Today’s coronavirus news: Ontario reporting 945 more cases, 18 deaths; Ontario meets deadline for first round of LTC vaccinations; March Break announcement in the afternoon
The latest coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Thursday. This file will be updated throughout the day. Web links to longer stories if available.
10:38 a.m.: Ontario is also reporting that 14,717 more vaccine doses have been administered since its last daily outbreak for a total of 426,836 as of 8 p.m. Wednesday.
The province says 136,988 people are fully vaccinated which means they have had both shots.
10:35 a.m.: Ontario is reporting 11 more deaths among residents in long-term care for a total of 3,694 since the pandemic began.
There are six fewer long-term-care homes in outbreak for a total of 194 or 31 per cent of all LTC homes in the province.
10:20 a.m. (updated): Ontario is reporting 945 more COVID-19 cases and 18 deaths.
The province does say that there's an underestimate of the daily counts" in Toronto, due to a change in the data reporting system.
The seven-day average is down to 1,264 cases daily or 61 weekly per 100,000, and down to 31.6 deaths/day.
More than 68,812 tests were completed, with a 2.3 per cent positivity rate.
Locally, there are 258 new cases in Peel, 116 in York Region and 112 in Toronto.
9:50 a.m.: Ontario will be awash in an ocean of red ink for as far as the eye can see, warns the province's independent fiscal watchdog.
In a 24-page report released Thursday, the Financial Accountability Office (FAO) projected annual provincial shortfalls of at least $16 billion until 2025-26 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
One day after Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy acknowledged these deficits are not sustainable in the long run," the FAO said the fiscal challenges for Canada's economic engine are large.
9:10 a.m. (updated): Ontario's Education Minister Stephen Lecce will make an announcement Thursday afternoon about March Break at 2 p.m. He will be joined by Health Minister Christine Elliott and Dr. David Williams.
Lecce said last week that the province is considering cancelling March Break in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Teacher unions have urged school schedules to remain the same, saying their members are stressed out and need some time away from the classroom or virtual learning. School boards say they would also appreciate a respite.
Lecce has asked Williams to weigh in.
I will follow his advice and do whatever it takes to protect Ontario families," Lecce said in a statement to the Star.
8:55 a.m. Newfoundland and Labrador's chief electoral officer is calling on authorities to postpone the vote in Saturday's provincial election.
In a letter sent to party leaders today, Bruce Chaulk says the province's chief medical officer of health should use her powers to delay the election.
He says alternatively, party leaders should discuss the issue with a goal of approaching the lieutenant-governor to find a constitutionally sound way to postpone polling day.
His plea comes as provincial health authorities reported a record 53 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday and confirmed widespread community transmission in the St. John's region.
8:50 a.m. The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell slightly last week to 793,000, evidence that job cuts remain high despite a substantial decline in new viral infections.
Last week's total declined from 812,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said Thursday. That figure was revised higher from the previously-reported figure of 779,000. Before the virus erupted in the United States in March, weekly applications for jobless aid had never topped 700,000, even during the Great Recession.
The job market's improvement slowed through the fall and in the past two months has essentially stalled. Over the past two months combined, employers have cut 178,000 jobs. Nearly 10 million jobs remain lost to the pandemic.
Though the unemployment rate fell in January to 6.3 per cent from 6.7 per cent, that was mainly because many people who had lost jobs stopped looking for one. The government doesn't count people as unemployed unless they're actively seeking work.
All told, 20.4 million people were receiving unemployment benefits in the week that ended Jan. 23, the latest period for which data are available. That's up from 17.8 million from the week before.
The job market's persistent weakness is fueling President Joe Biden's push for a $1.9 trillion economic rescue package. Biden's proposal would extend, through August, two federal unemployment benefit programs that are set to expire in mid-March. His proposal would also raise the federal unemployment benefit to $400 a week from the current $300.
8:42 a.m. Two additional COVID-19 cases involving the virus's U.K. variant have been identified in Nova Scotia.
The infections were initially reported last month, but the results from variant testing were released late Wednesday.
Both cases were reported in the province's central zone, where those infected were isolated and have since recovered.
The initial investigation did not determine a source for the infections, but it has been reopened and will include another set of interviews with close contacts.
Health officials are asking the people connected to these cases to get retested.
Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, says the province has now had a total of three U.K. variant cases and one confirmed case of the South African variant, tested in December.
As of Wednesday, Nova Scotia had nine active cases of COVID-19.
8:30 a.m. Get a comfy desk chair - remote work is probably here to stay.
