Canadian Politics: Is that a Light at the End of the Tunnel?

[Fragile Bird]

Great preliminary news from Medicago - according to the Globe and Mail, the antibodies produced after 42 days are higher than any vaccine approved in Canada so far. Much higher than AZ and J&J, equal to or better than the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. I gather just above the Pfizer and Moderna, if they are the best.

It’s only the Phase 2 preliminary report, but the Phase 3 started March 15, 30,000 people in Canada and the US, so preliminary reports in that part should be coming in a month or two. The phase 3 was expanded to Central and South America, and Europe.  I wrote more in the Covid thread.

[Fragile Bird]

Update 

May   11Tu  12We  13Th  14Fr  15Sa  16Su  17Mo  18Tu

BC       515    600     587   494    443    493    424    411         

AB     1449  1799   1558  1433 1195  1140    721    877

SK       186    183     223    227   196    167    178    129

MB      329    364    560    491    430    532    430    335

ON    2073  2320  2759  2362  2584  2199  2170  1616

PQ      660    745    781    838    760    716    551    549

NB          2        9      16        5        7      11     11      10  

NS      118     149    110    117     86     126    91      90

PE          0         0        1        2        1        0       1       2

NL        15       10       7        6        5        9      10      6

North   26       10      13      12       5        1        4      6

Total 5373   6189  6615  5987  5712 5394  4591  4031

We've really seen a nice drop in cases right across the country. The province still suffering is Manitoba. Let's all hope that the restrictions they brought in continue to bring cases under control. Nice to see Nova Scotia below 100, and Ontario is below 1600 today. Quebec is so encourage they're going to allow 3,500 fans at the hockey playoff games.

The CTV vaccine tracker that I follow has changed the criteria on percentage of population vaccinated, dropping the 16+ group to the percentage of people 12+ vaccinated with the first shot. Yesterday the number was 55.9% of the population 16+ had received one shot, today it's 54.1% of the population 12+ has been vaccinated. In any event, by the end of next week we'll be over the 60% mark

 

[Paxter]

Ford aiming to relax restrictions two weeks after we hit 60% of eligibles. Fair enough. 

[Fragile Bird]

Update 

May   14Fr  15Sa  16Su  17Mo  18Tu  19We  20Th  21Fr

BC       494    443    493    424    411    521    357    420         

AB     1433  1195  1140    721    877    908    812    732

SK       227    196    167    128    129    141    146    173

MB      491    430    532    430    335    402    603    594

ON    2362  2584  2199  2170  1616  1588  2400  1890

PQ      838    760    716    551    549    584    662    752

NB          5        7      11     11      10        8        7     15

NS      117      86    126     91      90      83      65     84

PE          2         1       0       1        2        5        0       1

NL         6         5       9     10        6        3        4      10

North  12         5       1       4        6        5        2        2

Total 5987  5712 5394  4591  4031  4248  5058  4673

Last Friday the 7-day average of new cases was 6,456, today the 7-day average is 4,815, so we are definitely going in the right direction. Except for Manitoba, hitting a new record high of 603 on Thursday. Listening to interviews out of Manitoba, everyone was blaming the government for repeatedly waiting until things got bad until bringing in restrictions. Even Alberta has turned things around, cutting their numbers in half in the last week to 10 days.

Ontario announced that people who got the AZ vaccine will be able to book their second shots starting next week. The first group allowed to do so are those who got their first shots between March 10 and March 19. In the meantime, a 2nd person has died from a blood clot, in New Brunswick, 17 days after getting their 1st AZ dose. Ontario asked the UK for an update on results from second shots. We all heard there was a 1 in a million chance of getting a blood clot from the second shot, but it turns out the update shows the number is actually 1 in 600,000. 

Moderna is screwing us up again. Millions of doses are supposed to be delivered by the end of June, but once more they are having some kind of production problems and can't confirm delivery dates or amounts. The woman who replaced Fortin shocked the hell out of everyone by only talking about confirmed deliveries (from Pfizer) and the media have been in a frenzy about Canada not receiving 8 M doses as previously promised (confirmed we will have 40 M doses by the end of June rather than 48 M). The minister explained Brig.-Gen. Krista Brodie, the new logistics leader, would of course only talk about confirmed amounts. In the meantime the ministers involved are on the phone with Moderna executives on a daily basis to figure out what the hell is going on.

[Paxter]

Sanity prevails on AZ. For a second I thought Canada had gone crazy.

