# data[].attributes.body
many businesses were hit including long standing/family owned businesses which were forced to close due to the lockdown restrictions. It also impacted newer businesses: some friends and I started a clothing business just prior to the pandemic, we had spent half a year outsourcing and planning our business. We released our first drop at the turn of the year, but with covid lockdown restrictions, we could no longer run the business as our factory was in Egypt and we were selling out of Germany.

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-Thermal scans

-E-bracelets

-Screening tool: Questionares

-Walk-in clinics have virtual waiting lists

-digital contact tracing

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COVID-19 and economic inequality based on jobs

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COVID-19 and economic inequality based on jobs

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While some jobs that require expertise such as lawyers and engineers, “lower class” jobs such as grocery workers and store associates had a significant role during the pandemic - having to work everyday for the same minimum wage but having a great impact in helping the public

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Mental health issues emerging in students due to isolation.

Students being unable to perform well in school after Covid restrictions were lifted due to online learning.

International travel restrictions making it so that some families being broken up and isolated.

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Scenario 3: Any technological tool used to track COVID Cases (local/global) of developed during the pandemic to assist?

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Scenario 3: Any technological tool used to track COVID Cases (local/global) of developed during the pandemic to assist?

# data[].attributes.body
COVID tests

COVID-19 Alert App

Online grocery shopping and contactless pay

Remote learning and working

3D printing to combat medical supply shortage

AI (fast and reliable screening and diagnosis of people)

Thermometers

Surveys (data collection)

Vaccines

Robotics and Drones (COVID provided a strong push to rollout the usage of robots and research on robotics)

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During the covid-pandemic, showed how crowded conditions made it easier for the virus to spread among inmates. Which led to calls for releasing non-violent offenders, lowering bail, and also improving health care in prisons to keep everyone safer.

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During covid, the gap between the rich and poor widened significantly. It greatly affected smaller businesses, leading to a lot of them shutting down. Larger businesses have been able to handle it better, but the pandemic greatly impacted low-income households.

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, access to healthcare emerged as marginalized communities faced significant barriers to testing, treatment, and vaccination. Such as lack of health insurance, limited proximity to healthcare facilities, as well as the racism specific races faced.

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Nurses and Physicians Experiencing Burnout

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Nurses and Physicians Experiencing Burnout

# data[].attributes.body
Due to the amount of patients seriously affected by the virus, doctors and nurses were taking risks to care for the ill and work long shifts with payment that does not reflect their efforts (specifically for nurses).

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Inflation & Poverty | Mental Health Declination

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Inflation & Poverty | Mental Health Declination

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Inflation & Poverty

Due to high demand during the Covid-19 pandemic, prices were on the rise. Additionally, interest rates suddenly skyrocketed after being at an all-time low, causing more difficulty for people to pay off their bills. Because of the high prices, the lower classes suffered the most, not being able to purchase necessities for their families.

Mental Health Declination

Everyone was essentially locked inside their homes during the pandemic, which extremely limited social interactions among the population. Many people were isolated; causing higher rates of depression and suicide.

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Using a community's waste water to test for the presence of COVID-19 and determine how many cases of infection is present in a neighbourhood/city.

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During the pandemic, a great number of universities considered the SAT results optional so that students from different backgrounds could compete equally regardless of the COVID-19 impacts. Like some students never had access to Online lessons and the internet while others had the opportunity.

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UofT launched a website questionnaire that all students and staff needed to fill in order to continue coming to campus. This website required members of UofT community to upload proof of their vaccination

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A COVID-19 workplace reporting tool was released that allowed employers to report cases of COVID in their workplace

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In the recent covid-19 pandemic, the virus was seen to have spread from Wuhan, China. Once this news was public to the western world, the media portrayed Asians and people of Asian and/or Chinese decent as carries for the virus, as if it was genetic.

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Due to the pandemic, people had more time to be online and on social media, which increased the amount of attention certain movements were getting. The Black Lives Matter movement has been around for a long time, and with more people dedicating more time to social media during the lockdown, its audience became even bigger. This led to a widespread increase in protests from all around the world fighting for their rights.

