TORONTO Hospitals in the province are required to halt all non-emergent surgeries and non-urgent procedures immediately as people with COVID-19 continue to fill up hospitals and put the healthcare system under strain amid the third wave. The new directive came from Dr. David Williams, Ontario s chief medical officer of health, and was issued on Tuesday. According to the directive, the decision on postponement of surgeries should be made using processes that are fair and transparent to all patients. Earlier this month, Ontario Health instructed hospitals to ramp down on elective surgeries to create more capacity for hospitals inundated with COVID-19 patients. The province also issued emergency orders that give hospitals the authority to transfer patients to another hospital without their consent.
Nothing stopping provinces from offering AstraZeneca vaccine to all adults: Hajdu
Two provinces will offer the Oxford−AstraZeneca vaccine to those aged 40 and over starting Tuesday, officials announced Sunday following days of mounting pressure to lower the minimum age.
Alberta and Ontario had previously stuck to the National Advisory Committee on Immunization’s recommendation to offer the AstraZeneca shot to those 55 and over due to a slightly elevated risk of an extremely rare blood clot disorder.
But as hospitalizations surged to unprecedented levels in Ontario and Alberta saw unparalleled rates of COVID−19, their governments announced matching plans to expand eligibility.
Nothing stopping provinces from offering AstraZeneca vaccine to all adults: Hajdu
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People are shown at a COVID-19 vaccination site in Montreal, Sunday, April 18, 2021, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada and around the world. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Provinces are free to offer the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to all adults, Canada’s health minister said Sunday as calls mounted in at least one province hard hit by COVID-19 to lower the age restriction on the shot.
While the National Advisory Committee on Immunization has yet to release updated recommendations on the vaccine, Patty Hajdu said provincial officials are not beholden to the group’s current advice to only offer the shot to those 55 and older.
But as hospitalizations surged to unprecedented levels in Ontario and Alberta saw unparalleled rates of COVID-19, their governments announced matching plans to expand eligibility. Alberta is lowering the minimum age to receive the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from 55 to 40, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney tweeted on Sunday night. This decision is based on growing scientific knowledge about the vaccine.
He said more information would come Monday, and bookings would open Tuesday.
The office of Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott made a similar announcement hours earlier. Based on current supply, Ontario will begin offering the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to individuals aged 40 and over at pharmacy and primary care settings across the province effective Tuesday, spokeswoman Alexandra Hilkene said in an email.
Ontario lowers age for AstraZeneca, revises some COVID-19 lockdown measures amid public outrage Bookmark Please log in to listen to this story. Also available in French and Mandarin. Log In Create Free Account
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Cole Burston/The Canadian Press
The Ontario government is scrambling to remake its COVID-19 response plan after reversing new lockdown measures in the face of unprecedented civil pushback and pleas from the province’s science advisers to adopt their recommendations as the health care system buckles under the impact of growing case counts.