Today’s coronavirus news: Ontario reporting 256 COVID-19 cases; Ontario expanding faster 2nd vaccine doses for all adults, youth in hot spots; 'No spectators' still possible for Tokyo Olympics
The latest coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Friday. This file will be updated throughout the day. Web links to longer stories if available.
12:05 p.m. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says more than 76 per cent of Canadians eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19 had had one dose, and 26 per cent have had two.
Trudeau also confirmed the government will meet its commitment for July to provide provinces with 9.1 million doses of the shot from Pfizer-BioNtech.
12 p.m. Quebec is reporting 88 new COVID-19 cases today and no new deaths attributed to the coronavirus.
Health authorities say hospitalizations dropped by eight, to 135, and 40 patients were in intensive care, a rise of two.
The province says 65,578 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were administered Thursday, one day after setting a record with more than 116,000 doses administered.
About 80 per cent of Quebecers aged 12 and older have received a first dose of vaccine, with just over 23 per cent now fully vaccinated.
10:30 a.m. Ontario is offering faster second COVID-19 vaccine doses to more residents.
Starting tomorrow, youth aged 12 to 17 who live in hot spots for the Delta variant can book faster appointments starting at 8 a.m.
All adults in Ontario who received their first dose of an mRNA vaccine can book accelerated second appointments on Monday.
That change means approximately 1.5 million Ontarians are eligible for an accelerated second dose.
The province says it's expanding eligibility as 76 per cent of Ontarians have at least one vaccine dose and more than 30 per cent are fully vaccinated.
Shots were initially booked four months apart in Ontario but the province is shortening the interval based on supply and risk from the more infectious Delta variant.
Health units covering Durham, Halton, Hamilton, Peel, Porcupine, Simcoe-Muskoka, Toronto, Waterloo, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph and York are designated hot spots for the variant.
10:10 a.m. Ontario reporting 256 COVID-19 cases, 2 deaths. The seven-day average is down to 292 cases oer day or 14.0 weekly per 100,000 and up to 15.3 deaths per day. Labs are reporting 26,561 completed tests and a 1.3 per cent positive.
Locally, there are 39 new cases in the Region of Waterloo, 38 in Peel Region, 36 in Toronto, 18 in Grey Bruce and 17 in Hamilton.
9:55 a.m. Ontario administered 246,393 vaccine doses Thursday; 218,782 of those were second doses and 27,611 were firsts, according to the Star's Ed Tubb.
9.81 million Ontarians now have at least one dose, or 66.5 per cent of the total population and 76.9 per cent of adults 18+.
9:50 a.m. Starting June 28 at 8 a.m., all Ontarians 18+ who received their first dose of an mRNA vaccine (Moderna or Pfizer) will be eligible to book an appointment to receive their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine ahead of schedule.
9:42 a.m. About half of infections in an outbreak of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in Israel were in people who were fully inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine, prompting the government to reimpose an indoor mask requirement and other measures to contain the highly transmissible strain.
Preliminary findings by Israeli health officials suggest about 90 per cent of the new infections were caused by the Delta variant, according to Ran Balicer, who leads an expert advisory panel on COVID-19 for the government. Around half of those infected were fully vaccinated, he said.
Israel is now reassessing its COVID-19 regulations after moving to open up its society and economy after multiple lockdowns last year.
The entrance of the delta variant has changed the transition dynamics," said Prof. Balicer, who is also the chief innovation officer for Israel's largest health-management organization, Clalit.
9:20 a.m. Israel, a world leader in vaccinations, is once again requiring people to wear masks in indoor public spaces amid a coronavirus outbreak driven by the arrival of a new variant.
Israel rolled out one of the most successful vaccination campaigns in the world, inoculating some 85% of its adult population. In recent months, nearly all restrictions were lifted as the number of active cases plummeted.
But there has been a spike in recent days after weeks in which the number of new daily cases was in the single or low double digits. Dr. Nachman Ash, who is leading the coronavirus response, said 227 new cases were confirmed on Thursday, according to Israeli media.
The Health Ministry said masks must be worn indoors in public places starting midday Friday.
9:15 a.m. Visiting Hawaii is about to get easier for vaccinated travelers.
Beginning July 8,the state will end its pre-travel COVID testing requirement for visitors from the U.S. mainland who are fully vaccinated, Hawaii Gov. David Ige said Thursday. Travelers will need to show their vaccine card as well as upload it to the state's Safe Travels website.
"I know that this change has been widely anticipated and it will make it easier for residents to return home and for visitors to come and enjoy our islands," Ige said at a news conference.
