Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Monday
Ontario reports fewest new cases since February, Quebec reports 276 new cases and 1 additional death
The latest:
- More than 57% of eligible Canadians have had 1 vaccine dose.
- Nova Scotia to reopen schools, lift restrictions on travel within the province on Tuesday.
- Manitobans who got 1st dose of AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine can get Pfizer or Moderna for 2nd.
- Ontario reports 916 new cases, fewest since mid-February.
- WHO gives new, Greek alphabet names to variants of concern.
- ANALYSIS | Manitoba officials didn't heed warnings about a 3rd wave. Now hospitals are overwhelmed.
- 550 vaccinated health-care workers to attend Maple Leafs-Canadiens Game 7 in Toronto.
- Fireworks, garbage and some violence accompany rowdy end of curfew in Quebec.
- U.K. PM Boris Johnson says he wants a deal with G7 on vaccine passports.
- The president of South Africa says his country will impose stricter measures in the face of a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases.
Quebec downgraded several regions — including Quebec City — from the highest pandemic-alert level Monday, as the province reported fewer than 300 new COVID-19 cases for the first time since mid-September.
Health officials reported 276 new infections and one more death attributed to the novel coronavirus. They said hospitalizations dropped by two, to 362. They said 89 people were in intensive care, a drop of one. The last time the province reported fewer than 300 daily cases was on Sept. 17, with 297.
Premier François Legault said last week the COVID-19 situation had improved enough to allow eight regions to move fully or partially to the orange alert level from the red level.
On Monday, five regions — including Quebec City — moved to the orange level, which means gyms and indoor dining at restaurants can reopen. In the Chaudiere-Appalaches, Estrie and Bas-St-Laurent regions, several municipalities remained at the red alert level while the rest of the region moved on Monday to orange.
Montreal and Laval remain red zones, although the premier has said he expected those two areas to move to orange on June 7.
Last week, the government eased restrictions across the province, removing the curfew and allowing private outdoor gatherings, even in Montreal and Laval.
Nova Scotia, meanwhile, reported 17 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, as infection rates continue to trend downwards. Over the Victoria Day long weekend, the province's active case count dropped below 1,000 for the first time since May 3.
-From The Canadian Press, last updated at 6 p.m. ET
What's happening across Canada
WATCH | Manitoba sees rising ICU admissions while fighting COVID-19 denial:
As of 6:30 p.m. ET on Monday, Canada had reported 1,381,580 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 33,754 considered active. A CBC News tally of deaths stood at 25,547.
More than 23.8 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far across the country, according to CBC's vaccine tracker, meaning more than 57 per cent of eligible Canadians have received a first dose.
In Ontario, people aged 80 and older are eligible to move up the date of their second dose of vaccine to just four weeks after their first shot was administered.
The province on Monday reported 13 more deaths related to the illness and 916 new cases of COVID-19 — the lowest single-day figure the province has seen since mid-February. Hospitalizations stood at 731, Ontario health officials reported, with 617 people in ICU due to COVID-related illness.
WATCH | Specialist explains why AstraZeneca safe with extended expiry date:
Nunavut and Yukon each reported no new cases of COVID-19 on Monday. Nunavut Premier Joe Savikataaq said there are now nine active cases in the territory. Health officials in the Northwest Territories did not yet provide updates Monday.
In Atlantic Canada on Monday, Nova Scotia reported 17 new cases, the lowest number since April 4. The province is reopening schools this week and lifting restrictions on travel within the province on Tuesday.
Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting two new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday. The province has 101 known active cases of the infection and two people are currently in hospital.
New Brunswick, meanwhile, reported 12 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday. P.E.I. reported two new cases on Monday, bringing the province's active case count to 10.
- Manitoba admits record 17 COVID-19 patients to intensive care within 24 hours
- Step 1 in Sask. reopening roadmap makes outdoor gatherings possible again
In the Prairie provinces, Manitobans who got a first dose of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine can receive a second dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine if they meet provincial eligibility requirements, the province says. Manitoba on Monday reported 303 new COVID-19 cases, although officials said that figure is likely an undercount due to technical issues. The province saw 364 recoveries and one additional death.
In Saskatchewan, health officials reported 113 new cases and one new death on Monday.
Alberta on Monday reported 263 new cases and eight additional deaths as it prepares to move ahead with the first step of its reopening plan on Tuesday.
British Columbia reported 708 new cases on Monday and eight new deaths.
WATCH | Bonnie Henry reflects on news from Kamloops before B.C. vaccination update:
-From CBC News and The Canadian Press, last updated at 7:30 p.m. ET
What's happening around the world
WATCH | Manitobans who got AstraZeneca can have Pfizer or Moderna for 2nd shot:
As of late Monday, more than 170.4 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to an online coronavirus tracking tool maintained by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University. The reported global death toll stood at more than 3.5 million.
The World Health Organization revealed new names on Monday for COVID-19 variants of concern which have to date been known by multiple names and numbers.
As such, the four variants considered of concern by the UN agency — and known generally by the public as the variants first identified in the U.K., South Africa, Brazil and India, and by sometimes clunky, technical names such as B117 or B1617 — will now been given the letters alpha, beta, gamma and delta according to the order of their detection.
LISTEN | Should students who want to live in residence at post-secondary have to get vaccinated?
In the Asia-Pacific region, a sharp rise in cases from new variants in parts of Southeast Asia that had been less affected by the pandemic has prompted new restrictions, factory closures and attempts to rapidly scale up vaccination programs.
Vietnam will suspend incoming international flights to its capital Hanoi from Tuesday.
The Philippines on Monday prolonged coronavirus restrictions in the capital and nearby provinces until mid-June to contain infections that have been decreasing since hitting a peak in April. Non-essential travel will remain prohibited. The Philippines has the second-highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Southeast Asia, next to Indonesia.
China on Monday reimposed anti-coronavirus travel controls on its southern province of Guangdong, announcing anyone leaving the populous region must be tested for the virus following a spike in infections that has alarmed authorities.
India's Serum Institute will increase production of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines by nearly 40 per cent in June, officials said on Monday, in the first step toward alleviating a shortage that has worsened the country's battle with coronavirus. The world's second-most populous nation has struggled with a catastrophic outbreak of COVID-19 since last month, which is only now starting to abate after killing tens of thousands of people.
In the Americas, Venezuela will receive five million coronavirus vaccines via the COVAX program as of July and will seek to receive doses of the Johnson & Johnson inoculation, President Nicolas Maduro said on Sunday.
In Europe, British health authorities are aiming to vaccinate 15,000 people in one day at London's Twickenham rugby stadium as part of a race to contain a fast-spreading coronavirus variant.
The strain, first identified in India, accounts for a majority of new cases in the U.K., which is seeing a rise in infections after weeks of decline. Scientists say the variant is more transmissible than even the previously dominant strain first found in the U.K., but current vaccines are effective against it.
Turkey further eased measures meant to curb coronavirus infections on Monday including partially lifting a weekend lockdown and opening restaurants to a limited number of guests. President Tayyip Erdogan said the lighter measures, in response to falling case numbers, would go into effect Tuesday. Under the new rules, nationwide daily curfews are delayed by an hour to 10 p.m. local time.
With files from CBC News, The Associated Press and Reuters