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Many people doubted the vaccines' efficacy and its side effects, where some believed in certain theories regarding the government and its intention to wrong citizens.

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Apps by Google that are free to download and use. They track people who have tested positive for COVID19 and warn other smartphone users. 

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Apps by Google that are free to download and use. They track people who have tested positive for COVID19 and warn other smartphone users. 

# data[].attributes.body
Healthcare workers, educators, sale workers and many more were heavily affected by the COVID pandemic. Since their jobs were essential to keep society going they had to serve despite risk of COVID infection.

# data[].attributes.body
Since Covid was rumoured to be originated from China, the hate to Asians rised from COVID

# data[].attributes.body
nurses went on strike because they became overworked and underpaid

# data[].attributes.body
app to provide up to date news on health & covid-19 cases, news, outbreaks etc

# data[].attributes.body
Alerts people of exposure to other people that have also downloaded the app

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Toilet paper and hand sanitizer shortage

# data[].attributes.body
Decline in education and economy

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Introversion

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Mass Unemployment

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QR code survey/PCR test before entering the class (Contains general questions about assessing ones well being).

Thermometer

Digital health applications

Antigen Rapid Test

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People got separated from their families

# data[].attributes.body
Employees being laid off work because of Covid-19

# data[].attributes.headline
Depression rates increased in most teens and other individuals 

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Depression rates increased in most teens and other individuals 

# data[].attributes.body
People became less socially active

# data[].attributes.body
Students struggled with online school

# data[].attributes.body
BLM is a social justice issue that arises during Covid-19. More specifically, when people were protesting for equal black rights the media used Covid as an excuse to why their protest was illegal and had to be stopped.

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Shortages of health care workers

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Health care workers were at a greater risk of getting infected

# data[].attributes.body
Food prices increased

# data[].attributes.body
Many hospitals were straining resources and overworking its staff due to a sudden influx of hospitalizations due to COVID

# data[].attributes.body
https://abc7ny.com/tiktok-social-medial-manuela-frey-coronavirus-new-york/6201468/

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BySandy Kenyon via Thursday, May 21, 2020

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Coronavirus News: TikTok experiences boom during COVID-19 pandemic

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The global coronavirus pandemic has fueled the rise of an app that makes it easy for anyone to lip sync to their favorite tune or dance to the music of the latest hit, and most parents of teens already know that TikTok has got nothing to do with the sound of a clock.

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Spike of food prices during Covid-19 pandemic

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Spike of food prices during Covid-19 pandemic

# data[].attributes.body
https://devpolicy.org/the-covid-19-crisis-and-rising-food-prices-a-year-on-20210928/

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Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre

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The COVID-19 crisis and rising food prices, a year on - Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre

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The temporary spike in global food prices early in the pandemic now appears to be here to stay, explain Rachel Richardson, Ajla Vilogorac and Rob Hitchins.

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most healthcare workers let off were women. is it coincidence?

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TORONTO -- Premier Doug Ford says he knows "it's not fair" that non-essential businesses had to close their doors while big box stores could stay open amid the COVID-19 lockdown in Toronto and Peel Region.

During the government's daily announcement on Wednesday, Ford, along with Health Minister Christine Elliott, answered questions from the media about an open letter sent by a group of retailers asking for the government to allow non-essential businesses to reopen.

Ford said he has to follow the advice of the province's chief medical officer of health and has to keep non-essential stores temporarily closed for the safety of Ontarians.

"[If] I put my business hat on I'd switch those things open in a heartbeat but I can't. I have to listen to the health experts. It's proven, it works, and that's how we've been able to move forward this whole time. I'm a business person. I don't want to close these down but health trumps my personal belief of doing something," Ford said.

In the letter, which was signed by about 50 retailers, they argue that "segregating 'non-essential' retailers from those deemed essential might actually be making things worse."

"Instead, it [the lockdown] has funneled those shoppers and the corresponding health risk into fewer, increasingly crowded stores within Toronto and Peel, as well as adjacent communities, such as we saw in Vaughan and Markham over the weekend. This potentially creates greater health risk," the letter reads.

