United States OTTAWA/MONTREAL (Reuters) - Canada’s efforts to flatten the curve of coronavirus cases have put the country on the cusp of zero deaths from COVID-19 for the first time since March, but officials see worrying signs of a new spike as provinces lift restrictions. For months, Canadians followed strict public health rules on social movement as the 10 provinces quickly shut down large parts of the economy, ramped up testing and boosted space in intensive care units. Some provinces curbed internal journeys while Ottawa barred international visitors, closed the land border to...…United States OTTAWA/MONTREAL (Reuters) - Canada’s efforts to flatten the curve of coronavirus cases have put the country on the cusp of zero deaths from COVID-19 for the first time since March, but officials see worrying signs of a new spike as provinces lift restrictions. For months, Canadians followed strict public health rules on social movement as the 10 provinces quickly shut down large parts of the economy, ramped up testing and boosted space in intensive care units. Some provinces curbed internal journeys while Ottawa barred international visitors, closed the land border to...WW…

By , (Reuters) - Canadian automation company Promation had been banking on a weaker currency to help it win a new U.S. contract, but a slower pace of vaccinations in Canada could erase that competitive edge, President Darryl Spector said.Pandemic travel restrictions make it harder for Promation’s technicians to travel across the border to service and repair plant equipment, a drawback when competing against an increasingly vaccinated U.S. workforce.“With a fully vaccinated U.S. supply base, why buy from Canada if you can’t access the labor to support it?,” said Spector.To prevent spread of...…By , (Reuters) - Canadian automation company Promation had been banking on a weaker currency to help it win a new U.S. contract, but a slower pace of vaccinations in Canada could erase that competitive edge, President Darryl Spector said.Pandemic travel restrictions make it harder for Promation’s technicians to travel across the border to service and repair plant equipment, a drawback when competing against an increasingly vaccinated U.S. workforce.“With a fully vaccinated U.S. supply base, why buy from Canada if you can’t access the labor to support it?,” said Spector.To prevent spread of...WW…

By , MONTREAL/PARIS (Reuters) -The head of European planemaker Airbus called for an end to separate diplomatic squabbles over Britain’s exit from the European Union and a transatlantic aircraft subsidy dispute that collectively overshadow its business.Slideshow Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said Airbus - whose manufacturing plants straddle Britain and the EU - was preparing itself for disruption if Britain completes its exit from the bloc without a deal, but downplayed warnings of severe upheaval.“It would really be a pity that after so many years of preparation there is no deal at the...…By , MONTREAL/PARIS (Reuters) -The head of European planemaker Airbus called for an end to separate diplomatic squabbles over Britain’s exit from the European Union and a transatlantic aircraft subsidy dispute that collectively overshadow its business.Slideshow Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said Airbus - whose manufacturing plants straddle Britain and the EU - was preparing itself for disruption if Britain completes its exit from the bloc without a deal, but downplayed warnings of severe upheaval.“It would really be a pity that after so many years of preparation there is no deal at the...WW…

By , , WINNIPEG (Reuters) - In July, the Canadian province of Manitoba went two weeks without a single new case of COVID-19. Theaters and casinos reopened and children soon returned to school.By October, the 1.4 million people living in a province only slightly smaller geographically than Texas had Canada’s highest rate of active cases - now 512 per 100,000 people, or nearly quadruple the national rate.“In a couple of weeks, we’re going to be in a catastrophic situation,” said Dr. Anand Kumar, a Manitoba intensive care physician.Many Americans looked longingly north of the border during the...…By , , WINNIPEG (Reuters) - In July, the Canadian province of Manitoba went two weeks without a single new case of COVID-19. Theaters and casinos reopened and children soon returned to school.By October, the 1.4 million people living in a province only slightly smaller geographically than Texas had Canada’s highest rate of active cases - now 512 per 100,000 people, or nearly quadruple the national rate.“In a couple of weeks, we’re going to be in a catastrophic situation,” said Dr. Anand Kumar, a Manitoba intensive care physician.Many Americans looked longingly north of the border during the...WW…

By , MONTREAL/OTTAWA (Reuters) - Some Canadian manufacturing executives are complaining that the country’s confusing and lopsided exemptions to strict COVID-19 border controls have hurt their sector’s competitiveness just as the country faces weaker growth and a resurgence in new infections.For example, foreign technicians considered “essential” are being allowed into Canada and not required to quarantine, while Canadian workers returning from doing similar work in the United States have to self-isolate for 14 days.“It favors more foreign nationals than actual Canadian business people,”...…By , MONTREAL/OTTAWA (Reuters) - Some Canadian manufacturing executives are complaining that the country’s confusing and lopsided exemptions to strict COVID-19 border controls have hurt their sector’s competitiveness just as the country faces weaker growth and a resurgence in new infections.For example, foreign technicians considered “essential” are being allowed into Canada and not required to quarantine, while Canadian workers returning from doing similar work in the United States have to self-isolate for 14 days.“It favors more foreign nationals than actual Canadian business people,”...WW…

By , MONTREAL/OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian province of Quebec on Friday said police would target more than 1,000 bars and restaurants to enforce rules curbing the spread of coronavirus, as authorities raised the alarm over a possible second wave.Slideshow Quebec and Ontario, the two most populous of the 10 provinces, blame a recent spike in cases on people ignoring limits on parties and regulations on social distancing.Public health officials reiterated warnings that they might lose the ability to manage the pandemic.Canada reported an additional 1,120 coronavirus cases and seven deaths...…By , MONTREAL/OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian province of Quebec on Friday said police would target more than 1,000 bars and restaurants to enforce rules curbing the spread of coronavirus, as authorities raised the alarm over a possible second wave.Slideshow Quebec and Ontario, the two most populous of the 10 provinces, blame a recent spike in cases on people ignoring limits on parties and regulations on social distancing.Public health officials reiterated warnings that they might lose the ability to manage the pandemic.Canada reported an additional 1,120 coronavirus cases and seven deaths...WW…