” Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said at the Liberal convention last weekend during a discussion on a national childcare plan.
Somehow, I don’t think the families of the more than 23,000 Canadians who have died from COVID would appreciate hearing this pandemic described as a political opportunity.
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I doubt the roughly 700,000 people currently unemployed as a result of COVID, or the more than two million people who Statistics Canada says had their hours and wages cut, would see this pandemic as an opportunity. Nor the countless businesses hurt or shuttered as a result of everything we’ve been going through.
For the Trudeau Liberals, though, all they see is an opportunity to remake Canada in their own image. Never-ending government spending means there is no social program we can’t afford.
A universal basic income, a national childcare program, a national pharmacare program, a “Green New Deal,” a transition to a low carbon economy, and a national high-speed rail system (meaning Quebec City to Windsor).
This is what Justin Trudeau means when he talks about “building back better.”
The Trudeau Liberals have viewed the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to alter the country from the beginning. They spoke about it openly all last summer, bending the ears of reporters who would listen about the opportunity the pandemic presented.
“This pandemic has provided an opportunity for a reset,” Trudeau told a United Nations conference last September.
“This is our chance to accelerate our pre-pandemic efforts to reimagine economic systems that actually address global challenges like extreme poverty, inequality and climate change.”
Canadians don’t want Trudeau or his government to spend their time reimagining the economy, though. They want him focused on addressing the pandemic.
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As our editorial noted earlier this week, 57% of Canadians in a recent poll said they want the government focused on the pandemic response rather than restructuring society.
If only Team Trudeau had been focused on their primary job, then maybe we wouldn’t be surpassing the United States, CNN’s Jake Tapper wouldn’t be calling out Trudeau on TV and on Twitter, and we wouldn’t be dealing with a third wave fuelled by variants.
There have been calls for increased restrictions on travel from places like Brazil, where their variant is running rampant, and from India, where a new double-mutant variant has popped up as cases skyrocket. On Tuesday, Trudeau balked at the idea of increased travel restrictions from these hot spots just as he resisted restrictions early on.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC
A hostess' inaction leads to a confusing dinner party situation.
LILLEY: Canadians and Americans wary of a return to normal, says poll
Baseball fans in Arlington, Texas, watch Monday's game between the Blue Jays and the Rangers without wearing masks.
LILLEY: Texas scores home run in battle against COVID
Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks during the daily briefing at a mass vaccination centre in Toronto on Tuesday, March 30, 2021.
LILLEY: Let's be honest about the state of Ontario during this pandemic
Be it on the border and doing what could be done to keep COVID out or on the vaccine front where Trudeau’s incompetence sees us at 40th place in the world for vaccinating our population, the federal response has been a disaster.
Canada needed determined leadership through COVID-19, instead what we got was a government intent on making sure they didn’t let a crisis go to waste, a government which saw this entire ordeal as an opportunity.
It truly is shameful.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Publishing date:Apr 13, 2021 • 14 hours ago • 3 minute read • 90 Comments
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is pictured at an April 13, 2021 press conference in Ottawa.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is pictured at an April 13, 2021 press conference in Ottawa. PHOTO BY REUTERS /Toronto Sun
Article content
Maybe if the Trudeau government were focused on dealing with COVID-19 instead of seeing the pandemic as a political opportunity, we’d be in better shape than we are now.
Canada has surpassed the United States for the number of COVID cases per capita for the first time.
Our slow vaccine program, and the Trudeau government’s failure on this front, has now been showcased on CNN for the world to see. The Trudeau government doesn’t seem bothered by that. They have a budget coming up, they need to reimagine Canada.
That appears to be their big focus, using the pandemic to change the country.
“I really believe COVID has created a window of political opportunity,” Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said at the Liberal convention last weekend during a discussion on a national childcare plan.
Somehow, I don’t think the families of the more than 23,000 Canadians who have died from COVID would appreciate hearing this pandemic described as a political opportunity.
Advertisement
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Article content
I doubt the roughly 700,000 people currently unemployed as a result of COVID, or the more than two million people who Statistics Canada says had their hours and wages cut, would see this pandemic as an opportunity. Nor the countless businesses hurt or shuttered as a result of everything we’ve been going through.
For the Trudeau Liberals, though, all they see is an opportunity to remake Canada in their own image. Never-ending government spending means there is no social program we can’t afford.
A universal basic income, a national childcare program, a national pharmacare program, a “Green New Deal,” a transition to a low carbon economy, and a national high-speed rail system (meaning Quebec City to Windsor).
This is what Justin Trudeau means when he talks about “building back better.”
The Trudeau Liberals have viewed the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to alter the country from the beginning. They spoke about it openly all last summer, bending the ears of reporters who would listen about the opportunity the pandemic presented.
“This pandemic has provided an opportunity for a reset,” Trudeau told a United Nations conference last September.
“This is our chance to accelerate our pre-pandemic efforts to reimagine economic systems that actually address global challenges like extreme poverty, inequality and climate change.”
Canadians don’t want Trudeau or his government to spend their time reimagining the economy, though. They want him focused on addressing the pandemic.
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Article content
As our editorial noted earlier this week, 57% of Canadians in a recent poll said they want the government focused on the pandemic response rather than restructuring society.
If only Team Trudeau had been focused on their primary job, then maybe we wouldn’t be surpassing the United States, CNN’s Jake Tapper wouldn’t be calling out Trudeau on TV and on Twitter, and we wouldn’t be dealing with a third wave fuelled by variants.
There have been calls for increased restrictions on travel from places like Brazil, where their variant is running rampant, and from India, where a new double-mutant variant has popped up as cases skyrocket. On Tuesday, Trudeau balked at the idea of increased travel restrictions from these hot spots just as he resisted restrictions early on.
A hostess' inaction leads to a confusing dinner party situation.
LILLEY: Canadians and Americans wary of a return to normal, says poll
Baseball fans in Arlington, Texas, watch Monday's game between the Blue Jays and the Rangers without wearing masks.
LILLEY: Texas scores home run in battle against COVID
Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks during the daily briefing at a mass vaccination centre in Toronto on Tuesday, March 30, 2021.
LILLEY: Let's be honest about the state of Ontario during this pandemic
Be it on the border and doing what could be done to keep COVID out or on the vaccine front where Trudeau’s incompetence sees us at 40th place in the world for vaccinating our population, the federal response has been a disaster.
Canada needed determined leadership through COVID-19, instead what we got was a government intent on making sure they didn’t let a crisis go to waste, a government which saw this entire ordeal as an opportunity.
It truly is shameful.
LILLEY: Trudeau Liberals always viewed the pandemic as 'opportunity'
Maybe if the Liberals were focused on dealing with COVID-19 instead of seeing the pandemic as a political opportunity, we’d be better off.
ALL FAITH GONE 
Gov FINALLY Admit 30,000 (23%) WRONG Fear-Mongering COVID ‘Mistakes’
Is Dr. Fauci the 'Father of the Pandemic?'
Dr. Fauci's NIH funneled American taxpayer dollars -- some $7 million -- into the Wuhan LabThe former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Robert Redfield, believes the SARS-CoV-2 virus originated in the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
If Dr. Redfield is correct — and he almost certainly is — then Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health must assume significant responsibility for a global pandemic that has killed over half-a-million Americans, kicked tens of millions of Americans to the unemployment curb and drained trillions of dollars of wealth from the American economy.
SARS-CoV-2 first emerged in the fall of 2019 within several kilometers of both a Wuhan, China, wet market and the Wuhan Lab. The “wet market” theory postulates the virus jumped from an animal to humans as the infected animal was being butchered, cooked and consumed. Alternatively, the “Wuhan Lab” theory postulates the virus escaped from the lab.
Is Dr. Fauci the ‘Father of the Pandemic?’
The former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Robert Redfield, believes the SARS-CoV-2 virus originated in the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
www.washingtontimes.com
Fauci Hits Back at Peter Navarro's 'Bizarre' Father of COVID Comments
Darragh Roche 4/3/2021http://a.msn.com/01/en-us/BB1fgFpq?ocid=sf
Dr. Anthony Fauci has responded to former White House economic adviser Peter Navarro's claims that he is the "father" of the COVID-19 virus. He dismissed the idea.
Oh Boy...what some of us have been pointing out since day one
is now mainstream news.
'I WAS A MONSTER': U.K. woman claims COVID-19 vaccine left her looking like an ‘alien’
Patient with several conditions believes she may have suffered an extreme reaction
Author of the articleostmedia News
Publishing date:Apr 14, 2021 • 5 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
Prepared doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine against the coronavirus are pictured at a doctor's office in Deisenhofen, Germany.
Prepared doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine against the coronavirus are pictured at a doctor's office in Deisenhofen, Germany. PHOTO BY LENNART PREISS /AFP via Getty Images
Article content
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has been linked to cases of blood clots, but can it make you look like a visitor from another planet?
Susie Forbes, a resident in Lichfield, Staffordshire in England, claims she sure felt like something out of this world after breaking out in a rash and suffering from bubbling skin following her vaccination, Triangle News reports.