In addition, the retailers say that big box stores are benefiting from increased demand while many small businesses had to close even though they sell many of the same products. As a result, many of these businesses are forced to lay off employees in what is the busiest shopping time of the year.

Instead, the retailers ask that the government immediately reopen all retail in the province and impose a 25 per cent capacity limit on non-essential businesses in lockdown regions.

"This will put fewer people in more stores, increasing safety for all. The current policy does the opposite," the letter reads. "Capacity restrictions backed by strong social distancing and other safety measures already in place will deliver better health outcomes in a way that is effective, fair, saves jobs and supports local businesses and families."

Ford noted that the decision to close non-essential businesses was made to reduce the amount of people in one setting at the same time, and as a result, decrease the risk of transmission.

"If you're going to the big box retailer, it's kind of the one-stop shop, and I know it's not fair believe me. I know it's not fair but it really limits people from going out and making four or five, six stops on the way home to pick stuff up," he said.

Elliott reiterated that Ontarians must only leave their homes for essential services or to purchase essential goods.

"With respect to the big box stores we're hopeful that people will go in there for essential goods. That's the reason why they're open. For the pharmacies and some of the grocery sections that many of the big box stores have," she said.

Ford added that federal and provincial financial support are available to assist small businesses and that residents should shop local to help them as well.

"Go online, shop online, order meals online. Do everything you can online and not with the big online retailers," he said.

Toronto and Peel Region entered a 28-day lockdown on Nov. 23 under the provincial government's COVID-19 response framework.

The lockdown forced the closure of non-essential businesses, indoor dining, gyms and movie theatres to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in those hot spots.

On Wednesday, the province logged 1,723 new cases of the virus, with 410 in Toronto and 500 in Peel.

Another 35 fatalities were also recorded on Wednesday, marking a tie for the highest single-day death toll since the beginning of the second wave of the pandemic.

view larger image

FILE - In this May 7, 2020, file photo, a pedestrian walks by The Framing Gallery, closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in Grosse Pointe, Mich. The U.S. unemployment rate hit 14.7% in April, the highest rate since the Great Depression, as 20.5 million jobs vanished in the worst monthly loss on record. The figures are stark evidence of the damage the coronavirus has done to a now-shattered economy. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

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Ontario premier says 'it's not fair' that small businesses have closed, but no changes will be made to lockdown

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TORONTO -- Premier Doug Ford says he knows "it's not fair" that non-essential businesses had to close their doors while big box stores could stay open amid the COVID-19 lockdown in Toronto and Peel Region.

# data[].attributes.body
Some forms of social media, while not necessarily being invented during COVID-19, found a massive boom in their user base. An example of this is TikTok.

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One app that was used like crazy during the pandemic was Zoom

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Temperature guns and quick test covid test 

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Temperature guns and quick test covid test 

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During the pandemic a rise in supply and demand has been affecting our pharmaceutical companies. The demand for over the counter drugs have been growing and the supply chain cant keep up with the needs of people

https://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/written-materials/2021/06/17/why-the-pandemic-has-disrupted-supply-chains/

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Twice as many women than men lost their jobs in the past 3 years

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Study shows that prejudice against people of Asian decent had increased

44 per cent of cases were reported in British Columbia and 40 per cent were reported in Ontario.

60 per cent of the victims identified as women.

11 per cent of cases included violent physical assault or unwanted contact.

10 per cent of cases included being coughed or spat on.

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Covid-19 lead to anti-Asian discrimination since the virus originated in Asia

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Covid-19 Fueling Anti-Asian Racism and Xenophobia Worldwide

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Governments should take urgent steps to prevent racist and xenophobic violence and discrimination linked to the Covid-19 pandemic while prosecuting racial attacks against Asians and people of Asian descent.

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The COVID-19 pandemic and the extreme stress it cause on the  health care workforce.

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The COVID-19 pandemic and the extreme stress it cause on the  health care workforce.

