Tag: COVID-19 lockdown

Hundreds of Small Businesses Across Canada Plan to Reopen This Week Despite Local Lockdown Orders

As small businesses continue to grapple with the loss of income and the possibility of closing for good due to being deemed non-essential during COVID-19 lockdowns, hundreds of businesses have joined a push to take a stand against such measures under the banner of “we are all essential.” “The government has no right to identify one…


Xi Jinping’s Ambition to Communize Hong Kong

Commentary After the Chinese regime implemented the national security law in Hong Kong, the situation in Hong Kong has deteriorated drastically. With mass arrests of pro-democracy activists and the frequent deployment of his trusted officials to Hong Kong, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has shown his determination to transform Hong Kong into a place akin to…


Hong Kong Locks Down One More Area and Mandates Overnight Virus Testing

Hours after the Jordan area re-opened after a 48-hour lockdown, the Hong Kong authorities locked down the Yao Ma Tei area in Kowloon. Starting from 7 p.m. on Tuesday, residents at 15-27 Pitt Street and 3 Tung On Street are required to complete CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus testing by midnight. All are prohibited from…


Toronto Imposes More COVID-19 Measures on Businesses

Toronto Mayor John Tory says he is adding more COVID-19 measures, effective immediately, which businesses across the city must follow. The new measures include mandating employers to immediately inform Toronto Public Health if two or more of their employees test positive for COVID-19 in their workplace within a 14-day interval. The municipal government also requires employers…


Avalon Cluster Could Cost Australian Economy $3.2 Billion: KPMG

Financial advisory firm KPMG has warned that the lockdown in the Sydney northern beaches suburb of Avalon could cost $3.2 billion due to the loss of working hours in December. This is despite the New South Wales (NSW) state government taking a more restrained approach to CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus (novel coronavirus) restrictions than…


Canadian Politicians Face Heat for Travelling Amid Lockdown Orders

Two Canadian politicians are facing backlash for ignoring their government’s own health advice by vacationing outside Canada, despite limits on non-essential travel in their home provinces amid the pandemic. Ontario finance minister Rod Phillips said Dec. 29 he will return home after being criticized for going on vacation to a Caribbean island of St. Barts…


2 Men Charged After Two Large Gatherings Held at Ontario Church

Two men were charged by police over large gatherings in a Wheatley, Ontario, church this weekend. Chatham-Kent police said they received reports of large gatherings held at the Old Colony Mennonite Church on Dec. 26 and Dec. 27 respectively. When police arrived on both days, they found over 100 people not wearing masks inside the…


Visit Restrictions Contributed to Depression Among Care Home Residents: Doctor

A plastic barrier sits on a table between Debbie Drew and her father during their visits in the reception area of a long-term care home where the first Canadian died of COVID-19. Nine months later, Drew said visiting restrictions that were initially needed at facilities like the Lynn Valley Care Centre are now causing more…


Incidents of Violence Against Women Steadily Increase Amid Pandemic: Report

A new report (pdf) says that violence against women has been gradually increasing in Canada since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to findings, organizations that support survivors have found a 20 to 30 percent increase in violence against women in certain regions across Canada since the first lockdown was implemented in March.  Calls to…


Canada’s Pandemic Response Deeply Flawed, Says Former Provincial Emergency Agency Chief

The premise and focus of Canada’s pandemic response has been misguided—but it’s not too late to change course, says a former emergency management expert and retired Canadian army officer, who has been trying to get all of Canada’s premiers on board with his detailed action plan since the spring. David Redman is a former executive…