In comparison with other countries across the globe, Canada’s roll-out of the two approved COVID-19 vaccines, Pfizer-BioNTech and the Moderna coronavirus vaccine has proved significantly more challenged, and much slower when compared with vaccine roll-outs in many other countries.
Oxford University’s online tool Our World in Data, from which the information in the graphic at the top of today’s column was obtained, has Canada listed far below other countries like Israel and Bahrain, when measuring vaccines administered per 100 people …
Canada at 0.14
United States at 0.59
United Kingdom at 1.18
Bahrain at 3.23
Israel at 4.37
In Canada, the slow pace is being blamed on limited supply, poorly planned vaccination programmes in some provinces, and the technical deep-cold storage required for the Pfizer vaccine.
Approximately 242,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 168,700 doses of the Moderna vaccine, for a total of just over 410,000 overall vaccines had arrived in Canada by early this week.
In the United States, President-elect Joe Biden has promised Americans that by the end of his first 100 days in office, or near the end of April, more than one hundred million COVID-19 immunizations across the U.S. will have been administered. To meet that goal, which works out at a million immunizations a day, Biden acknowledged that his administration would need to move several times faster than Trump administration roll-out, and vowed to invoke the Defense Production Act to accelerate vaccine production and launch an education campaign to tackle vaccine hesitancy.
In other words, before the end of April 2021, one-third of all Americans over the age of 18 will have been immunized against COVID-19. Biden has promised that by June 30, every American who wants a vaccine will have received a coronavirus immunization, to protect them and their families.
Meanwhile, in British Columbia, Public Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has stated that B.C. plans on immunizing 400,000 people against COVID-19 by late March of 2021, with priority given to residents and staff of long-term care homes and health-care workers — that would be fewer than 10% of British Columbians over the age of 18 will be vaccinated by March 31st.
Federally, in a sombre pre-Christmas Day message, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the populace roughly 375,000 Canadians, or one per cent of the Canadian population, should be vaccinated with the two-dose Pfizer shot by January 30th, with all Canadians who wish to be immunized due to be vaccinated by September 30, 2021 — three long months behind the U.S.
Meanwhile, for all the bluster among federal political leaders about not wanting an election any time soon, the political truth is as cold as the winter’s wind: the potential for a spring 2021 Canadian election will, in all likelihood, become a reality, as Canadians once again head to the polls.
And what will emerge as the key issue in the upcoming 2021 federal election? Could it be the painfully slow, behind every other developed country in the world, “botched” roll-out of the life-saving COVID-19 vaccine to Canadians anxious to return to some sort of normalcy, sooner rather than later, in 2021 — with the possibility that Canadians might experience an almost usual summer season full of music festivals, Hollywood blockbusters, travel across our great nation sans the necessity of having to wear a mask, a Canada that will allow us to once again congregate with our family, our friends, our neighbours and colleagues in safety and good cheer.
In addition to the already approved Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna novel coronavirus vaccines, in the coming month Health Canada is expected to approve the following COVID-19 vaccines …
Oxford-AstraZeneca: 20 million doses;
Johnson & Johnson: up to 38 million doses;
Novavax: up to 76 million doses; with …
Medicago (up to 76 million doses), and Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline (up to 72 million doses) also in the pipeline.
If Canada’s roll-out of the life-saving novel coronavirus vaccines is, indeed, slow, you can reasonably predict that Canadians will be not just disconsolate but might find themselves more raucously up in arms, and perhaps even bloody pissed that Canada has proved so slow off the mark.
If there’s no crying in baseball, there ain’t no winning in politics, either.
Many of us spend our lives surrounded by people. On the 25th of December, we can embrace the quiet and enjoy Christmas undisturbed.
There can be so much pressure around Christmas and other holidays — pressure to celebrate, pressure to socialize, pressure to follow traditions, pressure to eat too much and drink yourself to excess. Ultimately, there is pressure to be happy. And that’s an awful lot of pressure to lay on anyone — especially as we know that Christmas isn’t an easy time for everyone.
The purpose of today’s VanRamblings column is to help you come to terms with what will be for all of us an unusually quiet, and near — if not actual, in many cases — solitary Christmas & holiday season, following Dr. Bonnie Henry’s plea that we hunker down alone during Christmas season 2020.
‘Tis the season for attending parties galore (yes, Zoom celebrations count, too!), decking your halls — and, of course, your Christmas tree — with festive decorations, checking out all the magical light displays, and binge-watching classic holiday movies. Not to mention spending Christmas Day (and Eve!) listening to holiday songs on repeat, partaking in time-honoured traditions, and doing it all — ideally — while wearing your pyjamas.
So it’s no surprise that the prospect of spending Christmas alone — whether for the first time or the twentieth time — can feel, well, not always so merry and bright.