Forbes, 49, said the skin ailments occurred hours after she got her shot on March 18.
“It felt like I was in ‘Alien’ because there were bubbles coming out of my arm. It was horrific. My face was huge. I was a monster,” Forbes told Triangle News. “My daughter was texting me begging me to go to hospital.
“It’s destroyed me and destroyed my daughter. I’m going to have to live with this as I have scars on my body.”
The woman, who suffers from Guillain-Barre syndrome, an auto-immune condition, and has had anaphylactic reactions to penicillin and Stemetil, believes she may have suffered an extreme reaction to the vaccine.
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The U.K.’s Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency told the U.K. Sun about one in 10 people will have side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine, most of them likely fatigue, headache or flu-like symptoms.
Health officials told the British news outlet that anyone with allergies who has had an anaphylactic reaction can still get the vaccine but anyone allergic to its ingredients should avoid it.
It’s not known whether Forbes is allergic to the contents of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The woman is currently on a number of medications and was taking liquid morphine and codeine at the time of her jab.
Forbes blamed her doctors for not considering her health conditions before her vaccination. She claimed they simply said, “You’ll be OK.”
She said she began to panic after the adverse reaction and was given an allergy medication and steroids to combat it.
Triangle News did not receive comment from the Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit, the organization that provided the vaccine to Forbes.
thesun.co.uk
torontosun.com
Patient with several conditions believes she may have suffered an extreme reaction
Author of the article
ostmedia NewsPublishing date:Apr 14, 2021 • 5 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
Prepared doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine against the coronavirus are pictured at a doctor's office in Deisenhofen, Germany.
Prepared doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine against the coronavirus are pictured at a doctor's office in Deisenhofen, Germany. PHOTO BY LENNART PREISS /AFP via Getty Images
Article content
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has been linked to cases of blood clots, but can it make you look like a visitor from another planet?
Susie Forbes, a resident in Lichfield, Staffordshire in England, claims she sure felt like something out of this world after breaking out in a rash and suffering from bubbling skin following her vaccination, Triangle News reports.
Forbes, 49, said the skin ailments occurred hours after she got her shot on March 18.
“It felt like I was in ‘Alien’ because there were bubbles coming out of my arm. It was horrific. My face was huge. I was a monster,” Forbes told Triangle News. “My daughter was texting me begging me to go to hospital.
“It’s destroyed me and destroyed my daughter. I’m going to have to live with this as I have scars on my body.”
The woman, who suffers from Guillain-Barre syndrome, an auto-immune condition, and has had anaphylactic reactions to penicillin and Stemetil, believes she may have suffered an extreme reaction to the vaccine.
Advertisement
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This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
The U.K.’s Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency told the U.K. Sun about one in 10 people will have side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine, most of them likely fatigue, headache or flu-like symptoms.
Health officials told the British news outlet that anyone with allergies who has had an anaphylactic reaction can still get the vaccine but anyone allergic to its ingredients should avoid it.
It’s not known whether Forbes is allergic to the contents of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The woman is currently on a number of medications and was taking liquid morphine and codeine at the time of her jab.
Forbes blamed her doctors for not considering her health conditions before her vaccination. She claimed they simply said, “You’ll be OK.”
She said she began to panic after the adverse reaction and was given an allergy medication and steroids to combat it.
Triangle News did not receive comment from the Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit, the organization that provided the vaccine to Forbes.
I was left looking like the creature from Alien after my Covid vaccine
A WOMAN who suspects she suffered a severe reaction to her Covid vaccine says her skin looked like a creature from the film Alien. Susie Forbes, 49, suffered a full-body rash alongside bubbles that…
thesun.co.uk
'I WAS A MONSTER': U.K. woman claims COVID-19 vaccine left her looking like an ‘alien’
Patient with several conditions believes she may have suffered an extreme reaction
Health Minister dodges questions about banning India flights
33 flights carrying infected passengers arrived in Canada from Delhi so far in April
Author of the article:Bryan Passifiume
Publishing date:Apr 14, 2021 • 1 hour ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
Canada's Minister of Health Patty Hajdu attends a news conference, as efforts continue to help slow the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada April 9, 2020.
Canada's Minister of Health Patty Hajdu attends a news conference, as efforts continue to help slow the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada April 9, 2020. PHOTO BY BLAIR GABLE /Reuters
Article content
Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu says she’s confident of this country’s pandemic border protections, even as Canada deals with spikes of infected passengers arriving daily from world hot spots.
And Hajdu remained cool to restricting Canada’s numerous daily flights from COVID-wracked India, whose devastating second wave is being fuelled by the new “double-mutant” strain that researchers say spreads quicker and can re-infect those already teeming with COVID antibodies.
“The challenge with country-by-country approaches is COVID spreads in way that we can see, and ways that we can’t,” she responded when asked if Canada is considering banning flights from India.
“The safest thing for Canadians is to have a universal approach that requires scrutiny at the border.”
So far this month, 33 flights from Delhi carried COVID-positive passengers, according Health Canada.
That’s out of 112 international arrivals carrying infected passengers, despite assurances that Canada’s border protections are among the strongest in the world.
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“There’s a very low rate of importation at the border,” she said, despite being specifically asked about the latest variant. Health Canada has told the TorontoSun it considers the strain a “variant of interest.”
Health Canada reported 640 of 44,089 international travellers tested positive between Feb. 22 and March 15.
Current rules require incoming passengers to present a recent negative test before boarding, submit to a second test upon landing, and pay for a three-day stay at a government-approved COVID-19 hotel while awaiting the results.
Korea, which last year closed visa-free travel to Canadians, subjects all incoming travellers to meticulous multi-day testing and contact tracing, followed by a mandatory 14-day quarantine in a government facility.
Likewise, the Philippines — which has banned entry to most foreigners — also requires exempted international arrivals to undergo comprehensive screening, install a mandatory contact tracing app on their smartphone and pay for a week-long stay at a government-approved quarantine hotel.
On Sunday, New Zealand became the first nation to ban travellers from India — even its own citizens — until the end of April.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC
While India banned international flights last month, Canada is one of 13 nations exempted via an 'air bridge' arrangement between the two governments.
India's variant-fuelled second wave coincided with spike in infected flights landing in Canada
A passenger is covered head to toe at the International Arrivals area at Terminal 3 at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Tuesday, January 26, 2021.
Nearly every India-Toronto flight this month had COVID-positive passengers
While India banned international flights last month, Canada is one of 13 nations exempted via an “air bridge” arrangement between the two governments.
“We’ll continue to do our part at the border to make sure we’re aware of travellers who are sick and properly isolating them so we don’t add to the burden of cases in the community,” Hajdu said.
bpassifiume@postmedia.com
On Twitter: @bryanpassifiume
torontosun.com
33 flights carrying infected passengers arrived in Canada from Delhi so far in April
Author of the article:Bryan Passifiume
Publishing date:Apr 14, 2021 • 1 hour ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
Canada's Minister of Health Patty Hajdu attends a news conference, as efforts continue to help slow the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada April 9, 2020.
Canada's Minister of Health Patty Hajdu attends a news conference, as efforts continue to help slow the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada April 9, 2020. PHOTO BY BLAIR GABLE /Reuters
Article content
Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu says she’s confident of this country’s pandemic border protections, even as Canada deals with spikes of infected passengers arriving daily from world hot spots.
And Hajdu remained cool to restricting Canada’s numerous daily flights from COVID-wracked India, whose devastating second wave is being fuelled by the new “double-mutant” strain that researchers say spreads quicker and can re-infect those already teeming with COVID antibodies.
“The challenge with country-by-country approaches is COVID spreads in way that we can see, and ways that we can’t,” she responded when asked if Canada is considering banning flights from India.
“The safest thing for Canadians is to have a universal approach that requires scrutiny at the border.”
So far this month, 33 flights from Delhi carried COVID-positive passengers, according Health Canada.
That’s out of 112 international arrivals carrying infected passengers, despite assurances that Canada’s border protections are among the strongest in the world.
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“There’s a very low rate of importation at the border,” she said, despite being specifically asked about the latest variant. Health Canada has told the TorontoSun it considers the strain a “variant of interest.”
Health Canada reported 640 of 44,089 international travellers tested positive between Feb. 22 and March 15.
Current rules require incoming passengers to present a recent negative test before boarding, submit to a second test upon landing, and pay for a three-day stay at a government-approved COVID-19 hotel while awaiting the results.
Korea, which last year closed visa-free travel to Canadians, subjects all incoming travellers to meticulous multi-day testing and contact tracing, followed by a mandatory 14-day quarantine in a government facility.
Likewise, the Philippines — which has banned entry to most foreigners — also requires exempted international arrivals to undergo comprehensive screening, install a mandatory contact tracing app on their smartphone and pay for a week-long stay at a government-approved quarantine hotel.
On Sunday, New Zealand became the first nation to ban travellers from India — even its own citizens — until the end of April.
