www.theasianstar.com Vol 20 - Issue 12
Saturday, April 24, 2021
Canada is banning passenger flights from India and Pakistan amid Covid-19 surge
Pfizer offers vaccine to Indian govt at not-for-profit price The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 mRNA vaccine has been widely used in the United States and Europe for inoculating large populations and has a tested efficacy of around 95%. US pharma major Pfizer said on Thursday that it had offered a not-for-profit price for its vaccine to the government and was in talks with the administration to deploy its jab for India’s Covid-19 immunisation programme. The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 mRNA vaccine has been widely used in the United States and Europe for inoculating large populations and has a tested efficacy of around 95%. It is a two-dose vaccine but the company said last week that people may need a third dose within 12 months of getting fully vaccinated, which may be the case with others too as scientists attempt to understand the duration of immunity.
Canada is banning passenger flights from India and Pakistan for 30 days amid concerns over rising Covid-19 cases and a new virus mutation, says Transport Minister Omar Alghabra. In the last two weeks, more than 100 international flights landing in Canada have carried at least one positive Covid-19 case on board, according to the federal government. At least 32 of those flights were from India.
Alghabra addressed the decision in a press conference on Thursday evening. “The Covid-19 pandemic can change rapidly,” he said on Thursday, citing rising pressure on the Canadian health-care system and the “continued spread of variants of concern.” “I am suspending all commercial and passenger flights arriving in Canada from India and Continued on page 6
Double mutant Covid-19 virus first identified in India is now in BC A Covid-19 variant linked to recordbreaking case numbers in India has been identified in B.C. In a prepared statement, a B.C. Ministry of Health official said that 39 cases of the double mutation known as B.1.617 had been found in the province. These cases were identified at the beginning of April but were not reported because “at the time,
Scientists invent new vaccine that can fight all forms, mutations and strains of Covid-19 In spite of the number of vaccinated people around the world rising significantly over the past few months, uncertainties about their ability in dealing with Covid-19 reinfections—especially those caused by variations and mutations of the novel coronavirus—persist. But now, researchers appear to have found a stone that kills all birds, in the form of a vaccine that may offer protection from all coronaviruses. By using an innovative approach, researchers Steven L. Zeichner from UVA Health and Xiang-Jin Meng from Virginia Tech have developed what could one day become a universal vaccine for coronaviruses.
B.1.617 had not been identified as a variant of concern or variant under investigation,” the spokesperson said. “B.C. was able to identify this lineage through whole genome sequencing. This is why B.C. has recently changed its surveillance strategy to ensure there is lab capacity to identify new and emerging variants.” Continued on page 3
BC budget projects billion dollar deficits in each of the next 3 years as part of Covid-19 recovery plan The B.C. government is projecting a $9.7 billion deficit in this year’s $69 billion budget — and additional deficits in the next two years — as the province recovers from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The pandemic will end, but our work to provide a better future will not,” said Finance Minister Selina Robinson, who said the investments were necessary to ensure British Columbians had the supports and services they needed in an uncertain time.
Continued on page 7
Punjabi smugglers among top 3 notorious gangs in Canada From drug trafficking to gang wars, extortion and money laundering, Punjabi smugglers figure among top three notorious gangs in Canada behind the biker gangs and Vietnamese groups. The Punjabi gangs have hogged international limelight these days with the Canada police claiming on Monday that they have broken a major drug cartel run mainly by Punjabis. Out of 33 persons charged for the possession of drugs and firearms besides huge currency and a gold-plated car, nearly 25 were of Punjabi origin. Though this is the biggest operation concerning the Punjabi community, reports
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reveal a number of smugglers were arrested earlier also, though never in such large numbers. Notably, Punjabi gangs are formed on clan basis. Gangs of Johals, Dhak-Duhre, Sanghera, Malhi-Buttar, and the Kangs feature regularly in drug seizures, gang wars and other criminal activities. One report from Canada said about 21 per cent of gangsters died in gang-wars or police operations since 2006 were of Punjabi region. Their activities are of high concern back home in Punjab as some of the gangs have been linked to either arrested or wanted smugglers.
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Double mutant Covid-19 virus first identified in India is now in BC From page 1
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control has now classified B.1.617 as a “variant of interest” and its public health lab is reviewing genetic sequencing information and linking that to case details. The Health Ministry is expected to make more information available at the end of this week, including the number and nature of the B.1.617 cases identified so far. Health Minister Adrian Dix said the news of the variant’s arrival was “concerning” and that the B.C. government had some issues with the implementation of the federal government’s quarantine program. “We think more can be done with respect
to ensuring that the quarantine is not only enforced, but people are supported in what can be a very challenging time,” Dix said. There have been at least 10 flights arrive in Vancouver from Delhi, India, since April 6 with COVID-infected people on board. Quebec also reported Canada’s first cases of B.1.617 on Wednesday. According to Bloomberg, the new variant was initially detected in India with two separate mutations and one of those mutations (L452R) is characterized in U.S studies to increase viral transmission by around 20 per cent and reduce antibody efficacy by more than 50 per cent.
Covid-19 Infected people arrive in BC from India as Trudeau ponders flight restriction COVID-infected people continue to arrive in Vancouver from India — where mutations are out of control. According to latest data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, 10 flights arrived in Vancouver from Delhi between April 6 and April 16 with infected people on board — and in some cases with several infected people on board. NDuring the same period, infected people also arrived in Vancouver from Amsterdam and the U.S. To be allowed to board a flight to Canada all passengers aged five and over must show a negative COVID-19 test result taken within the previous three days. If the person arrives by plane they must quarantine for three days in a government-approved hotel while they wait for a test taken when they arrived. It is not known how people who have tested negative three days before departure arrive in Vancouver sick with the disease, but health officials have said they could have contracted the virus after the test. Meanwhile, on Tuesday
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was considering whether to stop incoming flights from specific countries, such as India. “We are continuing to look at more and I have asked our officials to look carefully at, for example, what the U.K. has done very recently on suspending flights from India,” he said. In December, Canada suspended flights from the U.K. for just over two weeks due to concerns about the COVID-19 variant that first emerged there. The U.K. is adding India to its “red list” of countries from which it bars incoming flights. Only British citizens arriving from one of the 40 countries on the list are permitted entry, and they must go to quarantine hotels for 10 days. India has reported more than 250,000 new cases of COVID-19 each day this week. Its hospitals are full and the death toll is mounting. Doctors are investigating whether another new variant, known as B.1.617, may be part of the reason.
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Saturday, April 24, 2021
Federal budget spends more on everything with no plan to pay for it
The British politician Nigel Lawson once said: “To govern is to choose – to appear to be unable to choose is to appear to be unable to govern.” If Lawson is correct, then the only conclusion to be drawn from Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s federal budget is
that the Trudeau Liberals appear to be unable to govern. That’s because the budget isn’t really much of a budget, in the sense that it engages with difficult questions of prioritizing spending and weighing the trade-offs. Those may be necessary exercises in a world of scarce resources, but, apparently, Freeland
does not inhabit such a world. Instead, the only difficult choice she appeared to face in crafting this astonishing document was how to cram in as many different spending promises as possible into its 724(!) pages. In a world where the having and eating of one’s cakes are not mutually exclusive, the sky’s the limit. So, in addition to the welltelegraphed centrepiece commitment of $30 billion for government daycare (not to be confused with the existing $25 billion in direct payments to parents), there’s also money for businesses, employees, students, seniors, green tech, border security, cybersecurity, infrastructure, farmers, housing, research, transit, climate change and for empowering communities, among dozens of other things. Of course, there isn’t actually money for all of these things: that’s why the deficit came in at $354 billion, pushing the federal debt past $1 trillion. Critics will protest that the pandemic is a temporary phenomenon and that if associated measures are wound down as planned, the deficit will drop to a mere(!) $154 billion next year. The only problem with this claim is total spending isn’t being wound down. Quite the opposite: budget projections show that by 2026, total spending will be $466 billion. That’s up a whopping 29 per cent from the $362 billion spent in the Liberals’ last pre-pandemic budget in 2019. Even assuming they can hold the line on spending for the next five years – hardly a safe bet given their pre-pandemic track record – the deficit will still be at $30 billion, debt interest payments will cost taxpayers $39 billion annually, and the federal debt will have ballooned to an eye-watering $1.4 trillion. Canadians understand that this math doesn’t add up. A recent survey revealed that fully 82 per cent of Canadians agreed that to earn their vote in the next election, a party must “have a reasonable plan to get back to balanced budgets in a timely manner.”
