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Coronavirus

    • Australia reinstates COVID quarantine pay amid fresh Omicron wave

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    SYDNEY -

    Australia will reinstate support payments for casual workers who have to quarantine due to COVID-19, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Saturday, as a fresh wave of Omicron-driven infections sweeps the country.

    Australia is battling a major virus outbreak driven by the highly transmissible new Omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, with authorities warning it could lead to more people ending up in hospitals and further straining the health system.

    "I want to make sure that people aren't left behind, that vulnerable people are looked after," Albanese told reporters after a snap meeting with state leaders.

    "No one (should be) faced with the unenviable choice of not being able to isolate properly without losing an income and without being put in a situation that is very difficult."

    Albanese said the leave payments, that ended on June 30 and entitled workers to get up to AUD$750 (US$510) for each seven-day quarantine period, will be restored and extended until Sept. 30.

    The extension will cost taxpayers just under AUD$800 million, to be shared equally between the federal and state governments, Albanese said. People can apply from July 20.

    As of the end of last year, the government had spent almost AUD$13 billion (US$8.8 billion) on 2.4 million employees in pandemic payments, according to official data, while total federal support since the pandemic began is estimated to be over AUD$300 billion.

    Authorities urged people to wear masks indoors and get their booster shots soon as they brace for "millions" of new cases over the coming weeks with Australia confronting a tough winter amid the co-circulation of both COVID-19 and the flu virus.

    The current wave is likely to peak in August, Albanese said, adding health officials have likened the infection rate of the new variants to that of measles.

    Hospital admissions in several states have already surpassed record levels, with over 4,600 people in hospitals in Australia. Since the pandemic began, Australia has reported about 8.7 million COVID-19 cases and 10,549 deaths, far lower than many countries.

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    Canada

    • Police say multiple people were arrested and firearms were seized after an unmarked police cruiser was struck by gunfire in Toronto’s West Queen West neighbourhood late Monday night.

    • A 36-year-old Montreal man who was out on bail after allegedly uttering death threats against his partner is now accused of murdering her on the South Shore.

    • A Brampton woman says she is devastated after she lost more than $200,000 — her life's savings — to a romance scam.

    • Family members and friends of a 43-year-old man who was fatally shot by police in Hamilton over the weekend says they’re devastated by his death and are seeking answers and justice for their loved one.

    • Dr. Ronald Weiss, who performed nearly 60,000 vasectomies on Ottawa men, establishing him as the "Wayne Gretzky" of the procedure, has died.

    • A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.

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    Sports

    • The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed forward Max Pacioretty on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury, the team announced Monday.

    • Canada will be without captain Alphonso Davies for its upcoming CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

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    Local Spotlight

    For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

    Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

    A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

    As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

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    A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

    Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

    A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

    • Flames shot out of windows and debris came showering down onto the street as crews battled a fire at a North Vancouver highrise Monday afternoon.

    • Second World War veteran Percival Smith was a teenager when he entered the British Merchant Navy, but after years at sea he emerged as a man who returned to a family he "couldn't even recognize" after the war.

    • Police nabbed an alarming number of drunk or drug-impaired drivers in Abbotsford, B.C., over the long weekend – including 11 on Friday night alone.

    • As Toronto readies for Taylor Swift’s arrival this week, some crowd management and planning experts say additional safety precautions should be taken when tens of thousands of fans fill the city's downtown core on show nights.

    • Police say multiple people were arrested and firearms were seized after an unmarked police cruiser was struck by gunfire in Toronto’s West Queen West neighbourhood late Monday night.

    • A Brampton woman says she is devastated after she lost more than $200,000 — her life's savings — to a romance scam.

    • A coalition of community groups is calling on Ottawa City Council to raise property taxes "to a level that sustains existing services and infrastructure," increase parking fees, and invest in transit, community services and climate action in its 2025 budget.

    • Dr. Ronald Weiss, who performed nearly 60,000 vasectomies on Ottawa men, establishing him as the "Wayne Gretzky" of the procedure, has died.

    • A 36-year-old Montreal man who was out on bail after allegedly uttering death threats against his partner is now accused of murdering her on the South Shore.

    • Several international flights scheduled to land at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport had to be diverted due to the discovery of a 'package of interest.'

    • Nova Scotia's political party leaders will return to the election campaign trail Tuesday after taking Monday off for Remembrance Day.

    • New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt will meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Tuesday in Fredericton.

    • A weeklong closure of Portage Avenue East is set to begin Tuesday to allow for pre-construction traffic signal work at Portage and Main.

    • A sacred fire burning in Winnipeg has brought healing and hope to some members of Xavia Skye Lynn Butler’s family.

    • A team of tornado experts are investigating a path of damage through Wellington County.

    • A 15-year-old boy from Kitchener, Ont. is facing a long list of criminal charges as the Waterloo Regional Police Service wraps up a lengthy swatting investigation.

    • Family members and friends of a 43-year-old man who was fatally shot by police in Hamilton over the weekend says they’re devastated by his death and are seeking answers and justice for their loved one.

    • Saskatoon Public Library workers will be on strike Tuesday as part of ongoing contract negotiations with SPL.

    • Saskatchewan RCMP are searching for a suspect after a man was seriously injured in a farm-related incident in Montreal Lake.

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • Failing to comply with a property standards order issued by city hall could add almost $100,000 to the tax bill of a prominent eyesore in east London.

    • Changes proposed to the city’s Special Events By-law would allow outdoor concerts and music festivals to play later – but not louder.

    • Fire crews were called to an early-morning fire at recycling depot on John Street.

    • A Barrie man is accused of being at the centre of an alleged $2.2 million stolen used car scheme.

    • Nottawasaga OPP find man asleep in his car in the driving lane of a busy county road.

    • Police in Chatham-Kent are hoping the public can help identify some people caught on surveillance following the theft of a vehicle. Around 5:05 p.m. on Nov. 5, police were called to a report of a stolen vehicle in Thamesville.

    • Rumors began spreading this morning that the school’s annual Winter Walkthrough in December was being postponed until January.

    • A pair of thieves ripped the door of an east Windsor sports apparel store on Monday morning, leaving the store owner on the hook for thousands in stolen merchandise.

    • A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.

    • A B.C. teen has a suspected case of H5N1 avian flu — the first known human to acquire the virus in Canada.

    • Second World War veteran Percival Smith was a teenager when he entered the British Merchant Navy, but after years at sea he emerged as a man who returned to a family he "couldn't even recognize" after the war.

    • A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.

    • The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.

    • Police in Kamloops, B.C., are reminding parents and guardians to check their children's Halloween candy after receiving a report of a mother finding a razor blade in one of her daughter's treats.

    • If you were at the cenotaph Remembrance Day ceremonies in Lethbridge, you may have caught a glimpse of our Dory Rossiter there on crutches.

    • Canadians across the country spent Monday paying tribute to the soldiers who have fought and died while serving Canada.

    • The Southern Alberta Recreation Association is officially announcing the Town of Taber as next year’s host for the Southern Alberta Summer Games.

    • Remembrance Day celebrations took place across the country Monday, with Canadians reflecting on the sacrifices made by the men and women who served our country.

    • Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.

    • It was just days before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down when the Shaft Bottom Boys of Sudbury broke a world record for 'Deepest Concert Underground.' Now, more than four years later, a Timmins band is looking to take the title.

    N.L.

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