# data[].attributes.body
It lead to leading to workforce shortages as well as increased health care worker burnout, exhaustion, and trauma.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been over 150,000 recorded cases of COVID-19 in health care workers in Canada. Which cause trauma and mental health issues, not only for the people that are ill but also their coworkers.

https://www.cihi.ca/en/covid-19-cases-and-deaths-in-health-care-workers-in-canada-infographic

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People can report their covid antigen tests online to help keep track of cases

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https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/12/covid-19-fueling-anti-asian-racism-and-xenophobia-worldwide

Covid-19 lead to anti-Asian discrimination and hate since the virus originated in Asia

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Covid-19 Fueling Anti-Asian Racism and Xenophobia Worldwide

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Governments should take urgent steps to prevent racist and xenophobic violence and discrimination linked to the Covid-19 pandemic while prosecuting racial attacks against Asians and people of Asian descent.

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covid screenings that were submitted could help track approximately who might be sick

# data[].attributes.body
COVID-meter - Danish Tech company app used to input and monitor coronavirus symptoms.

Mobile Proximity App - Tracks the spread of the virus

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Schools used to keep track of infected students and send out emails to keep people informed

# data[].attributes.body
COVID-19 affected many students around the world, from having increasing levels of anxiety to insomnia. High school students were more likely to drop out, and 35% of parents with kids going to elementary school were severely concerned about the mental health of their children. Education was also impacted as many students were not able to go the school, and being at home where the environment may not be great for studying, student marks have decreased for some.

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Vaccine distribution unequal because of the monetary value and connections necessary when the whole world is competing for one limited resource.

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/04/22/988814093/what-does-vaccine-inequality-look-like-see-chart

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What Does Vaccine Inequality Look Like? See Chart

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Namibia’s president says disparate global rates of vaccination represent “COVID apartheid.” If you compare percentages of people vaccinated in the most populous countries, you can understand his ire.

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There are many different Covid-19 tools from municipal, provincial, federal and global level

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There are many different Covid-19 tools from municipal, provincial, federal and global level

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Schools:
A lot of universities and schools now have a system where students must log in daily to ensure that they don't have Covid. (i.e. UCheck, SheridanCheck, etc.) (This will help notify students in a particular class if another student happen to also have Covid) (Note: Although these checks are in place, students with covid/being asymptomatic might still "bypass" it by pretending that they don't have covid. This system is based on honesty)

Municipal:
https://data.peelregion.ca/documents/profile-of-covid-19-cases/explore
Region of Peel Covid case dashboard (provides info from the Peel region (Mississauga, Caledon, Brampton) and providing more specific data within your community)

Provincial:
https://covid-19.ontario.ca/data (Covid 19 data regarding Ontario (the province as a whole))
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/covid-alert.html (The Ontario Covid 19 alert app which helps track cases near your area)

Federal:
https://health-infobase.canada.ca/covid-19/epidemiological-summary-covid-19-cases.html (Covid19 stats for all of Canada (Including the breakdown for each province/territory))

Global:
https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
https://covid19.who.int/
https://covid19tracker.ca/

(Data aggregated from a trusted site such as John Hopkins University or WHO on Covid 19 world data (Including the breakdown for each country (If data is able to be found))

Note: This data isn't always going to be 100% accurate as there are new cases coming in everyday and there are some people that might even have Covid but might be asymptomatic or unreported

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Dashboard providing daily updates of cases of COVID-19 in Peel Region, including detailed breakdowns.

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Food insecurity and Covid-19

covid 19 is estimated to have dramatically increased the number of people facing food insecurity in 2020 and 2021.

The number of people affected by hunger continued to increase in 202 due to the covid19 pandemic.

It is estimated as an increase from 9.2 to 10.4 %.

Between 720 and 811 million people in the world faced food insecurity in the world. 118 million more people were facing hunger in 2020 than in 2019.

1 in 3 people in the world did not have access to food in 2020. And 1 in 7 Canadians experienced food insecurity during the pandemic.

We can use statistics, and bar graphs to represent this increase of food insecurity throughout the year with the presence of covid 19

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With UCheck, the University of Toronto itself requires every student and staff member to have linked their UTORiD to the system developed by thrive health.

