Today’s coronavirus news: Ontario reporting 590 COVID-19 cases, 11 deaths; Ontario set to release new COVID-19 projections ahead of reopening
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.
12 p.m. Toronto and the rest of the province will official begin Ontario's new re-opening plan on Friday.
The new rules, which were originally targeted to come into force on June 14, focus on outdoor activities that can resume while other long-awaited plans like haircuts will still have to wait.
The province says the plan can start a few days early after surpassing the threshold of 60 per cent of adults who have at least one dose. As of June 6, the province said in a press release, 72 per cent of all adults aged 18 and older had one dose.
Here's what will be open and closed from the Star's Jennifer Pagliaro
11:50 a.m. As the province gets ready to start easing pandemic restrictions on Friday, Toronto's public transit agency is preparing to welcome riders back.
People will have more reason to take transit as the city opens up, but in order to substantially recover the ridership lost during the pandemic, the TTC will have to convince the public that hopping on its vehicles doesn't pose a health risk, and that its buses, streetcars, and trains are still a good way to get around.
We know from customer surveys we need to make people feel safe and comfortable when on the TTC and to show them exactly how we are committed to that," said TTC spokesperson Stuart Green.
The TTC's future could depend on those efforts. As of last month, ridership on the system was still at about a quarter of pre-COVID levels, and the loss in fare revenue during the pandemic is contributing to what the agency has projected will be a $126-million shortfall by the end of this year. That's despite the TTC receiving more than $1.3 billion in federal and provincial pandemic aid.
Read the full story from the Star's Ben Spurr
10:20 a.m. The City of Toronto is again pushing vaccination in hot spots as they work to stave off spread of COVID-19 with incoming variants of concern.
On Thursday, a press release announced another mobile and pop-up clinic push in 18 hot spots for those who have yet to receive their first dose and for those eligible to receive their second dose.
The clinics will start immediately and focus on those areas where COVID-19 positivity is high, vaccine coverage is low and the Delta variant has been identified, a press release said.
Any who lives works or goes to school in the following postal codes is eligible for a first of second dose once the minimum waiting period has been reached after the first dose: M9W, M9V, M6M, M9L, M9M, M3J, M3K, M3M, M3N, M6N, M3L, M9N, M1G, M1B, M1S, M1J, M4H, M4A.
Read the full story from the Star's Jennifer Pagliaro
10:03 a.m. (will be updated) Ontario is reporting 590 COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths. The seven-day average is down to 617 cases per day or 30 weekly per 100,000, and up to 18.6 deaths per day.Labs report 31,429 completed tests and a 2 per cent positive, according to the Star's Ed Tubb.
Locally, there are 130 new cases in Peel, 114 in Toronto, 61 in Waterloo, 38 in Hamilton and 32 in York Region.
9:50 a.m. Why do some people get side effects after COVID-19 vaccines?
Temporary side effects including headache, fatigue and fever are signs the immune system is revving up - a normal response to vaccines. And they're common.
The day after getting these vaccines, I wouldn't plan anything that was strenuous physical activity," said Dr. Peter Marks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's vaccine chief, who experienced fatigue after his first dose.
Here's what's happening: The immune system has two main arms, and the first kicks in as soon as the body detects a foreign intruder. White blood cells swarm to the site, prompting inflammation that's responsible for chills, soreness, fatigue and other side effects.
9:30 a.m. Germany on Thursday started rolling out a digital vaccination pass that can be used across Europe as the continent is gets ready for the key summer travel season.
The country's health minister said starting this week vaccination centers, doctors practices and pharmacies will gradually start giving out digital passes to fully vaccinated people. The CovPass will let users download proof of their coronavirus vaccination status onto a smartphone app, allowing them easy access to restaurants, museums or other venues that require proof of immunization.
The vaccination passport should be available to everyone in Germany who is fully vaccinated by the end of this month, Health Minister Jens Spahn said.
The goal is that this certificate can also be used in Helsinki, Amsterdam or Mallorca," Spahn told reporters in Berlin.
8:45 a.m. British Health Secretary Matt Hancock has defended his handling of the coronavirus pandemic following a series of damaging allegations from Prime Minister Boris Johnson's former top adviser.
Facing questioning from lawmakers, Hancock said Thursday that he had no idea" why Dominic Cummings had a dispute with him and that he'd become aware that Cummings had wanted him fired.