Long after the pandemic is over, employees at flexible workplaces could see more opportunities to work from home, sparking a potential decline in urban living and a rural boom" instead, says the Brookfield Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
In a report released Thursday, the think tank based out of Ryerson University identified virtual workspaces as one of the most enduring changes to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, with implications for how people find work and where they choose to live.
More and more Canadians have been making the shift from in-person activities to virtual ones," the study says. COVID-19 has significantly accelerated this shift, meaning more and more Canadians are living, working, and playing online."
Read the full story from Jacob Lorinc
8:05 a.m. Two teachers in Peel Region have tested positive for COVID-19 - the first case now confirmed to be the contagious U.K. variant - after going into their Brampton high school to exercise.
The educators, who are teaching online, reportedly went into St. Roch Catholic Secondary School to work out in a small classroom that had been converted into a gym, and were unmasked and in close proximity, sources say.
Schools remain closed for in-person classes for students in Peel Region, except for those with special needs. However, the two teachers had no contact with special-needs students when they were in the building, sources said.
Dr. Lawrence Loh, Peel Region's medical officer of health, said Wednesday at a news conference that the outbreak at St. Roch has been declared over, and the individuals are safely self-isolating."
Read the full story from the Star's Kristin Rushowy
8 a.m. There have been 54 confirmed COVID-19 cases linked to a workplace outbreak at FedEx Ground in Vaughan.
York Region Public Health issued a notice on the evening of Feb. 10 to update the public on the caseload at FedEx Ground, located at 45 Di Poce Way.
Ten of the people infected are York Region residents, 13 are from Toronto, 29 are from Peel Region, and two cases are from Wellington-Dufferin Guelph, according to the public notice.
A workplace outbreak was declared at the location after information was received indicating approximately 15 workers were suspected of having COVID-19.
Regional spokesperson Patrick Casey said more than half of the confirmed cases had an episode date of Dec. 12 or earlier, and most of the affected employees have recovered.
7:55 a.m. Ontario says it has completed the first round of COVID-19 vaccines in every long-term-care home in the province.
The Ministry of Long-Term Care says more than 62,000 residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
It also says that more than 34,000 residents have received their second dose.
Ontario had committed to vaccinating every eligible resident who wanted a shot by Wednesday.
The provincial government says it will maintain the recommended interval of 21-27 days for residents who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Premier Doug Ford says that it is critically important to vaccinate, and provide an extra layer of protection" for long-term-care residents.
7:45 a.m. Toronto will immunize as many as 120,000 people a week at nine large clinics across the city that will open as soon as the supply of COVID-19 vaccines is re-established, but most residents will be able to get their shots close to home, officials said Wednesday.
We expect our large vaccination clinics will be just one part of the overall effort," said Mayor John Tory, speaking at a COVID-19 update from city hall on Wednesday.
Depending on the type of vaccine available, we anticipate the majority of people will ultimately get their shot at a pharmacy or from their doctor."
Here's where the nine city-operated clinics will be located
7:35 a.m. The NHL and the National Hockey League Players' Association continue to discuss modifications to the league's COVID-19 protocols but are not considering a pause despite a growing number of positive tests and game postponements.
An industry source said Wednesday that both sides remain vehement in keeping everyone safe" while focusing on implementing greater access to point-of-care testing in the teams' arenas.
The Philadelphia Flyers moved to POC testing prior to a game against Washington this week. The Minnesota Wild called for the testing - also called rapid testing - after a team outbreak last week.
Both the league and the NHLPA are aiming at catching issues that pop up immediately" through the use of the rapid testing. Players and hockey operations staff currently undergo a daily PCR test, a polymerase chain reaction test to detect the presence of an antigen.
Read the full story from the Star's Mark Zwolinski
7:17 a.m. Ontario is blaming a shortage of vaccines for falling shy of its latest target to get first COVID-19 shots into vulnerable residents of long-term care.
About 9,200 seniors in 41 nursing homes were awaiting the chance at initial jabs, the government said Wednesday, as 11 more residents died despite a dramatic and welcome decline in infections over the last month.
We don't have the vaccines" Long-Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton told the Star. We could have been doing much more."
Fullerton said 61,681 residents had been given first shots as of Tuesday night, with almost half having received boosters to complete the process of bolstering their immune systems.
The new target to complete first doses is as soon as possible," perhaps within days, she added.
Read the full story from the Star's Rob Ferguson
6:05 a.m.: The meetings begin each day not long after dawn. Dozens of aides report in, coffee in hand, joining by Zoom from agency headquarters, their homes or even adjacent offices.