In theory and in a perfect world with everyone being honest, the UCheck would be a great success. It would not only allow the university to track cases within their population across its campuses but also have accurate up to date data on the staff/student's details (such as which residence they are in, whether they have managed to get on campus or not, which classes they are in/taking and so on) which would allow them to keep everything on campus relatively under check.

Alas, humans are not perfect and neither is the UCheck. Its major drawback is that it requires self-reporting- and therein is where the viability of this system goes to its grave. One could easily just lie on their Ucheck and get in on campus despite showing multiple symptoms or even actually having contracted covid. Furthermore, Ucheck may not be accurate for those individuals in whom covid is still incubating and so show no symptoms!

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More layoffs and smaller employee numbers

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More layoffs and smaller employee numbers

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Due to the pandemic, many businesses were forced to lay off large amounts of workers as they were not able to afford their high staff count. This resulted in many people losing their jobs and not being able to support their families or themselves and having to rely on governmental aid.

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Due to the pandemic, may businesses were forced to close due to lack of customers or too strict restrictions from the government. Owners went bankrupt and lost personal savings in order to either save or close their business.

# data[].attributes.body
Due to the pandemic, in Canada the real output declined by 2.1% in small firms in the first quarter of 2020, while it declined by 1.7% in the business sector in the first quarter.

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From Statistics Canada we learn that the youth employment rate has dropped since 2020 by more than 10% and will see way lower wages than if they joined the workforce two years prior (this data is on top of the effects of inflation), as well they will experience harder working conditions and less employee benefits.

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Due COVID-19, hardly members of a country (Canada, USA, etc.) were not spending as much money as they were pre COVID-19. Now that the economy is opening up, there is a high demand for consumer goods, tourism, or just general spending. Problem is, these demands cannot be met due to a lack of supply which is causing prices to surge, resulting in inflation. We can see a similar phenomena occuring in the housing market globally. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Due COVID-19, hardly members of a country (Canada, USA, etc.) were not spending as much money as they were pre COVID-19. Now that the economy is opening up, there is a high demand for consumer goods, tourism, or just general spending. Problem is, these demands cannot be met due to a lack of supply which is causing prices to surge, resulting in inflation. We can see a similar phenomena occuring in the housing market globally. 

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Should you be worrying right now?

Are we about to go back to the future where economic malaise brings a sorrowful stew of high inflation and rising interest rates?

Or is this just a temporary temporal anomaly caused by a fixable mix of bad luck and bad decision making?

You might have noticed inflation hitting the headlines of late. Yes, it appears to be registering its highest rate in some time.

It's more important, however, that you dig deeper than those headlines. If you can identify the likely cause of this current bout of inflation, you'll be in a better position to understand its roots and its potential impact on you.

"We are experiencing this sudden surge in inflation for two main reasons," says Craig Kirsner, President of Stuart Estate Planning Wealth Advisors in Coconut Creek, Florida. "First, for the past year and a half due to Covid hardly anyone was spending money. Now that the economy is back open, people are spending and traveling and, as such, there is a bottleneck with very high demand. Our system isn't set up for this high demand level, so that causes inflation in the short term. Second, with interest rates lowered to almost zero since March of 2020, these low interest rates have spurred demand in housing which is experiencing a large backlog as well as adding to inflation worries."

What you're seeing is a simultaneous confluence of one-time occurrences that have both exposed economic weaknesses and created a vicious inflationary cycle.

"It's largely due to a perfect storm of supply chain disruption from Covid, government spending to fill the economic void and a synchronized global recovery driven by vaccine rollout and economies re-opening," says John P. Micklitsch, Chief Investment Officer at Ancora in Cleveland. "The pandemic is probably just the event that exposed over a decade of underinvestment in the global commodity supply chain and the vulnerability of 'just-in-time' inventories to this sort of supply shock."

There is no evidence that, without Covid, we would be facing this "supply shock" induced inflation.