I'm not responsible for anybody else's testimony, but I'm really pleased to have the chance to come here to be able to tell you the truth," Hancock said.
Two weeks ago, Cummings told lawmakers investigating the virus outbreak in the U.K. that Hancock should have been fired" for a series of lies and for a litany of errors during the pandemic. Among the charges, Cummings said Hancock had claimed that during the early stages of the pandemic that people discharged from hospitals were being tested for the virus before going back to their nursing homes.
Hancock denied that he had said anything to the prime minister that he knew to be untrue and added that Johnson's Conservative government was functioning better as a result of Cummings' departure at the end of last year.
8:30 a.m. The excitement is almost palpable. Almost, since it's still not advisable to go around touching each other, but, there is a hopefulness in the air; there is a glimmer of light at the end of this long, dark tunnel. We're not quite there yet, and many will still be spending time at home, often alone. Mercifully, we're getting better at it. Yes, like anything we do, entertaining oneself is an acquired skill, and since that first lockdown in March 2020, Ontarians discovered there's more to a stay-at-home order than Netflix.
That first period of isolation saw a dramatic rise in sourdough bread baking, and it's still going strong. Jane Mason, founder and director of Virtuous Bread and Bread Angels, has been hosting virtual bread baking sessions over Zoom every Sunday, joined by up to 50 participants from around the world.
As time marched on and on (and on), we had to dig deeper to stay entertained. Gardening and nature beckoned, and those fortunate enough to have access to a patch of soil or a balcony, spent that first spring and summer outside, playing in the dirt, installing raised vegetable beds, chicken coops, beehives and container gardens.
Read the full story from Signe Langford
8:20 a.m. Moderna is set to deliver 7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Canada before the end of June, just as Ottawa issued new warnings about the low protection of one dose of any vaccine against the Delta variant circulating in Canada.
The Liberal government says Moderna's new promised shipment puts it in line with its contract obligations, even though it falls short by about a million doses of the original plan.
Moderna will switch to using an American production facility instead of its Europe-based factories to supply millions of the mRNA vaccine doses that it contracted to ship to Canada in the second quarter.
Procurement Minister Anita Anand told a news conference Wednesday that the 7 million doses will come in two or three deliveries from the U.S. once Health Canada has given regulatory approval for the new source of supply.
Read the full story from the Star's Tonda MacCharles
8:10 a.m. Torontonians can enjoy pools and patios this weekend as the city starts to emerge from seven months of pandemic lockdown.
Ten city-run outdoor pools will open Saturday, Mayor John Tory announced Wednesday, with other outdoor pools opening June 19 and remaining so until Labour Day.
To limit risk of COVID-19 spread, pools will operate at 25-per-cent capacity. Unlike last summer, swimmers are being asked to pre-book 45-minute swims online at www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/recreation/swimming.
Reservations for the free swims can be made starting at 8 a.m. Thursday. Pools will allow a limited number of walk-in patrons to help those without online access.
Pools opening Saturday are: Alex Duff; Monarch Park Pool; Heron Park Community Centre; Grandravine Community Centre; McGregor Community Centre; Parkway Forest Community Centre; Pine Point; Riverdale Park; Sunnyside-Gus Ryder; and West Mall.
Read the full story from the Star's David Rider
8 a.m. As retailers across Ontario get ready to welcome customers back Friday, there's one major exception: Malls will still be mostly locked down.
And retailers and movie theatres in those malls are fuming that they won't be part of Step 1 of the province's plan to gradually ease COVID restrictions.
If you had a bunch of really smart people sitting in a room trying to think up ways to kill retail, you couldn't have done a better job than the Ford government," said a furious David Bensadoun, CEO of Aldo Shoes.
Bensadoun, along with other mall retailers and the Retail Council of Canada, urged the provincial government Tuesday to let all retailers open Friday, pointing to rapidly falling new COVID cases and rising vaccination rates.
A spokesperson for Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott warned that those numbers can change.
Read the full story from the Star's Josh Rubin
7:50 a.m. Health Minister Christine Elliott and Solicitor General Sylvia Jones will provide a vaccine update at 1 p.m. Thursday.
7:45 a.m. Transat AT Inc. says it is planning to resume flying starting July 30.
The travel company suspended operations on Jan. 29 after Ottawa's request to not travel to Mexico and the Caribbean as well as new quarantine measures and testing requirements.
