Coronavirus Update: Moderna delays disrupt COVID-19 vaccine plans across Canada

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

Top headlines:

1. Delays in Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine have disrupted Canada’s inoculation campaign, federal agency acknowledges
2. Health Canada stands by approval of the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines
3. Risk of blood clots is higher in people with COVID-19 than in those who have been vaccinated

In the last 7 days, 60,696 cases were reported, up 26% from the previous 7 days. There were 289 deaths announced, up 38% over the same period. At least 3,691 people are being treated in hospitals and 990,079 others are considered recovered.

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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 • Tracking vaccine doses • Lockdown rules and reopening • Vaccine distribution plan • Four vaccines approved in Canada • Essential resources

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Coronavirus in Canada

• Ontario is reporting a new record of 4,736 new COVID-19 cases today. Meanwhile, Grey Bruce Health Unit tells residents to consider themselves a COVID-19 carrier for the next 48 hours amid a spike in variant infections.
• Quebec Premier Francois Legault defended his province’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan, amid reports of empty walk-in vaccine clinics in the Montreal area.
• In Nunavut, after confirming its first case of COVID-19 yesterday, Iqaluit has moved into lockdown, with schools, non-essential businesses and government offices closed.
• Starting Monday, students in Calgary, Alberta will move to online learning as the city faces a rapid increase in infections and a dearth of substitute teachers.
• Canada quietly dropped the specific COVID-19 screening requirements for travellers from Brazil as variants spread throughout British Columbia.

In Ottawa, shipments of hundreds of thousands of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine shots have arrived later than expected, causing health officials to cancel appointments, reduce clinic capacity, or hold doses in reserve to prevent disruptions.

• The last timely shipment of the Moderna vaccine arrived on March 11, according to data provided by Public Health Agency of Canada. Since then, hundreds of thousands of shots have arrived later than expected – a trend will continue in the weeks ahead, PHAC said.
• The inconsistent deliveries are hindering efforts to speed up the vaccination campaigns, although some provinces acknowledge the issue is outside Ottawa’s control. Vaccine appointments have been cancelled in Manitoba and Alberta, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford has called the delays a “logistical nightmare.”
• PHAC acknowledged Thursday the challenges disruptions in vaccine shipments from Moderna are causing across Canada, as it confirmed the next delivery will also be delayed.

COVID-19 third wave: The deputy chief public health officer said a faster vaccine ramp-up alone would likely not have prevented the third wave of COVID-19 in many parts of the country. Toronto’s ICUs are coping with the pressure and discussing the potential need to triage life-saving care.

COVID-19 vaccines: Canada’s procurement minister says the country is negotiating contracts for COVID-19 booster shots in 2022. Meanwhile, Health Canada stands by its approval of both the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

Coronavirus around the world

• A study of more than 500,000 people in the United States found that the risk of developing rare blood clots is eight to 10 times higher in unvaccinated people. The clot occurred in 39 out of one million patients with COVID-19, researchers at the University of Oxford found.
• India’s use of facial recognition and digital IDs raises fears of COVID-19 vaccine exclusion among millions of vulnerable people.

Globe opinion

• André Picard: We’ve lost our ability to put risk in perspective when it comes to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine
• Michael Houghton and D. Lorne Tyrrell: If we want to be ready for the next pandemic, Canada’s biotech industry will need to be stronger

More reporting

• Hockey: Player safety is “impossible to achieve” with gruelling Vancouver Canucks schedule, team forward J.T. Miller says. The team is not allowing media into the first practice following the outbreak, which infected 22 players and four staff.
• The Tokyo Summer Olympics, delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, are just 100 days away.

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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