Today’s coronavirus news: B.C. expected to announce plan for easing some restrictions
The latest coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Tuesday. This file will be updated throughout the day. Web links to longer stories if available.
9:12 a.m. Indonesia reported a record number of new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday driven by the highly transmissible omicron variant.
The country confirmed 57,049 new infections, more than the previous record of about 56,700 set last July, when the delta variant overwhelmed hospitals on the main island of Java.
The national COVID-19 task force also reported 134 deaths on Tuesday. More than 100 people have died each day since Friday, mostly in the capital, Jakarta.
Read more from The Associated Press.
8:07 a.m. After a supply disruption that lasted for weeks, Durham's businesses can once again get free rapid COVID-19 screening test kits for their employees from local business associations.
I picked up the rapid tests from the Clarington Board of Trade today. I feel much safer with this tool on hand. We have had so much close contact with COVID-19, but thankfully it hasn't spread amongst our staff as of yet," said Ted Paulsen, owner of Chronicle Brewing in Bowmanville, via email.
"Now everyone who is worried about coming to work or if the have symptoms of COVID-19, they will be much more relieved with some assurance from these rapid tests."
6 a.m. Ontario hospitals are facing a critical shortage of collection tubes required for routine blood work, forcing some hospitals to direct staff to conserve supplies and reconsider the number of blood tests they order for patients.
But even with conservation strategies in place, some clinicians and laboratory staff are concerned that prolonged shortages or a significant disruption in supplies could affect patient care.
They warn the shortages add another challenge to hospitals stretched by pandemic pressures, and say monitoring the supply of blood collection tubes will be even more important as hospitals reopen operating rooms to scheduled surgeries that had been paused during the Omicron wave.
Read more from the Star's Megan Ogilvie.
5:40 a.m. If forced to choose, Novak Djokovic said he would skip the French Open and Wimbledon, foregoing the chance to overtake Rafael Nadal's record haul of 21 Grand Slams titles, rather than get vaccinated against COVID-19.
And the No. 1-ranked tennis player is also still smarting about being deported last month from Australia in a drama about his vaccination status that polarized opinion worldwide.
Speaking in an interview broadcast Tuesday by the BBC, the 20-time Grand Slam champion said he is still not vaccinated, and prepared to sacrifice titles to stay that way.
Read more from The Associated Press.
5:30 a.m. Experts say Canada's COVID-19 protests may be providing Russian President Vladimir Putin with a welcome distraction.
The White House believes if Putin intends to invade Ukraine, it could happen before week's end.
Bessma Momani, a University of Waterloo professor and a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, says she's convinced Russian hackers played a role in stoking the anger behind the protests.
Momani says Russia wants to exploit cultural tensions in the U.S. and Canada to undermine public faith in democracy.
Read more from The Canadian Press.
5:15 a.m. British Columbia's top doctor is expected to announce the plan today for gradually easing public health restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19.
The most recent public health orders related to gatherings, events, bars and restaurants, for example, were set to expire on Wednesday and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has said she would announce any chances a day earlier.
Henry also said last month people could expect some restrictions on social gatherings to be gradually lifted by next Monday, which marks Family Day.
Read more from The Canadian Press.
5:05 a.m. Ontario is easing COVID-19 capacity restrictions starting Thursday - and as of March 1, proof of vaccination will no longer be required, although indoor masking rules will stay in place for a little bit longer," says Premier Doug Ford.
Ford also gave the go-ahead Monday to booster shots for those aged 12 to 17.
As I've said from the very beginning, the extraordinary measures that we introduced during this pandemic were always intended as a last resort," Ford said at Queen's Park, adding he promised Ontarians that these tools would only be used for as long as they were absolutely necessary and not one day longer.
Read more from the Star's Kristin Rushowy and Rob Ferguson.
5 a.m. There are some concerns about the federal government's decision to invoke the Emergencies Act to end antigovernment blockades against COVID-19 measures that are being held across the country.
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association says it does not believe the "high and clear" threshold needed to invoke the act has been met, noting the law states it can only be used when a situation cannot be dealt with using any other law in the country.
Executive director Noa Mendelsohn Aviv warns that normalizing emergency legislation "threatens our democracy and our civil liberties."