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Saturday, April 24, 2021 BC budget lacks innovative drive, vision during uncertain times, say experts Business groups and others say British Columbia’s budget lacks the long-term vision many were looking for to support and stimulate innovation during and after the pandemic. Finance Minister Selina Robinson’s budget sets out to spend $8.7 billion over three years on infrastructure and supports for families and businesses to build economic recovery from Covid-19. Bridgitte Anderson, CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, says the business community was looking for more signs of a post-pandemic vision in Tuesday’s budget. She says the budget needed to focus on supporting and stimulating innovation and
competitiveness of B.C. businesses as the province rebuilds from the pandemic. However, Prof. Allan Tupper, a University of B.C. political scientist, says the ongoing uncertainty of the pandemic has the government balancing the prospects of improvements with the possible arrival of another disastrous wave of Covid-19. The Opposition Liberals are attacking the budget, saying the government forgot to outline a plan for the future and left many small businesses, especially tourism operators, to fend for themselves.
Delta Police arrest suspect mid-theft of catalytic converter The man, who is known to police, was arrested for break-and-enter and theft . Police have arrested a man found in middle of stealing the catalytic converter from a vehicle in Delta. According to a DPD press release, police were alerted to a break-and-enter in the Tilbury area at about 4 a.m. on an undisclosed day in early April. The complainant informed police they
had witnessed the suspect entering the closed and secured area through a hole in the fence. Police arrived on scene at a Vantage Way business within minutes and could hear the sound of metal being cut by a power saw within the secure lot. Police then located the suspect in the process of removing the catalytic converter from an RV.
Surrey Police Service to begin public consultation in late June or early July Surrey Police Service Chief Constable Norm Lipinski expects to launch a public consultation campaign in late June or early July, with a survey and focus groups. “I think it’s so important to get that feedback on what kind of police service the community wants,” Lipinski told the police board on Tuesday. “What do they want the SPS to do and in what fashion, and what it the culture and what is important to them. So I look forward to that feedback.” Community input, he said, “will occur.” “Once we complete the community consultation, then the SPS executive and the board will formulate a strategic plan
and that will be late summer, early fall. That plan of course will be based on what the community wants the SPS to do over the next three years or two-to-four years. We’ll have a look at the timelines when we get together in the fall,” he said. “I think this is a very important piece of work and I’m excited about it.” Board member Elizabeth Model, chairwoman of the finance committee, reported that SPS spending for this fiscal year is expected to be $29.5 million and by the end of 2021 the SPS expects to carry forward approximately $14.2 million to 2022 and future years.
Man dead in morning shooting outside Langley Sportsplex Shooting happened just after 9 a.m., Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says . The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has confirmed one man is dead after a fatal shooting outside the Langley Sportsplex on 91A Avenue. IHIT spokesperson Sgt. Frank Jang said the shooting happened just after 9 a.m. PT Wednesday. The Langley Sportsplex houses a daycare, four sheets of ice and is across the street from a movie theatre and restaurants. Unconfirmed reports say a body was seen lying on the ground outside the front doors of the facility.
The homicide is the third fatal shooting in five days to take place in a busy public area. On Monday, 20-year-old Bailey McKinney was killed in a targeted shooting at Town Centre Skatepark in Coquitlam. IHIT investigators say there were roughly 50 people in the park at the time. On Saturday night, Harpreet Singh Dhaliwal, 31, was gunned down outside of Cardero’s restaurant in Coal Harbour. Police say the Abbotsford man was also targeted. IHIT has not said if the killings are connected or related to an ongoing Lower Mainland gang war.
20-year-old man killed in targeted shooting at Coquitlam park A 20-year-old man has been identified as the victim of a brazen shooting in a Coquitlam on Monday evening. The killing happened around 6:30 p.m. in front of dozens of witnesses at a basketball court at Town Centre Park, and homicide investigators are still searching for a suspect. Sgt. Frank Jang with the Integrated Homcide Investigation Team said they believe the victim, Bailey McKinney, was “targeted for murder.” “We believe he had conflict with certain individuals,” Jang said, and added McKinney had interactions with police in the past. Court records show someone with the same name facing a number of charges, including unlawful confinement, assault with a weapon, and possession for the purpose of trafficking, with court dates set for next month. Jang said McKinney was found lying
on the ground when police responded to calls of shots fired at the park, and investigators believe there may have been 40 to 50 people in the area at the time. Police are now hoping to speak with those witnesses. “When the shots rang out, a lot of them scattered, understandably, from the shock of having witnessed a shooting take place,” Jang said. “There may be some who actually knew our victim who were there, and some perhaps may even know the shooter.” Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart said he was in the park Monday night at the time of the shooting, but didn’t witness what happened. “There were hundreds of people in the park,” he said. “It was very jarring to have something very tragic happen in a place that is normally filled with the laughter of children.”
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Saturday, April 24, 2021
From page 1
Canada is banning passenger flights from India and Pakistan amid Covid-19 surge
in Canada from India and Pakistan for 30 days.” The measure goes into effect at 11:30 p.m. ET on Thursday. Health Minister Patty Hajdu said 1.8 per cent of cases detected so far are in travellers, but that eliminating direct travel from both India and Pakistan is intended to give health officials time to sequence and better understand the variant first detected in India. While not officially designated as a variant of concern by Health Canada, B.1.617 is being treated as a variant of interest and is being described as a “double mutant” due to a pair of mutations that the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare says may confer “immune escape and increased infectivity.” The number of active Covid-19 cases in Delta decreased last week after setting the record the week before for the most since health officials began releasing city-level numbers in early December.Every Wednesday, the BC Centre for Disease Control releases a map showing the geographic distribution of Covid-19 cases by local health area of residence. The latest weekly map shows Delta had 241 cases for the week of April 11 to 17, 21 fewer cases more than the 262 cases reported the week previous and 33 more than the previous high set the week ending Dec. 5 — the first weekly map released by the BC CDC.Previous to last week, the number of active cases in the city had been climbing for 10 straight weeks — from a low of 59 the week ending Jan. 30.The overall number of active cases in the Fraser Health region also hit a new high last week with 4,260 — 161 more cases than the week before and the most cases since the BC CDC began releasing weekly case totals
On Wednesday, British Columbia confirmed 39 cases of the variant, while Quebec reported its first known case of the new variant in the province.“We should be worried,” said Donald Vinh, an infectious disease specialist and a medical microbiologist at the McGill University Health Centre. “If a variant can spread into another country, that means it has some capacity for survival fitness and that usually means it’s as or more transmissible than the current strain.” It is natural for all viruses to mutate, as their genetic material undergoes small changes during outbreaks.
Active Covid-19 cases in Delta down from previous high by local health area. While the number of cases in the region did rise last week, it was much less of a gain than in the weeks previous — 845 more for the week ending April 10, 433 for the week ending April 3, and 606 for the week ending March 27. Only four of the 13 local health areas in the Fraser Health region saw increases over the previous week: Surrey (1,698, up 125, Langley (340, up 130), Abbotsford (492, up 179), and Agassiz-Harrison (20, up 5).Wednesday’s map release came as health officials reported 862 new Covid-19 cases in the province over the past 24 hours — 557 of those in the Fraser Health region — and seven more deaths, bringing the total to 1,546 since the pandemic began. Hospitalizations also rose to a record 483 people, up from 456 on Tuesday, with 164 people in intensive care, up from 148 on Tuesday. THE LATEST: B.C. sees 862 more Covid-
19cases Wednesday, seven deaths (April 21, 2021) Earlier this month, the BC CDC released an updated map showing the total cumulative cases by local health area from the start of the pandemic through the end of March 2021. That map shows there were a total of 3,337 Covid-19 cases in Delta through March 31, with 614 new cases that month.The map also shows there were 4, 406 new cases in Surrey in March, and 10,554 new cases across the Fraser Health region. Vancouver Coastal Health, meanwhile, had 5,726 new cases that month.As of Thursday morning (April 22), there were no outbreaks at any Delta long-term care, assisted living or independent living facilities.Health officials did close one Delta business — Golden West Baking Co., located at 1111 Derwent Way on Annacis Island — on April 17 due the number of cases Covid-19 among the workers. The closure follows an announcement by Provincial
206 - 55 Water Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 1A1
Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry April 8 that workplaces with three or more people who have COVID-19 and likely transmission in the workplace will be ordered to close, unless it is in the overriding public interest to keep it open. The closure generally last for 10 days unless otherwise determined by health officialsMeanwhile, Fraser Health’s website listed exposures at 13 Delta schools as of Thursday morning: Brooke Elementary (April 9), Burnsview Secondary (April 8 and 9), Cougar Canyon Elementary (April 12 and 13), Chalmers Elementary (April 12, 15 and 16), Delview Secondary (April 9, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16), Gray Elementary (April 12, 13 and 14), Heath Traditional Elementary (April 12), North Delta Secondary (April 8, 9, 12 and 13), Pebble Hill Traditional Elementary (April 7 and 8), Sands Secondary (April 8, 12, 13 and 14), Seaquam Secondary School (April 8, 9 and 12), Sunshine Hills Elementary (April 12, 13 and 16) and Immaculate Conception School (April 8 and 12).
