Charles Bordeleau, former chief of the Ottawa Police service and now a public safety consultant, answers questions from Cross Country Checkup callers about the ongoing protests against pandemic restrictions in Ottawa.

Cross Country Checkup from CBC Radio

Ask Me Anything: Charles Bordeleau on anti-mandate protests in Ottawa

COVID-19 infections related to the Omicron variant have peaked in Canada, according to Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer. But hospitalizations and ICU admissions remain high across the country. Meanwhile, many Canadians are asking how much longer pandemic restrictions will last. Our question this week: Is it time to start living with COVID-19? Should restrictions be eased where you live? Dr. Peter Juni, science advisor for the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, discusses the current state of the pandemic; Dr. Stephen Flindall, an Ontario-based emergency department physician, weighs in on the effect loosening restrictions could have on hospitals; and Esyllt Jones, an infectious disease historian and professor at the University of Manitoba, on what past pandemics can tell us about where we go next.

Feb. 6, 2022 - Is it time to start living with COVID-19?

Streets in Ottawa were jammed with protestors after a convoy of truckers rolled into the nation's capital this weekend. The convoy — and it's supporters — are protesting the federal government's mandate that truckers crossing the U.S. border be fully vaccinated. Our question this week: What's your reaction to the protest convoy in Ottawa? What does it represent to you? Justin Ling, freelance journalist and host of CBC podcast Flamethrowers, shares the view from Parliament Hill as the protest continues and political strategists Melissa Caouette and Zain Velji discuss the reaction from Canada's federal political leaders.

Jan. 30, 2022 - What's your reaction to the protest convoy in Ottawa?

Depending on where you live, you may have noticed a few empty grocery shelves. You may have also noticed prices rising as inflation rates hit 30-year highs. Professor Sylvain Charlebois, director of Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab, answers questions from Cross Country Checkup callers about food prices and scarcity with host Ian Hanomansing.

Ask Me Anything: Sylvain Charlebois on grocery prices and food scarcity in Canada

Students across Canada are back to school for in-person learning. But less than half of children aged 5 to 11 have received just one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. Our question this week: Why are vaccination rates so low among Canadian kids? What questions do you have about kids and vaccines? Dr. Fatima Kakkar, pediatric infectious diseases expert, answers questions about COVID-19 vaccinations for kids; Dr. Cora Constantinescu, pediatric infectious disease specialist, shares her experience speaking with vaccine hesitant parents; and Devon Greyson, public health researcher, discusses the efficacy of vaccine mandates.

Jan. 23, 2022 - Why are vaccination rates so low among Canadian kids?

Struggling to get rest at night? Dr. Charles Samuels, medical director of the Centre for Sleep & Human Performance in Calgary, answers your questions about sleep during the pandemic with Cross Country Checkup host Ian Hanomansing.

Ask Me Anything: Dr. Charles Samuels answers your questions about sleep during the pandemic

As the Omicron variant surge continues, industries across Canada — hospitals, schools, airlines and more — are facing staffing shortages. More and more workers are juggling overtime shifts and new job responsibilities as workplaces across Canada face a spike in COVID-related job absences. Our question this week:Are you suffering from pandemic burnout at work? What support do you need? Dr. Rima Styra, a psychiatrist and clinician investigator with University Health Network in Toronto discusses the symptoms of burnout and what can help navigate these issues; and Laurent Lapierre, a professor of workplace behaviour at the University of Ottawa, looks at what people can do to manage their own work lives and how employers can manage burnout at the workplace.

Jan. 22, 2022 - Are you suffering from pandemic burnout at work?

The pandemic is continuing to shift, and we know you still have questions about it. Dalhousie University infectious diseases specialist Dr. Lisa Barrett joins Cross Country Checkup host Ian Hanomansing to answer your questions about the Omicron variant. Plus, Dr. Prabhat Jha, a physician, professor of global health at the University of Toronto and epidemiologist at St. Michael's Hospital, on what we now know about Omicron.

Ask Me Anything: Dr. Lisa Barrett answers questions about the Omicron variant

So you've got Omicron symptoms. Now what? Dr. Zain Chagla takes calls about your COVID-19 experience. Chagla, an infectious diseases physician at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Hamilton, joins Cross Country Checkup host Ian Hanomansing to answer callers’ concerns about the COVID-19 Omicron variant, from the trustworthiness of rapid tests to long-COVID, and how to move forward as cases spread rapidly.

Topic 2: Omicron symptoms — now what?

As several provinces continue to see COVID-19 cases surge, students in Alberta and British Columbia will return to the classroom on Monday. Saskatchewan resumed in class learning this week, while most other provinces delayed their back to school date to Jan. 17. Our question this week: Should children return to the classroom during an Omicron surge? How can we make it safe? Dr. Anna Banerji, pediatric infectious disease specialist at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, and Dr. Jeffrey Pernica, head of the division of infectious disease in the department of pediatrics at McMaster University and McMaster Children's Hospital, weigh in on the safety of returning to classrooms.

Jan. 9, 2022 - Should children return to the classroom during an Omicron surge?

As the new year begins, worries of a post-holiday surge in COVID-19 cases fuelled by the Omicron variant. Dr. Peter Jüni, scientific director of Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, answers questions from Cross Country Checkup callers about returning to work and school as cases continue to rise.

Ask Me Anything: Dr. Peter Jüni on back to work & school amid rising COVID-19 cases

It's our annual reporters' notebook. CBC correspondents Chris Brown, Susan Ormiston and Salimah Shivji reflect on the top international news stories of the year. Our question this week: What was the most important international news in 2021? Which story was overshadowed by the pandemic?

Jan. 2, 2022 - What was the most important international news in 2021? Which story was overshadowed by the pandemic?

In the spring of 1985, a debate over rock music lyrics emerged. Parents groups were calling for a rating system on albums featuring obscene lyrics. The record industry pushed back, arguing such a move was a step toward censorship. That fall, the debate made its way to the U.S. Senate, and parents’ groups got their wish — warnings would be placed on albums with explicit lyrics. Experimental rock musician Frank Zappa was among those arguing against a ratings system and he joined Cross Country Checkup hosts Wayne Grigsby and Stan Gibbons to take calls and answer the question: Should there be restrictions on rock lyrics?

From the archives: Musician Frank Zappa and the debate over explicit lyrics (1985)

Dr. Shimi Kang, a psychiatrist and clinical associate professor at the UBC school of psychiatry, answers questions on improving resilience during the pandemic from Cross Country Checkup callers.

Ask Me Anything: Dr. Shimi Kang on mental health during the pandemic

Projections for COVID-19 case counts are pointing straight up in Ontario and Quebec thanks to the Omicron variant. Meanwhile, provincial governments are rapidly deploying boosters and tests ahead of the holiday season, and restrictions are once again tightening in some regions. Scientific director of Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table Dr. Peter Jüni and Dr. Susy Hota, an infectious diseases physician at University Health Network in Toronto, answer listeners’ questions about the COVID-19 Omicron variant; and Dr. Jennifer Russell, New Brunswick’s chief medical officer of health, discusses changes to booster dose eligibility and how that government is preparing for omicron.

Dec. 19, 2021 - Are you prepared for an Omicron surge?

Cross Country Checkup is Canada's only weekly national open-line radio program. It is broadcast live across Canada every Sunday afternoon on CBC Radio One and SiriusXM, and streamed live on the Internet. Each week Canadians from coast to coast join in a lively discussion on an issue of national interest that affects their daily lives.

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Cross Country Checkup from CBC Radio

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