It's time for Tech Talk with Adam Oldfield!

Topics Include: Rogers outage, Apple Announcements, Zoom & more. 

The world’s fastest pace of spreading infections and the highest daily increase in coronavirus cases are pushing India further into a deepening and deadly health care crisis.

India is massive — it’s the world’s second-most populous country with nearly 1.4 billion people — and its size presents extraordinary challenges to fighting COVID-19.

Some 2.7 million vaccine doses are given daily, but that’s still less than 10% of its people who’ve gotten their first shot. Overall, India has confirmed 15.9 million cases of infection, the second highest after the United States, and 184,657 deaths.

GUEST: Shuvaloy Majumdar, Munk Senior Fellow with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute

The Bill Kelly Show Podcast:

Canada is banning passenger flights from India and Pakistan for 30 days amid concerns over rising COVID-19 cases and a new virus mutation, says Transport Minister Omar Alghabra.

In the last two weeks, more than 100 international flights landing in Canada have carried at least one positive COVID-19 case on board, according to the federal government.

At least 32 of those flights were from India.

The measure went into effect at 11:30 p.m. ET on Thursday and does not affect cargo flights.

ALSO: Premier Doug Ford is promising a paid sick-leave program for Ontario workers. Although there's no date yet for its implementation. Also, his apology for backtracking.

GUEST: Richard Brennan, Former Journalist with The Toronto Star covering Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill

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A so-called “double mutant” variant of COVID-19 feared to be driving a record surge in new cases in India has now been found in Canada.

On Wednesday, British Columbia confirmed 39 cases of the B.1.617 variant – first detected in India – while Quebec reported it first known case of the new variant in the province.

While not officially designated as a variant of concern (VOC) by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), B.1.617 is being treated as a “variant of interest”. And federal health officials say they are closely monitoring it.

GUEST: Thomas Tenkate, Professor at the School of Occupational & Public Health with Ryerson University

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A year into the pandemic, a new report by HR company Morneau Shepell says that feelings of isolation are taking their greatest toll yet on Canadians.

The company released its monthly Mental Health Index report, showing a negative mental health score among Canadians for the 12th consecutive month, according to a press release.

While some scores have fluctuated, the score for psychological health has steadily declined over the last 12 months. This “indicates that Canadians’ view of their overall mental health status is at its lowest point,” the release states.

GUEST: Paula Allen, Global Leader and Senior Vice President of Research and Total Wellbeing at Morneau Shepell

Mayor’s Townhall with Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger

Topics include Red Hill Valley Parkway judicial inquiry, Hate Crime Report, COVID-19 cases and more.