But here’s the thing: You’re not alone. The reality is that plenty of people spend their holidays solo. Some people have demanding work schedules that make it difficult to travel, while others might not have the money for expensive round-trip tickets, and others simply want to spend Christmas alone. That’s true in a normal year — but perhaps even more so in 2020, when many of us will be celebrating Christmas without friends or family due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and social distancing guidelines.
And while, yes, you’ll probably miss your mom’s legendary bread pudding, there are plenty of things you might be happy to skip, like faking your surprise (and excitement) when Aunt Sue gives you yet another gormless polyester tie, sitting through the same political debates, and having to get dressed up just to eat at your own dining room table, to name a few.
Whether by choice or circumstance, there is plenty to do on Christmas Day that you can enjoy doing alone, from catching up on the acclaimed and award-worthy Netflix or Amazon Prime TV shows you’ve heard so much about, to indulging in some much-needed self-care — like going for a walk in the neighbourhood, where you’re bound to run into friends — to starting a new tradition, whatever that may be that will provide you solace.
You don’t have to stand by and have a blue Christmas.
Which is exactly why VanRamblings has rounded up 9 simple ways to spend Christmas solo, all of which will bring joy to your world.
1. Let’s start with the obvious. Dive into a book.
Picking up a book (whether it’s a thriller, that book written by a friend of yours, or that political book you became aware of thanks to another friend), can help you escape into an entirely different reality, and one that you don’t usually have time to explore. Didn’t plan ahead? Download a reading app. iPhones and iPads have a built-in reading app, allowing you to buy books from Apple Books. Amazon, which started out as a company marketing books, has a huge library of downloadable books you can read on your Kindle App. Imagine, there you are snuggled up in bed, toasty warm, a warming beverage by your night stand and maybe a snack, as well, ready to read that book you’ve been meaning to get to. Joy indescribable!
2. Cook a feast, or have one delivered.
A friend was asking the other day, “Where could I order a great turkey dinner, and have it delivered?” The answer, in Vancouver, to that question offers you near limitless opportunities.
In 2020, all of the Denny’s Restaurant locations are offering a traditional turkey dinner for four, for only $59.99. Tender carved turkey breast, savoury stuffing, garlic red-skinned mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, cranberry sauce and your choice of broccoli or sweet petite corn. In this case, they’d like you to pick up the dinner, allowing you to reheat the dinners when you arrive home. You could have Uber or a taxi deliver it.
Click on the graphic above to order your Denny’s turkey dinner for 4.
Holiday hours may apply so you’ll want to check your Denny’s location to confirm hours of operation. Orders can be taking over the phone. The offer is available from December 22nd through 28th, valid as take-out only. The dinner is served family style. Re-heat at home.
Denny’s a little too déclassé for you? Hey, there are alternatives out there.
You’ll want to read Miss 604 for more information on Holiday Meal Kits.
Steffani Cameron, who recently completed a 4-year worldwide adventure that she chronicled at FullNomad.com, for Christmas 2020 has written a column suggesting …
Homer Street Café and Bar has a three course dinner for two for $85 ($42.50 pp). This classic turkey dinner starts with butternut squash velouté and ends with seasonal shortbread and molasses cookies. The turkey dinner is traditional with mashed spuds, stuffing, roasted sprouts, honey-glazed carrots, and country-style giblet gravy.
The other restaurants Ms. Cameron suggests are, well let’s say, somewhat more dear, like Take out dinners from Forage, that will set you back $375.
The good folks at The Daily Hive also have a number of suggestions.
As for VanRamblings, we’ll cook something simple, like a roast turkey breast in our Instant Pot, which we’ve done previously to good effect.
With dinner, we’ll serve an old family recipe for dressing (which we’ll place into a hot oven), candied parsnips and carrots, brussel sprouts, mashed turnips, mashed potatoes (both with gravy, which we’ll also stream over the turkey), a roasted yam, and lots of cranberry sauce. We’ll enjoy a fine wine with dinner, and for dessert treat ourselves to pumpkin pie, ice cream, and some chocolate treats from Purdy’s Chocolates, and shortbread cookies.
3. Watch a movie at home, or a Netflix / Amazon series.
In the evening, we’ll watch one soon-to-be-nominated / award-winning film — like Beanpole or Never Rarely Sometimes Always, and maybe catch an episode of The Crown, on Netflix, or one of the films in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe series, on Amazon Prime, like Lovers Rock or Mangrove.
Before bed, we’ll prepare an artisan loaf of bread, for baking the next morning. Why? So, on Boxing Day, we can make the best turkey sandwich in the world, with thick slices of fresh-baked bread, stuffed with turkey, dressing, lettuce, cranberry sauce, and the veggies of our choice. Yum!
