Coronavirus Update: Canada falls behind on vaccine rollout, prompting doctors to sound the alarm

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

Top headlines:

1. Canada will put more lives at risk if it doesn’t accelerate immunization campaigns, according to doctors who are growing increasingly concerned with the country’s vaccine efforts
2. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said all Canadians are “frustrated” to see a slower-than-expected vaccine rollout
3. Canada is the latest country to investigate the effects of delaying the second doses of a COVID-19 vaccine in a bid to inoculate more people faster

In Canada, there have been at least 618,646 cases reported. In the last week 46,100 new cases were announced, 5 per cent more than the previous week.

There have also been at least 524,134 recoveries and 16,233 deaths. Health officials have administered more than 16,508,738 tests.

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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

• Ontario announced it plans to vaccinate all long-term care residents and workers by Jan. 21. Meanwhile, a field hospital in Burlington opened its doors today for COVID-19 patients. And, in London, a hospital has started storing bodies in a mobile unit, after the morgue reached capacity.
• In Manitoba, Premier Brian Pallister split the health portfolio into two positions as part of a cabinet shuffle.
• A mink farm in British Columbia slaughtered its remaining 1,000 animals after some tested positive for COVID-19. Also, the province is reporting increased COVID-19 activity in the Revelstoke area.
• In Alberta, the mother of a nine-year-old who has a rare disease is outraged by politicians who decided to travel abroad, while her son’s Make-A-Wish dream trip had to be postponed. And, the province is reporting its first health care worker deaths owing to COVID-19.

In Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he is “frustrated” that some vaccines remain sitting in freezers rather than being injected into people’s arms.

• Ottawa has worked to procure and deliver vaccines, but the distribution component of the COVID-19 immunization campaign is up to provincial and territorial governments.
• Trudeau said the government has been able to ramp up vaccine delivery to the provinces over the past weeks, and, “Now is the time, with the New Year upon us, to really accelerate.”
• The Prime Minister also said vaccine distribution will be discussed with the premiers on Thursday.

COVID-19 vaccines: Doctors say provinces and territories need to speed up the vaccine distribution. No province has administered more than 50 per cent of the doses it has received so far, according to government figures compiled by the COVID-19 Canada Open Data Working Group.

Holiday gatherings: According to a new poll, 48 per cent of Canadians visited someone outside their household over the holidays.

Coronavirus around the world

• In China, officials have yet to allow a team of experts into the country to examine the origins of COVID-19, disappointing the World Health Organization chief.
• In France, President Emmanuel Macron vowed to catch up to other European countries on vaccine distribution after France was ranked the worst out of the Western world.
• COVID-19 vaccine scams are on the rise, in Europe and the U.S., according to officials who are warning the public of fraudsters out for money and personal data.
• Britain is ramping up its vaccination program in an attempt to get ahead of a new variant of the virus that is sweeping across the country.

Coronavirus and business

The travel industry in Canada has been thrown into a “tailspin” by new federal rules requiring a COVID-19 test before returning Canadians and other visitors are allowed into the country from most international travel, an industry association says.

• The association says the new rules – which require a negative COVID-19 test before boarding and may require travellers to quarantine in a federal facility if they don’t have inadequate isolation plans – seems “to be having the opposite effect” from helping the travel industry recover, the association said.

Also today: Schooled by the coronavirus pandemic, financial planners offer their most important piece of advice for 2021.

Globe opinion

• Robyn Urback: Politicians who travel amid a pandemic exist in an alternate reality where they are so far removed from the suffering of vulnerable communities, veiled by their privilege, that they think COVID-19 somehow doesn’t affect them.
• Ripudaman Singh Minhas: Even with a vaccine teasing a potential return to normalcy in 2021, the damage caused by virtual learning for many children with disabilities will be irreversible.

More reporting

• The Grammy Awards will reportedly be postponed because of a coronavirus surge in Los Angeles
• Alex Trebek urges support for COVID-19 victims in a message during one of his last Jeopardy! episodes
• COVID-19 restrictions in British Columbia are slowing construction on Site C dam and other industrial projects
• Quebec’s manufacturing association warns against locking down the industry to curb spread of COVID-19
• An unspecified number of Canadian Forces members in Latvia test positive for COVID-19
• Factory activity in the United States has hit a 2-½ year high, but COVID-19 is weighing on supply chains
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the government’s paid sick leave program is not available to those returning from non-essential international travel
• A Wisconsin pharmacist, who is “an admitted conspiracy theorist,” has been charged for intentionally sabotaging more than 500 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Information centre

• When will a COVID-19 vaccine be available in Canada? How well do they 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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