Coronavirus Update: Will one vaccine dose work? Experts say yes

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

Top headlines:

1. Health experts in Canada are studying evidence suggesting one vaccine dose is as good as two
2. Just after the AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Novavax vaccines showed reduced efficacy against the South African variant, a new study shows the Pfizer vaccine is less effective as well
3. G7 countries are lagging well behind Russia, China and India when it comes to ‘vaccine diplomacy’

In the last 7 days, 20,333 cases were reported, down 13 per cent from the previous 7 days. There were 410 deaths announced, down 29 per cent over the same period. At least 2,357 people are being treated in hospitals and 783,416 others are considered recovered.

About 87 per cent of the 1,550,560 doses of vaccine distributed to provinces have been administered. That’s 3.6 doses for every 100 people in Canada.

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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 said its decision about loosening restrictions in regions currently under stay-at-home orders will be announced on Friday. The top doctors in Toronto and Peel have asked to keep the order in place until at least March 9. Meanwhile, the outbreak at the Roberta Place long-term home in Barrie that killed 70 people is declared over.
• Quebec’s immunization committee said that the single vaccine dose given to health care workers and long-term care residents has been 80 per cent effective at preventing COVID-19.
• Newfoundland and Labrador reported another 48 new COVID-19 infections in the eastern health region, which includes the St. John’s metro area – the epicentre of a growing outbreak.
• An outbreak of COVID-19 has been declared at Mission Memorial Hospital in British Columbia, as the province reports another 429 new coronavirus cases.
• A clinic for COVID-19 immunization is set to open in Yukon on March 1.

In Ottawa, Procurement Minister Anita Anand said Canada’s international COVID-19 vaccination ranking will see a “very steep incline” as the country starts to receive more vaccine deliveries in the coming months.

• Canada’s inoculation rate dropped from 10th place to 46th between January and February, amid a six-week slowdown in shipments from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
• The federal government released a vaccine delivery schedule that shows Pfizer will meet its contractual obligations to send Canada four million vaccines by the end of March. Moderna will make up for delays in February by sending more than 1.3 million shots in March, Anand said.

COVID-19 vaccines: Canada’s deputy chief public health officer said health experts are reviewing evidence that one shot of Pfizer’s vaccine is almost as good as two doses. In a letter, two Canadian doctors argue that because of how effective the first dose is, the benefits of a limited supply could be maximized by deferring the second shot until the first is given to priority groups.

Coronavirus around the world

• A new study suggests the dominant South African coronavirus variant may reduce protective antibodies from Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.
• A study in England shows that infection rates have fallen by 67 per cent in the past month.
• U.S. storms have disrupted physical distancing precautions and thrown people from different households together as millions in Texas endure power outages.

Coronavirus and business

WestJet, Canada’s second-largest airline, said today it is temporarily suspending operations in four more domestic cities as pandemic restrictions continue to weigh on demand for air travel.

• The airline has cut more than 90 per cent of its seat capacity compared with a year ago, and laid off about half of its workforce during the pandemic.
• The news follows an earlier agreement with the federal government to suspend operations to Mexico and the Caribbean, as Ottawa imposed stricter travel rules – including a mandatory negative COVID-19 test before boarding a flight, tests on arrival, and hotel quarantines.

Also today: Ontario lost 355,000 jobs in 2020, the single largest annual decline on record, according to new data from the province’s fiscal watchdog. More than 765,000 people in the province worked fewer hours because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

And: A consortium of 12 large Canadian companies, using rapid antigen tests to screen employees for COVID-19, is now looking to ramp up the program.

Globe opinion

• Gary Mason: The government’s new travel measures go into effect Monday. To say that some of these snowbirds are in for a frosty reception upon their return would be an understatement.
• John Manley: According to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, 19 million rapid screening kits have been delivered to provincial health authorities, but they are sitting in warehouses. Getting rapid tests into the hands of those who can use them is an important tool in the public-health toolkit.

More reporting

• Yesterday, a pastor in Alberta was in custody after being charged by police a second time with breaking public-health rules tied to the pandemic.
• Pressure mounts on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo over COVID-19 deaths at nursing homes.
• COVID-19 has added an extra wrinkle to some Canadians’ RRSP plans.
• Canadian Tire is betting that the curbside pick-up trend will continue beyond the pandemic.

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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