TORONTO – Ontario finally records a substantial decline in new Covid-19 cases, but the average remains high. Today 525 infections were recorded in the province, a significant decrease compared to the 694 on Monday, the 740 on Sunday, the 835 on Saturday and the 781 on Friday, but still increasing compared to 486 a week ago, so the moving average by seven days it still exceeds 700, for the first time since the beginning of June, to be precise since last June 8 when it was 703. This average has in fact seen an increase of 17% week after week and, today, stands at 702, compared to 600 a week ago. →
KABUL – More than 2,700 people evacuated by Canadian airplanes, over 500 on Tuesday alone. And it is rushing to rescue other people but time is running out because Canada will also have to withdraw its troops by August 31, the date set by the Taliban for the exit from the country of “all foreigners”. →
TORONTO – Less infections, but also fewer tests to detect them. Ontario recorded 486 new cases of Covid-19 today, compared to 639 on Monday: a decline, therefore, after more than 600 cases had always been recorded in the last few days. However, the provincial government has announced that 17,369 tests have been processed in the last 24 hours (compared to 20,000 on Monday and 23,075 on Sunday) and that there is a backlog of 11,370 tests awaiting results. The positivity therefore remains high, at 3%. Last week it was 2.6%. →
KABUL – Winds of war blow over Afghanistan again. According to the Taliban, the “foreign occupation” (US and UK) must end and as of today there is a date: 31 August. “It’s a red line. President Joe Biden has announced that on August 31 the US will withdraw all its military forces. So if they decide on an extension it will mean they will be extending the occupation while there is no need”, Suhail Shaheen, spokesman for the Taliban, told Sky News. And then he added: “If the United States or the United Kingdom take longer to continue the transfers, the answer is ‘no’. Or there would be consequences”. →
OTTAWA – Canada will be a safe haven for more than 20,000 Afghans in a “vulnerable condition”: the Minister of Immigration, Marco Mendicino, announced it on Friday during a press conference with Foreign Minister Marc Garneau, Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan and the Minister of Women Maryam Monsef. A commitment that adds to the initiative put in place for previous thousands of Afghans who have worked for the Canadian government as interpreters and employees of the embassy. →