European Medicines Agency grants conditional authorization of Novavax COVID-19 vaccine for people 18 and older.
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People 18 and older in Ontario will be able to book a COVID-19 vaccine booster through the provincial portal this morning, as long as it has been at least three months since getting the second shot.
The province announced Wednesday that it was expanding eligibility in an effort to bolster defences against the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Pharmacies were able to start offering the boosters to younger adults on Friday, but now Ontarians can make appointments through the province’s or a local public health unit’s website.
Health officials in Ontario on Monday reported 3,784 new cases and no additional deaths. The update came as some struggled to book booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
In Ottawa, for example, the local public health unit announced early Monday that all available booster appointments were already booked.
The change in booster availability comes after the province tightened up restrictions. As of Sunday, restaurants, retailers, gyms and other indoor settings in Ontario are only allowed to open at 50 per cent capacity. Indoor social gatherings are limited to a maximum of 10 people, while outdoor gatherings can only have 25.
Quebec, meanwhile, reported 4,571 new cases of COVID-19 and three additional deaths on Monday. The update comes as health officials are tightening public health measures again as COVID-19 cases spike across the province.
Premier François Legault announced tougher measures last week to combat the Omicron variant as the province reported a jump in hospitalizations, with record-breaking cases for the province’s daily tally over the weekend.
The government backtracked on increasing the maximum of indoor gatherings to 20, maintaining the maximum at 10 people instead. Bars, restaurants, retail stores, places of worship and entertainment activities, meanwhile, are to operate at half capacity.
-From The Canadian Press and CBC News, last updated at 11:05 a.m. ET
What’s happening across Canada
WATCH | Businesses call for COVID-19 relief amid increased restrictions:
Businesses call for COVID-19 relief amid increased restrictions
13 hours ago
Duration 1:53
Business owners and advocates are calling for urgent financial support as rising COVID-19 cases across Canada lead to renewed restrictions right before the holidays, traditionally the busiest time of year in retail. 1:53
In Atlantic Canada, Nova Scotia on Sunday reported 476 new COVID-19 cases — another single-day high. The province will report more detail on figures, including hospitalization data, later on Monday.
Health officials in Prince Edward Island were expected to provide updated information on Monday.
In the North, health officials in the Northwest Territories on Sunday reported the first confirmed case of the Omicron variant in the territory. Updated figures for all three territories are expected later Monday.
In the Prairies, Saskatchewan on Sunday reported 78 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday. The province is also expanding access to boosters as of Monday, with everyone aged 18 and up allowed to book provided their second dose was at least three months ago.
Health officials in Manitoba and Alberta don’t provide updated figures on the weekend.
In British Columbia, health officials will provide updated figures covering the weekend later on Monday. The update will come as residents in the province see new restrictions imposed in the face of the fast-spreading Omicron variant.
The new COVID-19 restrictions range from audience capacities in large venues to the number of people able to attend indoor gatherings. Health officials say the restrictions, which also include the cancellation of all New Year’s Eve parties, are being implemented over fears of the Omicron variant overwhelming B.C. hospitals.
-From CBC News and The Canadian Press, last updated at 7:05 a.m. ET
What’s happening around the world
Pedestrians, some wearing face coverings to combat the spread of COVID-19, walk through a light-covered archway near shops on the last Saturday for shopping before Christmas in central London. (Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images)
As of early Monday morning, more than 274.7 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus database. The reported death toll worldwide stood at more than 5.3 million, according to the case-tracking tool.
The European Union’s drugs regulator gave the green light Monday to a fifth COVID-19 vaccine for use in the 27-nation bloc, granting conditional marketing authorization to the two-dose vaccine made by U.S. biotech company Novavax.
The European Medicines Agency decision to grant conditional marketing authorization for the vaccine for people aged 18 and over, which must be confirmed by the EU’s executive commission, comes as many European nations are battling surges in infections and amid concerns about the spread of the new Omicron variant.
Novavax says it currently is testing how its shots will hold up against the Omicron variant, and like other manufacturers has begun formulating an updated version to better match that variant in case it’s eventually needed.
Meanwhile, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced a shutdown on Saturday, ordering the closure of all but essential stores, as well as restaurants, hairdressers, gyms, museums and other public places from Sunday until at least Jan. 14.
In Africa, health officials in South Africa on Sunday reported 15,465 new cases and three additional deaths in the country that first raised the alarm about the variant now known as Omicron. Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa is back at work after a period of self-isolation following a positive COVID-19 test, local media reported.
In the Asia-Pacific region, a cluster of coronavirus infections linked to a U.S. military base in Japan has grown to at least 180, Japan’s government said on Monday, raising fears over the spread of the virus in the community.
WATCH | What masks are most effective against Omicron?
What masks are most effective against Omicron?
5 days ago
Duration 3:37
The National’s Andrew Chang finds out what researchers have learned about cloth, surgical and N95-style masks and the protection they offer against the Omicron variant. 3:37
In the Americas, Peru has detected its first cases of Omicron.
Meanwhile, in the United States, senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker said they both tested positive for COVID-19 and were experiencing mild symptoms.
In the Middle East, Iran has confirmed its first case of Omicron, while authorities urged Iranians to get their booster doses in the Middle East’s worst-hit country.
-From Reuters, The Associated Press and CBC News, last updated at 8 :45a.m. ET
Have questions about this story? We’re answering as many as we can in the comments.
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.
Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”
However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.
McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.
He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.
The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
