Juncker: “COVID-19 rapid tests could help contain the pandemic at a time when it is spreading out of control and our current testing regime is overwhelmed. Rapid testing is not as sensitive to diagnose infected persons, but is more accurate when it comes to identify contagious persons; contagious is of course the relevant public health factor when considering spreading. We need a concerted effort led by the government – a Marshall plan for rapid testing if you will – to help us get there as soon as possible.”

GUEST: David Juncker, Full Professor and Chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering at McGill University

‘What Clearview does is mass surveillance and it is illegal’: A privacy watchdog slams facial recognition tech previously used by RCMP and Toronto police.

GUEST:  Dr. Teresa Scassa, Canada Research Chair in Information Law and Policy and Faculty of Law, Common Law with the University of Ottawa

Students in Hamilton, Guelph and Waterloo Region are among those who will be returning to their classrooms on Monday.

GUEST: Stephen Lecce, Education Minister

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Reaction to governments plan to send students back to school

Calls: Harvey Bischof, President of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO)  

The Bill Kelly Show Podcast:

An independent investigation into allegations of racism at a southern Ontario school board found trustees made racist comments and singled out a student trustee.

The report released Wednesday afternoon says Ahona Mehdi was, at times, silenced during her term as student trustee with Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB). The report also states trustees made racist comments about Black and Muslim people and didn't understand the concept of equity.   

The board has voted to adopt all 12 report recommendations — which address governance as well as equity, diversity and inclusion — put together by Toronto law firm Koskie Minsky, hired last summer to investigate Mehdi's allegations.

ALSO: Students returning to class on Monday

GUEST: Dawn Danko, HWDSB Chair

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The William Osler Health System is coming under fire from a number of physicians for the decision to terminate the contract of its interim medical director of critical care amid the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr. Brooks Fallis told Global News in a statement Wednesday evening he was “deeply disappointed” by the organization’s decision, which he said he was told about in mid-January.

“When I met with some of the members of the senior leadership team about this, I was told I was being let go as (the) interim medical director not because of my performance as a physician or as a hospital leader but because of my outspoken, public statements regarding Ontario’s pandemic response. As a result of my actions, the hospital was under pressure from the provincial government, leading to concern about the possible loss of funding for the hospital.”

We need to protect and value the advocacy role of physicians

GUEST: Dr. Ann Collins, President of the Canadian Medical Association

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Canada has defended its decision to draw on a supply of coronavirus vaccines from a global inoculation-sharing initiative known as Covax.

Covax pools funds from wealthier countries to help buy vaccines for themselves and low-income nations. The scheme has announced a plan to deliver more than 330 million vaccine doses in the first half of 2021.

Canada is the only member of the G7 group of rich countries listed as a Covax beneficiary at this stage. Other wealthier countries, including New Zealand and Singapore, have requested an early allocation as well.

Most of the first doses available, though, will be delivered to low- and middle-income countries. Many of those countries haven't even started vaccinations

GUEST: Dr. Jason Nickerson, Humanitarian Affairs Advisor for Doctors Without Borders