Saturday, April 24, 2021 From page 1
BC budget projects billion dollar deficits in each of the next 3 years as part of Covid-19 recovery plan
“Budget 2021 gives us the tools we need to build a bridge to the better days ahead, and I look forward to crossing it together.” The budget provided no new major spending announcements, as the government had made most of its commitments through the 2020 economic recovery plan, the provincial election, and the first few weeks of this year’s legislative session. Those commitments include: Free transit for children under the age of 12. A permanent $175/month increase to income and disability assistance (though down from $300/month increase during the first two waves of the pandemic), and a $50/month increase to the seniors’ supplement. $2 billion in a low-interest loan program for builders of affordable housing. In addition, the province has added $60 million more in annual base funding for the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, $800 million in ongoing business supports and $120 million to support tourism recovery, from “major
Scientists invent new vaccine that can fight all forms, mutations and strains of Covid-19 This vaccine wouldn’t just fight all the current and future strains of COVID19-causing SARS-CoV-2, but also the coronaviruses that previously threatened epidemics or cause cases of the common cold on a regular basis. How can one vaccine fight all coronaviruses? The vaccine created by Zeichner and Meng takes an unusual approach, in that it targets a part of the virus’ spike protein called the “viral fusion peptide”. This fusion peptide is essentially universal among coronaviruses; in fact, it has not changed or differed at all in any of the genetic sequences of SARS-CoV-2 that have been obtained from thousands of patients around the world. The vaccine’s ability to target this universal part is what’s supposed to render it effective against all coronaviruses. To test its effectiveness, Meng and Zeichner made two vaccines—one designed to protect against COVID-19 in humans, and another to protect against Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Vaccine (PEDV) in pigs. Both these diseases are caused by distantly related coronaviruses, which share several of the amino acids that constitute the fusion peptide. Both these vaccines were administered to different groups of pigs, and subsequent analysis revealed that the vaccine for PEDV as well as the vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 protected the pigs against the illness caused by PEDV. While the vaccines did not prevent infection completely, they successfully protected the pigs from developing severe symptoms. Moreover, they also primed the pigs’ immune systems to mount a much more vigorous immune response to the infection.
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anchor attractions” to community destination development grants. There is also $3.25 billion allocated for “pandemic and recovery contingencies,” to give the province flexibility for programs necessary through the rest of the pandemic as the need arises. B.C. NDP lays out priorities in critical throne speech “The same principles that led our response to COVID-19 will guide our recovery,” said Robinson. “First, that healthy people, healthy communities, and a strong economy are one and the same. Second, that B.C.’s recovery must include everyone. And third, it’s more important than ever before to maintain the services people count on.”
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The new normal? Experts say B.C.’s current vaccination plan doesn’t lead to COVID-free future Not enough people will obtain immunity to Covid-19 under B.C.’s current vaccination program to allow life to return to normal by fall, according to a new report by two Simon Fraser University professors. A set of simulations run by mathematicians Paul Tupper and Caroline Colijn show that B.C. should be able to protect about 51 per cent of the population through its current vaccination program, which aims to provide every eligible adult with their second dose of vaccine by September. That is about nine
percentage points short of the 60 per cent of the population needed to achieve herd immunity. \Tupper said it was his “fervent hope” that life would return to normal after B.C.’s vaccination rollout was complete, but after crunching the numbers and looking at research from the U.K., he realized that was “not going to happen.” That is because about 80 per cent of B.C.’s population is adult and only 80 per cent of adults are expected to get vaccinated. In their simulations,
Tupper and Colijn assumed the vaccines would be 80-per-cent effective at preventing infection. As a result, they found that vaccinating only adults who choose to be vaccinated would not achieve herd immunity. “I think this report is a warning to the public that we can’t expect to go back to normal in September,” said Tupper. “It also provides some advice (for health officials) on the need to vaccinate children.” Tupper said the public shouldn’t be surprised when discussions about vaccinating kids come up in B.C. as it is likely the best option for reaching the end of the pandemic. While the Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines are approved for those 18 and older and the Pfizer vaccine is approved for those 16 and older, trials for younger ages are still underway. Health Canada is reviewing an application from Pfizer to expand vaccine use to kids 12 and up. “We need a higher fraction of the population to have immunity in order to return to life as normal,” Tupper and Colijn wrote in their report. “We can reach that fraction either through vaccination or infection.” The report lays out three options, including changing the current vaccination program to include kids and increase acceptance of the vaccines among those who have chosen
not to get it. Another option to close the nine-point gap is to accept that an additional 10 to 20 per cent of the population will get COVID-19 after the current vaccination program is complete. Tupper and Colijn warn that this option comes at a “substantial risk” to the infected individuals, many of whom would be children. “That’s nearly 470,000 people in B.C., or approximately three times the number of infections we have seen to date,” they wrote. The third option, which also comes with a downside, is to continue to manage the spread of the virus through social distancing. While the report concludes that the first option — changing the current vaccination program — will likely lead to the best outcome, some combination of the three will be necessary. “The more immunity we have, the less we have to do of these other things,” Tupper explained. “We need to start thinking about the things we’re going to need to do forever.The math professor said the public may be willing to accept the need for continued contract tracing for cases of COVID-19, but “never having a child’s birthday party again” is out of the question. Tupper also warned that other factors could come into play in determining B.C.’s “new normal.“If we vaccinate children and we keep vaccine hesitancy low and we don’t see a new variant, normal is possible,” he said. But a more transmissible virus caused by variants could require a level of protection greater than 60 per cent to achieve herd immunity.In their COVID-19 briefing Monday, government officials did not look further than B.C.’s current vaccination plan. “There is hope in the vaccination program,” Premier John Horgan said while talking about new provincial restrictions on travel and tourism. “We have another five weeks to go to realize a 60-percent vaccination rate and also to drive down hospitalization by making sure that we each do what we can to protect each other.”
Saturday, April 24, 2021
BC police say they take ‘exception’ to conducting roadblocks limiting travel British Columbia’s solicitor general says the government will release details of what is considered essential travel this week as the province looks at using roadblocks to limit the spread of Covid-19. Mike Farnworth described the checkpoints as a type of “counterattack,” often used to find drunk drivers, but this time meant to discourage recreational travel outside of a person’s health authority. A “full and comprehensive” list on what is considered essential travel will be released laster this week, Farnworth said at a news conference Wednesday. His comments come as the National Police Federation released a statement saying it has “grave concerns” about police taking part in enforcing a Covid-19 ban on non-essential travel. A statement from Brian Sauvé, president of the federation, said asking the police to enforce roadblocks puts even greater pressure on limited resources and
exposes officers to further risk and possible Covid-19 infections. “Equally important, we are continuing to enhance and build on our relationships with vulnerable and racialized communities, and the ambiguity and potentially negative impacts of these orders risk reversing this progress,” he said. He also pointed to a similar attempt in Ontario where the province had to pedal back enforcement measures. Officers were originally given powers to stop any pedestrian or driver to ask why they’re out or request their home address. But on Sunday, Doug Ford’s government limited police to being able to stop people who they had reason to believe were participating in an “organized public event or social gathering.’’ Police forces in Ontario had said they had no intention of exercising their new powers ahead of the reversal.
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MPs unanimously agree that Feds should suspend non-essential flights from variant hot spots Federal MPs showed unanimous support on Thursday for a Bloc Quebecois motion to have the government immediately suspend nonessential passenger flights from countries with high rates of Covid-19 variants. The motion is non-binding on the government but will no doubt place added pressure on Ottawa to consider more severe border control measures, namely on flights from India and Brazil. The two countries have seen upticks in variant cases. Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said Ottawa is
looking at what tools they have at their disposal, with more expected to be shared Thursday. “We are very actively considering all and any additional measures that… will be necessary to protect Canadians,” he said. Blair said they could ground certain flights coming into Canada and they could “deal more effectively” when travellers present falsified test results. However, the minister stopped short of saying the federal government is actively considering banning certain flights from India.