The sessions start with the latest sobering statistics meant to focus the work and offer a reminder of what's at stake: new coronavirus cases, people in hospitals, deaths. But they also include the latest signs of progress: COVID-19 tests administered, vaccine doses shipped, shots injected.
Where the last administration addressed the pandemic with the vernacular of a natural disaster - using the Federal Emergency Management Agency's mantra of a federally supported, state managed and locally executed" response - Biden's team is borrowing from the Pentagon and the doctrine of overwhelming force.
We're at war with this virus," COVID-19 co-ordinator Jeff Zients said in an interview with The Associated Press between Sunday morning meetings on the response. We're taking every resource and tool the federal government has to battle on every front."
It's a strategy facing urgent tests after Biden inherited an inconsistent vaccine distribution plan and with the emerging threats from new virus variants.
6 a.m.: Get a comfy desk chair - remote work is probably here to stay.
Long after the pandemic is over, employees at flexible workplaces could see more opportunities to work from home, sparking a potential decline in urban living and a rural boom" instead, says the Brookfield Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
In a report released Thursday, the think tank based out of Ryerson University identified virtual workspaces as one of the most enduring changes to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, with implications for how people find work and where they choose to live.
More and more Canadians have been making the shift from in-person activities to virtual ones," the study says. COVID-19 has significantly accelerated this shift, meaning more and more Canadians are living, working, and playing online."
According to Statistics Canada, 40 per cent of workers shifted to remote work following the pandemic lockdowns. Businesses both big and small have since made changes that are expected to remain in place after restrictions are lifted.
Read more of this story by the Star's Jacob Lorinc.
5:28 a.m.: Portugal has started inoculating the country's about 15,000 firefighters against COVID-19.
Portuguese firefighters commonly operate ambulances, and they will be vaccinated over a two-week period starting Thursday.
Meanwhile, the health ministry says antigen tests will be more widely used at schools, factories and other places where people gather as part of a new strategy to contain the pandemic.
Parliament is expected later Thursday to extend Portugal's state of emergency decree, which allows the government to impose the current lockdown, through March 1.
The seven-day average of daily deaths in Portugal is the highest in the world, at 2.05 per 100,000 people, according to Johns Hopkins University.
But the seven-day average of daily new cases has fallen from a peak of 122.37 new cases per 100,000 people on Jan. 27 to 47.56 per 100,000 people.
5:13 a.m.: Despite deep uncertainty over a surge in coronavirus cases and the impact of new variants of the disease, senior European Commission officials on Thursday expressed cautious optimism that European economies will rebound later this year and in 2022.
In its winter interim economic forecasts, the European Union's executive body predicts that growth in the 19 nations using the euro will reach 3.8% this year and next after a 6.3% drop in 2020. Growth in the full 27-nation EU is predicted to hit 3.7% in 2021 and 3.9% next year.
The forecast hinges on the assumption that coronavirus restrictions will remain tight for most of the first half of this year but ease in late Spring, when most vulnerable people around Europe like the elderly and those with other illnesses are expected to have been vaccinated.
Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni conceded that the virus is posing major economic and social challenges but, he said, there is, at last, light at the end of the tunnel."
Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis said the prediction provides real hope at a time of great uncertainty for us all. The solid expected pick-up of growth in the second half of this year shows very clearly that we are turning the corner in overcoming this crisis."
But Dombrovskis warned that a strong European response will be crucial to tackle issues such as job losses, a weakened corporate sector and rising inequalities. We will still have a great deal to do to contain the wider socio-economic fallout."
Despite the new forecasts, the eurozone countries are predicted to lag China and the U.S. in bouncing back from the worst of the pandemic.
A winter wave of coronavirus infections around Europe has meant new restrictions on travel and business activity, although companies in some sectors such as manufacturing have been better able to adjust than services businesses like hotels and restaurants.
5:03 a.m.: Renee Sauer raises a gloved hand to knock confidently on the door of an apartment on the 14th floor of a downtown Toronto Community Housing seniors building.
Do you want a COVID test?" she calls out from beneath a leopard print mask layered over a blue medical one, as a man opens his door a crack. Just at the door, next Tuesday?"
He pauses. A vaccine?
No," she says, to see if you have it, it's really quick."
The door-to-door TCHC testing program is part of the city's efforts to bring testing to vulnerable populations who need it most, breaking down as many barriers as possible, and connecting residents with services like food hampers, prescription drug drop-off and isolation hotels, if they test positive. It's a model city officials have been scaling up throughout the fall and winter, and hope to build on when more vaccines are finally available for the wider population.