Ige has said for weeks that Hawaii would lift travel restrictions for vaccinated visitors when 60% of the state's population was fully vaccinated. The figure has been stuck at 57% and Ige said earlier this week that it wouldn't meet that level ahead of the July 4th holiday weekend. He said Thursday it expects to reach the benchmark on July 8.
Hawaii Lieutenant Gov. Josh Green had been pushing for the lifting of restrictions or at least a date when they be lifted ahead of July 4th travel so travelers weren't left in limbo.
"It's just really important that Hawaii not get a black eye by being unclear," Green said earlier this week.
The testing requirement has been in place since October and has been the only way for tourists to bypass Hawaii's mandatory quarantine, which started at 14 days and now stands at 10 days.
9:10 a.m. Child care demands at home skyrocketed during the pandemic, but men and women did not split the burden equally.
Globally, women took on 173 additional hours of unpaid child care last year, compared to 59 additional hours for men, a study released Friday by the Center for Global Development, a poverty non-profit, found. The gap widened in low- and middle-income countries, where women cared for children for more than three times as many hours as men did.
Charles Kenny, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development and one of the study's authors, said the pandemic merely exposed existing gender disparities. In 2017, a Pew Research Center report found moms did more than twice as much child care as dads in the U.S.
Globally, the gap varies widely, but an OECD survey found women spend an average of between three and six hours on caretaking, compared to an average of 30 minutes to two hours for men.
8:25 a.m. A no-spectator games" remains an option for the Tokyo Olympics, which open officially in just four weeks, the president of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee said Friday.
The admission by Seiko Hashimoto comes only four days after she announced on Monday that up to 10,000 local fans would be allowed into venues - with numbers not to exceed 50 per cent of venue capacity regardless of indoor or outdoor events.
Organizers put off the decision on local fans for several months, and fans from abroad were banned months ago. The move to allow fans went against many medical experts who have said the safest Olympics would be with no fans due to coronavirus.
What I feel is that no spectating should remain an option for us as we look into things," Hashimoto said at a news conference. The situation is changing from time to time so that is why we need to remain flexible and prompt in responding to any change. A no-spectator games is one of our options."
Organizers seemed to back down slightly on fans after a COVID-19 panel for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported on Thursday that "there's a sign of resurgence" of infections in Tokyo.
The panel said infections grew by 11 per cent in the last week - based on the seven-day average - with more of the contagious Delta variant cases being detected. Organizers say they will take another look at fans after the current quasi-state of emergency" ends on July 11.
Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa delivered another wake-up call on Friday when she confirmed that a member of the Ugandan team who tested positive for the coronavirus upon entry to Japan last week was infected with the Delta variant.
Later in the day a second Ugandan also tested positive for the Delta variant, Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura said.
Despite extensive testing before and upon entry, cases like these seem certain to happen with 11,000 Olympic athletes and 4,400 Paralympic athletes entering Tokyo, along with tens of thousands of added staff, coaches, judges, and IOC and sports federations officials.
8:13 a.m. Nearly all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. now are in people who weren't vaccinated, a staggering demonstration of how effective the shots have been and an indication that deaths per day - now down to under 300 - could be practically zero if everyone eligible got the vaccine.
An Associated Press analysis of available government data from May shows that breakthrough" infections in fully vaccinated people accounted for fewer than 1,200 of more than 853,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations. That's about 0.1 per cent.
And only about 150 of the more than 18,000 COVID-19 deaths in May were in fully vaccinated people. That translates to about 0.8%, or five deaths per day on average.
8 a.m. U.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock apologized for breaching pandemic rules after being pictured embracing a senior aide, but said he is not resigning from the government.
His apology came after The Sun newspaper published two photos of Hancock embracing Gina Coladangelo, apparently in his Whitehall offices last month.
The opposition Labour Party called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to fire his top health official for breaking the government's own coronavirus restrictions. Hancock said he will keep working to help the country recover from the pandemic.
I accept that I breached the social-distancing guidance in these circumstances," Hancock said in a statement released by his office. I have let people down and am very sorry. I remain focused on working to get the country out of this pandemic, and would be grateful for privacy for my family on this personal matter."
Hancock and Coladangelo have been friends since their time together as students at Oxford University and are both married with children.
7:50 a.m. Africa is facing a devastating resurgence of COVID-19 infections whose peak will surpass that of earlier waves as the continent's countries struggle to vaccinate even a small percentage of the population, top health officials said Thursday.