USA to help Canada with more Covid-19 vaccine supply President Biden says President Joe Biden says the United States plans to provide Canada with more help in procuring COVID-19 vaccines. Biden says he spoke today with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the subject. He says the White House is looking at what to do with vaccines that aren’t currently in use in the U.S. That’s likely a reference to the OxfordAstraZeneca shot, which has been approved for
use by Health Canada but not by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The U.S. has already provided Canada with about 1.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and gave 2.5 million doses to Mexico. The president says he spoke with Trudeau today for about half an hour, describing him as someone who is working hard to help his country deal with the pandemic.
C$ posts biggest gain in 10 months as Bank of Canada cuts stimulus The Canadian dollar surged by the most since June 2020 against its U.S. counterpart on Wednesday and the Toronto stock market rebounded as investors welcomed a move by the Bank of Canada to dial back emergency support for the economy. The loonie strengthened 0.9% to 1.2495 per U.S. dollar, or 80.03 U.S. cents. Canada’s main stock index ended 0.5% higher at 19,143.25, clawing back some of its decline over the previous two days. “I think we are seeing positive sentiment toward the Canadian economy coming off the
comments from the Bank of Canada today,” said Colin Cieszynski, chief market strategist at SIA Wealth Management. The Bank of Canada signaled that it could start hiking interest rates in late 2022, as it sharply boosted its outlook for the Canadian economy and cut the pace of bond purchases to C$3 billion per week from C$4 billion. The central bank began a large-scale bond buying program last year to support the economy during the coronavirus crisis.
Vancouver Coastal, Fraser Health to be considered one region for BC travel restrictions People travelling within the Lower Mainland will not be subject to checks on travel when restrictions come in later this week. “The Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health authorities will be treated as one health authority,” Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth said of check-stops. “You’re likely to see something at the [BC] Ferries, for example,” he added. “The other obvious location is when you head into the Interior just before Hope, if you were going to take [Highway 1] or the Hope-Princeton, or the Coquihalla. But you will not be seeing anything on Boundary Road — in Vancouver or Burnaby, or the Tri-Cities, for example.” The president of the Vancouver Police
Union and the B.C. Police Association says there were concerns from members after measures were first announced by Premier John Horgan on Monday. The public safety minister clarified on Tuesday that the province was “examining the use of periodic roadblocks only” and that police would not be randomly stopping people on roads to make sure they aren’t travelling outside their health region during the pandemic. Restrictions could see tourists from other parts of Canada denied access to parts of B.C. Farnworth says the travel restrictions, set to take effect Friday, could prevent people from coming into B.C. from elsewhere in Canada.
Saturday, April 24, 2021
Large, police-patrolled as crowds gather at Vancouver beach for Covid-19 protests Large crowds gathered at Sunset Beach in Vancouver on Tuesday (April 20) to protest against Covid-19 restrictions. The protest was organized by Chris Sky, a well-known anti-masker who has been added to Canada’s no-fly list and removed from Instagram for his opposition to masks and other Covid-19 restrictions. His website says Sky’s “vast knowledge and articulate delivery are second to none when it comes to examining and presenting the facts to find the truth.” A poster for Tuesday’s event, posted to Twitter, says “It’s time to shut this tyranny down!” In B.C., outdoor gatherings are limited to 10 people and most events are not currently allowed. In an email, Vancouver police Sgt. Steve Addison said that “officers patrolled the
beaches and monitored gatherings and protests.” Addison was not able to confirm if tickets were handed out on Tuesday night. He said that since the start of 2021, Vancouver police have issued more than $108,000 in tickets to Covid-19 rule breakers. “As the weather improves and more people come outside, we will look to our partners at the municipal and provincial level – including bylaws, Park Rangers, liquor inspectors and public health officers – to assist in creating a more coordinated approach to discourage unsafe public gatherings,” Addison said. “This may include increased enforcement, but also more education and information about social distancing and face coverings.” The death toll from the virus has reached 1,539 in BC, including a toddler.
Montreal newspaper blasted for front page photo of Trudeau in India The Journal de Montreal newspaper is being criticized for running a photo from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s 2018 trip to India on its front page Thursday to accompany a COVID-19 story. Trudeau is wearing traditional Indian clothes and holding his hands together in prayer beside a caption that reads, “The Indian variant has arrived.” The cover refers to Quebec’s first case of a novel coronavirus variant that emerged in India, and it asks “Justin” whether ties with India will be cut quickly. Benoit Charette, the provincial minister responsible for fighting racism, said
Thursday on Twitter he fears the cover photo could fuel prejudice in the province. The Journal’s cover drew criticism from other politicians in Quebec City, including Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade, who called it “very dangerous.” Dany Doucet, editor-in-chief of the newspaper, said the photo was chosen to illustrate Trudeau’s attachment to India and the difficult choice he faces regarding flights from that country. “Those who didn’t understand this certainly haven’t read the stories inside, as too many commentators sometimes don’t,” Doucet told QMI Agency, which is also owned by the Journal de Montreal‘s publisher, Quebecor Inc.
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Budget 2021
Saturday, April 24, 2021
BC budget expands $10-a-day childcare, boosts pay for early childhood educators BC govt is doubling the number of spaces available under its $10-a-day childcare pilot program. The NDP government’s 2021 budget sees childcare spending climb by $233 million over three years. Of that funding, $111 million will go to the $10-a-day program, adding 3,750 spaces in 75 additional childcare centres to the ChildcareBC Universal Prototype Sites. It comes a day after the federal Liberals announced $30 billion over five years to create a national childcare program with $10 a day spaces in their own budget. The province is also hoping to bolster the childcare workforce by doubling the wage subsidy for early childhood educators to $4 per hour. It says that top up will help raise the median wage of an ECE to just under $25 per hour. Paul Kershaw, founder of Generation Squeeze and associate professor
at UBC’s School of Population and Public Health, said while the initiatives were welcome, they fell short of the $750 million per year the NDP government promised last fall. “Sure, the NDP has improved childcare substantially by comparison with the previous government,” he said. “But this big gap between the NDP’s election promise and its actual investments will mean too many BC families continue to be squeezed financially because childcare costs another rent — or mortgagesized payment on top of skyrocketing home prices.” The 2021 budget also expands the Seamless Day Pilot, which integrates the delivery of childcare into school districts by delivering care on school grounds. That program will be expanded to 20 additional school districts from the current four.
BC projects $9.7 billion deficit as govt spends on social programs, Covid-19 economic recovery The B.C. government’s first budget since the start of the pandemic included significant spending on mental-health and addiction services, housing and supports for seniors. But critics decried a lack of major spending to prop up businesses struggling with the fallout of the pandemic and little support for workers without a provincial paid sick leave program. Finance Minister Selina Robinson tried to strike a balance between continuing to support people and businesses during COVID-19’s
crushing third wave and post-pandemic economic recovery. The budget, unveiled Tuesday, calls for spending of up to $67.6 billion in fiscal 2021-22 with an estimated $9.7-billion deficit. There were no new major taxes. B.C. Budget 2021: B.C. projects $9.7 billion deficit as government spends on social programs, COVID-19 economic recovery It did include $120 million over three years to prop up the tourism sector.