While India banned international flights last month, Canada is one of 13 nations exempted via an 'air bridge' arrangement between the two governments.
India's variant-fuelled second wave coincided with spike in infected flights landing in Canada
A passenger is covered head to toe at the International Arrivals area at Terminal 3 at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Tuesday, January 26, 2021.
Nearly every India-Toronto flight this month had COVID-positive passengers
While India banned international flights last month, Canada is one of 13 nations exempted via an “air bridge” arrangement between the two governments.
“We’ll continue to do our part at the border to make sure we’re aware of travellers who are sick and properly isolating them so we don’t add to the burden of cases in the community,” Hajdu said.
bpassifiume@postmedia.com
On Twitter: @bryanpassifiume
[VISA] * MUST READ * READ THIS FIRST: HOW TO APPLY FOR VISA TO KOREA STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE 상세보기|Other ServicesConsulate General of the Republic of Korea in Toronto
토론토 지역 정보, 재외국민 영사서비스, 공관 소식, 기타 생활정보 안내.
overseas.mofa.go.kr
Health Minister dodges questions about banning India flights
29 flights carrying infected passengers arrived in Canada from Delhi so far in April
Europe's vaccine rollout hit by doubts over J&J, AstraZeneca shots
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Nikolaj Skydsgaard
Publishing date:Apr 14, 2021 • 10 hours ago • 4 minute read • Join the conversation
Syringes with the AstraZeneca vaccine are pictured in Laakso hospital in Helsinki, Finland, March 11, 2021.
Syringes with the AstraZeneca vaccine are pictured in Laakso hospital in Helsinki, Finland, March 11, 2021. PHOTO BY ESSI LEHTO /REUTERS / FILES
Article content
COPENHAGEN — Europe’s choppy vaccine rollout hit more trouble on Wednesday after U.S. drugmaker Johnson & Johnson delayed its COVID-19 shot and Denmark said it would drop a similar vaccine from AstraZeneca over the risk of blood clotting.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said it expected to issue a recommendation on Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine next week but that it continued to believe the benefits of the shot outweighed the risks of side effects.
U.S. federal health agencies recommended pausing use of the vaccine for at least a few days after six women under age 50 developed rare blood clots after receiving the shot.
Deliveries had already begun in some European countries but authorities took differing approaches on whether to restrict use of the single-shot vaccine, with Belgium and France saying they would go ahead, while Spain, Italy and Greece put them on hold.
The EMA said J&J was in contact with national authorities and recommended storing doses already received until the safety committee issued an expedited recommendation.
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The delay came as a further blow to Europe’s faltering vaccinations campaign, which has been hit by problems ranging from poor coordination between national and regional authorities to a damaging contractual row with AstraZeneca.
“Here we are in the hands of God: if it goes right it goes right, if it goes wrong it goes wrong. I don’t know, I don’t know what to say,” said Rome resident Annamaria Gingaroli.
Scientific information and analytics company Airfinity said suspension of J&J’s vaccine could delay efforts to vaccinate most people in the European Union by over two months to December.
Earlier this month, European regulators said they had found a possible link between AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine and a similar rare blood clotting problem to the one connected to the Johnson & Johnson shot that led to a small number of deaths.
The EMA has recommended AstraZeneca’s vaccine, saying the benefits outweigh the risks, but several EU countries have limited its use to certain age groups and on Wednesday, Danish authorities said they were dropping the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The British-Swedish drugmaker said it respected the Danish decision and said it was a matter for each country to decide on their vaccination programs.
“We will continue to collaborate with the regulators and local authorities in order to provide all available data to inform their decisions,” it said.
Although deliveries of the J&J shot had barely begun in Europe, questions about the two vaccines threaten to undermine public confidence in the low-cost shots which authorities had been counting on in the fight against a pandemic that has claimed more than 3 million lives.
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An official from the U.S. Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) said it was “plainly obvious” the J&J cases were “very similar” to the AstraZeneca ones. He said no similar blood clot cases had been reported among recipients of the Moderna or Pfizer/BioNTech, vaccines, which use a different technology.
J&J has said it is working closely with regulators and noted no clear causal relationship had been established between the events and its shot.
The potential risks with blood clots comes on top of an angry row between the European Commission and AstraZeneca, after the drugmaker delivered only a fraction of the vaccines ordered by Brussels.
Italian newspaper La Stampa reported that the Commission had decided not to renew vaccine contracts next year with AstraZeneca and J&J and would instead focus on vaccines using messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, such as Pfizer’s and Moderna’s.
A spokesman for the EU Commission said it was keeping all options open but declined to comment on the contracts.
The clotting issue has so far been confirmed to have affected only a handful of the millions of people vaccinated, leaving authorities facing a difficult public health dilemma, exacerbated in many countries by widespread public suspicion of vaccines in general.
The FDA said there had been one reported death from the rare blood clotting condition among recipients of the J&J vaccine, while another person was in a critical condition.
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An advisory committee to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is due to meet on Wednesday to review the six clotting cases and vote on recommendations for future use of the shot. The FDA will then review the analysis.
All six cases involved women between the ages of 18 and 48, with symptoms occurring six to 13 days after vaccination. The FDA said patients should watch for up to three weeks for symptoms including severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath.
In the six cases, a type of blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) was seen in combination with low levels of blood platelets, or thrombocytopenia.
The J&J and AstraZeneca vaccines both use an adenovirus – a harmless cold virus – as a vector to deliver instructions for human cells to produce a protein found on the surface of the coronavirus, spurring the immune system to recognize and attack the actual virus.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Nikolaj Skydsgaard
Publishing date:Apr 14, 2021 • 10 hours ago • 4 minute read • Join the conversation
Syringes with the AstraZeneca vaccine are pictured in Laakso hospital in Helsinki, Finland, March 11, 2021.
Syringes with the AstraZeneca vaccine are pictured in Laakso hospital in Helsinki, Finland, March 11, 2021. PHOTO BY ESSI LEHTO /REUTERS / FILES
Article content
COPENHAGEN — Europe’s choppy vaccine rollout hit more trouble on Wednesday after U.S. drugmaker Johnson & Johnson delayed its COVID-19 shot and Denmark said it would drop a similar vaccine from AstraZeneca over the risk of blood clotting.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said it expected to issue a recommendation on Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine next week but that it continued to believe the benefits of the shot outweighed the risks of side effects.
U.S. federal health agencies recommended pausing use of the vaccine for at least a few days after six women under age 50 developed rare blood clots after receiving the shot.
Deliveries had already begun in some European countries but authorities took differing approaches on whether to restrict use of the single-shot vaccine, with Belgium and France saying they would go ahead, while Spain, Italy and Greece put them on hold.
The EMA said J&J was in contact with national authorities and recommended storing doses already received until the safety committee issued an expedited recommendation.
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The delay came as a further blow to Europe’s faltering vaccinations campaign, which has been hit by problems ranging from poor coordination between national and regional authorities to a damaging contractual row with AstraZeneca.
“Here we are in the hands of God: if it goes right it goes right, if it goes wrong it goes wrong. I don’t know, I don’t know what to say,” said Rome resident Annamaria Gingaroli.
Scientific information and analytics company Airfinity said suspension of J&J’s vaccine could delay efforts to vaccinate most people in the European Union by over two months to December.
Earlier this month, European regulators said they had found a possible link between AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine and a similar rare blood clotting problem to the one connected to the Johnson & Johnson shot that led to a small number of deaths.
The EMA has recommended AstraZeneca’s vaccine, saying the benefits outweigh the risks, but several EU countries have limited its use to certain age groups and on Wednesday, Danish authorities said they were dropping the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The British-Swedish drugmaker said it respected the Danish decision and said it was a matter for each country to decide on their vaccination programs.
“We will continue to collaborate with the regulators and local authorities in order to provide all available data to inform their decisions,” it said.
Although deliveries of the J&J shot had barely begun in Europe, questions about the two vaccines threaten to undermine public confidence in the low-cost shots which authorities had been counting on in the fight against a pandemic that has claimed more than 3 million lives.
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An official from the U.S. Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) said it was “plainly obvious” the J&J cases were “very similar” to the AstraZeneca ones. He said no similar blood clot cases had been reported among recipients of the Moderna or Pfizer/BioNTech, vaccines, which use a different technology.
J&J has said it is working closely with regulators and noted no clear causal relationship had been established between the events and its shot.
The potential risks with blood clots comes on top of an angry row between the European Commission and AstraZeneca, after the drugmaker delivered only a fraction of the vaccines ordered by Brussels.
Italian newspaper La Stampa reported that the Commission had decided not to renew vaccine contracts next year with AstraZeneca and J&J and would instead focus on vaccines using messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, such as Pfizer’s and Moderna’s.
A spokesman for the EU Commission said it was keeping all options open but declined to comment on the contracts.
The clotting issue has so far been confirmed to have affected only a handful of the millions of people vaccinated, leaving authorities facing a difficult public health dilemma, exacerbated in many countries by widespread public suspicion of vaccines in general.