"The strained supply lines due to Covid paired with an increase in demand we are seeing now would be one of the main reasons for inflation at the moment," says Derek S. Taddei, Relationship Manager, 401k Specialist at HoyleCohen, LLC in Phoenix. Using language familiar to anyone who has taken an ECON101 class, Taddei calls this "a combination of Demand Pull and Cost Push inflationary pressures."

This, however, isn't the only Covid-based reason for inflation. Another is a simple "Snapshot-in-Time" anomaly. It's merely the coincidence of the reporting calendar.

"A large portion of what we are experiencing in inflation is due to the deflation which we saw in 2020 during the Covid shutdowns," says Mike Windle, CEO at Custom Wealth Solutions in Plymouth, Michigan. "As prices work to normalize, it is causing inflationary pressure. Add to that the pent-up demand caused by the Covid lockdowns; we are seeing prices rise quickly."

This reason gives many people pause to say the current level of inflation will be short-lived. If we look at the last twelve months, we're seeing the pendulum swinging wildly between both extremes. The expectation is that it will quickly settle into its normal, less volatile, range.

"Much of the elevated inflation numbers are being attributed to the 'base effect' as inflation is commonly quoted on a year-over-year basis," says Steven Saunders, a Director and Portfolio Advisor with Round Table Wealth Management in New York City. "One year ago, global economies were nearly fully shut down so the denominator in the calculation is arguably artificially depressed. As these depressed numbers from one year ago 'roll off,' inflation metrics will likely come down."

How might you explain this to your children or to someone consumed by anxiety regarding the headline news on inflation?

"You have to look at the whole picture," says Mike Cocco, Equitable Advisor at Equitable in Nutley, New Jersey. "First, if you are looking at the 1-year changes in inflation, those numbers will be pretty jarring, with many metrics coming in at 5%+ over the previous 12 months. However, you must also keep in mind that 12 months ago, most of our economy was shut down, and people bought less things, traveled less, etc. It was like hitting a big time 'pause' button on the economy. That put us into a deflationary position, as many prices and wages decreased, because no one knew what the next week would bring. It was pure survival mode and many people hoarded cash (and toilet paper!). Now, 12 months later, our world couldn't look more different. Restrictions are all but lifted across the country, people are traveling again, buying things... it was like all of us were freed from a year and a half grounding and now we are ready to re-introduce ourselves to the world. There is so much built-up demand, which can drive up prices as we've seen, as consumers compete for goods and services. Let's couple that high level of demand with low levels of supply in many areas, such as building supplies and some groceries, due to the supply chains getting disrupted by the pandemic, and anyone who has taken an Economics 101 course knows that high demand and low supply leads to higher prices... and that is what inflation is."

Lest you too quickly pin this whole inflation thing on Covid, realize other factors have contributed to higher prices. These factors did not need a pandemic to spur them.

"Prices are increasing simply due to a mismatch in the supply and demand of goods," says Saunders. "Over the last 16 months or so, pandemic restrictions closed many factories and shipping routes around the globe, resulting in less availability of products. However, it's not just pandemic-related supply issues as the Texas winter storm in February of 2021 shut down production of many petroleum-based products that play into multiple industries like foam for furniture or resin for PVC pipes in construction. Additionally, extreme droughts around the world also have the ability to impact the supply of agriculture products."

But wait. There's more.

"At the same time as the global supply chain was experiencing large scale disruptions, stimulus payments resulted in many individuals with excess disposable income," says Saunders. "Since much of the economy was shut down during that time period, individuals shifted their spending away from services such as eating out or travel to buying physical goods like TVs or materials for home improvement. Since fewer products were available, people had to pay up for these products, resulting in increasing inflation."

It's clear the "Demand Pull" that Taddei referred to isn't just coming from lack of spending last year. It's also coming courtesy of Washington policy-making. Here, Taddei refers to "The three rounds of stimulus that have taken place, as well as a possible 4th round, and even more proposed spending which may or may not be paid for with funds already allocated to unemployment and Covid stimulus from local governments."

If many point a finger at Covid causing inflation, many point a second finger at national leadership.