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Highlights of budget 2021: Billions for green economic growth, healthier Indigenous communities Highlights of the 2021 federal budget: Big measures: $101.4 billion in new spending over three years to fuel the recovery and kickstart the transition to a green economy. $30 billion over five years and $8.3 billion per year after that to create and sustain a national child care program. Goal is a $10/day child care service by 2025-2026. $18 billion to build safer, healthier Indigenous communities. $17.6 billion for green recovery — to conserve 25 per cent of lands and oceans by 2025 and to put Canada on course to exceed climate change targets by cutting emissions to 36 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. Extension of pandemic business and income support measures, such as wage and rent subsidies, through the fall. Taxable grant payment of $500 to Old Age Security pensioners age 75 or older as of June 2022 and a 10 per cent boost to maximum OAS benefits for pensioners 75 or older starting July 1, 2022. Deficit and debt Deficit at $354.2 billion in 2020-21 and $154.7 billion in 2021-22, expected to gradually decline to $30.7 billion in 202526, or approximately 1 per cent of GDP. Debt-to-GDP ratio soars above 50 per cent, then falls to 49.2 per cent by 2025-2026. Jobs and workers Extension of maximum period of employment insurance sickness benefits, from 15 weeks to 26 weeks. Projection of 1 million new jobs
created by the end of the year. A new $15 federal minimum wage. $4.4 billion to help homeowners with green retrofits through interest-free loans of up to $40,000. $3 billion over five years to help provinces/territories improve long-term care. $2.5 billion to build and repair 35,000 housing units for vulnerable Canadians. $1 billion for the tourism sector for festivals and cultural events. New tax of 10 to 20 per cent for luxury cars and aircraft worth more than $100,000 and luxury boats over $250,000. $300 million to support Black and other underrepresented entrepreneurs. No promise of funding to implement a national pharmacare program. $236.2 million over five years, and $33.5 million per year afterward, for the departments of National Defence and Veterans Affairs to eliminate sexual misconduct and gender-based violence in the military and to support survivors. Extension of interest-free period for Canada student and apprentice loans to March 31, 2023, at a cost to the government of an estimated $392.7 million in 2022-23.
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Budget 2021
Saturday, April 24, 2021
BC projects $9.7 billion deficit as govt spends on social From previous page programs, Covid-19 economic recovery It also followed through on an election promise to make transit free for children under 12, which will cost taxpayers $26 million. Iglika Ivanova, senior economist with the B.C. office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, said considering the crisis created by the pandemic, the NDP government went with “a surprisingly status quo budget.” She said the government relied on a continuation of its 10-year plans for child care, housing and climate change announced in the 2018 budget but delivered few new social initiatives. “Unfortunately, this budget misses the opportunity to become … the most significant budget of the generation, which I thought it would be,” Ivanova said. “Considering the significant,
very deep, gender and racial inequalities that the pandemic spotlighted, I would have liked to see a lot more ongoing investments in speeding up some of those programs on affordable housing and child care, and on addressing their urgent climate emergency.” Noticeably absent from the budget was a paid sick leave program, which the B.C. Federation of Labour has said is crucial to stopping the spread of COVID-19 by ensuring people don’t go into work sick. Labour groups have said the federal government’s Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit, which pays $500 a week for anyone sick with COVID-19, is an inadequate measure that doesn’t replace a worker’s full wages.
Prices soar on booming home sales, beetles and bottlenecks in sawmills U.S. wood prices are racing higher amid a vigorous economic recovery from the pandemic, blasting through previous records as sawmills struggle to keep pace with demand in the run-up to peak homebuilding season. Lumber futures have soared by more than 50 per cent this year to more than US$1,327 per 1,000 board feet length as housebuilders and DIY stores scramble for increasingly scarce supplies. That has taken gains since the depths of the COVID-19 crisis to 400 per cent, significantly above the contract’s previous high of US$650 set in 2018. Lumber party: Prices soar on booming
home sales, beetles and bottlenecks in sawmills The physical market is also red hot, with the price of the preferred product for wooden framing — 2×4 lengths of Western Spruce-pinefir — rising 30 per cent since the turn of the year to US$1,205, according to lumber pricing company Fastmarkets Random Lengths. That is almost US$900 above the average price since 2005. Market veterans are stunned by the scale of the rally and say it underlines the inflationary challenge facing the U.S. economy as it springs back from pandemic lockdowns that have crushed inventories and production.
UBC study finds drivers on prescription drugs like benzodiazepines have higher risk of auto vehicle crashes University of British Columbia researchers have found that drivers on prescription pills such as opioids and anti-anxiety medication have a high risk of causing a car crash, and that the risk doesn’t decrease over time. The study, which was published Monday in Lancet Public Health, say drivers prescribed sedating antipsychotics have a 35 per cent increased risk of causing a road collision, while people on commonly prescribed benzodiazepines like Valium or Xanax
increase their risk by 25 to 30 per cent. UBC study finds drivers on prescription drugs like benzodiazepines have higher risk of crashing The researchers from UBC’s faculty of medicine also found that high-potency opioids such as morphine showed a 24 per cent increased risk of road collisions. Dr. Jeff Brubacher, an associate professor at UBC’s faculty of medicine, said the study shows that more caution is needed from those prescribing the drugs.
‘Practically impossible’ to keep Covid-19 variants out, officials say, as flights from hotspots continue It’s almost “impossible” to keep concerning mutations of COVID-19 out of the country, Canada’s top doctors warned on Wednesday. Since April 6, more than 100 international flights landing in Canada have carried at least one positive COVID-19 case on board, according to the federal government. “We know that, with viruses, it’s practically impossible to prevent new variants from arriving here in Canada,” said deputy chief public health officer Dr. Howard Njoo, speaking in French during a COVID-19 update on April 21. Instead, he said, Canada should focus
on its response when those variants almost inevitably worm their way into the country. “It’s very important to figure out what it is we’re doing inside our country once these new variants have emerged here,” Njoo said. “It’s very important to do contact tracing and lots of testing, there are many things that we must continue to do here in Canada besides just focusing on what’s going on at the border.” When Variants of Concern (VOC) started to emerge, particularly the B.1.1.7 variant that was first detected in the United Kingdom, Canada tightened up its air-travel-related COVID-19
More can be done to protect B.C. from invasive species, says Kyllo Press release after pet stores and retailers were forced to curtail the sale of mossballs and fish to fight against a potential infestation. Kyllo is calling on government to take further steps to improve provincial conservation and protection efforts, including presenting a single Invasive Species Act to streamline funding to conservation groups and improve remediation and conservation efforts.
In advance of Earth Day this Thursday, Shuswap MLA Greg Kyllo is highlighting the need for government to take more action to protect local wildlife and ecosystems from invasive species. Kyllo notes the impact that invasive species like zebra and quagga mussels have had on lake ecosystems in Eastern Canada, and even for B.C.’s small businesses
LOCAL / NATIONAL
Saturday, April 24, 2021
Some BC hospitals at capacity as warnings grow Frontline medical workers, administrators and others are painting a troubling picture of the state of B.C. hospitals, with some intensive care units full and contingency plans underway as staff struggle to keep up with incoming CovidD-19 patients. In Fraser Health alone, there are 229 CovidD-19 patients, with 67 of them in ICU and high acuity units. Approximately half of them are at Surrey Memorial Hospital, and the health authority is operating at 96 per cent hospital capacity overall, with some hospitals at 100 per cent. Five of the 60 operating rooms normally run by Fraser Health have been already closed so that staff could be diverted to CovidD-19 care, according to Dr. Victoria Lee, president and CEO of the health authority. That’s forced dozens of non-emergency surgeries to be postponed. “What that might look
like would be 50 to 70 actual surgeries,” Lee said Tuesday. “I think we talked about how painstaking some of these decisions are.” B.C.’s health minister described the situation in clinical terms on Monday, which didn’t express the reality inside hospitals, according to several frontline workers who spoke to CTV News publicly and on background. “We are looking at a number of hospitals around B.C. and moving into the utilization of surge beds, requiring a degree of service deferral to support staff redeployment to support our existing staff and to deal with the pressures of Covid-19 admissions,” said Adrian Dix. But the president of the BC Nurses’ Union said she polled her members Monday morning and those working at the major hospitals in the province said their base beds are all full.
Statement from Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole on Justin Trudeau’s child care plan Press release best approach to child care doesn’t work, and that it is a plan full of holes. “Justin Trudeau wants bureaucrats in Ottawa to decide what is best for Canadian families, and his plan on child care will be just another letdown for hardworking parents who need support now. “Canada’s Conservatives will put parents back in the driver’s seat when it comes to making the best choice for their children and have a proven plan that addresses the child care needs of all Canadian families.”
The Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives and the Official Opposition, issued the following statement on Justin Trudeau’s Ottawa-knows-best child care plan: “Parents know better than bureaucrats what is best for their families. What they don’t need is an Ottawa-knowsbest, one-size-fits-all child care system. “In fact, even Liberal Members of Parliament like Adam Vaughan have recently said that this Ottawa-knows-
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Canadian judge agrees to delay Meng Wanzhou extradition hearings The documents were released in a settlement reached in Hong Kong between the Chinese telecommunications giant and HSBC. CBC News reported on Wednesday that Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes granted the defence’s request and agreed to adjourn the case until the beginning of August. The extradition hearings were originally scheduled to wrap up next month. Canadian authorities arrested Meng, Huawei’s chief financial officer, in Vancouver in December 2018 on an extradition warrant from the US, where she is wanted on fraud charges for allegedly breaking US sanctions on Iran.