[Fragile Bird]

Update 

May    18Tu  19We  20Th  21Fr  22Sa  23Su  24Mo  25Tu

BC        411    521    357    420    356    325    293    289         

AB        877    908    812    732    621    563    452    387

SK        129    141    146    173    180              103     111

MB       335    402    603    594    476    461    353    259

ON     1616  1588  2400  1890  1794  1691  1446  1039

PQ       549    584     662    752    505    477    433    346

NB         10        8        7      15        2      14      15       9

NS         90       83      65     84       64     74      49      54

PE            2        5        0       1         0        0       0       0

NL           6        3        4      10        4       23      5       11

North      6        5        2        2        0        0       1         1

Total   4031  4248  5058  4673  4002  3628  3150  2506

I know it was the long weekend and testing numbers were likely low, but it's good to see new cases drop so much. I expect that they'll go up tomorrow and the next day. I expect Ontario numbers to be stubbornly high for a while, since it's so widespread in the province.

We've now received 25,392,602 vaccine doses, a number I think we were supposed to hit last week but Moderna came up short. I noticed a brief article in the paper saying 85% of our military has received at least one dose of vaccine. I think most provinces have opened up vaccines to those 12 and over, and many have started booking second appointments. I guess everyone realizes that we have passed the US in terms of the percentage of the population having received first doses, where we're so far behind is in 2nd doses of course.

[Fragile Bird]

Wow, Jason Kenney is loosening restrictions next week with the intention of lifting all restrictions in time for the Calgary Stampede.

[TrueMetis]

Sigh... imagine a world without conservatives.

[maarsen]

1 hour ago, Fragile Bird said:

Wow, Jason Kenney is loosening restrictions next week with the intention of lifting all restrictions in time for the Calgary Stampede.

Think about how well that went for Doug Ford when he did not want to be the Christmas grinch.  I suppose Kenney is so low in the polls he figures that he can't get any lower.

[Aemon Stark]

2 hours ago, TrueMetis said:

Sigh... imagine a world without conservatives.

Is it anything like a world without lawyers?

[TrueMetis]

Mass grave found at Kamloops residential school.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/indian-residential-school-survivors-society-calls-for-action-1.6045448

This shit remains beyond fucked up.

[Fragile Bird]

16 minutes ago, TrueMetis said:

Mass grave found at Kamloops residential school.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/indian-residential-school-survivors-society-calls-for-action-1.6045448

This shit remains beyond fucked up.

What a bloody horror story. I’ve been watching the news for the last day or two now. There have to be similar stories at other school sites. It makes me so damn angry (as a Catholic) that Pope Francis turned down Trudeau’s request for an official apology from the church. I’m sure the church is thinking about all the other places around the world where children were abused at schools. I’ve read the horror stories of schools in Ireland, especially against “wayward” girls, and the bodies buried at convents. Babies, mostly. May their souls burn in hell.
 

I only hope that there are fewer than 215 once they actually start removing the remains, and not more. Poor, sad, lonely children. What kind of demented people used to run schools, still run schools today. I was listening to an audio book about notorious British traitor Kim Philby and the abuse against children at the public school (ie private upper-crust school), he attended, abuse that probably did terrible things to him. No wonder the Anglo-Saxons that ran everything didn’t give a shit about indigenous children. 
 

I can kind of understand that more than a hundred years ago people simply didn’t value children and didn’t care if they died, but this went on until just three decades ago. 

[Zorral]

This was reported here too, today.

Why in the world has the Church so institutionalized such severe abuse of children of all kinds, even unto death, in its own orphanages and schools?  Of course schools and orphanages have always been infamous for abuse of every kind, not just the Church's.  But one does expect better of all religions in their schools and orphanages, in light of Jesus's injunctions.  I've never understood this.

Just read a novel by Ireland's John Banville, set in 1957, which is about this.

[Fragile Bird]

Update 

May     21Fr  22Sa  23Su  24Mo  25Tu  26We  27Th  28Fr

BC        420    356    325    293     289    250     378   317        

AB        732    621    563    452     387    390     513   512 

SK        173    180              103     111    151     118   122

MB       594    476    461    353     259    312     297   497

ON     1890  1794  1691  1446   1039  1095   1135  1273

PQ       752    505    477    433     346    308     436    419

NB         15        2      14      15        9       10        9        9

NS         84      64      74      49      54       37       33      40

PE            1       0        0        0        0         0         0        2

NL         10        4      23        5      11        4         6       14

North      2        0        0        1        1        7         0         1

Total   4673  4002  3628  3150  2506  2564   2925   3206

Just when you think things are getting better, we get a pop-up at the end of the week. However, last week's 7-day average was 4,815 cases a day, and yesterday's 7-day average was 3,140. The difference is startling. I have been waiting for Ontario to drop below 1,000 new cases a day. Back in January and February, while numbers dropped they didn't drop below 1,000 and the stupid government re-opened anyway. I have heard a number of officials say things can't re-open until we are well below 1,000 cases this time. Let's hope that happens. In the meantime things are still ugly in Manitoba. The mid-week drop was apparently due to fewer tests being done. Quebec has done so well they're actually allowing 2,500 fans into tonight's hockey game, but patios are open so people can watch in a group setting. It will be cold sitting outside, though! 