The FDA said there had been one reported death from the rare blood clotting condition among recipients of the J&J vaccine, while another person was in a critical condition.
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An advisory committee to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is due to meet on Wednesday to review the six clotting cases and vote on recommendations for future use of the shot. The FDA will then review the analysis.
All six cases involved women between the ages of 18 and 48, with symptoms occurring six to 13 days after vaccination. The FDA said patients should watch for up to three weeks for symptoms including severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath.
In the six cases, a type of blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) was seen in combination with low levels of blood platelets, or thrombocytopenia.
The J&J and AstraZeneca vaccines both use an adenovirus – a harmless cold virus – as a vector to deliver instructions for human cells to produce a protein found on the surface of the coronavirus, spurring the immune system to recognize and attack the actual virus.
Europe's vaccine rollout hit by doubts over J&J, AstraZeneca shots
COPENHAGEN — Europe’s choppy vaccine rollout hit more trouble on Wednesday after U.S. drugmaker Johnson & Johnson delayed its COVID-19 shot and Denmark said it…
Brazil's P.1 variant mutating, may become more dangerous, study says
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Pedro Fonseca
Publishing date:Apr 14, 2021 • 40 minutes ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
The coronavirus and human DNA are pictured in a 3D rendering.
The coronavirus and human DNA are pictured in a 3D rendering. PHOTO BY FILE PHOTO ILLUSTRATION /Getty Images
Article content
RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil’s P.1 coronavirus variant, behind a deadly COVID-19 surge in the Latin American country that has raised international alarm, is mutating in ways that could make it better able to evade antibodies, according to scientists studying the virus.
Research conducted by the public health institute Fiocruz into the variants circulating in Brazil found mutations in the spike region of the virus that is used to enter and infect cells.
Those changes, the scientists said, could make the virus more resistant to vaccines – which target the spike protein – with potentially grave implications for the severity of the outbreak in Latin America’s most populous nation.
“We believe it’s another escape mechanism the virus is creating to evade the response of antibodies,” said Felipe Naveca, one of the authors of the study and part of Fiocruz in the Amazon city of Manaus, where the P.1 variant is believed to have originated.
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Naveca said the changes appeared to be similar to the mutations seen in the even more aggressive South African variant, against which studies have shown some vaccines have substantially reduced efficacy.
“This is particularly worrying because the virus is continuing to accelerate in its evolution,” he added.
Studies have shown the P.1 variant to be as much as 2.5 times more contagious than the original coronavirus and more resistant to antibodies.
On Tuesday, France suspended all flights to and from Brazil in a bid to prevent the variant’s spread as Latin America’s largest economy becomes increasingly isolated.
The variant, which has quickly become dominant in Brazil, is thought to be a large factor behind a massive second wave that has brought the country’s death toll to over 350,000 – the second highest in the world behind the United States.
Brazil’s outbreak is also increasingly affecting younger people, with hospital data showing that in March more than half of all patients in intensive care were aged 40 or younger.
For Ester Sabino, a scientist at the faculty of medicine of the University of Sao Paulo who led the first genome sequencing of the coronavirus in Brazil, the mutations of the P.1 variant are not surprising given the fast pace of transmission.
“If you have a high level of transmission, like you have in Brazil at the moment, your risk of new mutations and variants increases,” she said.
So far vaccines, such as those developed by AstraZeneca and China’s Sinovac, have proven effective against the Brazilian variant but Sabino said further mutations could put that at risk.
“It’s a real possibility,” she said.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Pedro Fonseca
Publishing date:Apr 14, 2021 • 40 minutes ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
The coronavirus and human DNA are pictured in a 3D rendering.
The coronavirus and human DNA are pictured in a 3D rendering. PHOTO BY FILE PHOTO ILLUSTRATION /Getty Images
Article content
RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil’s P.1 coronavirus variant, behind a deadly COVID-19 surge in the Latin American country that has raised international alarm, is mutating in ways that could make it better able to evade antibodies, according to scientists studying the virus.
Research conducted by the public health institute Fiocruz into the variants circulating in Brazil found mutations in the spike region of the virus that is used to enter and infect cells.
Those changes, the scientists said, could make the virus more resistant to vaccines – which target the spike protein – with potentially grave implications for the severity of the outbreak in Latin America’s most populous nation.
“We believe it’s another escape mechanism the virus is creating to evade the response of antibodies,” said Felipe Naveca, one of the authors of the study and part of Fiocruz in the Amazon city of Manaus, where the P.1 variant is believed to have originated.
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Naveca said the changes appeared to be similar to the mutations seen in the even more aggressive South African variant, against which studies have shown some vaccines have substantially reduced efficacy.
“This is particularly worrying because the virus is continuing to accelerate in its evolution,” he added.
Studies have shown the P.1 variant to be as much as 2.5 times more contagious than the original coronavirus and more resistant to antibodies.
On Tuesday, France suspended all flights to and from Brazil in a bid to prevent the variant’s spread as Latin America’s largest economy becomes increasingly isolated.
The variant, which has quickly become dominant in Brazil, is thought to be a large factor behind a massive second wave that has brought the country’s death toll to over 350,000 – the second highest in the world behind the United States.
Brazil’s outbreak is also increasingly affecting younger people, with hospital data showing that in March more than half of all patients in intensive care were aged 40 or younger.
For Ester Sabino, a scientist at the faculty of medicine of the University of Sao Paulo who led the first genome sequencing of the coronavirus in Brazil, the mutations of the P.1 variant are not surprising given the fast pace of transmission.
“If you have a high level of transmission, like you have in Brazil at the moment, your risk of new mutations and variants increases,” she said.
So far vaccines, such as those developed by AstraZeneca and China’s Sinovac, have proven effective against the Brazilian variant but Sabino said further mutations could put that at risk.
“It’s a real possibility,” she said.
Brazil's P.1 variant mutating, may become more dangerous, study says
RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil’s P.1 coronavirus variant, behind a deadly COVID-19 surge in the Latin American country that has raised international alarm, is…
Health officials still won't explain ending enhanced screening for Brazil travellers
Ottawa dropped extra screening measures earlier this week while the P.1 Brazilian variant spreads across western Canada
Author of the article:Bryan Passifiume
Publishing date:Apr 15, 2021 • 57 minutes ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
A Brazilian COVID-19 patient holds up a rosary in a hospital in Belem, Brazil in April, 2021.
A Brazilian COVID-19 patient holds up a rosary in a hospital in Belem, Brazil in April, 2021. PHOTO BY TARSO SARRAF /AFP/Getty Images
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Both Canada’s health ministry and its public health agency remain tight-lipped over this country’s decision to drop enhanced screening for travellers from Brazil.
And the government’s continued silence on South America’s unfolding epidemiological crisis comes one day after Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu dismissed cancelling Canada’s several daily flights from India, a country that on Thursday recorded a record 200,000 new COVID-19 cases during its devastating second wave.
The Globe and Mail reported Wednesday that Canada dropped new screening measures previously enacted on March 31 to control cases of the P.1 COVID-19 variant coming into the country — including removing references in federal travel circulars and social media posts.
The Sun’s inquires to both the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and Health Minister Patty Hajdu were not returned.
On Wednesday, Brazilian public health officials announced the discovery of specific mutations in the P.1 strain allowing for easier infections and increased resistance to vaccines — fuelling Brazil’s case surge that’s placed its health system on the verge of collapse.
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This all while Canada deals with one of the largest P.1 outbreaks outside of South America, with PHAC reporting on Wednesday 1,850 cases of the variant — with all but 321 diagnosed in British Columbia.
The B.C. outbreak has prompted officials in that province to extend and tighten restrictions, even prompting B.C. Premier John Horgan to consider banning interprovincial travel — a move Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday said he supports.
A P.1 outbreak in the ski resort town of Whistler, north of Vancouver, forced officials to shut the mountain ski runs late last month and prompting a mass vaccination drive for all residents 18 and over.
Air Canada’s decision earlier this year to cut South America routes ended non-stop service between Canada and Brazil.
Google Flights lists the fastest route from Rio de Janeiro to Toronto as a 15-hour, three-transfer hop via Panama and Fort Lauderdale.
In Ontario, the vast majority of variant cases are of the B.1.1.7 (U.K.) lineage, with 2,811 new cases reported Tuesday. That’s compared to just 15 new P.1 cases recorded on the same day.
Much like India, Brazil is one of many world COVID-19 hotspots that Canada has seen little cause to do much about.
On Thursday, France suspended all flights to and from Brazil — joining countries like Argentina, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom who have all taken similar measures.
Forty flights carrying COVID-19 infected passengers from India have landed in Canada so far in April.
bpassifiume@postmedia.com
On Twitter: @bryanpassifiume
torontosun.com
Ottawa dropped extra screening measures earlier this week while the P.1 Brazilian variant spreads across western Canada
Author of the article:Bryan Passifiume
Publishing date:Apr 15, 2021 • 57 minutes ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
A Brazilian COVID-19 patient holds up a rosary in a hospital in Belem, Brazil in April, 2021.