Transat made the announcement to resume flying as it reported a net loss attributable to shareholders of $69.6 million or $1.84 per diluted share for the quarter ended April 30.
The result compared with a loss of $179.5 million or $4.76 per diluted share a year earlier at the start of the pandemic in Canada.
Revenue for what was the company's second quarter totalled $7.6 million, down from $571.3 million in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Transat says it lost $103.3 million or $2.74 per share for the quarter, compared with an adjusted loss of $38.8 million or $1.03 per share a year ago.
7:40 a.m. Toronto city bylaws requiring people to wear masks in public and keep a six-foot distance from others will be extended to October, council voted Wednesday.
Council also voted to extend the amendments to Toronto's municipal code that require bars and restaurants serving food and drink to screen staff for COVID-19, limit the number of patrons, including the number of people at each table, and to continue maintaining customer logs.
Dr. Eileen de Villa, the city's medical officer of health, will review the bylaws on a monthly basis and make changes as needed, council decided.
On a motion by Coun. Joe Cressy (Ward 10 Spadina-Fort York), council also agreed to urge the Ontario government to prioritize and increase vaccine supplies for the second dose of COVID-19 in hot spot communities in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area and across Ontario.
Read the full story from the Star's Francine Kopun
7:30 a.m. Iran's leading presidential candidate staged a mass rally in the country's southeast that drew thousands of supporters late Wednesday, the first such gathering amid the raging coronavirus pandemic that has largely halted traditional election campaigning.
Ebrahim Raisi, Iran's hard-line judiciary chief, toured the oil-rich southwestern Khuzestan province and addressed some 5,000 supporters at a sprawling football stadium in the city of Ahvaz. Despite the rising infection count and scorching temperature of 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit), crowds mobbed the stadium to hear Raisi speak.
Although government officials claimed the city's mass event was held in full compliance" with coronavirus measures, there were no signs of social distancing on the field. Some supporters wore masks while others did not.
Raisi, the candidate who analysts suggest is the front-runner, took the stage just before midnight amid pounding Farsi pop music. Raisi, Raisi, we support you!" the crowds thundered, waving signs.
During his speech, the cleric, wearing a black turban, opined on the country's grievances. He described Khuzestan as very deprived" and promised that if he becomes president, he would focus on solving the province's problems.
His supporters delivered him hand-written personal letters about their economic hardships at the event, state-run IRNA news agency reported, continuing a trend popularized by former hard-line populist President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
7:20 a.m. Data to better understand who's not getting COVID vaccines is being collected inconsistently across the province, advocates say, leaving huge holes in our understanding of the rollout.
The province's COVax system, a back-end electronic record of each vaccine, has questions on race, ethnicity, income, language and household size built in. But it's up to each vaccine clinic to decide whether to ask them.
We're flying blind," said Dr. Kwame McKenzie, CEO of the Wellesley Institute. If we're not managing to vaccinate a particular ethnic groups, or low-income groups, we just don't know."
There is data on vaccination rates by forward sortation area, or first three letters of postal code, because people are almost always required to provide their addresses when they go for a shot.
Read the full story from the Star's May Warren
6:20 a.m.: Things are looking up. As Ontario prepares to enter Step 1 of reopening on Friday, the trends in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are improving across the board - with one clear exception.
Even as the daily case count has dipped below 500 for the first time since September 2020 and 72 per cent of adult Ontarians now have at least one dose of vaccine, experts point to the spread of the more transmissible B.1.617.2 or Delta" variant as the most concerning threat on the horizon.
As of this week, the data does not suggest Delta is poised to spark a fourth wave in the near future - the variant is here, but doesn't yet appear to be growing quickly. However, if anything is going to cause a resurgence of COVID-19 in Ontario this summer or in the fall, experts say the most likely culprit will be a more dangerous variant, like Delta.
The Star asked several scientists, doctors and researchers to share their thoughts on the steps Ontarians can collectively take to avoid a fourth wave.
Read the full story by the Star's Ed Tubb and Kenyon Wallace.
6:15 a.m.: Ontario is to release new COVID-19 projections today on the eve of its economic reopening.
New modelling will be presented at the afternoon pandemic update with the province's top doctor.
Those numbers will come as the province prepares to enter the first step of its reopening plan on Friday, which will allow limited retail shopping and patio dining.
New COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations have dropped in recent weeks and the province is moving ahead with the first step of its reopening plan a few days early.