She has rejected the accusations and her lawyers are hoping the newly released banking documents will be key to her defence. Meng’s case has caused friction between Canada and China, where two Canadian citizens were detained in 2018 on espionage charges. Canadian officials have accused Beijing of arresting Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig in retaliation for Meng’s arrest – an accusation that the Chinese government has rejected. The scheduled resumption on Monday of Meng’s extradition proceedings was expected to last three weeks and would have been the final leg of her two-and-ahalf-year legal fight against extradition. Meng is currently under house arrest in Vancouver.
Canada’s housing supply needs a boost to make prices affordable Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said the country needs a boost in the supply of housing to help make prices more affordable, but suggests there may be other steps governments can take. Speaking at a virtual event on Thursday, Freeland said the federal government wants to work with lower levels of government on the issue, saying there is more that cities, provinces and Ottawa can do together. Freeland didn’t detail what other options could be out there during her hour-long talk with the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. Monday’s federal budget promised $2.4 billion over five years, beginning with nearly $1.8 billion this fiscal year, for affordable housing and pledged to tax foreigners who own vacant homes in Canada. Freeland said the government would take into account concerns from places like Whistler,
#106 - 7565 132 St. Surrey, BC 604.572.3005
B.C., where a vacancy tax may be problematic for Americans who own vacation properties in the area. While housing shouldn’t be used by foreign buyers to store wealth offshore, Freeland said that affordability concerns are first and foremost an issue of supply. “Something that we want to work with provinces, municipalities on is really finding more and more creative ways to increase housing supply in Canada,” Freeland said during the event, one of several designed to promote budget measures. “Having said that,” she added a moment later, “I think it’s also important to be sure that there are measures in place to discourage speculation, and in particular measures in place to ensure that houses in Canada don’t become vehicles for storing offshore wealth.
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Saturday, April 24, 2021
INDIA
Saturday, April 24, 2021
Indian-American lawmakers, groups welcome verdict in George Floyd death case Several Indian-American lawmakers and groups have welcomed the decision of a federal grand jury in Minneapolis holding Derek Chauvin, a former police officer, guilty on all three counts in the death of African-American George Floyd. “Justice was served today, but convicting Derek Chauvin won’t fix the system that continues to terrorise and kill Black lives. It won’t bring back George Floyd,” Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said. “Black lives matter—and we must keep fighting for them by passing the Justice in Policing Act and transforming policing,” Jayapal said. Congressman Ro Khanna said: “This verdict brought accountability. I hope it will be the first of many. But it doesn’t change the fact that George Floyd should still be alive today. We now must pass the Justice in Policing Act.” “My heart remains with the Floyd family. His life mattered. Black lives matter,” said the lawmaker representing Silicon Valley in the US House of Representatives. Indian-American Congressman Ami Bera tweeted: “Justice has been served.”
“Grateful for justice. My heart goes out to the Floyd family,” said Neera Tanden, president of Centre for American Progress. The South Asian Bar Association (SABA) of North America applauded the jury verdict that found Chauvin guilty on all counts. “While this verdict was a step in the right direction, it is only one step in a broader fight against the systemic racism within our country,” SABA said. “Justice was served today, but justice must be served every day,” said Rippi Gill, president of SABA North America. “We must not let our guard down, and we must continue to fight against the racism and violence plaguing our communities throughout the country,” he said.
Tracking course of Covid-19 outbreak in India very closely: US The United States is tracking the course of the Covid outbreak in India “very closely”, the State Department has said. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised Americans to avoid all travel to India. “We are tracking the course of the Covid outbreak in India very closely,” State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference. Responding to a question, he said, Secretary of State Tony Blinken and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed the issue during a phone call on Monday. “Whether it’s India or any other country, we
are committed to doing what we can both at present and going forward to see to it that this virus is brought under control,” he said. According to the World Health Organisation, from January 3, 2020 to April 20, 2021, India has reported 15.3 million Covid cases and over 1,80,000 deaths. As of April 11, a total of 104 million vaccine doses had been administered, the WHO said. In the last 24 hours, 2,59,170 new Covid cases and 1,761 deaths were reported in India, the WHO said.
USA advises its citizens to avoid travelling to India due to Covid spike The US has advised its citizens to avoid travelling to India, even if they are fully vaccinated as there is a ‘very high level’ of Covid in the country. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday released travel recommendations by destination. It uses science-based Travel Health Notices to alert travellers to health threats around the world and advises on how to protect themselves. The CDC has a four-level system for Covid and in that India is placed in ‘Level 4: Very high level of Covid’. The department noted, “The Covid pandemic continues to pose unprecedented risks to travellers.” The CDC has urged Americans to avoid all travel to India. “Travellers should avoid all travel to India. Because of the current situation in India even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and spreading Covid variants and should avoid all travel to India,” the CDC said in a statement. “Because of the current situation in India even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and spreading Covid variants and should avoid all travel to India. “If you must travel to India, get fully vaccinated before travel. All travellers should wear a mask, stay six feet from others, avoid crowds, and wash their hands,” it said. The number of active coronavirus cases surpassed the 20-lakh mark in India as the country continued to record a mammoth surge in daily cases of the coronavirus disease. The nationwide tally of Covid cases mounted to 1,53,21,089 with a record single-day rise of 2,59,170 coronavirus infections, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday. The State Department announced on Monday that it would begin to update its travel advisories to more closely align with those from the CDC. The update comes as the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, which has now claimed more than 3 million lives worldwide. It strongly recommended US citizens to reconsider all travel abroad encompassing 80 per cent of the world.
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INDIA
Saturday, April 24, 2021
Vanita Gupta confirmed to key Justice Department job in narrow Senate vote The U.S. Senate on Wednesday narrowly voted to confirm Vanita Gupta as associate attorney general for the Department of Justice, the No. 3 position at an agency that is expected to take more federal action on issues including domestic extremism and police brutality. The Senate, which Democrats narrowly control, voted 51-49 to confirm Gupta, who will be the first woman of color and civil rights attorney to serve in the job. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska was the lone Republican to vote for Gupta. Several high-profile Republicans and conservative groups opposed Gupta’s nomination, pointing to previous comments she made as president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a civil rights lobbying outfit. Gupta
Farmers harvest wheat of those still at protest sites, take crop to the markets (mandis)
served as the chief civil rights prosecutor under former President Barack Obama from October 2014 to January 2017. Gupta has defended her record. Law enforcement organizations — including the National Sheriffs’ Association and the International Association of Chiefs of Police — supported her nomination, helping deflate any widespread effort to defeat her nomination. Last month, Gupta told senators that she did not support defunding police departments. President Joe Biden in January announced his nomination of Merrick Garland, along with Gupta and other women to top DOJ posts. The Senate voted 98-2 on Tuesday to confirm Lisa Monaco as deputy attorney general, the No. 2 position at the agency.
In the ongoing wheat harvesting season when every Punjab farmer’s priority is to harvest crop and take it to the mandi to sell to government agencies at assured Minimum Support Price (MSP), Sukhminder Singh is sitting at the Tikri border without any worry about harvesting the wheat on his five acres at his native village Jhumba in Bathinda district. “I am focusing on dharna while my fellow farmers are taking care of my harvesting and they will also take it to the mandi too. They are giving every update of my crop on daily basis for the past two weeks,” he said. At Jhumba village, the leaders of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Ugrahan have arranged everything including labour, tractor trolley and a combine harvester for harvesting his crop, which began Monday. “Sukhminder alongwith four more farmers of
COVAXIN works against double mutant; reduces hospitalisation, shows Phase 3 interim data In a major boost to made in India Covid vaccine enterprise, indigenous shot COVAXIN has been shown to successfully neutralise the double mutant detected in certain parts of India and the world. The Indian Council of Medical Research lab National Institute of Virology announced the development today saying the Bharat BiotechICMR made Covid-19 vaccine was effective against multiple strains of the SARS-Cov2 virus. The ICMR had earlier isolated UK and Brazil strains and shown COVAXIN was effective against these. The results of COVAXIN working against the double mutant were announced on Friday simultaneous to another major research declaration that reveals COVAXIN has 78 to 100 pc efficacy against severe COVID disease.