A Brazilian COVID-19 patient holds up a rosary in a hospital in Belem, Brazil in April, 2021. PHOTO BY TARSO SARRAF /AFP/Getty Images
Article content
Both Canada’s health ministry and its public health agency remain tight-lipped over this country’s decision to drop enhanced screening for travellers from Brazil.
And the government’s continued silence on South America’s unfolding epidemiological crisis comes one day after Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu dismissed cancelling Canada’s several daily flights from India, a country that on Thursday recorded a record 200,000 new COVID-19 cases during its devastating second wave.
The Globe and Mail reported Wednesday that Canada dropped new screening measures previously enacted on March 31 to control cases of the P.1 COVID-19 variant coming into the country — including removing references in federal travel circulars and social media posts.
The Sun’s inquires to both the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and Health Minister Patty Hajdu were not returned.
On Wednesday, Brazilian public health officials announced the discovery of specific mutations in the P.1 strain allowing for easier infections and increased resistance to vaccines — fuelling Brazil’s case surge that’s placed its health system on the verge of collapse.
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This all while Canada deals with one of the largest P.1 outbreaks outside of South America, with PHAC reporting on Wednesday 1,850 cases of the variant — with all but 321 diagnosed in British Columbia.
The B.C. outbreak has prompted officials in that province to extend and tighten restrictions, even prompting B.C. Premier John Horgan to consider banning interprovincial travel — a move Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday said he supports.
A P.1 outbreak in the ski resort town of Whistler, north of Vancouver, forced officials to shut the mountain ski runs late last month and prompting a mass vaccination drive for all residents 18 and over.
Air Canada’s decision earlier this year to cut South America routes ended non-stop service between Canada and Brazil.
Google Flights lists the fastest route from Rio de Janeiro to Toronto as a 15-hour, three-transfer hop via Panama and Fort Lauderdale.
In Ontario, the vast majority of variant cases are of the B.1.1.7 (U.K.) lineage, with 2,811 new cases reported Tuesday. That’s compared to just 15 new P.1 cases recorded on the same day.
Much like India, Brazil is one of many world COVID-19 hotspots that Canada has seen little cause to do much about.
On Thursday, France suspended all flights to and from Brazil — joining countries like Argentina, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom who have all taken similar measures.
Forty flights carrying COVID-19 infected passengers from India have landed in Canada so far in April.
bpassifiume@postmedia.com
On Twitter: @bryanpassifiume
Health officials still won't explain ending enhanced screening for Brazil travellers
Ottawa dropped extra screening measures earlier this week while the P.1 Brazilian variant spreads across western Canada
Canadian Doctors Speak Out
Originally found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP7NdQ40Wrw
www.bitchute.com
KINSELLA: Damning CNN report scrapes off some of Trudeau's glitter
Author of the article:Warren Kinsella
Publishing date:Apr 13, 2021 • 2 days ago • 3 minute read • 409 Comments
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with actor Harrison Ford, vice-chair of the Conservation International Board of Directors, at the Nature Champions Summit in Montreal on April 25, 2019.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with actor Harrison Ford, vice-chair of the Conservation International Board of Directors, at the Nature Champions Summit in Montreal on April 25, 2019. PHOTO BY THE CANADIAN PRESS /Toronto Sun
Article content
Celebrities love celebrities.
Justin Trudeau certainly does. He considers himself one, after all.
No mere mortal is our Justin: He breathes the rarefied air of the uber-rich and uber-cool at Davos and places like that. It’s his milieu. Hollywood stars, billionaires, best-selling academic types — that’s Justin’s world.
So there he was, just a few years ago, watching TV one Sunday night. A bunch of Justin’s fellow celebrities had gathered in Johannesburg for something called Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100. The celebrities were raising money for children’s education.
It’s a worthy cause. Normally, governments go through a process before they pledge money to stuff like the Global Citizen Festival. Not our Justin, however. The rules that apply to normal folks don’t apply to him.
Justin thumbed out a tweet to the host of the show, comedian Trevor Noah. Here’s what he said: “Hey @Trevornoah – thanks for everything you’re doing to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s legacy at the @GlblCtzn festival. Sorry I can’t be with you – but how about Canada pledges $50M to @EduCannotWait to support education for women & girls around the world? Work for you? Let’s do it.”
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“Sorry I can’t be with you.” OMG! Isn’t that cool? Isn’t that dope? Just like that, our Justin offers $50 million — no pesky votes in the House of Commons, no oversight or review stuff or whatever! Just like it’s his own money! So sick.
Justin got in a lot of trouble for that little stunt, as you may recall. Conservative MP Michelle Rempel called Trudeau “tone deaf” — and noted that Trudeau seemed to be more preoccupied with getting noticed by a celebrity than, you know, acting like a prime minister.
But Trudeau, and Trudeau’s family, kept at it. Rules schmules. The rules don’t apply to them.
So, a couple years after the Trevor Noah Is My Bestie thing, Sophie Trudeau jetted over to a big star-studded event in London, to urge support for — wait for it, wait for it — the WE charity’s Craig and Marc Kielburger.
Lots of famous people were there. British TV chef Jamie Oliver, Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, the actor Gwendoline Christie, who played Brienne of Tarth from Game of Thrones. Neat!
Idris Elba was there, too, and Sophie Trudeau got to hang out with him and get selfies and stuff. Idris, however, got something else: Coronavirus. He tweeted about it.
“This morning I tested positive Covid-19. I feel OK, I have no symptoms so far but have been isolated since I found out about my possible exposure to the virus.”
Added Elba, who would’ve made the best James Bond ever, IMHO: “This is serious. Now is the time to really think about social distancing, washing your hands. Transparency is probably the best thing for this right now.”
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The bit about “transparency” was interesting because the British press reported that Elba felt Sophie Trudeau had infected him. Yikes! It’s a licence to ill!
And that brings us to right now, this week.
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This week, you see, no less than CNN turned on celebrity Trudeau. This was a big deal, because CNN was formerly a bit of a media cheerleader for the Canadian Prime Minister, in the interminable Trump vs. Trudeau comparative coverage they used to do.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is pictured at an April 13, 2021 press conference in Ottawa.
LILLEY: Trudeau Liberals always viewed the pandemic as 'opportunity'
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COVID: 'A POLITICAL OPPORTUNITY:' Making sense out of Chrystia Freeland's recent comments
Jake Tapper broadcast a Paula Newton story about how Trudeau’s government was doing really, really lousy in acquiring vaccines. “It’s a real failure by the Trudeau government,” said Tapper.
Trudeau’s PMO, being obsessed with what Trevor Noah, Idris Elba, Jake Tapper et al. think about them, dispatched some winged monkeys to defend Canada’s honour online. One Trudeau fan even tweet tut-tutted Tapper directly, and noted: “Canada has been ranked the best country in the world.”
Tapper responded thusly: “It’s a great country. One that deserves better leadership regarding obtaining and distributing vaccines.”
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Ouch. Ouch!
Justin, Justin: When your fellow celebrities abandon you, whatever are you going to do?
Davos sure is going to be different next year!
— Kinsella was Special Assistant to Jean Chretien
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Warren Kinsella
Publishing date:Apr 13, 2021 • 2 days ago • 3 minute read • 409 Comments
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with actor Harrison Ford, vice-chair of the Conservation International Board of Directors, at the Nature Champions Summit in Montreal on April 25, 2019.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with actor Harrison Ford, vice-chair of the Conservation International Board of Directors, at the Nature Champions Summit in Montreal on April 25, 2019. PHOTO BY THE CANADIAN PRESS /Toronto Sun
Article content
Celebrities love celebrities.
Justin Trudeau certainly does. He considers himself one, after all.
No mere mortal is our Justin: He breathes the rarefied air of the uber-rich and uber-cool at Davos and places like that. It’s his milieu. Hollywood stars, billionaires, best-selling academic types — that’s Justin’s world.
So there he was, just a few years ago, watching TV one Sunday night. A bunch of Justin’s fellow celebrities had gathered in Johannesburg for something called Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100. The celebrities were raising money for children’s education.
It’s a worthy cause. Normally, governments go through a process before they pledge money to stuff like the Global Citizen Festival. Not our Justin, however. The rules that apply to normal folks don’t apply to him.
Justin thumbed out a tweet to the host of the show, comedian Trevor Noah. Here’s what he said: “Hey @Trevornoah – thanks for everything you’re doing to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s legacy at the @GlblCtzn festival. Sorry I can’t be with you – but how about Canada pledges $50M to @EduCannotWait to support education for women & girls around the world? Work for you? Let’s do it.”
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
“Sorry I can’t be with you.” OMG! Isn’t that cool? Isn’t that dope? Just like that, our Justin offers $50 million — no pesky votes in the House of Commons, no oversight or review stuff or whatever! Just like it’s his own money! So sick.
Justin got in a lot of trouble for that little stunt, as you may recall. Conservative MP Michelle Rempel called Trudeau “tone deaf” — and noted that Trudeau seemed to be more preoccupied with getting noticed by a celebrity than, you know, acting like a prime minister.