The third wave is picking up speed, spreading faster, hitting harder," Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said Thursday
"With rapidly rising case numbers and increasing reports of serious illness, the latest surge threatens to be Africa's worst yet," she said in a weekly briefing. Africa can still blunt the impact of these fast-rising infections, but the window of opportunity is closing. Everyone everywhere can do their bit by taking precautions to prevent transmission."
New cases have been rising since the beginning of May and the resurgence will surpass previous waves by early July, according to WHO Africa.
Decreased observance of public health measures, increased social interactions without masks and new variants have contributed to more cases. Moeti encouraged governments to do more to provide populations with easier access to masks and hygiene facilities.
7:45 a.m. Three in five Californians have now received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, federal figures show - the latest milestone in the state's rollout.
The picture is even rosier when looking at only those currently eligible to roll up their sleeves. More than 70 per cent of residents 12 and older are partially vaccinated at this point, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The latest numbers, although improving, show the Golden State still has a ways to go in its vaccination efforts.
Fewer than half of all Californians, and about 57 per cent of those eligible to receive a shot, are fully inoculated - meaning millions more doses will need to be administered before the state reaches the level of vaccine coverage often cited as necessary to achieve long-lasting herd immunity against the coronavirus.
And although much of the state is enjoying some degree of protection, officials remain concerned about potential flare-ups among those who are unvaccinated.
Those worries are pressing given the spread of the Delta coronavirus variant, which may be twice as transmissible as the conventional strain.
As I've often said, this virus is an opportunist. As long as there are those who are not vaccinated, COVID-19 will remain a threat," Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said this week.
7:35 a.m. A new provincial committee is set to examine the future of work, promising to tackle the historic disruption" caused by COVID-19.
To proponents, it's an opportunity to address 16 months that changed the conversation about what work can - and should - look like. To critics, the Ministry of Labour initiative lacks a crucial component: workers themselves.
There are no experts on gig work. There are no gig workers," said Jennifer Scott, a bike courier and president of Gig Workers United. There is no representation."
In a statement to the Star, Labour Minister Monte McNaughton said the pandemic recovery must include giving people a hand up and spreading opportunity more widely and fairly."
Read the full story from the Star's Sara Mojtehedzadeh
7:20 a.m. During an unprecedented pandemic that hit Ontario hard, the Kingston region emerged as a bright spot in the province. To date, it has only recorded three deaths due to COVID-19.
The region's low case count during COVID's peak was largely credited to the work of the local health unit, led by medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore, who is now stepping into the role for the entire province.
Although he's taking over at a time when an end appears in sight for COVID-19, colleagues of Moore said he will still be facing urgent issues, including guiding the province through the tail end of the pandemic and keeping an eye on variants of concern.
Read the full story from the Star's Omar Mosleh
7:06 a.m. Put your masks on and book your haircuts - that includes you, John Tory - it's time for Toronto to enter Stage 2 of the province's reopening plan ahead of schedule.
With the province announcing that Ontario's case counts and other factors are trending in the right direction, June 30 will now be the day Toronto and the rest of the GTA enters the next phase of three-part provincial plan to restart local businesses. The new rules come into effect at 12:01 a.m.
Everyone must continue to comply with rules around mask-wearing and physical distancing inside businesses and public spaces. Provincial rules continue to ask businesses to have employees who can work from home do so. Public health officials continue to encourage everyone who can do so to get vaccinated. Information on how to book can be found at vaccineto.ca.
Here's what will be open and closed, from the Star's Jennifer Pagliaro
6:23 a.m.: Australia's so-called COVID-zero" strategy is under increasing strain, with an outbreak of the delta variant forcing at least half-a-million residents of Sydney into lockdown for a week.
New South Wales state Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Friday ordered people who live or work in four of Sydney's most populous areas, including the CBD, not to leave their homes unless for specified essential reasons. The outbreak has climbed to 65 cases, with 22 new locally acquired cases recorded since the day before.
The lockdown is in order for us to ensure that this doesn't take a hold for weeks and weeks and we believe this is a proportionate response to the risk," Berejiklian said. While she had previously barred about 1 million of Sydney's population of 6 million from leaving the city, the new measures show concern is rising about how the virus is quickly spreading in the local community.
Sydney's outbreak is the latest example showing how efforts by Covid-zero nations - which include Singapore, Hong Kong and China - to eliminate the virus are now keeping them isolated, even as highly-vaccinated countries such as the U.S., U.K. and parts of Europe start to open up.
6:22 a.m.: The White House says it will provide Afghanistan with 3 million doses of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine to help with a coronavirus outbreak fuelled by the delta variant.
