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‘This will not be contained’: Experts cast doubt that spread of COVID-19 can be stopped

March 2, 2020

‘This will not be contained’: Experts cast doubt that spread of COVID-19 can be stopped

Outside China, there have been more than 7,000 cases in 60 countries and more than 100 deaths

Amid fear and uncertainty caused by the spread of COVID-19, Iranians are taking extra caution to avoid getting infected. The World Health Organization says that 97 cases have been exported from Iran to 11 countries. Outside China, there have been 4,351 cases in 49 countries and 67 deaths. (Vahid Salemi/Associated Press)

While the World Health Organization has said the risk of COVID-19 spreading worldwide is now “very high”, officials have suggested that efforts to combat the coronavirus are still in the containment phase.

But some medical experts believe that the containment stage has long since passed, that the spread of the COVID-19 is inevitable, and that living with the coronavirus could become a reality. COVID-19 is the respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus.

“This will not be contained, this has not been contained,” said Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease physician at Toronto General Hospital.

Massive public health efforts have been helpful in slowing down the spread of the infection and reducing the pace and frequency of exported cases from China to the rest of the world, but containment has not worked, Bogoch said.

‘Will continue to spread’

“This is spreading throughout the world and it will continue to spread throughout the world,” he said.

On Friday, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference that the Geneva-based health agency has “increased our assessment of the risk of spread and the risk of impact of COVID-19 to very high at a global level.” 

China has seen more than 80,000 confirmed cases and almost 3,000 deaths. Outside China, there have been more than 7,000 cases in 60 countries, with more than 100 deaths.

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Summer gas prices forecast to remain stable

June 4, 2016

Summer gas prices forecast to remain stable

Western Canada facing gas shortages, oil supply cut from wildfires

Canadian motorists shouldn't expect increases at the pumps as summer gas prices are expected to remain stable.

Canadian motorists shouldn’t expect increases at the pumps as summer gas prices are expected to remain stable. (Canadian Press)

Mark Gollom is a Toronto-based reporter with CBC News. He covers a wide range of topics, including Canadian and U.S. politics.

From gas shortages in Western Canada to a dramatic spike in costs of gasoline in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canadian motorists may be concerned that these are signs that price increases will surely hit the pumps this summer.

But some industry analysts are forecasting no major spikes for the balance of the summer driving season.

“My prognosis is we’ve probably seen as much of a price increase at this point that we will see in the summer,” said industry analyst Michael J. Ervin of Kent Group Ltd.

“There’s always those outlier things. If there was a substantial increase in crude prices, that could have an impact but we don’t think that we’re going to see any upward volatility of crude prices in the near future.”

Roger McKnight, a chief petroleum analyst with En-Pro International Inc., said that in 12 of the last 13 years, gas prices hit their peak around mid-April.

Petro-Canada kelowna

A sign at a Petro-Canada station on B.C.’s Highway 97 warns customers that they are out of fuel. (Brady Strachan/CBC)

In the run-up to the summer driving season, which starts with the Memorial Day weekend in the U.S., prices generally start to fall back because refineries are geared up and ready for the summer driving season.

And that pattern seems to be repeating itself this year as well, he said.

“Enjoy it while you can,” said McKnight. “The prices will remain stable if not fall noticeably between now and Labour Day.

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Fruit and vegetable prices hike overall food costs

February 21, 2016

Fruit and vegetable prices hike overall food costs

Food prices increased by four per cent over the year, largely because of the low loonie

According to the Consumer Price Index, food prices increased by four per cent from Jan. 2015 to Jan. 2016. But fresh vegetables alone were up 18 per cent. For example, just in December, the price of tomatoes shot up by 30 per cent.

According to the Consumer Price Index, food prices increased by four per cent from Jan. 2015 to Jan. 2016. But fresh vegetables alone were up 18 per cent. For example, just in December, the price of tomatoes shot up by 30 per cent. (Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press)

Fruit and veggie lovers have seen their pocketbooks pinched over this past year as the precious produce spiked in price, prompting an overall increase in food costs.

“Well, obviously the weak loonie has had an impact on produce and fruit prices,” said Sylvain Charlebois, professor of marketing and consumer studies at the University of Guelph Food Institute. “They’ve gone up significanty.”

According to the Consumer Price Index, released by Statistics Canada on Friday, food prices increased by four per cent in January 2016, compared to the same month a year earlier. But fresh vegetables were up 18 per cent over that period, while the price of tomatoes alone shot up 30 per cent from the previous month.

Lettuce was up nearly 18 per cent in January, compared to a year earlier, while other fresh vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, celery and peppers, registered their largest year-over-year increase since April 2009, rising 23 per cent over the previous year.

Fresh fruit was up nearly 13 per cent for the year, with apples rising 16.6 per cent and oranges 11.

‘Driven by the weakened currency’

“Clearly many importers had to procure some produce outside of North America and that really increases transportation costs,” Charlebois said. “Peppers — we’ve had to go to Europe to get some of those products — so that’s why some products have increased by more than 30 per cent in a month.”

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Olduvai II: Exodus
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