But Trudeau, and Trudeau’s family, kept at it. Rules schmules. The rules don’t apply to them.
So, a couple years after the Trevor Noah Is My Bestie thing, Sophie Trudeau jetted over to a big star-studded event in London, to urge support for — wait for it, wait for it — the WE charity’s Craig and Marc Kielburger.
Lots of famous people were there. British TV chef Jamie Oliver, Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, the actor Gwendoline Christie, who played Brienne of Tarth from Game of Thrones. Neat!
Idris Elba was there, too, and Sophie Trudeau got to hang out with him and get selfies and stuff. Idris, however, got something else: Coronavirus. He tweeted about it.
“This morning I tested positive Covid-19. I feel OK, I have no symptoms so far but have been isolated since I found out about my possible exposure to the virus.”
Added Elba, who would’ve made the best James Bond ever, IMHO: “This is serious. Now is the time to really think about social distancing, washing your hands. Transparency is probably the best thing for this right now.”
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
The bit about “transparency” was interesting because the British press reported that Elba felt Sophie Trudeau had infected him. Yikes! It’s a licence to ill!
And that brings us to right now, this week.
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This week, you see, no less than CNN turned on celebrity Trudeau. This was a big deal, because CNN was formerly a bit of a media cheerleader for the Canadian Prime Minister, in the interminable Trump vs. Trudeau comparative coverage they used to do.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is pictured at an April 13, 2021 press conference in Ottawa.
LILLEY: Trudeau Liberals always viewed the pandemic as 'opportunity'
CP
COVID: 'A POLITICAL OPPORTUNITY:' Making sense out of Chrystia Freeland's recent comments
Jake Tapper broadcast a Paula Newton story about how Trudeau’s government was doing really, really lousy in acquiring vaccines. “It’s a real failure by the Trudeau government,” said Tapper.
Trudeau’s PMO, being obsessed with what Trevor Noah, Idris Elba, Jake Tapper et al. think about them, dispatched some winged monkeys to defend Canada’s honour online. One Trudeau fan even tweet tut-tutted Tapper directly, and noted: “Canada has been ranked the best country in the world.”
Tapper responded thusly: “It’s a great country. One that deserves better leadership regarding obtaining and distributing vaccines.”
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Ouch. Ouch!
Justin, Justin: When your fellow celebrities abandon you, whatever are you going to do?
Davos sure is going to be different next year!
— Kinsella was Special Assistant to Jean Chretien
KINSELLA: Damning CNN report scrapes off some of Trudeau's glitter
Celebrities love celebrities. Justin Trudeau certainly does. He considers himself one, after all.
LILLEY: Trudeau's vaccine failure drawing global scrutiny
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Publishing date:Apr 14, 2021 • 1 day ago • 3 minute read • 280 Comments
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walks to a news conference, as efforts continue to help slow the spread of the coronavirus disease in Ottawa, April 13, 2021.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walks to a news conference, as efforts continue to help slow the spread of the coronavirus disease in Ottawa, April 13, 2021. PHOTO BY BLAIR GABLE /REUTERS
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Justin Trudeau and his Liberal acolytes normally love it when he gets foreign media attention. Why wouldn’t they, it’s mostly been fawning for the past several years.
The cover story for Vogue, the steamy photos they printed with him and his wife in embrace, the Rolling Stone cover asking why Trudeau couldn’t be America’s president. That’s what Trudeau is used to but it isn’t what he is getting this week.
It started with a piece last Friday in the Wall Street Journal titled “Canada’s Vaccine Rollout Lags Behind as Cases Rise.” That was followed Monday by a special report aired on CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper which was critical of Trudeau’s handling of the pandemi
That set tongues wagging and thumbs typing as the online world reacted.
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole raised the CNN report in the House of Commons and Trudeau’s answer only cost him more problems.
“Mr. Speaker, it’s important that we stay grounded in the facts in these conversations,” Trudeau said.
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“It is! I agree,” Tapper responded on Twitter. “And what are the facts about Canada’s vaccine acquisition and rollout? What facts in this @paulanewtonCNN piece does @justintrudeau dispute?”
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Of course, Tapper didn’t get a response from Trudeau, then again, O’Toole didn’t either despite being in the House of Commons with the PM. As O’Toole pressed Trudeau on his failed vaccine plan, Trudeau dug deeper.
“For months, the Liberal government’s answer to questions about their slow pandemic response has been to compare themselves to the United States,” O’Toole told the Commons.
“Well, Canada has now passed the United States in per capita number of new COVID cases every day. How many Canadians are now being infected with COVID-19 variants because of this government’s slow and confused rollout of vaccines?” O’Toole asked.
Again, Trudeau responded by saying discussions had to be based in “facts” and “science,” two words he knows to repeat but that I’m not sure he actually understands.
“We know, for example, that the U.K. is ahead of just about everybody else on vaccinations and yet, they maintain very strong restrictions and are facing a very serious third wave,” Trudeau said.
That remark about a third wave in the U.K. was news to the Brits.
Telegraph columnist Andrew Lilico mocked Trudeau’s comments by tweeting fake outrage.
“Trudeau says the U.K. is facing a very serious Third Wave, despite our restrictions and vaccinations. Why have we not been told this in the U.K.! How dare the U.K. govt keep this vital info from us! Heads must roll! [etc etc]” Lilico tweeted.
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“Trudeau’s claim that the U.K. is facing a ‘very serious third wave’ comes despite the latest figures showing that the U.K. currently has lowest case rates in Europe,” The Spectator reported.
Those U.K. case numbers are lower than Canada’s, as well.
Nothing like attracting the world press for all the wrong reasons.
In addition to those noted above, Trudeau’s failure of a rollout has also caught the eye of Bloomberg, Fox News, the New York Times, the Washington Post and the progressive stalwart The Atlantic with a piece titled “Canada’s Vaccine Mess.”
MORE ON THIS TOPIC
The Immunization clinic located at the Scarborough Town Centre in Toronto on Tuesday April 6, 2021.
EDITORIAL: How to fix our vaccine rollout
A
GUNTER: Canada rides the Trudeau Wave of COVID ineptitude
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with actor Harrison Ford, vice-chair of the Conservation International Board of Directors, at the Nature Champions Summit in Montreal on April 25, 2019.
KINSELLA: Damning CNN report scrapes off some of Trudeau's glitter
“Per capita vaccination numbers lagging behind those of 50 other countries, including Brazil, Chile, Turkey, and much of Europe, according to Johns Hopkins University’s immunization tracker,” the story states.
“I think we have nothing to be proud of on this, that’s for sure,” Globe and Mail health columnist Andre Picard is quoted as saying.
We don’t have anything to be proud of, that is for sure, but for too long most of our media has simply gobbled up and repeated that Canada has the biggest and most diverse portfolio of vaccines in the world. That claim only matters if doses arrive on time and in sufficient quantity and they haven’t — now Canadians are paying the price.
It’s too bad that it takes Americans and Brits pointing this out before most of our media outlets will take this seriously.
blilley@postmedia.com
wsj.com
spectator.co.uk
theatlantic.com
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Publishing date:Apr 14, 2021 • 1 day ago • 3 minute read • 280 Comments
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walks to a news conference, as efforts continue to help slow the spread of the coronavirus disease in Ottawa, April 13, 2021.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walks to a news conference, as efforts continue to help slow the spread of the coronavirus disease in Ottawa, April 13, 2021. PHOTO BY BLAIR GABLE /REUTERS
Article content
Justin Trudeau and his Liberal acolytes normally love it when he gets foreign media attention. Why wouldn’t they, it’s mostly been fawning for the past several years.
The cover story for Vogue, the steamy photos they printed with him and his wife in embrace, the Rolling Stone cover asking why Trudeau couldn’t be America’s president. That’s what Trudeau is used to but it isn’t what he is getting this week.
It started with a piece last Friday in the Wall Street Journal titled “Canada’s Vaccine Rollout Lags Behind as Cases Rise.” That was followed Monday by a special report aired on CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper which was critical of Trudeau’s handling of the pandemi
That set tongues wagging and thumbs typing as the online world reacted.
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole raised the CNN report in the House of Commons and Trudeau’s answer only cost him more problems.
“Mr. Speaker, it’s important that we stay grounded in the facts in these conversations,” Trudeau said.
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“It is! I agree,” Tapper responded on Twitter. “And what are the facts about Canada’s vaccine acquisition and rollout? What facts in this @paulanewtonCNN piece does @justintrudeau dispute?”
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Of course, Tapper didn’t get a response from Trudeau, then again, O’Toole didn’t either despite being in the House of Commons with the PM. As O’Toole pressed Trudeau on his failed vaccine plan, Trudeau dug deeper.
“For months, the Liberal government’s answer to questions about their slow pandemic response has been to compare themselves to the United States,” O’Toole told the Commons.
“Well, Canada has now passed the United States in per capita number of new COVID cases every day. How many Canadians are now being infected with COVID-19 variants because of this government’s slow and confused rollout of vaccines?” O’Toole asked.