In mind-boggling news, they're going to let 135,000 fans in to watch the Indy 500. It will be interesting to see how many new cases there are in two weeks.

In vaccination news, we've received 26 M doses as of yesterday, and we are supposed to receive at least 12 M Pfizer in June, meaning we will have received 38 M, one for every person in the country. I heard someone say to reach our goal of 75% of the population receiving one dose and 20% receiving two doses by the end of June we need to receive 38 M, and presumably we will have received more than 40 M by then because Moderna doses will also be delivered. So we should easily hit the 75/20 target. I also saw an update on the Canadian Armed Forces, 90% have now received at least one dose. Ontario has announced it's accelerating second doses starting on Monday, when folks over 80 can register. I think the following week people over 70 can register for a second shot. I expect I'll get my second shot before the end of the month. And other provinces across the country have announced second shot schedules as well.

As I have been typing this post I heard that Health Canada has extended the expiry date of AZ doses, which I assume has been done because we have more experience with the vaccine.

[Zorral]

The remains were reported here too, today.

Why in the world has the Church so institutionalized such severe abuse of children of all kinds, even unto death, in its own orphanages and schools?  Of course schools and orphanages have always been infamous for abuse of every kind, not just the Church's.  But one does expect better of all religions in their schools and orphanages, in light of Jesus's injunctions.  I've never understood this.

Just read a novel by Ireland's John Banville, set in 1957, which is about this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why yes, indeed, Manitoba shares a boundary with North Dakota in the USA.  They seem to have more in common than the common boundary.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winkler-doctor-hospital-vaccine-hesitancy-1.6044904

Manitoba

"Death bed denials, pandemic 'hoax' accusations common in southern Manitoba hospital patients, doctor says
Majority of COVID-19 patients at Boundary Trails Health Centre unvaccinated"

[DireWolfSpirit]

Ah I'm ninja'd, was coming to post on the horrific discovery at the residential school as well.

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_60a95fc5e4b019ef10dad726

[Fragile Bird]

Meh, I think the problem is the human species sucks big time. Right now at this very moment tens of thousands of children across North American, and across the world, are being emotionally, physically and sexually abused by their own families. Because we are one shitty species.

We used to have long, rancorous threads about religion in Gen Chat, and some people actually used the line “they took an oath” when it came to clergy. Pretty ironic when you think that this is a GoT board. There are a lot of despicable humans on this planet. 

[maarsen]

3 hours ago, Fragile Bird said:

What a bloody horror story. I’ve been watching the news for the last day or two now. There have to be similar stories at other school sites. It makes me so damn angry (as a Catholic) that Pope Francis turned down Trudeau’s request for an official apology from the church. I’m sure the church is thinking about all the other places around the world where children were abused at schools. I’ve read the horror stories of schools in Ireland, especially against “wayward” girls, and the bodies buried at convents. Babies, mostly. May their souls burn in hell.
 

I only hope that there are fewer than 215 once they actually start removing the remains, and not more. Poor, sad, lonely children. What kind of demented people used to run schools, still run schools today. I was listening to an audio book about notorious British traitor Kim Philby and the abuse against children at the public school (ie private upper-crust school), he attended, abuse that probably did terrible things to him. No wonder the Anglo-Saxons that ran everything didn’t give a shit about indigenous children. 
 

I can kind of understand that more than a hundred years ago people simply didn’t value children and didn’t care if they died, but this went on until just three decades ago. 

FB, you and I are of an age to remember Ontario's Reform schools. I knew some kids who got sent there for different reasons. They damaged kids too. Abusers gravitated to these places. 

As to numbers I am sure more will be found once people start to look. Truly a sad, sad story. I hope those parents and surviving siblings sue the life out of the institutions that ran these places. 

[Fragile Bird]

22 minutes ago, maarsen said:

FB, you and I are of an age to remember Ontario's Reform schools. I knew some kids who got sent there for different reasons. They damaged kids too. Abusers gravitated to these places. 

As to numbers I am sure more will be found once people start to look. Truly a sad, sad story. I hope those parents and surviving siblings sue the life out of the institutions that ran these places. 

The Residential School survivors have already been awarded $2.14 B dollars in compensation, I don’t think there are any lawsuits out there anymore. The federal government has paid $3.23 B in total, compensation and costs.

[Fury Resurrected]

8 hours ago, Fragile Bird said:

The Residential School survivors have already been awarded $2.14 B dollars in compensation, I don’t think there are any lawsuits out there anymore. The federal government has paid $3.23 B in total, compensation and costs.

I wonder how many dollars per kidnapped child that is, and if they get more if they were killed. I bet it’s a very small number. 
 

But- next time anyone wonders why I’m such an angry sq**w on indigenous issues, this is why. My grandmother was a boarding school kid. She’s still here.