Who's more likely to be reinfected with COVID?

Plus, wildfires in Canada's North and West, and renters' woes in Milton [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on our understanding of COVID-19 infections, evacuations in Yellowknife and a GTA town where renters are struggling. DON’T MISS Toronto Star covid [Some seniors infected with Omicron variants were more susceptible to reinfection]( Researchers at McMaster University have found that retirement and long-term care home residents infected during the first Omicron wave were 20 times more likely to catch COVID than those who avoided a prior infection, Kenyon Wallace reports. The finding counters the prevailing wisdom that a previous infection offered protection against future infections — at least in the older adults who participated in the study. [Here’s what the study could mean for Ontarians as an earlier-than-expected fall wave approaches](. - Why it matters: “This is important because our vaccine strategy is based on the assumption that once you’ve had an infection, you’re going to be a little bit more protected so you don’t need to get vaccinated right away,” said immunologist and study co-author Dawn Bowdish. - The upcoming wave: Ontario government data shows the fall wave of COVID is making an early appearance. [Take a look at the numbers so far](. - Watch for: New COVID booster shots are coming this fall. [Here’s everything we’ve learned](. Canadian Press/Justin Tang northwest territories [Premier Caroline Cochrane says she searched for homeless people during the Yellowknife evacuation]( The Northwest Territories premier, who worked as a social worker before entering politics, told a news conference over the weekend that the government worked closely with Yellowknife shelters to ensure people experiencing homelessness were being brought to an evacuation centre. Cochrane said she personally worked with a man experiencing homelessness on Thursday — from 8 a.m. until after midnight — to search the streets for any others who may have been left behind, The Canadian Press reports. [Here’s what else we know about the evacuation efforts](. - Context: There were 312 experiencing homelessness in Yellowknife, according to a 2021 point-in-time count. More than half were chronically homeless and more than 90 per cent were Indigenous. - Meanwhile in B.C.: Fire chiefs say the Okanagan wildfire battle has [turned a corner after days of destruction](. - By the numbers: Thousands of people were evacuated from their B.C. homes and [more data on the B.C. wildfires](. - Go deeper: Kelowna residents forced to evacuate are [pondering an unclear fate](. Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star housing [This GTA town’s rental woes rival those of Toronto]( Milton might seem like a place where residents could dodge Toronto’s affordability crisis, but the town is grappling with housing hardships of its own, Victoria Gibson reports. Although the area has been a hub for development, the growth has been heavily skewed to benefit homeowners. Renters, meanwhile, are facing severely limited supply and rising prices, while eviction applications this year are already nearing last year’s total. [These are some of the factors exacerbating conditions](. - By the numbers: The website rentals.ca shies away from reporting Milton’s average rent price because there are limited homes listed on the platform for the entire town, a spokesperson said. With that sample, the average new listing price is $2,793 per month — just under Toronto’s July average of $2,849. - Shawn Micallef’s take: [We need a “war effort” approach to solving the housing crisis — from all levels of government](. WHAT ELSE An Etobicoke-based charity says pickup trucks could be key in helping to fight wildfires. [Here’s how — and why — it would work](. James Smith Cree Nation is hosting a traditional healing gathering to recover from the stabbing rampage. [The chief says it will be essential](. [Sophie Grégoire Trudeau has posted on social media]( for the first time since the separation announcement. In the face of evolving “family man” definitions, [how do figures like Pierre Poilievre and Justin Trudeau fit]( [Rogers executive Phil Lind has died at 80](. He was “a gentleman, business trailblazer and proud Canadian.” Four family members have died after a [scissor lift toppled at a Quebec house under construction](. Listed at $600K, [is this Mississauga townhouse an affordable starter home]( [An explosion caused a five-alarm fire]( a highrise building in Toronto’s west end. Jennie, 41, is a single parent earning $200K a year. [Should she pay off her mortgage or save for retirement?]( They’re creative and wearable — [these are the five Fall 2023 fashion trends you need to know](. [Seeing the Jonas Brothers in Toronto was a gift to my younger self]( Madi Wong writes. Concert ticket prices can be outrageous. [Here’s how to get them for less](. POV European Space Agency/AFP via Getty images [When it comes to climate change, doing something is better than doing nothing.]( CLOSE-UP William West/AFP via Getty Images WORLD CUP 2023: Spain’s Olga Carmona celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the final of Women’s World Cup soccer between Spain and England in Sydney, Australia on Sunday. [Take a look at the triumph — and tragedy when Carmona learned after the match her father had died](. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_195824). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. 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