Again, Trudeau responded by saying discussions had to be based in “facts” and “science,” two words he knows to repeat but that I’m not sure he actually understands.
“We know, for example, that the U.K. is ahead of just about everybody else on vaccinations and yet, they maintain very strong restrictions and are facing a very serious third wave,” Trudeau said.
That remark about a third wave in the U.K. was news to the Brits.
Telegraph columnist Andrew Lilico mocked Trudeau’s comments by tweeting fake outrage.
“Trudeau says the U.K. is facing a very serious Third Wave, despite our restrictions and vaccinations. Why have we not been told this in the U.K.! How dare the U.K. govt keep this vital info from us! Heads must roll! [etc etc]” Lilico tweeted.
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“Trudeau’s claim that the U.K. is facing a ‘very serious third wave’ comes despite the latest figures showing that the U.K. currently has lowest case rates in Europe,” The Spectator reported.
Those U.K. case numbers are lower than Canada’s, as well.
Nothing like attracting the world press for all the wrong reasons.
In addition to those noted above, Trudeau’s failure of a rollout has also caught the eye of Bloomberg, Fox News, the New York Times, the Washington Post and the progressive stalwart The Atlantic with a piece titled “Canada’s Vaccine Mess.”
The Immunization clinic located at the Scarborough Town Centre in Toronto on Tuesday April 6, 2021.
EDITORIAL: How to fix our vaccine rollout
A
GUNTER: Canada rides the Trudeau Wave of COVID ineptitude
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with actor Harrison Ford, vice-chair of the Conservation International Board of Directors, at the Nature Champions Summit in Montreal on April 25, 2019.
KINSELLA: Damning CNN report scrapes off some of Trudeau's glitter
“Per capita vaccination numbers lagging behind those of 50 other countries, including Brazil, Chile, Turkey, and much of Europe, according to Johns Hopkins University’s immunization tracker,” the story states.
“I think we have nothing to be proud of on this, that’s for sure,” Globe and Mail health columnist Andre Picard is quoted as saying.
We don’t have anything to be proud of, that is for sure, but for too long most of our media has simply gobbled up and repeated that Canada has the biggest and most diverse portfolio of vaccines in the world. That claim only matters if doses arrive on time and in sufficient quantity and they haven’t — now Canadians are paying the price.
It’s too bad that it takes Americans and Brits pointing this out before most of our media outlets will take this seriously.
blilley@postmedia.com
As the U.S. Vaccinates Millions for Covid-19, Most Canadians Are Still Waiting
Canada’s vaccine rollout has been among the slowest in major economies, and the country is imposing fresh lockdowns as coronavirus variants spread.
wsj.com
Trudeau claims Britain faces 'very serious third wave'
Steerpike was surprised to learn this morning that the UK is facing a ‘very serious third wave’ – not from the newspapers or an ashen faced epidemiologist but rather the unlikely form of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Amid calls in Canada to loosen lockdown restrictions, the embattled leader...
spectator.co.uk
Canada’s Vaccine Mess
Canada has universal health care and millions of doses on order. So why are so few of its citizens vaccinated?
LILLEY: Trudeau's vaccine failure drawing global scrutiny
Justin Trudeau and his Liberal acolytes normally love it when he gets foreign media attention. Why wouldn’t they, it’s mostly been fawning for the past several…
LILLEY: Jake Tapper calling Trudeau supporters 'Tru-Anon' is perfect
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Publishing date:Apr 15, 2021 • 1 hour ago • 3 minute read • 156 Comments
CNN anchor Jake Tapper, left, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
CNN anchor Jake Tapper, left, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. AP and Reuters
Article content
I feel like Canada owes Jake Tapper a huge thank you for giving us all a new way to discuss Justin Trudeau and his followers. If you’ve missed it, there has been a battle of sorts between Tapper, the CNN anchor, and supporters of our PM after a report on Trudeau’s poor vaccine rollout.
After a factual report aired on CNN on Monday, video of it spread quickly on social media. Detractors of Trudeau held the report up as proof of the PM’s failures while his supporters called CNN fake news.
“Careful for acknowledging facts or Tru-Anon will attack you,” Tapper tweeted in response to someone who had agreed with his assessment of Trudeau.
“Tru-Anon.” It’s short and it is perfect.
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For some time now I have been arguing that Justin Trudeau supporters are much like Donald Trump supporters — they can’t take any criticism of their leader no matter how warranted. No criticism of Trump was accepted by his most ardent supporters – in particular those who identified as Q-Anon – and so it is with Trudeau.
Canada isn’t doing badly in vaccinating its population, they will tell you. In fact, they will repeat Trudeau’s latest claim that we are third in the G20 for vaccinations – ignoring that many less-developed countries are still far ahead of us. Of course, these same Tru-Anon supporters will then tell you that while Canada is doing great, those provinces run by Conservative premiers are doing awful and haven’t vaccinated anyone.
There is no reasoning with Tru-Anon people, it really is cult-like.
I’ve been covering politicians for more than 20 years and I’ve been critical of leaders and members of all parties but I’ve never seen the kind of pushback and blind loyalty that comes from the Tru-Anon supporters. Unless, of course, the comparison in Trump.
Supporters of Jean Chretien, Paul Martin, Stephen Harper or the countless premiers that I have covered over the years will all admit and even at times agree with valid criticism of their leader, but not Trudeau’s Tru-Anon supporters.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC
Pharmacy staff at Kingston Health Sciences Centre prepare the first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for southeastern Ontario on Jan. 12, 2021.
LILLEY: Stop the blame game and fix the vaccine situation
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walks to a news conference, as efforts continue to help slow the spread of the coronavirus disease in Ottawa, April 13, 2021.
LILLEY: Trudeau's vaccine failure drawing global scrutiny
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is pictured at an April 13, 2021 press conference in Ottawa.
LILLEY: Trudeau Liberals always viewed the pandemic as 'opportunity'
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He can stand in the House of Commons and tell bald-faced lies – like the claim that Moderna vaccine doses are delayed a “day or two” — at times and those people will accept it and repeat it even as the delays stretch out to two weeks. Trudeau can claim that Canada has the biggest vaccine portfolio in the world – only if you count vaccines not approved or delivered – and the Tru-Anon crowd will repeat it.
The words of their dear leader are gospel to them.
KujOil56uhU
Right now there is a lot of consternation among the Tru-Anon crowd that a photo of a naked MP walking into a video shot during a hybrid session of Parliament has been published. They have compared this to revenge porn, to a violation of privacy laws, a breach of the Criminal Code and demanded investigations.
Strange that in less than 24 hours the Liberals have shown more outrage over a naked MP being named than they have over their own party, ministers and leader covering up sexual misconduct allegations in the military. This is pure Tru-Anon.
I hope this moniker from Jake Tapper sticks because it is the perfect name to describe the cult that has grown up around Justin Trudeau.
blilley@postmedia.com
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Publishing date:Apr 15, 2021 • 1 hour ago • 3 minute read • 156 Comments
CNN anchor Jake Tapper, left, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
CNN anchor Jake Tapper, left, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. AP and Reuters
Article content
I feel like Canada owes Jake Tapper a huge thank you for giving us all a new way to discuss Justin Trudeau and his followers. If you’ve missed it, there has been a battle of sorts between Tapper, the CNN anchor, and supporters of our PM after a report on Trudeau’s poor vaccine rollout.
After a factual report aired on CNN on Monday, video of it spread quickly on social media. Detractors of Trudeau held the report up as proof of the PM’s failures while his supporters called CNN fake news.
“Careful for acknowledging facts or Tru-Anon will attack you,” Tapper tweeted in response to someone who had agreed with his assessment of Trudeau.
“Tru-Anon.” It’s short and it is perfect.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
For some time now I have been arguing that Justin Trudeau supporters are much like Donald Trump supporters — they can’t take any criticism of their leader no matter how warranted. No criticism of Trump was accepted by his most ardent supporters – in particular those who identified as Q-Anon – and so it is with Trudeau.
Canada isn’t doing badly in vaccinating its population, they will tell you. In fact, they will repeat Trudeau’s latest claim that we are third in the G20 for vaccinations – ignoring that many less-developed countries are still far ahead of us. Of course, these same Tru-Anon supporters will then tell you that while Canada is doing great, those provinces run by Conservative premiers are doing awful and haven’t vaccinated anyone.
There is no reasoning with Tru-Anon people, it really is cult-like.
I’ve been covering politicians for more than 20 years and I’ve been critical of leaders and members of all parties but I’ve never seen the kind of pushback and blind loyalty that comes from the Tru-Anon supporters. Unless, of course, the comparison in Trump.
Supporters of Jean Chretien, Paul Martin, Stephen Harper or the countless premiers that I have covered over the years will all admit and even at times agree with valid criticism of their leader, but not Trudeau’s Tru-Anon supporters.
Pharmacy staff at Kingston Health Sciences Centre prepare the first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for southeastern Ontario on Jan. 12, 2021.