The agency has partnered with community agencies in the area that have provided help with the outreach. Paramedics will do the actual testing early next week.
The man on the 14th floor agrees to the testing. But five minutes later he opens the door again and asks if someone will be there who speaks Spanish. Sauer, a senior services co-ordinator with TCHC, notes on her registration list that he wants an interpreter. There's a hotline staff can call with access to over 350 languages. It works well, she says, but sometimes there's a wait.
If I can't get someone quick enough I have Google Translate on my phone" she says as she approaches another door, in a pinch."
Of the dozen or so residents Sauer speaks with during the Star's exclusive look at TCHC's door-to-door approach, about half agree to the test. Another handful take a sheet of paper with a picture of a door, swab and test tube, details in both English and Chinese (the second most common language in the building), and a phone number to call to register in case they change their mind.
Read more of this story by the Star's May Warren.
5:02 a.m.: A new survey suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the mental health of the majority of respondents.
Seventy-six per cent of people who responded to the online poll conducted by Angus Reid on behalf of United Way said that the pandemic had caused stress, anxiety or depression.
The survey also found that 19 per cent of respondents have been unable to pay at least one of their bills since the pandemic began.
Most of those people said they didn't have difficulty paying bills before the pandemic.
The survey was conducted online earlier this month in both English and French, with 1,530 people responding.
The polling industry's professional body, the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population.
The survey was conducted in conjunction with the first 211 Day, meant to raise awareness of the 211 helpline.
United Way says 211 is a free and confidential referral service that connects people to government and social services, along with nearby community services.
It says calls to 211 have jumped over the course of the pandemic.
4:03 a.m.: Kaitlyn Anello was flooded with emotions this week when a Facebook notification brought up photos of her from a year ago trying on wedding dresses.
The 31-year-old from Toronto had been planning a May 2021 wedding in Niagara Falls before her engagement ended on New Year's Eve, launching her back into singlehood for the first time in four years.
While some couples across the country are planning modified Valentine's Day celebrations on Sunday amid COVID-19 restrictions, Anello is just trying to forget the romantic holiday altogether.
It's going to be very hard," she said. Everything's about love right now."
Adjusting to single life in the midst of lockdown measures has been challenging for Anello, who still lives with her former fiance until the lease on their apartment expires at the end of the month.
While they typically celebrated Valentine's Day in low-key fashion - cooking dinner together and exchanging greeting cards - she's cognizant of the social expectations surrounding the upcoming date. And she's been feeling it more than ever.
I think the absence of not being with him will definitely hit (on the day)," she said.
4:02 a.m.: Almost two in three Canadians surveyed recently said they trust COVID-19 vaccines to be both safe and effective.
Proof Strategies conducts a survey every year to assess how much faith Canadians have in major institutions and authorities.
Bruce MacLellan, Proof's CEO, says trust in vaccines is not quite strong enough, based on health experts who suggest at least three-quarters of Canadians need to be vaccinated for good herd immunity against COVID-19 to take effect.
It is concerning," said MacLellan.
The survey was conducted online with about 1,500 respondents between Jan. 8 and Jan. 20.
The polling industry's professional body, the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error as they are not random and therefore are not necessarily representative of the whole population.
Canada has approved two vaccines so far, one from Pfizer-BioNTech and a second from Moderna. Three others are under review; the federal government has bought two more, but neither of those is expected to be considered for approval until the fall.
More than 220,000 Canadians are now fully vaccinated with the two doses the current vaccines require, and almost 930,000 people have received single doses so far.
When the survey was taken, Canada was ramping up vaccinations, with more than 40,000 doses given out most days during that period. In the days since deliveries slowed to a crawl, and faith in the rollout plummeted.
At that time however, 64 per cent of people surveyed said they trusted the vaccines, a number that was relatively constant across the country. Younger people and low-income Canadians expressed less trust in the vaccines.
Eighty-six per cent of those over the age of 75 said they trusted the vaccines, compared with less than 60 per cent for millennials (between 25 and 44 years old) and Generation Z (between 18 and 24 years old.)
Almost seven in 10 people with incomes above $100,000 said they trusted the vaccines, compared to only half of those with low incomes.
The survey also reported that almost two-thirds of respondents trusted the federal and provincial public health doctors they see delivering updates on COVID-19 multiple times a week.
4:02 a.m.: The latest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 4 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2021.