VanRamblings’ remaining suggestions to make this a Merry Christmas …
5. Go for a walk in the neighbourhood, during the day & in the evening. When you’re out for your walk, make use of the empty streets and take photographs of the day; in the evening photograph holiday light displays.
6. Enjoy a bath in the evening, with candles lit, and quiet music playing in the background, of all of your favourite songs on Spotify, or on iTunes.
7. Connect with others virtually. If you’re spending the season alone, try connecting with loved ones, or friends, virtually. It might not be the same as face-to-face interaction, but it can certainly help to ease the pangs of loneliness. There are lots of ways to talk to folks online, including with others who may be spending Christmas alone.
Photograph taken just off Locarno Beach, the “middle beach” along Spanish Banks, in Vancouver. Photo credit: Laura Stannard.
8. Go for a drive. The other day, VanRamblings friend, Laura Stannard, went for a drive, stopping near Locarno Beach, along Spanish Banks. Is there anything more revitalizing than a calming drive alone along the beach, and on the near deserted roads of the city, all the while lost in your own thoughts, and when you get home, bliss. A perfect alone Christmas.
9. Treat yourself to a gift, or two or three you can buy online.
VanRamblings’ new marine blue 100% waterproof Vessi sneakers. Made locally.
Don’t forget to do something nice for yourself. Get yourself that gift online that you’ve been hankering for. VanRamblings has been very bad this holiday season: we bought ourselves a new iPhone 12 Pro Max ($328, plus $20 a month), which takes great photographs; we bought a new iPad Mini, traded in our old iPad Mini, and sold some tech equipment, and pretty much came out ahead. And, we treated ourselves to our fourth pair of Vessi sneakers, made locally, the only100% waterproof shoe in the world, comfy as all get out — with great arch and heel support, it’s like walking on air — and, you can order the waterproof sneakers online.
Yes, it’s true, it can feel strange waking up alone on Christmas Day with no pressing reason to get out of bed, the hours about to stretch out in front of you. Where are the usual text messages and telephone call interruptions?
Loneliness is never too far away and this is especially true when, in the lead-up to Christmas Day, we’ve been bombarded with images of families packed around dining tables and scenes of children opening presents around a tree. But being alone at Christmas doesn’t necessarily have to be a lonely experience. Here’s a motto for a solo Christmas Day: being alone and being lonely are not the same thing. Honest, it’s true. Think about it.
When you’re on your own, you can celebrate Christmas however you decide, without having to cater to the traditions or routines of other people. (And you don’t have to feel guilty about buying yourself presents, either).
As much as we’d all love to spend time with friends and family, sometimes it just isn’t possible, and with coronavirus restrictions in place many of us will be unable to see our loved ones over the festive period.
Having total control over what you do during the Christmas season can mean a stress-free time for each of us. The holiday season should be a time of year for you to enjoy, a time for reflection and fond remembrance, as you traipse through your days leisurely, and at a pleasurable pace.
In the midst of our current, unusual pandemic holiday season, it’s easy to get caught up in thinking about all the things you ‘should’ be doing. Take the pressure off — you’re already doing really well. Pace yourself, and do things that bring you joy. Above all, be kind — most of all to yourself.
Wearing a mask is critical to reducing the spread of COVID-19, but rigorous tests conducted on behalf of CBC’s Marketplace found that while some work very well, others offer little protection from the particles that transmit the novel coronavirus. One type of mask even spread those particles to others.
Today on VanRamblings, for those who missed the November 13, 2020 episode of Marketplace, please find below the video of the results of the laboratory tests that were conducted on more than 20 different face masks on the market, revealing the safest, most effective mask for you to wear.
Marketplace put the masks through the rigorous National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) standard test, conducted at a lower air-flow regimen to reflect normal breathing. The test is usually reserved for N95s and personal protective equipment (PPE) intended for health-care workers. A standard NIOSH test measures filtration efficiency, meaning the particles the mask filters out as the wearer breathes in.
One of the poorest performing masks, not only offering you minimal if any protection but serving to possibly infect others if you are an asymptomatic COVID-19 carrier is the valve mask pictured above — a mask, it should be noted in passing, VanRamblings purchased last spring, and (in retrospect now, stupidly) recommended to friends and acquaintances.
In fact, of the more than 20 masks tested, only the valve mask was designated as a Do Not Use mask by scientists, as the mask risks spreading particles to others.
So, if the valve mask is the worst mask to purchase, what’s the best mask for you to buy? The answer: a 3-layer mask with an inner layer of melt-blown non-woven polypropylene — the only mask you should be wearing.
The best consumer mask Marketplace tested had an inner layer of melt-blown, non-woven polypropylene fabric and outer layers of high quality, 600 – 800 thread count cotton, with filtration efficiency rates as high as an N95. James Scott, a professor from the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, who specialiazes in bioaerosols, ran the lab where Marketplace’s tests were run. Scott reported the combination of multiple materials contributed to the strong result for the masks pictured above.
