TORONTO -- Canada has now administered the first dose of the COVID-19 to 7.4 per cent of the country's population. Here’s what else you need to know to start your day.
1. Anti-Asian hate crimes: Research shows that hate crimes against Asian-Canadians have increased significantly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with major cities seeing crime rates that are six and seven hundred per cent higher than the previous year.
2. Two Michaels: Long-awaited court hearings for the two Canadians detained in China for 828 days are set to take place over the next week, the government announced Wednesday.
3. Misconduct allegations: A senior commander in the military has resigned from the Canadian Armed Forces, saying she is “sickened” and “disgusted” by the ongoing investigations into sexual misconduct allegations against top officers.
4. Third wave: The B.1.1.7 variant is spreading quickly across the country, causing doctors and experts to sound the alarm about a third wave of COVID-19 infections.
5. Microbe exposure: For infants and toddlers, the lack of contact with people outside of their immediate family means they’re missing out on social and biological interactions that are key for their development, say experts.
One more thing…
Double dose: A 95-year-old woman in Toronto has been stuck in a hospital for more than two weeks after accidentally receiving two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on back-to-back days.