There are 813,982 confirmed cases in Canada.
_ Canada: 813,982 confirmed cases (38,242 active, 754,736 resolved, 21,004 deaths).The total case count includes 13 confirmed cases among repatriated travellers.
There were 3,185 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 100.62 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 24,331 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 3,476.
There were 95 new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 649 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 93. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.24 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 55.27 per 100,000 people.
There have been 22,553,847 tests completed.
_ Newfoundland and Labrador: 510 confirmed cases (113 active, 393 resolved, four deaths).
There were 53 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 21.64 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 100 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 14.
There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 0.77 per 100,000 people.
There have been 150,561 tests completed.
_ Prince Edward Island: 114 confirmed cases (four active, 110 resolved, zero deaths).
There were zero new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 2.51 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of one new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero.
There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is zero per 100,000 people.
There have been 94,650 tests completed.
_ Nova Scotia: 1,588 confirmed cases (nine active, 1,514 resolved, 65 deaths).
There was one new case Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 0.92 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there has been five new case. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is one.
There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 6.64 per 100,000 people.
There have been 297,106 tests completed.
_ New Brunswick: 1,375 confirmed cases (176 active, 1,178 resolved, 21 deaths).
There were 14 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 22.52 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 73 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 10.
There were zero new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of three new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is zero. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.05 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 2.69 per 100,000 people.
There have been 220,218 tests completed.
_ Quebec: 272,726 confirmed cases (10,994 active, 251,620 resolved, 10,112 deaths).
There were 989 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 128.22 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 7,147 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,021.
There were 34 new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 213 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 30. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.35 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 117.93 per 100,000 people.
There have been 5,736,438 tests completed.
_ Ontario: 281,566 confirmed cases (13,270 active, 261,700 resolved, 6,596 deaths).
There were 1,072 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 90.06 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 9,469 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,353.
There were 41 new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 291 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 42. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.28 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 44.77 per 100,000 people.
There have been 9,950,523 tests completed.
_ Manitoba: 30,417 confirmed cases (1,573 active, 27,985 resolved, 859 deaths).
There were 57 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 114.05 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 559 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 80.
There were six new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 24 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is three. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.25 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 62.28 per 100,000 people.
There have been 500,288 tests completed.
_ Saskatchewan: 25,843 confirmed cases (1,968 active, 23,527 resolved, 348 deaths).
There were 189 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 166.97 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 1,413 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 202.
There were two new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 26 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is four. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.32 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 29.52 per 100,000 people.
There have been 533,180 tests completed.
_ Alberta: 127,570 confirmed cases (5,706 active, 120,136 resolved, 1,728 deaths).
There were 339 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 129.04 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 2,480 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 354.
There were six new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 57 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is eight. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.18 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 39.08 per 100,000 people.
There have been 3,258,829 tests completed.
_ British Columbia: 71,856 confirmed cases (4,420 active, 66,167 resolved, 1,269 deaths).
There were 469 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 85.86 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 3,076 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 439.
There were six new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 35 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is five. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.1 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 24.65 per 100,000 people.
There have been 1,783,339 tests completed.
_ Yukon: 70 confirmed cases (zero active, 69 resolved, one deaths).
There were zero new cases Wednesday. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of zero new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero.
There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 2.38 per 100,000 people.
There have been 7,782 tests completed.
_ Northwest Territories: 34 confirmed cases (three active, 31 resolved, zero deaths).
There was one new case Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 6.64 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there has been two new case. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero.
There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is zero per 100,000 people.
There have been 12,753 tests completed.
_ Nunavut: 300 confirmed cases (six active, 293 resolved, one deaths).
There was one new case Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 15.25 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there has been six new case. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is one.
There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 2.54 per 100,000 people.
There have been 8,104 tests completed.
4:01 a.m.: In Canada, the provinces are reporting 29,760 new vaccinations administered for a total of 1,153,323 doses given. The provinces have administered doses at a rate of 3,043.127 per 100,000.
There were 18,100 new vaccines delivered to the provinces and territories for a total of 1,296,115 doses delivered so far. The provinces and territories have used 88.98 per cent of their available vaccine supply.