“Even fairly low-efficiency masks are actually quite effective at catching much larger particles. But, it takes a really good mask to catch the small ones as well. And we know that the virus will travel not only on the big ones but the small ones as well,” said Scott.
You can find more information on all the masks tested by Marketplace in the video above, and on the CBC website, in this story.
After watching the COVID-19 face mask episode of Marketplace, VanRamblings purchased our melt-blown, non-woven polypropylene filtered cotton mask from the folks at The People’s Mask, for only $19.99, purchasing a 30-pack of filters (which we change weekly) for $29.99, plus applicable taxes and shipping, both of which products arrived within days.
When we’re out and about now — not a regular occurrence these days, except to go for a walk, a bike ride or shopping for food — we feel safer than previously, and feel good about not possibly infecting others.
Following the research conducted by CBC’s Marketplace, adding a third layer to cotton face masks is now recommended for preventing the spread of COVID-19. Non-woven polypropylene fabric is the material of choice for this third layer. This report out of McMaster University provides detail on what to do, and what not to do if you’re considering making the polypropylene mask at home. Amazon.ca sells a polypropylene filter mask, but delivery of the mask would not be due til late January or early February, so you may want to look elsewhere this particular filtered mask.
The People’s Mask seems like the best, and least expensive, three layer polypropylene filter mask to buy. If you’re making face masks at home you can buy the filters through them, as well.
Hope for an expeditious end to our current pandemic circumstance appears to be relatively close, with vaccines from at least four — and more probably, six — companies appear well on their way to receiving approval in the next short while, with the two-injection Pfizer vaccine appearing set for approval by Health Canada as early as this Thursday, December 10th, with Moderna, AstraZenica and Johnson & Johnson not far behind in the pipeline. Update: Health Canada approved the Pfizer/BioNTech on December 9th.
A number of announcements have been made in recent days involving the roll-out of the vaccines that will, eventually, keep us all safe …
On November 27th, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the appointment of former NATO commander Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin to lead the national vaccine distribution effort, with a target of immunizing half of all Canadians — that’s 19 million of us — or more, by September, 2021;
Just yesterday, the Prime Minister told Canadians that Canada has secured an agreement to receive its first batch of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine before the end of the year — up to 249,000 doses. Pending Health Canada approval, “Canadians will be getting vaccinated starting next week,” Trudeau said at a news conference in Ottawa. Shipments will continue to arrive in 2021; the second batch will be reserved for the same people vaccinated in the first batch — which is to say, the elderly in long term care facilities across Canada. “We’re facing the largest immunization in the history of our country,” Trudeau said.
Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) this past Friday released its final directive addressing the prioritization of who should receive the vaccines first, and which groups would be next, right through until the late spring. By the end of March, NACI scientists said they expect 3 million Canadians will have been vaccinated with one of the three (soon to be four, or more) approved COVID-19 vaccines, that number doubling by late June, and doubling yet again by early to mid-autumn of 2021.
The initial batch of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines will roll out to 249,000, or more, Canadians
NACI scientists advise the roll-out of vaccines will occur, as follows …
(a) Long-term care and assisted living facility residents, as well as residents in retirement homes and chronic care hospitals, who face “severe outcomes” and a much greater chance of dying from the disease than the population as a whole;
(b) NACI scientists said the next priority group would be “adults 80 years of age and older;” Number of Canadians, by province, expected to receive the initial batch of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in the early part of 2021, beginning in January.
(c) NACI scientists expressed concern about Indigenous adults living in communities “where infection can have disproportionate consequences, such as those living in remote or isolated areas.” Indigenous persons will be the third group of Canadians to be vaccinated;
(d) Adults aged 75 – 79 would be next to receive vaccinations, followed by adults aged 70 – 74 years of age.
These four groups — long-term care residents and staff, the elderly, front line health care workers and some Indigenous adults — are expected to consume all of the six million doses (the Pfizer vaccine requires two doses) to be delivered in the first three months of 2021.
In the second phase of the vaccine roll-out, which would begin in April 2021, as more supply comes online, other essential workers will have access. The NACI advisory committee said first responders — such as police officers, firefighters and health care workers not included in the initial rollout — would be next in line, followed by residents and staff in other “congregate settings” — such as migrant workers, prisoners in correctional facilities and people in homeless shelters.
At the end of the day, though, it is the provincial Premiers, their Health Ministers and Public Health Officers who will determine prioritization of vaccine roll-out in their jurisdictions. By late summer / early autumn, Prime Minister Trudeau has said he expects half of all Canadians would be vaccinated — that’s 19 million Canadians.
The vaccine roll-out will continue through the end of 2021, and beyond.