More restrictions will loosen after 21 days if pandemic indicators improve and more people get vaccinated.
Despite positive trends, officials say they're monitoring the spread of a more infectious virus variant.
6:10 a.m.: As retailers across Ontario get ready to welcome customers back Friday, there's one major exception: Malls will still be mostly locked down.
And retailers and movie theatres in those malls are fuming that they won't be part of Step 1 of the province's plan to gradually ease COVID restrictions.
If you had a bunch of really smart people sitting in a room trying to think up ways to kill retail, you couldn't have done a better job than the Ford government," said a furious David Bensadoun, CEO of Aldo Shoes.
Bensadoun, along with other mall retailers and the Retail Council of Canada, urged the provincial government Tuesday to let all retailers open Friday, pointing to rapidly falling new COVID cases and rising vaccination rates.
Read more from the Star's Josh Rubin.
6 a.m.: Toronto city bylaws requiring people to wear masks in public and keep a six-foot distance from others will be extended to October, council voted Wednesday.
Council also voted to extend the amendments to Toronto's municipal code that require bars and restaurants serving food and drink to screen staff for COVID-19, limit the number of patrons, including the number of people at each table, and to continue maintaining customer logs.
Dr. Eileen de Villa, the city's medical officer of health, will review the bylaws on a monthly basis and make changes as needed, council decided.
Read more from the Star's Francine Kopun.
5:45 a.m.: Many of Alberta's COVID-19 public health restrictions are being lifted today as part of a three-stage plan to reopen by summer.
The province is entering the second stage, which required 60 per cent of those 12 and older to have had at least one vaccine shot and fewer than 500 infected patients in hospitals.
Officials say 67 per cent of Albertans have received their first dose.
Entertainment venues, including movie theatres, casinos and museums, are being allowed to reopen at one-third capacity.
Restaurants can seat diners inside rather than just on patios, and private social gatherings outdoors can have up to 20 people.
The final phase, which would lift a ban on indoor gatherings, is to occur once 70 per cent of eligible recipients have had at least one dose of vaccine and hospitalization rates continue to decline.
5:20 a.m.: The Manitoba government will be laying out the province's reopening plans today as health officials say hospital capacity remains strained by a high number of COVID-19 patients.
Premier Brian Pallister has previously indicated that the plans could be linked to vaccination rates, similar to those in Saskatchewan and Alberta.
It comes a day after Pallister announced a lottery for all people who have received two doses as a way to boost vaccination rates.
Manitoba will also be slightly loosening public health orders Saturday to allow for outdoor gatherings, but restrictions on businesses will remain in place.
5 a.m.: Why do some people get side effects after COVID-19 vaccines?
Temporary side effects including headache, fatigue and fever are signs the immune system is revving up -- a normal response to vaccines. And they're common.
Here's what's happening: The immune system has two main arms, and the first kicks in as soon as the body detects a foreign intruder. White blood cells swarm to the site, prompting inflammation that's responsible for chills, soreness, fatigue and other side effects.
This rapid-response step of your immune system tends to wane with age, one reason younger people report side effects more often than older adults. Also, some vaccines simply elicit more reactions than others.
That said, everyone reacts differently. If you didn't feel anything a day or two after either dose, that doesn't mean the vaccine isn't working.
Behind the scenes, the shots also set in motion the second part of your immune system, which will provide the real protection from the virus by producing antibodies.
Read more from The Associated Press.
4 a.m: The latest numbers on COVID-19 vaccinations in Canada as of 4:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, June 10, 2021:
In Canada, the provinces are reporting 401,276 new vaccinations administered for a total of 27,244,309 doses given. Nationwide, 3,421,260 people or 9.0 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated. The provinces have administered doses at a rate of 71,886.092 per 100,000.
There were 212,940 new vaccines delivered to the provinces and territories for a total of 30,336,254 doses delivered so far. The provinces and territories have used 89.81 per cent of their available vaccine supply.
4 a.m.: The latest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 4:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, June 10, 2021:
There are 1,396,798 confirmed cases in Canada.
Canada: 1,396,798 confirmed cases (20,377 active, 1,350,578 resolved, 25,843 deaths). The total case count includes 13 confirmed cases among repatriated travellers.
There were 1,388 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 53.62 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 11,525 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,646.
There were 52 new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 231 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 33. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.09 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 68 per 100,000 people.