Coronavirus Update: Health Canada declares AstraZeneca and Covishield vaccines safe, effective at preventing COVID-19

Good evening, here are the coronavirus updates you need to know tonight.

Top headlines:

1. Health Canada approved AstraZeneca’s vaccine for people 18 and over
2. Thunder Bay and Simcoe Muskoka will move back into lockdown on Monday
3. WestJet will lay off another 415 pilots

In the last 7 days, 20,882 cases were reported, up 3 per cent from the previous 7 days. There were 339 deaths announced, down 18 per cent over the same period. At least 2,038 people are being treated in hospitals and 809,045 others are considered recovered.

About 85 per cent of the 2,072,099 doses of vaccine distributed to provinces have been administered. That’s 4.6 doses for every 100 people in Canada.

Sources: Canada data is compiled from government websites, Johns Hopkins and COVID-19 Canada Open Data Working Group; international data is from Johns Hopkins University.

Coronavirus explainers: Coronavirus in maps and charts • Lockdown rules and reopening • Canada’s vaccine distribution plan • Developing/approved vaccines • Pfizer’s vaccine, explained • Essential resources

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Coronavirus in Canada

• Doctors in Alberta say any further loosening of COVID-19 restrictions should wait until “all high-risk individuals” in the province have been vaccinated. The government could ease restrictions on many businesses as soon on Monday.
• Two regions in Ontario, Thunder Bay and Simcoe Muskoka, will move into lockdown on Monday amid a spike in cases. Meanwhile, restrictions in seven other areas, including Niagara Region, moved to the second-strictest level. And, the province’s science advisers say priority for the COVID-19 vaccine should be given based on age and neighbourhood. And, universities in the province want $500-million to deal with pandemic pressures.
• The Quebec government is promising transparency as it studies the idea of a COVID-19 vaccine passport after opposition parties express concern such a program could “feed the inequalities,” revealed by the pandemic.

In Ottawa, Health Canada approved the AstraZeneca and Covishield vaccines for people 18 and over.

• Although it is less effective – 62 per cent – at preventing COVID-19 than the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, AstraZeneca’s shot is 100-per-cent effective in preventing severe outcomes, Canada’s regulator said.
• Canada has purchased 20 million doses directly from AstraZeneca, which are expected to be delivered between April and September.
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada will also purchase two million shots of the AstraZeneca vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India, which is manufactured through a different process and called Covishield. Half a million of those shots are expected to arrive in March, and the remaining 1.5 million doses are anticipated to be in Canada by May.

COVID-19 vaccines: Of the most populated provinces in Canada, only Quebec and Alberta have their COVID-19 vaccine booking systems online, while Ontario and British Columbia are set to launch theirs in March.

Coronavirus around the world

• One dose of Pfizer’s vaccine could result in a “dramatic reduction” in asymptomatic infections, a new U.K. study suggests. Also today, the Queen of England encouraged people to get a vaccine, saying the process is “quite harmless, very quick.”
• In the United States, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives is trying to push through President Joe Biden’s $1.9-trillion coronavirus aid package, though a long debate is expected as most Republicans oppose the cost of the program.

Coronavirus and business

WestJet will lay off another 415 pilots, underscoring the industry’s bleak outlook.

• Layoffs at the Calgary-based airliner will affect pilots with as many as 10 or 11 years of seniority, the company said.
• WestJet has 1,250 pilots in its workforce of 5,600. Before the pandemic, WestJet employed about 2,000 pilots.

Also today: Mark Machin, the head of Canada Pension Plan’s investment branch, has resigned following news that he received a COVID-19 vaccine while in the United Arab Emirates.

Globe opinion

• Joseph Rosen: Day trading offers an exhilarating escape from COVID-19 despair.
• Amie Varley and Sara Fung: Nurses have helped protect Canadians from COVID-19. But who will protect nurses?

More reporting

• The pandemic is worsening negative thought patterns, but with mindfulness we can help the mind help itself.
• Amplify: I took a break from drinking during the pandemic. After tasting sobriety, I’m not sure I want to go back
• Movie theatre owners in British Columbia are left in the dark, even as cinemas reopen in Quebec and Ontario.
• Basketball: Raptors coach Nick Nurse and five assistants are sidelined due to COVID-19 protocols.

Information centre

• How well do vaccines work? Here’s what you need to know.
• Rob Carrick’s 10-point checklist of things you should have done by now to protect or improve your money situation. Tips for minimizing damage to your credit score; how to manage retirement anxiety during difficult times; and things to think about if you’re considering home delivery.
• Here are the expectations for self-isolation; tips for managing anxiety and protecting your mental health; and what to do if you think you have the virus. Wash your hands. How to break a bad habit (like touching your face). Is flying safe?
• The best foods to eat to maintain an immune system-friendly diet; and how to keep a healthy diet while working from home; four eating tips when working from home; and five mistakes that might cause you to gain unwanted weight. Here are the essentials to stock up on and how to shop safely for groceries; the best pantry staples and how to stop stress-eating.
• Find answers to your coronavirus and employment questions.

Sources: Canada data are compiled from government websites, Johns Hopkins University and COVID-19 Canada Open Data Working Group; international data are from Johns Hopkins.

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