Newfoundland is reporting 1,424 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 14,020 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 26.775 per 1,000. There were 2,500 new vaccines delivered to Newfoundland for a total of 19,975 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 3.8 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 70.19 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
P.E.I. is reporting 972 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 8,828 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 55.652 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to P.E.I. for a total of 10,200 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 6.4 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 86.55 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
Nova Scotia is reporting 4,176 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 20,013 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 20.507 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Nova Scotia for a total of 34,800 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 3.6 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 57.51 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
New Brunswick is reporting 1,366 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 18,643 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 23.90 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to New Brunswick for a total of 25,850 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 3.3 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 72.12 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
Quebec is reporting 3,996 new vaccinations administered for a total of 266,590 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 31.156 per 1,000. There were 15,600 new vaccines delivered to Quebec for a total of 310,425 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 3.6 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 85.88 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
Ontario is reporting 13,486 new vaccinations administered for a total of 412,119 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 28.056 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Ontario for a total of 437,975 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 3.0 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 94.1 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
Manitoba is reporting 1,181 new vaccinations administered for a total of 50,554 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 36.713 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Manitoba for a total of 66,090 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 4.8 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 76.49 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
Saskatchewan is reporting 850 new vaccinations administered for a total of 45,371 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 38.478 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Saskatchewan for a total of 44,575 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 3.8 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 101.8 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
Alberta is reporting 5,127 new vaccinations administered for a total of 129,452 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 29.407 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Alberta for a total of 132,475 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 3.0 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 97.72 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
British Columbia is reporting 2,212 new vaccinations administered for a total of 157,797 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 30.75 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to British Columbia for a total of 172,950 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 3.4 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 91.24 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
Yukon is reporting 110 new vaccinations administered for a total of 11,344 doses given. The territory has administered doses at a rate of 271.836 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Yukon for a total of 14,400 doses delivered so far. The territory has received enough of the vaccine to give 35 per cent of its population a single dose. The territory has used 78.78 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
The Northwest Territories are reporting zero new vaccinations administered for a total of 12,466 doses given. The territory has administered doses at a rate of 276.292 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to the Northwest Territories for a total of 14,400 doses delivered so far. The territory has received enough of the vaccine to give 32 per cent of its population a single dose. The territory has used 86.57 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
Nunavut is reporting 187 new vaccinations administered for a total of 6,126 doses given. The territory has administered doses at a rate of 158.188 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Nunavut for a total of 12,000 doses delivered so far. The territory has received enough of the vaccine to give 31 per cent of its population a single dose. The territory has used 51.05 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
4 a.m.: A lot has changed since Raven Lacerte and her father Paul Lacerte hatched a plan while moose hunting to help quell a tide of violence that they'd witnessed in their community.
The Moose Hide Campaign to end violence against women and children has grown from a grassroots movement to reaching millions of people in more than 2,000 communities across Canada. But with the pandemic creating more isolation, the Lacertes say the problem they are trying to address remains, making the campaign just as relevant on its 10th anniversary.
To get to that scale and to realize it's still such a pervasive issue in this country and that the pandemic is exacerbating the issue means we have to consider this as just one small step," Paul Lacerte said.
The idea for the campaign came to Paul and Raven while they were hunting in their traditional territory in 2011 near the Highway of Tears, where dozens of women, most of them Indigenous, have gone missing or been found murdered.
We're Carrier people, so the Highway of Tears runs right through our community," Raven said. We've felt some of those losses and seen some of the cycles of violence that happen within our communities."
Paul had recently returned from a conference on violence against women and children in Vancouver where he found himself one of only four men among hundreds of women in attendance.
It really represented a microcosm for me of the broader ecosystem where it's women who have borne the burden of abuse, mostly at the hands of men. And also generations of women who have borne the burden of advocacy and mobilization to make the change," he said.
Wanting his daughters to live lives free of violence, he recognized a need for Indigenous and non-Indigenous men and boys to be engaged in any movement for change.
While hunting, he and Raven, then 16, discussed how they could start a movement that wasn't about shaming people but about lifting them up and encouraging them to choose healthy lives.
2:25 a.m.: In a pandemic, homeless people face being more forgotten than they already are. But not by doctors like Dr. Anil Mehta, who is on a mission to bring the coronavirus vaccine to those hardest to reach and often most at risk of getting sick in east London.
Mehta, a general practitioner, and his small team of doctors and nurses have been showing up at homeless centres in his local area, a COVID-19 hotspot, offering a free jab to dozens who might otherwise get left behind in Britain's mass vaccination drive.
They will get missed if we don't find them proactively," Mehta said. They really don't have anything going for them, in terms of medical care. Finding them is absolutely essential to what we need to achieve in our boroughs."
The homeless are not listed among the British government's highest priority groups for the vaccine rollout - which currently include people over 70, nursing home residents, front-line medical staff and social care workers, as well as the clinically vulnerable.