Labor groups are calling on the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to force all employers to grant ten days of sick leave to their employees, as the province experiences a surge in COVID-19 cases.
© Patrick Butler/Radio-Canada
Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labor president Mary Shortall calls for paid sick leave for all workers as COVID-19 cases soar (archived).
This measure is more important than ever, they say, as the number of workers in isolation due to COVID-19 peaks.
Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labor President Mary Shortall says the incomes of low-paid workers have been severely affected by the pandemic.
About 50,000 workers in the province cannot afford to take unpaid days off in the event of illness.
Video: Quebecers will be entitled to the federal confinement service (Le Devoir)
Click here to enlarge
-
Rapid screening tests: pharmacies taken by storm
Rapid screening tests: pharmacies taken by storm Quebecers have been engaged since Monday morning in a race once morest time to obtain free rapid screening tests in pharmacies in the province. It looks like it’s the rush as the major banner websites are having trouble. “Server error”: this is what websites indicated when Le Devoir tried to get an appointment to get their hands on a box of five rapid screening tests, notably at a Jean Coutu. Half an hour later, the message no longer appears, but the page allowing to reserve a track cannot be downloaded. The same goes for Familiprix, which also asks citizens to make an appointment rather than showing up on site: the page cannot be downloaded. The Quebec government was to deliver to some 1,900 pharmacies in the province a first case of 108 rapid test kits on Monday (or Tuesday at the latest in remote regions). New boxes must be sent every day until December 23, says the Quebec Association of Pharmacy Distributors. Every Quebecer is entitled to five free screening tests per 30-day period.
The duty
-
Return of the pre-return PCR test following short trips abroad
Pre-return PCR test returns following short trips abroad Canadians who plan to make a short trip to the United States over the holiday season will also need to provide a negative drug test in order to be able to return home on Tuesday. “As of December 21, the obligation to carry out a screening test before return will be in effect once more for all trips, regardless of their duration.” —Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, Canada This required PCR test must be dated within three days, and must have been performed in a country other than Canada. As of November 30, travelers returning from short 72-hour stays were not required to take any COVID-19 testing. Travelers arriving from the United States still do not have to undergo an on-arrival screening test, unlike those arriving from all other countries since the beginning of December. Minister Duclos had announced that he recommended to Canadians to abandon their travel plans for the holidays, while mentioning that other border measures might be imposed. “I’ll say it once more: now is not the time to travel,” he repeated, saying of those who cancel their plane tickets that they “set an example”. Ottawa ends on Saturday its list of 10 African countries in which no foreign national can have stayed in the 14 days before entering the country, since the Omicron variant is currently found “in most countries”, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The duty
-
Quebec tightens the screws as the holidays approach
Quebec tightens the screws as the holidays approach Quebec is heading towards a second Christmas in reduced format. An unprecedented wave of contamination is forcing the government to tighten the screws on health measures once more. “It has changed completely this week”, dropped a Prime Minister François Legault “tanned”, in a press conference, alongside the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, and the national director of public health, Dr. Horacio Arruda. Health authorities on Thursday recorded more than 3,700 new cases, an all-time high since the start of the pandemic. The Omicron variant, the most contagious strain of the coronavirus observed to date, is already circulating in the Quebec population. Hospitalizations are also increasing, and according to forecasts, there will be saturation of hospitals in January, if nothing changes. Social contacts must be reduced “by 50%”, the Prime Minister regretfully prescribed, and family celebrations must be limited to ten people. The police authorities will not scrutinize the interior of the cottages to enforce the rule, relativized the Minister of Health. “We trust the responsibility of Quebecers.” From next Monday, shops, restaurants, bars, amphitheatres and places of worship will also have to reduce their capacity by half. Dancing and karaoke will once more be prohibited. Amateur athletes are also affected by this tightening. All tournaments and competitions are canceled or suspended. The practice of any indoor activity is limited to 25 participants. Primary schools, which are starting the holiday break these days, will reopen as planned in early January. High schools, CEGEPs and universities will kick off 2022 with distance education for at least a week. The Prime Minister is not closing the door to a further tightening of measures in the near future. “It’s not impossible that next week we have to adjust.”
The duty
NEXT VIDEO
Mary Shortall points out that these employees represent a risk to public health if they report to work when they are sick.
In December, Ottawa amended the Labor Code to grant 10 days of sick leave paid to federal workers, whether public or private. Mary Shorthall wants the provinces to follow the federal lead.
Newfoundland and Labrador currently requires employers to allow employees up to seven days of sick leave, but they are not necessarily paid.
With information from CBC