"Legislation from Washington has likely played a role in increasing demand for goods over the last year," says Saunders. "The CARES Act distributed direct cash payments to individuals and also increased unemployment benefits. These had a direct impact on increasing incomes and savings rates of many individuals. Along with these transfer payments, the Act also allowed for those in need to defer payments on mortgages and student loans, 'freeing up' more cash for individuals to spend on goods and services."

But it's not just individuals going on this government-subsidized spending binge.

"In addition to the 'free-spending' behavior of consumers in this current environment, the US Government has not been afraid to take aggressive measures to provide aid to the economy as it was navigating a Covid-world, and they have kept on the path of providing additional assistance to families, businesses, and local state and municipal governments, to ensure a full recovery from this pandemic and the shutdowns," says Cocco. "To be specific, to date, the Federal Government has approved and earmarked more than $5 Trillion towards Covid relief bills. The latest bill passed (as of 6/29/21) was the American Rescue Plan, which will provide almost $2Trillion of relief to many different areas, ranging from more direct payments to individuals and families, aid to state and local governments, tax incentives, etc. Additionally, Congress is very close and may have framework on a new infrastructure deal, which would be the largest infrastructure deal in our nation's history, to build and repair roads, bridges, railways, internet broadband, water supplies, etc. Passage of this bill will pump more money into our economy which can certainly create additional inflationary spikes in the short-term."

Some feel this government intrusion will only worsen the inflationary situation.

"Injecting large amounts of cash into an economy through stimulus and other spending programs like the proposed trillion+ dollar 'infrastructure' bill will ramp up economic growth, and will certainly not decrease inflationary pressures," says Taddei. "It is a combination of issues, fiscal stimulus, the Federal Reserve's loose monetary policy and the subsequent increase in money supply that creates more money chasing fewer goods and services."

This is where the vicious cycle really starts building on itself.

"The U.S. economy is powered by the consumer and we are currently seeing consumers with a lot of extra cash," says Windle. "This has led to a greater demand for goods and services without supply chains being able to fully recover from the shortages that were created due to shutdowns over the past year. Gasoline prices are still elevated from the shortages that were caused during the Colonial Pipeline shutdown and as businesses try to entice employees back into the workforce, we are finally seeing low-wage workers getting raises, signing bonuses and other benefits whose costs are being passed on to the consumer."

Plenty of reasons exist for the sudden surge in inflation. Alone, they may have just caused an annoyance. Together, they can do some real damage if not contained.

Which begs the question: Are you prepared to live with longer than expected inflation?

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Covid Or Policy: What's Causing This Inflation Surge?

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Should you be worrying right now? Are we about to go back to the future where economic malaise brings a sorrowful stew of high inflation and rising interest rates? Or is this just a temporary temporal anomaly caused by a fixable mix of bad luck and bad decision making?

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Pandemic caused a spike in anxiety and depression rates.

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Pandemic caused a spike in anxiety and depression rates.

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During the time of covid, a survey done by U.S. Census Bureau more than 4 people out of 10 developed the symptoms of depression. However, the survey was a rapid-response online survey done on randomy chosen people. There is a high posibility of it not representing the real numbers as in online surveys people sometimes do not write genuine answers. Also, since it is random testing, the number of people this was tested on is not enough to represent an entire country.

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Doesn't track your location, name, address, phone's contacts, health information of anyone you're near (these could all be helpful and informative but because of privacy issues they aren't included)

If you aren't technologically savvy you're unlikely to use the app (may not even have a phone), or may be using it incorrectly (don't have bluetooth turned on)

Requires the user to self-report if they have been diagnosed with Covid (people may not do this)

The way of obtaining the "one-time key" changes from province to province can further confuse this issue especially if you are travelling (ex. for business). Could also weigh heavily on the public health system because if the user who has covid doesn't get the code they have to do further work by contacting their local public health

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COVID Alert is Canada's free COVID-19 exposure notification app. It can alert you to possible exposures before you have symptoms.

Available for iOS and Android

On this page

How it works

The app uses Bluetooth to exchange random codes between your phone and nearby phones.

Each day, the app checks a list of random codes from users who have informed the app, through a one-time key, they've tested positive for COVID-19.

