Ontario says everyone 18 and over who had a first dose of an mRNA vaccine can book an appointment to receive their second shot ahead of schedule.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
All Ontario adults are eligible for an accelerated second dose of COVID-19 vaccine as of today.
The province says everyone 18 and over who had a first dose of an mRNA vaccine can book an appointment to receive their second shot ahead of schedule.
The government says this expands eligibility for an earlier second dose to 1.5 million more people.
Recipients of a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna mRNA vaccine can receive their second dose of either shot as soon as 28 days after their first jab.
Those who got the Oxford-AstraZeneca product as a first dose must wait at least eight weeks before getting a second shot, either of the same vaccine or of one of the mRNA vaccines.
The expansion of accelerated second doses comes just days before Ontario is due to enter Stage 2 of its reopening, which will allow indoor gatherings of up to five people and see hair salons resume operation for the first time in months.
Nearly 30% of respondents in Canada-wide survey admitted to breaking COVID-19 restrictions
Almost 30 per cent of respondents in a newly released Canada-wide survey admitted to breaking COVID-19 rules – and felt justified doing so.
The survey by the Canadian Hub for Applied and Social Research at the University of Saskatchewan was done between June 1 and June 14. It asked 1,000 people about how closely they stuck to public health orders and where they were getting their information about the pandemic.
Some 29 per cent said they broke at least one COVID-19 restriction. The most common transgressions were around gathering limits and wearing masks.
But the survey also found that respondents were generally diligent about following isolation requirements and gave honest responses to COVID-19 screening questions.
Of the people who broke rules, 62 per cent said they felt it was justified. Their reasons included wanting to see friends and family (27 per cent) and a belief that they were violating restrictions in a safe way (17 per cent). Some said they ignored rules they didn’t think made any sense (21 per cent) and seven per cent said they didn’t believe the pandemic exists or is a problem.
The survey says some people did not think regulations “made sense for them” because they were fully vaccinated and they felt what they were doing was safe given their status.
The survey has a 3.1 per cent margin of error, plus or minus, 19 times out of 20.
Saskatchewan Minister of Health Paul Merriman said he believes social media has played a major role in confusing people about public health measures meant to stem the spread of COVID-19.
“The issue that I saw during most of the restrictions that have been implemented since the fall was that there were lots of interpretations going around on social media and the rumour mill,” he said.
“We tried to communicate this in a very clear way, (but) unfortunately some of it got twisted on social media. That wasn’t clear and created some confusion, which people didn’t need.”
The survey found that 35 per cent of people were getting their COVID-19 news from social media – particularly Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – and 71 per cent were getting news by word of mouth.
The greatest number of people – 88 per cent – were getting their news from online or TV news outlets, and 70 per cent also informed themselves through government websites.
Merriman said the data reflects what he has seen in Saskatchewan, where people were motivated to seek out good information from multiple sources.
“I understand there was some confusion, and I had to personally clarify some of the restrictions to people so they understood,” he said.
“But the good news is that they were asking questions, because they wanted to make sure they were sticking to the restrictions and the guidelines out there, versus unintentionally bending the rules.”
The survey also found that the pandemic has spurred some controversy and strife in close relationships. Twenty-two per cent of respondents reported a “falling out” with someone close to them over different views and opinions about the pandemic.
Not everyone was equally likely to break restrictions. Younger people were more likely to ignore gathering limits across the board, while residents of Quebec and on the Prairies were more likely to break indoor gathering limits than elsewhere in the country.
Despite the survey’s results, Merriman said it’s clear that people have generally been following restrictions throughout the pandemic.
“Every time we increased the public health guidelines, our numbers either plateaued in the next few weeks or started to calm down,” he said. “So there was good comprehension of that.”
Ontario reports 210 COVID-19 cases, three deaths on Monday
Ontario is reporting 210 new COVID-19 cases today and three deaths from the virus.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says 37 cases are in Toronto, 26 are in Waterloo Region, 25 in Grey Bruce and 15 in Peel Region.
Monday’s numbers are based on 13,071 tests.
There are 218 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Monday and 287 patients in intensive care with COVID-related critical illness.
The province says 180,369 vaccine doses have been administered since the last update, for a total of more than 14.2 million.
Provincial data says over 77 per cent of people have at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and more than 35 per cent are fully vaccinated.
No COVID-19-related deaths reported in Quebec since June 23; entire province now at lowest alert level
Quebec health officials haven’t reported a COVID-19-related death since June 23, and as of Monday, the entire province was at the lowest, green pandemic-alert level.
In their latest report, health officials said Monday they had identified 76 new cases of COVID-19. They said a total of 178 cases had been identified across the province on Friday and Saturday; the Health Department has stopped releasing updates on the weekend.
Officials said hospitalizations dropped by 11 since their last report, to 124, and 31 people were in intensive care, a drop of nine.
Nine of Quebec’s 17 regions, including the largest cities such as Montreal, Quebec City and Laval, joined the rest of the province Monday at the green alert level, under which up to 20 people can share a table on restaurant and bar patios. Up to 20 people can also gather inside private homes, and capacity for weddings and funerals was increased to 250 people – but receptions were capped at 25 people indoors and 50 outside.