LILLEY: Stop the blame game and fix the vaccine situation
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walks to a news conference, as efforts continue to help slow the spread of the coronavirus disease in Ottawa, April 13, 2021.
LILLEY: Trudeau's vaccine failure drawing global scrutiny
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is pictured at an April 13, 2021 press conference in Ottawa.
LILLEY: Trudeau Liberals always viewed the pandemic as 'opportunity'
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He can stand in the House of Commons and tell bald-faced lies – like the claim that Moderna vaccine doses are delayed a “day or two” — at times and those people will accept it and repeat it even as the delays stretch out to two weeks. Trudeau can claim that Canada has the biggest vaccine portfolio in the world – only if you count vaccines not approved or delivered – and the Tru-Anon crowd will repeat it.
The words of their dear leader are gospel to them.
KujOil56uhU
Right now there is a lot of consternation among the Tru-Anon crowd that a photo of a naked MP walking into a video shot during a hybrid session of Parliament has been published. They have compared this to revenge porn, to a violation of privacy laws, a breach of the Criminal Code and demanded investigations.
Strange that in less than 24 hours the Liberals have shown more outrage over a naked MP being named than they have over their own party, ministers and leader covering up sexual misconduct allegations in the military. This is pure Tru-Anon.
I hope this moniker from Jake Tapper sticks because it is the perfect name to describe the cult that has grown up around Justin Trudeau.
blilley@postmedia.com
LILLEY: Jake Tapper calling Trudeau supporters 'Tru-Anon' is perfect
I feel like Canada owes Jake Tapper a huge thank you for giving us all a new way to discuss Justin Trudeau and his followers. If you’ve missed it, there has…
TWO TO THREE A BED: Indian hospitals overwhelmed by COVID-19 surge
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Neha Arora and Sachin Ravikumar
Publishing date:Apr 15, 2021 • 7 hours ago • 3 minute read • 11 Comments
Patients suffering from COVID-19 get treatment at the casualty ward in Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) hospital, amidst the spread of the disease in New Delhi, India, Thursday, April 15, 2021.
Patients suffering from COVID-19 get treatment at the casualty ward in Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) hospital, amidst the spread of the disease in New Delhi, India, Thursday, April 15, 2021. PHOTO BY DANISH SIDDIQUI /REUTERS
Article content
NEW DELHI — Many Indian hospitals were scrambling for beds and oxygen as COVID-19 infections surged to a new daily record on Thursday, with a second wave of infections centred on the rich western state of Maharashtra.
India’s tally of total infections is second only to the United States, with experts blaming everything from official complacency to aggressive variants. The government has blamed failure to practice physical distancing.
The country has been producing oxygen at full capacity for each of the last two days but will have to turn to imports, with the health ministry saying it was planning to import 50,000 metric tons.
“The situation is horrible,” said Avinash Gawande, an official at a government hospital in the industrial city of Nagpur that was battling a flood of patients, as were hospitals in neighbouring Gujarat state and New Delhi in the north.
“We are a 900-bed hospital, but there are about 60 patients waiting and we don’t have space for them.”
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Maharashtra, home to the financial capital of Mumbai, began a lockdown at midnight on Wednesday, a move that spurred a rush to stockpile essential items in advance. The state, the country’s most industrial, has been the worst affected by the pandemic.
At Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital in New Delhi, the country’s largest facility treating COVID-19 patients, two or three patients were seen sharing single beds in some wards, a Reuters witness said.
COVID-positive patients – from a one-and-a-half-year-old toddler to many elderly – and their relatives kept streaming in to the emergency ward at LNJP, arriving by ambulance, car or auto-rickshaw throughout the day.
“Last year also we have not seen such a bad situation. This time the number is very high and increasing very rapidly, going (at a) very fast speed, so the situation is really alarming,” said LNJP Medical Director Suresh Kumar.
“We are definitely overburdened… Today we have 158 admissions in Lok Nayak alone. All sick patients, all severe patients,” Kumar added.
India has added 200,739 infections over the last 24 hours, health ministry data showed, for a seventh daily record surge in the last eight days, while 1,038 deaths took its toll to 173,123.
Despite injecting the third highest number of vaccines doses worldwide, India has covered only a small part of its 1.4 billion people.
India said on Thursday regulators would decide on emergency-use applications for foreign COVID-19 vaccines within three working days. India’s ambassador to Moscow said deliveries of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine to India were expected to begin before the end of April, the TASS news agency reported.
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In New Delhi, authorities ordered a weekend curfew, placing curbs on shopping malls, gyms, restaurants and some weekly markets.
Outside a major city mortuary, weeping relatives gathered in the hot sun, waiting for the bodies of loved ones to be released.
Forty-year-old Prashant Mehra said he had to pay a broker for preferential treatment before he could get his 90-year-old grandfather admitted to an overstretched government hospital.
“He died after six or seven hours,” he said.
Supplies of oxygen ran short in places such as Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“If such conditions persist, the death toll will rise,” the head of a medical body in the industrial city of Ahmedabad told its chief minister in a letter.
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries will supply 100 metric tonnes of additional oxygen to Maharashtra, a state minister said.
In the northern city of Haridwar, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims thronged to a Hindu religious festival on the banks of the river Ganges on Wednesday, stoking fears of a new surge.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Neha Arora and Sachin Ravikumar
Publishing date:Apr 15, 2021 • 7 hours ago • 3 minute read • 11 Comments
Patients suffering from COVID-19 get treatment at the casualty ward in Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) hospital, amidst the spread of the disease in New Delhi, India, Thursday, April 15, 2021.
Patients suffering from COVID-19 get treatment at the casualty ward in Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) hospital, amidst the spread of the disease in New Delhi, India, Thursday, April 15, 2021. PHOTO BY DANISH SIDDIQUI /REUTERS
Article content
NEW DELHI — Many Indian hospitals were scrambling for beds and oxygen as COVID-19 infections surged to a new daily record on Thursday, with a second wave of infections centred on the rich western state of Maharashtra.
India’s tally of total infections is second only to the United States, with experts blaming everything from official complacency to aggressive variants. The government has blamed failure to practice physical distancing.
The country has been producing oxygen at full capacity for each of the last two days but will have to turn to imports, with the health ministry saying it was planning to import 50,000 metric tons.
“The situation is horrible,” said Avinash Gawande, an official at a government hospital in the industrial city of Nagpur that was battling a flood of patients, as were hospitals in neighbouring Gujarat state and New Delhi in the north.
“We are a 900-bed hospital, but there are about 60 patients waiting and we don’t have space for them.”
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Article content
Maharashtra, home to the financial capital of Mumbai, began a lockdown at midnight on Wednesday, a move that spurred a rush to stockpile essential items in advance. The state, the country’s most industrial, has been the worst affected by the pandemic.
At Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital in New Delhi, the country’s largest facility treating COVID-19 patients, two or three patients were seen sharing single beds in some wards, a Reuters witness said.
COVID-positive patients – from a one-and-a-half-year-old toddler to many elderly – and their relatives kept streaming in to the emergency ward at LNJP, arriving by ambulance, car or auto-rickshaw throughout the day.
“Last year also we have not seen such a bad situation. This time the number is very high and increasing very rapidly, going (at a) very fast speed, so the situation is really alarming,” said LNJP Medical Director Suresh Kumar.
“We are definitely overburdened… Today we have 158 admissions in Lok Nayak alone. All sick patients, all severe patients,” Kumar added.
India has added 200,739 infections over the last 24 hours, health ministry data showed, for a seventh daily record surge in the last eight days, while 1,038 deaths took its toll to 173,123.
Despite injecting the third highest number of vaccines doses worldwide, India has covered only a small part of its 1.4 billion people.
India said on Thursday regulators would decide on emergency-use applications for foreign COVID-19 vaccines within three working days. India’s ambassador to Moscow said deliveries of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine to India were expected to begin before the end of April, the TASS news agency reported.
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Article content
In New Delhi, authorities ordered a weekend curfew, placing curbs on shopping malls, gyms, restaurants and some weekly markets.
Outside a major city mortuary, weeping relatives gathered in the hot sun, waiting for the bodies of loved ones to be released.
Forty-year-old Prashant Mehra said he had to pay a broker for preferential treatment before he could get his 90-year-old grandfather admitted to an overstretched government hospital.
“He died after six or seven hours,” he said.
Supplies of oxygen ran short in places such as Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“If such conditions persist, the death toll will rise,” the head of a medical body in the industrial city of Ahmedabad told its chief minister in a letter.
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries will supply 100 metric tonnes of additional oxygen to Maharashtra, a state minister said.
In the northern city of Haridwar, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims thronged to a Hindu religious festival on the banks of the river Ganges on Wednesday, stoking fears of a new surge.
TWO TO THREE A BED: Indian hospitals overwhelmed by COVID-19 surge
NEW DELHI — Many Indian hospitals were scrambling for beds and oxygen as COVID-19 infections surged to a new daily record on Thursday, with a second wave of…