Canada s official COVID-19 death toll surpassed 20,000 on Sunday as flights to major sun destinations were grounded in an effort to limit further spread of the virus.
People wear face masks as they wait to be tested for COVID-19 at a clinic in Montreal, Sunday, January 31, 2021, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada and around the world. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Canada s official COVID-19 death toll surpassed 20,000 on Sunday as flights to major sun destinations were grounded in an effort to limit further spread of the virus.
The sobering figure emerged after Quebec and Ontario reported 31 and 43 new fatalities respectively related to the virus. That tally climbed later in the day when Manitoba and Saskatchewan each logged four new associated deaths, and Alberta added eight.
Quebec Health Minister Christian Dube holds a mask during a news conference on the COVID-19 pandemic, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, at the legislature in Quebec City. Quebec is reporting 1,295 new COVID-19 cases and 50 deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus, including nine in the previous 24 hours. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot
MONTREAL - Quebec is ramping up its ability to identify COVID-19 variants as health officials reported Friday that eight cases of the more transmissible U.K. variant have been identified in the province.
Officials announced an $11-million investment to increase Quebec s capacity to identify new variants. The situation in some countries is worrying, and we want to make sure that we can quickly detect the emergence of variants that may have an impact on the transmissibility, but also the effectiveness of vaccines against COVID-19, Health Minister Christian Dube said in a statement.
MONTREAL Montreal s public health department is apologizing to the city s Hasidic Jewish community for its confusing and oft-reversed position on gatherings. After heavy fines handed out over the weekend by police, members of the Orthodox community have said they are the victims of confusion on the part of authorities, who changed their guidelines several times within two days. After authorizing gatherings of 10 people per room in buildings with different entrances and exits, the public health department changed course, saying that is not permitted under the province s COVID-19 decree. Public health director Mylene Drouin said in an e-mail that the decree explicitly does not permit several simultaneous gatherings of 10 people at the same address.
Brandon Sun By: The Canadian Press
Last Modified: 6:20 PM CST Friday, Jan. 15, 2021 Save to Read Later
OTTAWA - Only half of Canada s promised COVID-19 vaccine doses by Pfizer-BioNTech will arrive in the next month, federal officials revealed Friday, blaming production issues in Belgium that will affect immediate vaccination plans.
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A health-care worker prepares a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccine clinic in Toronto on Thursday, January 7, 2021. Procurement Minister Anita Anand says production issues in Europe will temporarily reduce Pfizer s ability to deliver vaccines to Canada.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
OTTAWA - Only half of Canada s promised COVID-19 vaccine doses by Pfizer-BioNTech will arrive in the next month, federal officials revealed Friday, blaming production issues in Belgium that will affect immediate vaccination plans.
Procurement minister Anita Anand said Canada faces an "unfortunate" delay that is nonetheless expected to be made up by the end of March, while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau insisted most Canadians will still be vaccinated by the fall.