Officials said 73,754 doses of vaccine were administered Sunday. According to Quebec’s public health institute, 81 per cent of residents 12 and over have received at least one dose of vaccine, and 26.3 per cent of all residents are considered fully vaccinated.
B.C. employers shift from COVID-19 safety plans to prevention as communicable disease
WorkSafeBC has issued guidelines for employers on transitioning from safety measures around COVID-19 to preventing the illness as a communicable disease.
The change is in line with the next phase of the province’s reopening plan, expected to kick in on Thursday.
WorkSafeBC is putting provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry’s recent advice into practice by asking employers to ensure that fundamental practices like handwashing and personal hygiene are followed before the regular season of respiratory illness begins in the fall.
Employers will be required to provide appropriate ventilation and encourage employees to stay home when they are sick.
Henry has also said employers must be prepared to implement or maintain additional measures when the risk of communicable disease including influenza is elevated in their region or the workplace.
Al Johnson, WorkSafeBC’s head of prevention services, says the agency is expecting more direction on whether masks should continue to be worn as employers slowly shift to taking on new responsibilities over the coming weeks and months.
“We’re not expecting employers to immediately, on the 1st of July, to take away all of the precautions and safeguards that they were employing for the last 15 months, but to work with their workers and to transition away from those,” Johnson says.
He says workers have the right to refuse unsafe work, the same as any time they don’t feel they are being adequately protected.
Johnson says prevention officers will continue to do inspections as they have done for COVID-19 plans, but will now be shifting to more consultation with employers and workers.
High vaccination rate, low COVID-19 cases point to further reopening in B.C.
High COVID-19 vaccination rates and a dramatic drop in cases that hasn’t been seen since last August have set the stage for a further loosening of restrictions in British Columbia this week.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said 145 infections were diagnosed in the past three days, with 38 of them recorded between Sunday and Monday. Five more people died, for a total of 1,754 deaths.
“We now have a sustained low reproductive rate. That means that for most people who are infected, they are not passing this on to anybody,” she said Monday. “That’s how the pandemic will fizzle out over time, as long as we continue to not have infectious contact, to do the things that we need to do to prevent transmission.”
Vaccination is preventing seven out of 10 cases in B.C., where nearly 77 per cent of residents aged 12 and over have received their first dose of a vaccine, though Henry urged more younger people to get immunized this summer as rates among that group are levelling off.
Premier John Horgan was scheduled to join Henry and the province’s jobs minister on Tuesday to make an announcement about the third phase of B.C.’s four-part restart plan. The next step is expected to begin Thursday, when residents can go to dinner indoors and outdoors without a limit on numbers, and attend fairs and festivals by following communicable disease measures, such as staying away if they’re sick.
Masks will no longer be mandatory as part of the next phase of reopening, before further restrictions are removed in September, Henry said.
“It’s really important for us to give that agency back to people. And you wear a mask based on your own risk and based on being immunized and being protected, where you protect others through being immunized as well,” she said.
As for any unvaccinated visitors coming to B.C., Henry said: “Our advice to them is, don’t come unless you’re vaccinated.”
Residents in some small communities in the province have had to drive long distances to get immunized, including in the Northern and Interior health regions, and Henry said drive-thru clinics were planned to make vaccination more convenient.
“Unfortunately, a number of those planned for this week were postponed because of the heat, not so much for the people driving but for the staff, where they have to stand outside,” she said.
Overall, 95 per cent of bookings went ahead as scheduled around the province this weekend despite record-breaking temperatures, Henry said.
Earlier Monday, WorkSafeBC issued guidelines for employers on transitioning from safety measures around COVID-19 to preventing the illness as a communicable disease as part of the province’s reopening plan.
WorkSafeBC is putting Henry’s recent advice into practice by asking employers to ensure that fundamental practices like handwashing and personal hygiene are followed before the regular season of respiratory illness begins in the fall.
Employers will be required to provide appropriate ventilation and encourage employees to stay home when they are sick. They must also be prepared to implement or maintain additional measures when the risk of communicable disease including influenza is elevated in their region or the workplace.
Al Johnson, WorkSafeBC’s head of prevention services, said the agency is expecting more direction on whether masks should continue to be worn as employers slowly shift to taking on new responsibilities over the coming weeks and months.
“We’re not expecting employers to immediately, on the 1st of July, to take away all of the precautions and safeguards that they were employing for the last 15 months, but to work with their workers and to transition away from those,” Johnson said.
Workers have the right to refuse unsafe work, the same as any time they don’t feel they are being adequately protected, he said, adding prevention officers will continue to do inspections as they have done for COVID-19 plans, but will now be shifting to more consultation with employers and workers.
Toronto administers record number of vaccinations at Scotiabank Arena clinic
Toronto says it has set what it believes is a new world record for most COVID-19 vaccines administered in a single day, at a single clinic.
The “Our Winning Shot” clinic at the Scotiabank Arena vaccinated 26,771 people yesterday.
The previous record – set in Texas in April – was 17,003.
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