Pandemic Politics & Policy

Coronavirus cases are continuing to soar across the United States as the death toll tops 112,000. The Washington Post reports COVID-19 hospitalizations are increasing in at least nine states following the reopening of businesses. Texas, North and South Carolina, California, Oregon, Arkansas, Mississippi, Utah and Arizona are all seeing a surge in patients needing medical attention. Texas has seen two consecutive days of record coronavirus hospitalizations. On Tuesday, the nation’s top infectious disease doctor, Anthony Fauci, described the coronavirus as his “worst nightmare” and said the pandemic is not close to over yet. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation has revised its projected U.S. death toll upward, predicting 145,000 deaths by early August.

Isaac Chotiner interviews Jeffrey Shaman, a professor at Columbia University and the lead author of a new study projecting that COVID-19 cases and deaths will rise significantly if more states reopen.

Pandemics kill people in two ways, said Chris Whitty at the start of the Covid outbreak: directly and indirectly, via disruption.

Human rights give all people the right to be protected from harm. And Covid-19 poses a major public health risk.

This convoy and the blockades that it has inspired begs a crucial question: In what way are Canadians not free right now? asks columnist Max Fawcett.

You are not guaranteed the freedom to spread a deadly virus.

Leaders wrestle over whether requiring student Covid-19 shots will politicize other pediatric vaccines and embolden vaccine opponents.

In caring for and bearing with human suffering, hospital staff perform extreme emotional labour. Is there a better way?

They saved us from disaster during the pandemic—but they also made costly errors.

Pandemic revisionism has been on my mind lately.

As COVID-19 continues to evolve, surprise, disappoint and frustrate us, efforts by politicians to pretend it’s behind us is a dangerous form of gaslighting that will deepen societal divisions.

Conspiracy theorists have a long history on the far right, from the John Birch Society during the 1950s and 1960s to the rise of "Infowars" founder Alex Jones in the late 1990s/early 2000s. But conservatives of the past were more likely to push back against them.The late William F. Buckley excluded ...

"As negotiations over a pandemic treaty begin in earnest, governments must look to the greed, nationalism, and profiteering that characterized the world's response to Covid-19 and say: 'never again.'"

OPINION: The government's plan will inevitably hit snags — and Ford has a history of changing course in the face of criticism.

Stay informed about the latest news in Ontario. Browse now and stay informed with breaking news happening in Ontario.

Two-year-old Zion Gastelum died just days after dentists performed root canals and put crowns on six baby teeth at a clinic affiliated with a private

Biden’s administration is no longer trying to eliminate the virus; it’s trying to get people used to living with it, seemingly forever

We’re talking about people being angry over largely imaginary problems, argues Bruce Arthur.

The dissolution of the panel after more than two years will ultimately be a test for Public Health Ontario

Summary box Mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policies have been used around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic to increase vaccination rates.

Justin Trudeau says people who chose not to be vaccinated against COVID-19 must accept the consequences of those decisions, including lost employment and restricted access to transportation and other services.

A new conspiracy theory emerges where you least expect it: On the left.

As the virus accelerates its evolution, humans retrogress

The verdict is in on the nation’s light touch approach. More died. Herd immunity proved a mirage.

Historians of the 1918 influenza pandemic discuss lessons for what the future of COVID might look like

The psychologist Joseph Manson analysed data on a sample of Americans from April of 2020. He found that both right and left-wing authoritarianism predicted support for lockdowns and other restrictions.

Ontario's top doctor wants to end workplace COVID-19 vaccination policies by early next month.