LTC claims of govt employees over past 10 years be scrutinised as air tickets are forged
Bharat Biotech and ICMR today jointly shared the interim results from Phase 3 trials of COVAXIN saying these “demonstrate overall interim clinical efficacy of 78 pc and 100 pc efficacy against severe Covid-19 disease”. The second interim analysis is based on more than 87 symptomatic cases of Covid-19. The firm said due to the recent surge in cases, 127 symptomatic cases were recorded, resulting in a point estimate of vaccine efficacy of 78 pc against mild, moderate, and severe Covid-19 disease. “The efficacy against severe Covid19disease was 100 pc with an impact on reduction in hospitalizations. The efficacy against asymptomatic Covid-19 infection was 70 pc, suggesting decreased transmission in COVAXIN recipients,” the results said.
Following instances of fraudulent claims of leave travel concession (LTC) and other irregularities being detected by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), the Ministry of Finance has ordered that LTC claims paid to government employees over the past 10 years be scrutinised. The Controller General of Accounts in the finance ministry has, in an order issued on April 20, directed its subordinate offices in all ministries and departments that the internal audit wings will examine the LTC claims paid from 2010-11 onwards along with their regular audit submit their compliance report to the ministry by September 30. After audit of some government offices, the CAG had, in its report last year, observed that after air tickets submitted by employees were cross checked with the concerned
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our village is currently sitting on dharna in Delhi. We went to their families recently and asked them to not to worry about harvesting. They also gave us a free hand. We are getting the crops of all five harvested one by one. We will also take it to the mandi for selling,” said BKU Ugrahan leader Jagsir, adding, “We, a group of 10-12 farmers have arranged this harvesting. We will also do the labour work if required during harvesting.” He further said: “At some places, the wheat crop got flattened due to wind storm recently and such crop could not be carried in the harvester. So here we do labour work, cut flattened crop and put it in the harvester to get the grain. The rent of the harvester and tractor trolley used to carry his crop to mandi will be borne by the farmer while the rest of the services like loading and cutting we are providing like a fraternity member.”
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airlines, it emerged that the employees had changed the amount mentioned in original air tickets to higher amount, names of unauthorised travel agents through which tickets were booked was deleted from the ticket and in some cases details were altered. The CAG report also stated that the air ticket had sufficient indications that these tickets were forged, but the officials responsible for approving and paying the bills, reimbursed the amount without applying due diligence. The said indications included absence of mode of payment, absence of name of booking agencies, amount of service tax not tallied with base fare shown on the ticket, absence of breakup air fare on the tickets, and the mention of words “Under LTC 80 Fare” in the ticket of private airlines.
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Saturday, April 24, 2021
PM Modi’s address at climate summit today Joe Biden will on Thursday and Friday welcome 40 leaders for a virtual Earth Day summit as adversaries China and Russia confirmed participation in the two-day event, and the European Union and Britain locked in far-reaching carbon reductions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address world leaders on the opening day of a virtual summit hosted by US President Joe Biden on the climate crisis on Thursday, officials said.
Biden will on Thursday and Friday welcome 40 leaders for a virtual Earth Day summit as adversaries China and Russia confirmed participation in the two-day event, and the European Union and Britain locked in far-reaching carbon reductions. Officials aware of the matter said Biden will pledge to cut US greenhouse gas emissions at least in half by 2030.
We understand India’s pharmaceutical requirements, Biden admn says on vaccine’s raw material supply issues The Biden administration has conveyed to New Delhi that it understands India’s pharmaceutical requirements and promised to give the matter a due consideration, observing that the current difficulty in the export of critical raw materials needed to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines is mainly due to an Act that forces American companies to prioritise domestic consumption. President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump had invoked the war-time Defence Production Act (DPA) that leaves US
companies with no option but to give priority to the production of COVID-19 vaccines and Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for domestic production to combat the deadly pandemic in America, the worst-hit nation. Since the US has ramped up the production of COVID-19 vaccines – mostly by Pfizer and Moderna – so as to meet the goal of vaccinating its entire population by July 4, the suppliers of its raw material, which is in high demand globally and sought after by major Indian manufacturers, are being forced to
Indian apps reach 97% of TikTok user levels Homegrown short-video apps, including MX Takatak, Moj, Roposo and Josh, have hit almost 97% of once dominant TikTok’s user count, within a year after the Chinese app was banned in India Homegrown short-video apps, including MX Takatak, Moj, Roposo and Josh, have hit almost 97% of once dominant TikTok’s user count, within a year after the Chinese app was banned in India.
According to management consultancy, Redseer, Indian short-form apps have retained 65-70% of TikTok subscribers, by acquiring influencers, and have added another 30-35% of new users in the past year. The report, Short-form video- The Rise of Made in India digital content, said new users on the short-form video apps are mostly from tier-2 towns, with 60% the total user base representing these regions.
Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Blinken discuss security issues in Afghanistan, Myanmar External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his American counterpart Tony Blinken on Monday discussed on phone bilateral and regional issues including Afghanistan, Myanmar and climate change. “Had a warm and productive conversation with Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar to reaffirm the importance of the US-India relationship. We discussed regional security issues of mutual concern in Afghanistan and Burma and global challenges such as climate change,” Blinken said in a tweet. “Conversation covered recent developments in India’s immediate and extended neighbourhood. Exchanged views on the UNSC agenda. Also discussed issues pertaining to our health cooperation,” Jaishankar said in a separate tweet.
Blinken spoke with Jaishankar to reaffirm the importance of the US-India relationship and cooperation on regional security issues, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a readout of the call. The two leaders agreed to close and frequent coordination in support of a lasting peace and development for the people of Afghanistan, Price said. They also reaffirmed their shared commitment to democratic values and mutual support for the restoration of democracy in Myanmar, he added. “Blinken and Jaishankar discussed USIndia cooperation on climate change, Covid, and other global challenges and pledged to remain in close contact on these and other issues of mutual concern,” Price said.
24 patients die after Covid-19 oxygen tank leak at Nashik hospital At least 24 COVID-19 patients on ventilator support suffocated to death on Wednesday when their oxygen supply stopped suddenly because of a malfunction in the main storage at a civic-run hospital in Nashik in Maharashtra, officials said. The government will probe if the tragedy at the Dr Zakir Husain Hospital was due to negligence, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said. A private company looked after the tank maintenance at the hospital, District Collector Suraj Mandhare said, adding technicians closed the tank valve preventing more deaths. Three days before the tragedy, the Union health ministry’s COVID-19 data compiled between March 16 and April 15 from major cities showed Nashik the worst-hit city in the country in terms of cases per million residents. Wednesday’s disruption of medical oxygen supply was caused by leakage from a storage plant, officials said. Of the 150 patients admitted to the
hospital, 23 were on ventilator support at the time of the incident while the rest were on oxygen support, a senior civic official said. The municipal corporation shifted cylinders from other facilities in the city to help the patients at the hospital after the leak, which was noticed around 12.30 pm, an official said. Hospital officials then contacted mu n i c i p a l commissioner Kailash Jadhav seeking technical help to stop the leakage. A 13 kilolitre oxygen tank was set up on the premises of the hospital, located in the Dwarka area of Nashik. “Around 10 am, a socket of the oxygen storage tank broke and the leakage started. When the hospital staff came to know about it, they deployed jumbo cylinders to supply oxygen to the patients and started shifting some of the patients,” an official said. The leakage has been stopped, the tank repaired and the oxygen supply is being normalised, he said. Soon after the incident, people rushed to the hospital hindering rescue operations.
The system has collapsed’: India’s descent into Covid -19 hell The country has descended into a tragedy of unprecedented proportions. Almost 1.6 million cases have been registered in a week, bringing total cases to more than 15 million. In the space of just 12 days, the
Covid positivity rate doubled to 17%, while in Delhi it hit 30%. Hospitals across the country have filled to capacity but this time it is predominately the young taking up the beds; in Delhi, 65% of cases are under 40 years old.
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FIJI
Punjab High Court puts Punjab & Chandigarh on notice over Covid-19 ‘grim’ situation’ Taking cognisance of the “grim” situation in the region following surge in Covid cases — including the non-availability of beds in the hospitals and “depleted” oxygen supply, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today put the state of Punjab and Chandigarh on notice after impleading the two as party-respondents in an ongoing petition on the pandemic management. The newly added respondents were given two days’ time to address the Bench on the issues after seeking instructions. The state of Haryana also undertook
to file a status report on the requirement
and supply of oxygen to the hospitals. As the case came up for resumed hearing before the Bench of Justices Rajan Gupta and Karamjit Singh, senior advocate and amicus curiae Rupinder Khosla contended there was a complete chaos due to the situation arising out of Covid-19 spread and the government guidelines were not being followed in the region.
