|
Written by Hanna Lee Copy Editor, Digital News
|
|
|
|
Good morning. Health officials are looking into whether the deadly hantavirus was spread from human to human — but don't panic yet. We'll get into that below, as well as the K-shaped restaurant economy and a look into Canada's mid-size cities, which are running into big-city problems as they expand.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FEATURED STORIES
|
|
|
 |
(U.S. CDC/AFP/Getty Images)
|
|
|
Human-to-human transmission of killer hantavirus suspected in cruise ship outbreak
|
|
|
Deaths and illnesses are spreading from a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, and health officials now suspect human-to-human transmission may have played a role.
What's happening: At least eight out of about 150 passengers and crew aboard the MV Hondius have fallen ill at different times along the Dutch-flagged ship's month-long journey; three people have since died. All eight are suspected cases of hantavirus (two are officially confirmed), an illness typically spread by contact with rodents or their excretions, commonly when the material is disturbed. It usually doesn't spread farther after that.
Why it matters: Human-to-human transmission of hantavirus is incredibly rare, and a unique trait of the Andes variant of the virus. This strain can cause late-appearing symptoms that escalate quickly, with a death rate of about 40 per cent. While this news may be reminiscent of the pre-pandemic chaos of early 2020, officials say not to be too concerned yet. For the virus to spread between people, it usually requires close, prolonged contact, and hantavirus infections themselves remain extraordinarily rare.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quick service restaurants are taking a bigger hit as Canadians feel crunched by the cost of living
|
|
|
Restaurants everywhere have been pinched as rising costs cause customers to close their wallets. But here's what's surprising: quick-service restaurants are getting hit harder than higher-end ones, according to Restaurants Canada.
What's happening: Real sales among full-service restaurants grew by 4.6 per cent year over year in January, according to Restaurants Canada's survey of 300 members, while quick-service locations declined by two per cent. It also found that fine dining saw the largest growth in traffic last year — though nearly half were still reporting lower total sales.
Why it matters: It's yet another signal that we're in a K-shaped economy, said Kelly Higginson, CEO of Restaurants Canada, in which those with the most money can still pony up for a nice meal, while lower-income people have no option but to cut back on eating out entirely. But as the cost of fuel continues to rise, quick service may be something of a canary in the coal mine for the broader restaurant sector.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Canada's mid-size cities are growing like big ones — and running into the same fights
|
|
|
Across Canada, mid-size cities like London, Ont., and Halifax are adding multi-unit housing at a pace not seen in decades.
What's happening: Growth patterns are changing outside the country's largest centres, according to a CBC News analysis of data from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Multi-units, like apartments and row houses, now make up nine of every 10 homes built in B.C.'s Victoria and Abbotsford and Ontario's Kitchener-Waterloo.
Why it matters: These cities, long seen as areas that are still urban but where people sought more space, are now going through many of the growing pains that larger ones like Toronto and Vancouver experienced during their construction booms. In Halifax, for example, building more units didn't necessarily solve the city's housing crisis, said Ren Thomas, a Dalhousie University professor. Construction has instead been shaped by what works for developers, and not necessarily what's most affordable for residents.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
