Latest podcasts
- Why is Peel Region falling behind in vaccinating kids?
Wednesday, January 19th 2022
Guest: Olivia Bowden, staff reporter for the Star
Peel Region is behind the provincial average in vaccinating children age five to 11 and community health professionals say it will take a strong outreach effort to address and increase trust. As of last week, close to 40 per cent of Peel children have received at least one dose. One part of the region has a vaccination rate as low as 21.6 per cent. This is compared to about 47 per cent of the Ontario population in the same age range. The figures are all the more concerning as schools reopen and the Omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to drive case counts, hospitalizations and ICU admissions.
This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Matthew Hearn.
- Novak Djokovic’s no-vax gambit and pandemic sports now
Tuesday, January 18th 2022
Guest: Howard Bryant, senior writer at ESPN and Meadowlark Media
While the vast majority of athletes in most sports are vaccinated, there are high profile stars that choose not to and seem to be pressuring for accommodation. Tennis player Novak Djokovic’s recent fight to play at the Australian Open pitted him against politicians and public pressure as well as border agents. NFL star Aaron Rodgers and the NBA’s Kyrie Irving are also elite athletes who have been in the spotlight for their stances. In Irving’s case, at first he was sent away from his team, the Brooklyn Nets, but as they have struggled on the court, he’s been welcomed back on a part-time basis. We may still be in a global health crisis, but many sports leagues are tired of the pandemic and seem to be willing to play whatever terms are necessary to move past it.
This episode was produced by Raju Mudhar, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Matthew Hearn. - Celebrating Canada’s health care workers had its downside
Monday, January 17th 2022
Guest: Steve McKinley, reporter in the Star's Halifax Bureau
In a world where people are celebrated for what they do on screens, it makes sense that medical personnel were celebrated early on in the pandemic. With daily press conferences, some people like Dr. Bonnie Henry in British Columbia, Dr. Deena Hinshaw in Alberta or Dr. Horacio Arruda in Quebec got a lot of screen time and were recognized for their calm demeanours and knowledge about how best to deal with the pandemic. But as time has gone on, the messaging has changed. Canada's "celebrity" doctors are learning that fame can cut both ways with some having to take measures to ensure their personal safety
- How Canada and the U.S. differ in Omicron response
Friday, January 14th 2022
Guest: Edward Keenan, The Star’s Washington Bureau Chief
As the Omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads rapidly and infects people, stark contrasts in approach by Canada and the U.S have become evident. Most Canadians have cancelled plans, huddled into lockdowns and braced for public health restrictions. Meanwhile across the border, America is open for business even as the country shattered a global record with more than 1.35 million COVID-19 cases in a single day.
- It’s OK to not be OK in a pandemic
Thursday, January 13th 2022
Guest: Saunia Ahmad, clinical psychologist and director of the Toronto Psychology Clinic
The surge in depression and other mental health issues in the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic has been well-documented by health care professionals. It is OK to not be OK. Mental health experts say it is normal to be feeling increased levels of anxiety and stress as government restrictions, public health measures and the cost of COVID linger far longer than any of us expected. So, in the midst of the current unpredictability of our lives and the futility of any plans, is there a way to get through this, build up our coping mechanisms and try to practise self-care? Saunia Ahmad, a clinical health psychologist and director of the Toronto Psychology Clinic, joins "This Matters" to help upgrade our mental health tool box.
If you need help, or just someone to talk to: Resources are available online at crisisservicescanada.ca or you can connect to the national suicide prevention helpline at 1-833-456-4566, or Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868.