Global National: Dec. 4, 2020 | A look at Alberta’s political decisions that led to a COVID crisis

On this episode of Global National: We’re tracking the spread of COVID-19 in Canada and the efforts to get it under control. The federal health minister says Canada could approve its first vaccine in the next week to ten days. But for now there is no relief for regions with skyrocketing case numbers. With case numbers rising fast, Canada has hit another grim marker in this pandemic. More than 400,000 Canadians have tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 12,400 Canadians have died. Every corner of the country has felt the impact of the second wave, but in Alberta It’s a full blown crisis. The province reported more than 1,800 cases for the second day in a row. As of Friday evening there are 533 COVID-19 patients in hospital with 99 of them in intensive care. Heather Yourex-West reports on the ever increasing desperate situation in hospitals and the political decisions that led to this crisis.

The federal government still won’t commit to a firm date when the first Canadians will get a vaccine. But Ottawa continues to prepare by buying more vaccines and supplies. The goal is to increase to delivery capacity and fine tune recommendations for who will be first in line. David Akin reports.

The virus is breaking daily records in the U.S. for deaths, hospitalizations and new cases. Close to 280,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 as the country faces a rise in infections from the Thanksgiving holiday. U.S. President Donald Trump still hasn’t conceded the election, but president-elect Joe Biden is laying out his strategy to fight the pandemic. Jennifer Johnson reports.

The U.S. Department of Justice is refusing to comment on reports a plea deal could be in the works for Meng Wanzhou. The Huawei executive was arrested in Vancouver in 2018 at the request of the United States. She’s accused of violating American sanctions against Iran. The possibility of a legal arrangement raises hopes two Canadians held in China in apparent retaliation could be released. But as Abigail Bimman reports, Meng Wanzhou has to carefully weigh her options.

Moderna is one of the leading vaccine candidates waiting for Health Canada approval. In anticipation, its two manufacturing plants, one in the U.S. and the other in Europe, are operating around the clock trying to meet global demand. As Carolyn Jarvis reports, the entire supply chain is getting ready starting with a Canadian at the top.

Holiday shopping could be a life line for some Canadian businesses. With so many closed by pandemic restrictions, shopping has moved online. That shift is hurting local retailers while giants like Amazon are shattering records. As Mike Drolet explains, that’s inspiring some creative solutions for small retailers to beat the competition this Christmas.

MORE: https://globalnews.ca/national/program/global-national

For more info, please go to http://www.globalnews.ca
Subscribe to Global News Channel HERE: http://bit.ly/20fcXDc
Like Global News on Facebook HERE: http://bit.ly/255GMJQ
Follow Global News on Twitter HERE: http://bit.ly/1Toz8mt
Follow Global News on Instagram HERE: https://bit.ly/2QZaZIB
#COVID #GlobalNews #Coronavirus