Global National: Nov. 23, 2020 | Are small businesses being unfairly targeted in COVID-19 lockdowns?

On this episode of Global National: Atlantic Canada's bubble allowed free travel between the four Maritime provinces thanks to initially low COVID-19 cases in the region. But as concern rises over infections now slowly rise in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward are pulling out of that bubble – for now. Mike Armstrong reports.

Ontario’s Toronto and the Peel Region entered a four-week lockdown Monday. Many non-essential businesses have been forced to close, but big box stores selling groceries and operating pharmacies are still allowed to operate. As Eric Sorensen reports, small businesses feel they have been given an unfair disadvantage with the new rules.

And the pandemic is starting to take a heavy toll on Alberta too, as COVID-19 patients have started to overwhelm hospitals and intensive care units. Many Albertans are still calling for tighter restrictions from the provincial government. But as Heather Yourex-West explains, those working on the front lines say any new measures may already be too little, too late.

There is more promise in the race for the COVID-19 vaccine. AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford, has shown to be 70 per cent effective in trials – and potentially up to 90 per cent after tweaking doses. Redmond Shannon explains why the lukewarm number is still a big deal to fight the pandemic.

Also, as the pandemic drags on, it's not always easy to know if you are doing the right thing and following protocols. This is particularly difficult if you plan on visiting older loved relatives – especially those living in long-term care homes. As Abigail Bimman reports, a new online tool is being designed to help determine your own COVID-19 risk.

Plus, Oxford Dictionaries usually picks an annual "word of the year" to define what's mattered most to us since January. But with 2020 being a year like no other, they have decided to choose a whole bunch of them instead. From COVID-19 to Black Lives Matter, Mike Drolet looks at the vocabulary of 2020.

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