Provinces begin to unveil pandemic policy changes, back-to-school plans
After Alberta announced it will roll back all restrictions, other provinces are releasing COVID-19 reopening plans which are also raising concerns from critics.
Masks will be required in Ontario classrooms this fall for all grades except kindergarten, while Alberta will not require them, and British Columbia has yet to announce its mask requirement for schools.
Alberta is similar to Ontario in that there will be no provision for how schools should plan to manage outbreaks.
B.C. is also not requiring cohorts for learning and that province has not made any changes to its back-to-school plan in recent months, despite the rise of the Delta variant.
The resounding concern from rallies happening daily in Calgary and Edmonton since July 30 is that the health and safety of Alberta's children is at risk.
As well, there's an eagerness to open Alberta's financial books on the handling of the pandemic — a taxpayer-funded report looking into the first wave will be made public this week, according to Health Minister Tyler Shandro.
As daily case counts increase and active cases climb, the lagging indicators of hospitalizations and deaths continue to demonstrate that the fully-vaccinated experience a far milder degree of illness compared to earlier in the pandemic.
Officials say the vast majority of new infections are among the unvaccinated, as are the vast majority of those experiencing severe outcomes.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.