Farmers resolute, agriculture laws must go, says SKM as farmers return to Delhi borders after harvesting The Samyukta Kisan Morcha said on Wednesday that the central government must repeal the three controversial agriculture laws and provide a legal guarantee to resolve an ongoing deadlock with farmers—a statement that comes as farmers who had gone to their villages for the harvest reason began returning to protest sites at Delhi’s borders. The development also comes at a time when India sees a crippling rise in Covid-19 cases
that have stretched health infrastructure to its capacity in many parts of the country. Among the most affected is the national capital Delhi, which has added over one lakh cases since Saturday. Scores of farmers led by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer unions, are camping at Delhi’s border points of Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur since November with their demands for the repeal of the three new laws and a new law on MSP for crops.
25% drop in jabs as vaccine stock dries up in Punjab State’s Covid vaccine stocks seems to be drying up at a rapid pace as last week (April 13 to 19) the Health Department administered 25 per cent less doses of vaccination compared to the previous week. As per the data of the Health Department, between April 5 and 12, the department administered 7.53 lakh doses. However, in the last week (April 13 to 19), it administered just 5.56 lakh doses of the vaccine. 23.4 lakh administered vaccine in state
As per a reality check made in the field, several districts of Punjab are facing shortage of vaccine. A large number of people who require second dose are being sent back on the pretext of shortage. In Moga and Barnala, the stock of Covishield had dried up. Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said the state government had a strong health infrastructure and the capacity to vaccinate at least 3 lakh persons in a day through more than 3,000
Pakistan We wants equal law for powerful or weak Prime Minister said that the ‘sugar mafia people’ considered themselves as “special people” who are above the law. “Looters of the national wealth then opt for alliances like PDM. They blackmail the governments and want that
nobody asks them anything.” Imran Khan said the sugar mafia also looted the public. “We want that the law should be same for the powerful as well as for the weak,” the public, he added.
5 Taliban terrorists arrested
Five terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan outfit, who were planning to carry out a major attack on police, have been arrested during a raid in Karachi, a senior police officer has said. The terrorists have confessed to planning a major attack on the police training college in Saeedabad on the outskirts of Karachi, Omer Shahid
Hamid, Deputy Inspector General of the Sindh Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) said. The terrorists were arrested in Jamshoro after a joint operation with the paramilitary rangers and intelligence agencies, he said, adding that another Taliban terrorist was also picked up in the Malir area of Karachi.
Govt surrenders to the radicals, to present resolution in Parliament on French envoy’s expulsion Pakistan’s government on Tuesday announced that a resolution would be introduced in Parliament on the expulsion of the French ambassador and quash all cases filed against the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) as it reached a deal with the radical Islamist party.
“Under a marathon round of talks and an agreement reached with the TLP, a resolution on the expulsion of the French ambassador will be presented in the National Assembly,” Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said. The cases against TLP workers, registered under terrorism charges, would also be quashed.
After talks with govt, TLP Islamist Party releases 11 policemen The banned radical Islamist party Tehreeki-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) on Monday released 11 police hostages after the first round of talks with the Imran Khan government, which buckled under the pressure of the terror outfit over its demand to expel the French ambassador over a blasphemous
caricature published in France last year. After declaring TLP a proscribed outfit under terrorism laws and freezing its leadership’s bank accounts last week, the govt announced there would be no talks with the terrorist outfits as the state would not allow it to challenge its writ.
Time for Pak to choose Afghan policy: Ashraf Ghani Asserting that China and India are to be a factor in the regional prosperity, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani has said it is “a moment of choice” for neighbouring Pakistan as all its calculations have been “wrong” so far. Ghani, in an interview to CNN’s Fareed Zakaria,
said the leaders of Pakistan acknowledged that they did not want the Taliban government in Afghanistan, that they would like to see a peaceful, stable, democratic government in the war-torn country. “We are key to their prosperity.
Fiji-bound Air New Zealand flight diverted back to Auckland An Air New Zealand flight from Auckland to Nadi was diverted back to Auckland last Thursday, according to FlightRadar24. NZ952 was about an hour out of Nadi when it turned back.
We are seeking comments from Fiji Airports Limited on why the plane had to divert. Two cases of COVID-19 announced last week had travelled on the flight NZ952 on April 8, 2021.
Freedom fighter Karam Chand Ramrakha dies at 88 Karam Chand Ramrakha, a key figure in the negotiations leading to Fiji’s independence from the United Kingdom, died in Sydney at the age of 88. Fondly known as K.C. Ramrakha, he was a lawyer by profession and served in colonial Fiji’s Legislative Council and independent Fiji’s House of Representatives from 1966 to 1982.
He was also the general secretary of the National Federation Party from 1969 to 1979, and a member of the House of the Representatives from 1972 to 1982. “K.C. Ramrakha was a brilliant lawyer-politician, a proud Marist old boy, who was a key figure in the negotiations leading to independence,”
Contact tracing, swab tests and screening clinics underway in many parts of the country The Health Ministry’s contact tracing, swab tests and screening clinics are currently underway in many parts of the country while house to house visits are underway in the Nadi and Lautoka Containment Area. We can confirm that tests have been conducted in Cunningham, Valelevu,
other parts of Nasinu and Nausori earlier today. Some residents have also been told to self-quarantine while test results will be revealed by the Health Ministry. Do not be alarmed when you see Health Ministry officials in the area as they may be just conducting tests and contact tracing.
Vaccinated frontliner tests positive A soldier who had received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine has tested positive for coronavirus in Nadi. He was working at a quarantine facility and tested positive on Saturday, with authorities treating this as a possible case of “transmission beyond the border”. Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said the soldier having been vaccinated was a factor “working in our favour”.
“The soldier had received his first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine,” he said. “That means his risk of severe infection is reduced and it is likely his risk of transmission was lower. “But that doesn’t mean we can afford to take any chances. “Particularly, given the rise of new and more contagious variants of Covid-19 around the world.”
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Saturday, April 24, 2021 Harvinder Sandhu
NDP finally released the budget – two months after it was due. The budget has garnered criticism from the opposition, the Liberal party. Here is their re-action and criticism of the budget. Mike Bernier, BC Liberal Critic for Finance has this to say on how the NDP government has disappointed small business owners, “British Columbians were looking for a shot of optimism that the NDP had a plan going forward, that individuals and small businesses who have struggled for the past year would get some help. There’s no plan for economic recovery, there’s still no jobs plan, and there’s nothing to make British Columbians feel hopeful about the future of
Opposition Party on the 2021 BC Budget this province as we move beyond COVID-19.” For the residents of Surrey, Liberal Stephanie Cadieux, MLA for Surrey South, pointed out NDP election promises not kept. “I am extremely disappointed in the NDP’s latest budget, which abandons the promises this government made to Surrey residents. Despite billions in promises and billions in deficit spending and a ballooning public sector payroll, there is no plan to grow the economy or to help those most impacted by pandemic job losses – women and youth.” She also touched on the new Surrey Hospital, “it’s clear that the people of Surrey won’t see progress anytime soon with no construction funding allocated for the next
three years, two conflicting timelines for its completion date within the budget, and a commitment of only 168 inpatient beds – a fraction of what is being allocated for other new Metro-Vancouver hospitals.” To this Premier Horgan reminded the Liberals, “Liberals sold the land allocated for the new hospital in Surrey.” The land was acquired in 1990’s by the NDP and sold in 2014 by then Liberal Minister Andrew Wilkinson after promising Surrey residents a new hospital during 2005 election year. Other announcements in the budget that affects Surrey are no money allocated to build new schools in Surrey, a promise made by NDP in their first term in government. In the
question period after the budget, Liberals cited there is increase of 32 per-cent of school portables since the NDP first took office. To this Premier Horgan responded, “The Liberals ignored Surrey while in office for 16 years with being Surrey the fastest growing city when they were in office.” He also pointed out how there are more MLA’s from Surrey in his party then in the Liberal party, and these MLA’s know what Surrey needs and are working hard for their constituents. Other “broken promises” the Liberals are citing is no funding in the 2021 Budget for the George Massey Tunnel Replacement, Skytrain to Langley or the promised Surrey medical school, no $400 annual renters’ rebate, and no universal $10-a-day childcare.
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