If you test positive for COVID-19, you need to enter a one-time key in the app to notify others.

The app will notify you if a phone was near you in the last 14 days from a user who tested positive and entered a one-time key.

Keep background updates switched on and check them regularly.

Watch the video on how COVID Alert works.

Random codes and exposures

When you're near someone else with the app, both phones exchange random codes every 5 minutes.

The app estimates how close app users are to one another by the strength of their Bluetooth signals.

The random codes change often and can't be used to identify you.

An exposure is recorded if you're within 2 metres of someone with COVID-19 for 15 minutes or longer.

Each day, your phone gets a list of the random codes of app users who have reported a diagnosis. This is only possible when connected to the internet.

If it finds a matching code on your phone, the app notifies you that you've been exposed. It explains what to do next.

How to get a one-time key

COVID Alert is only effective when:

you have Bluetooth enabled on your mobile device

users enter a one-time key into the app when they are diagnosed with COVID-19

The process to get a one-time key is different in each province and territory. If you test positive for COVID-19 and don't receive one, ask your local public health unit how to get it.

The app uses this one-time key to alert other app users that they were exposed. App users can also enter information to help narrow down when they were likely most infectious. Those details tell the phone which random codes to upload and who to notify of a possible exposure.

Learn more about how to use the one-time key.

One-time key process by province or territory

Province or territory

One-time key process

Ontario

If you test positive for COVID-19, you can get a one-time key directly from the eHealthOntario test results website. You may also call your local public health authority.

Download the app even if your province or territory isn't participating

If you live in a province or territory that isn't yet participating in COVID Alert, it's still helpful to download the app. It will notify you if you came in contact with someone from a participating province or territory who later tested positive for COVID-19.

Your privacy is protected

COVID Alert doesn't use GPS or track your location. It has no way of knowing:

your location

your name or address

your phone's contacts

the health information of anyone you're near

Nobody will get any information about you or the time you were near them. Learn more about how COVID Alert protects your privacy.

Provinces and territories where you can report a diagnosis

Which province or territory you live in will determine:

if you can get a one-time key

how you get a one-time key

Currently, the only places you're unable to report a diagnoses are:

Alberta

British Columbia

Nunavut

Yukon

How many people are using COVID Alert

Number of downloads

6,745,678

Provinces and territories onboard

9

One-time keys used

36,316

A public health tool

Using COVID Alert for the duration of the outbreak is just one of the public health tools available to help limit the spread.

The app doesn't replace medical advice or manual contact tracing by local public health authorities.

Continue to follow public health measures

COVID-19 vaccination

As more vaccines are given, some of the more restrictive public health measures can be lifted. Learn more about:

Posters and videos for understanding the app

Posters and handouts to print and share

Get help with COVID Alert

Check the COVID Alert help page for answers to common questions and issues.

Share your story

Did the app help you make informed choices for yourself or your family? We want to hear from you. Contact us with details about your experience.

Building the app in the open

Learn how COVID Alert is built by viewing the source code. Also find out who is advising us on meeting the highest standards in public health outcomes, technology and privacy.

Follow us on Twitter

Follow the Canadian Digital Service and Health Canada on twitter for updates about COVID Alert:

Contact us

Before you contact us, check the COVID Alert help page.

Phone: 1-833-784-4397

Hours of operation are from 7 am to midnight ET

We can provide service in more than 200 languages

Teletypewriter (TTY): 1-800-465-7735

Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm ET

Email: hc.AlerteCOVIDAlert.sc@canada.ca

Available for iOS and Android

Thank you for your feedback

Date modified:

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Download COVID Alert: Canada's exposure notification app

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COVID Alert is Canada's free COVID-19 exposure notification app. It can alert you to possible exposures before you have symptoms. Available for iOS and Android The app uses Bluetooth to exchange random codes between your phone and nearby phones.

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I am not sure if we can considered this a social justice issue, but I chose to look into the unemployment rate since COVID. I consider it to have a valid numerical representation since it not only shows the percentages but also demonstrates the raw numbers. Therefore making it easy to understand.