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FILE PHOTO: Vials with a sticker reading, COVID-19 / Coronavirus vaccine / Injection only and a medical syringe are seen in front of a displayed Pfizer logo in this illustration taken October 31, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic
OTTAWA/TORONTO (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc told Canada on Tuesday it will receive no coronavirus vaccines next week, officials said, an unexpected development that promises more pain for provinces already complaining about a shortage of supplies.
Pfizer said last week it would slow production in late January and early February because of changes in manufacturing processes, resulting in a supply cut for Canada and European Union nations.
Canadian educators must mount a political struggle to oppose school reopenings and save lives
Even as the COVID-19 pandemic rages out of control across the country, pushing health care systems to the brink of collapse, the ruling elite is determined to reopen schools for in-class instruction as quickly as possible. Their main concern in so doing is to free up parents from childcare responsibilities so that they can return to work and churning out profits for big business.
Schools reopened in Quebec, Alberta and northern Ontario on January 11. Other regions of Ontario will reopen on January 25, while schools in Toronto, Peel Region, Hamilton and Windsor-Essex will remain closed for in-person learning until February 10. In British Columbia, the New Democratic Party government began reopening schools January 4 in the face of widespread public opposition, including a petition that obtained over 40,000 signatures demanding a lengthening of the winter holiday break.
QUEBEC CITY â A curfew meant to curb a surge in coronavirus infections took effect across Quebec last weekend.
The measure is needed to prevent gatherings that have fueled the rampant spread of the virus, Premier Francois Legault said in announcing the rules last week. The French-speaking Canadian province has a population of more than 8.4 million.
âThe situation is critical and a shock treatment is needed,â Legault said in a Facebook post earlier Saturday. âOur hospitals are filling with COVID-19 patients. Hundreds of people are in intensive care, fighting for their lives. Tens of people die every day.â
The rules will see most residents face police questions or fines of up to $6,000 Canadian (US $4,728) if theyâre out between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. for the next four weeks, until Feb. 8.
MONTREAL Two Montreal high schools will deploy rapid COVID-19 testing kits as part of a pilot project. Researchers will use the tests at Montreal North s Calixa Lavallee and Outremont s Pensionnat du St-Nom-de-Marie, randomly testing 25 per cent of the staff and students to determine how effective the tests are in detecting the virus. The study is spearheaded by Caroline Quach, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Ste. Justine Hospital. Since the start of the pandemic, Quebec has received 1 million rapid tests and another 1 million are due to be shipped to the province. However, the provincial government has expressed reluctance to use the tests, citing concerns over their accuracy.