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre made the announcement aboard Air Force One on Thursday as President Joe Biden flew to Raleigh, North Carolina, to encourage Americans to get vaccinated. The announcement also came a day before Biden meets with Afghanistan's leaders at the White House on Friday.
Jean-Pierre says the Johnson & Johnson vaccines - only one shot is required - could be shipped as soon as next week.
The U.S. is also providing oxygen and other supplies to Afghanistan.
The 3 million doses are part of an overall donation of 55 million doses to the world that the White House announced earlier this week.
6:21 a.m.: Hawaii is dropping its testing and quarantine rules for vaccinated domestic travellers in two weeks.
Gov. David Ige says the state will drop the current travel restrictions for fully vaccinated U.S. mainland travellers on July 8.
The governor says he expects the state will reach a 60 per cent vaccination rate among all residents by that time. Ige had previously set a 60 per cent rate as a milestone for allowing more so-called vaccine passports.
Restaurants will also be able to seat up to 75 per cent of their capacity.
People will still be required to wear a mask when gathering indoors. Masks are not required outdoors.
6:21 a.m.: Germany's health minister has lamented that European Union countries haven't been able to agree a single set of rules for travellers from regions with high rates of coronavirus variant cases.
Chancellor Angela Merkel had raised the issue at a summit of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday. Germany requires people arriving from so-called virus variant' areas such as Britain to quarantine for 14 days, even if they are fully vaccinated; other EU countries have shorter or no quarantine periods for vaccinated people.
Health Minister Jens Spahn told reporters in Berlin on Friday that he regretted better coordination among the bloc's 27 members hadn't been possible.
It would have been better to find uniform rules for this," he said. If not, we will have to keep making our own to protect ourselves."
German officials say the more contagious delta variant of the virus now makes up at least 15% of cases in the country. In Britain, it has already become the dominant variant.
Lothar Wieler, the head of Germany's disease control agency, said he expects the delta variant to eventually dominate in Germany, too, and urged people to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Scientists say vaccines authorized for use in the European Union provide good protection against serious illness, including from the delta variant, but it is not yet clear how great the risk is that immunized people can still transmit the virus.
6:20 a.m.: Israel, a world leader in vaccinations, is once again requiring people to wear masks in indoor public spaces amid a coronavirus outbreak driven by the arrival of a new variant.
Israel rolled out one of the most successful vaccination campaigns in the world, inoculating some 85% of its adult population. In recent months, nearly all restrictions were lifted as the number of active cases plummeted.
But there has been a spike in recent days after weeks in which the number of new daily cases was in the single or low double digits. Dr. Nachman Ash, who is leading the coronavirus response, said 227 new cases were confirmed on Thursday, according to Israeli media.
The Health Ministry said masks must be worn indoors in public places starting midday Friday.
The outbreak appears to be driven by the arrival of the highly contagious delta variant, which spreads rapidly among unvaccinated individuals, including children. Vaccinated Israelis have reportedly been infected, but generally appear to have only minor symptoms.
Earlier this week, the government postponed the planned reopening of the country to vaccinated tourists until the beginning of August. It was originally set for July 1, and vaccinated tour groups have been permitted since May.
Israel has reported 6,429 deaths since the start of the pandemic, in a population of 9.3 million.
6:15 a.m.: Airlines and holiday providers on Friday expressed frustration with the U.K.'s plans to ease travel restrictions, saying uncertainty about how and when the new rules will be implemented make it difficult for people to book summer vacations.
The government on Thursday expanded its green list" of safe travel destinations, allowing people to visit without having to self-isolate for 10 days after returning to Britain. However, all but one of the new additions were also placed on a watchlist, meaning the quarantine requirement may be reimposed at short notice.
Transportation authorities also said they intend to relax travel restrictions by allowing fully vaccinated travellers to visit higher-risk destinations, including the U.S. and most of the European Union, without having to self-isolate. They expect to implement this change later in the summer."
The U.K. has already fallen behind the EU's reopening, and a continued overly cautious approach will further impact economic recovery and the 500,000 U.K. jobs that are at stake," said Shai Weiss, chief executive of Virgin Atlantic, which offers mainly long-haul flights to destinations such as New York, Los Angeles and Barbados.
Airlines and hospitality companies have pressured the government to ease travel restrictions imposed to slow the spread of COVID-19 following the U.K.'s successful vaccination program. The pandemic has devastated Britain's travel industry, with the number of people flying through London's Heathrow Airport, the nation's busiest, plunging 73 per cent last year.
Correction - June 25, 2021 - This story has been updated to correct the number of COVID-19 deaths in Ontario.