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Slow vaccine rollout across Canada draws criticism, anger – CTV News

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TORONTO —
Despite Canada securing millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines, the rollout and implementation of vaccination programs has been slow so far, drawing criticism and anger from the public and health sector alike.

“We’re not getting these needles into arms as fast as we need to,” Toronto biostatistician Ryan Imgrund told CTV News.

Nationally, less than one-fifth of one per cent of the population – an estimated 56,845 people — has been vaccinated, compared with the U.S., where about four times as many people per capita have received the shots, according to data from Oxford University’s online tool “Our World in Data.”

Our World in Data has Canada listed far below other countries like Israel and Bahrain, when measuring vaccines administered per 100 people:

• Canada at 0.14

• United States at 0.59

• United Kingdom at 1.18

• Bahrain at 3.23

• Israel at 4.37

Federal authorities in the U.S. are also facing criticism for falling well short of their goal of vaccinating 20 million people by the end of 2020, with just two million being immunized so far.

In Canada, the slow pace is being blamed on limited supply, poorly planned vaccination programs in some provinces and the technicalities of deep-cold storage needed for the Pfizer vaccine.

Manitoba, for example, closed its vaccine clinics on Dec. 23, and will not reopen them until Tuesday, Dec. 29.

Ontario received 90,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine, and expects the arrival of 53,000 doses of the newly approved Moderna vaccine by the end of the month, but only 13,200 doses have been administered as of 4 p.m. Monday.

Ontario health authorities faced harsh criticism for slashing vaccine clinic hours over the holidays, with only five out of 19 operating over Christmas. But the Ontario Ministry of Health argued that was requested by various hospitals due to staffing issues.

That decision didn’t sit well with some health-care providers.

“The virus doesn’t take a weekend, [it] doesn’t take time to sleep at night…and it certainly doesn’t take Boxing Day or the holidays [off],” said Doris Grinspun of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario.

Head of the Ontario Vaccine Task Force, Retired Gen. Rick Hillier, said that “clearly we got it wrong.”

“We’ve been slammed, we’ve been spanked. We’ll pick up out game, we’ll get on from here,” he told CTV News.

The arrival of the easier-to-store Moderna vaccine is hoped to speed up the vaccine rollout nationally, as Canada surpassed 15,000 COVID-19 related deaths since the start of the pandemic. 

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RCMP arrest second suspect in deadly shooting east of Calgary

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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.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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26-year-old son is accused of his father’s murder on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast

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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.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Metro Vancouver’s HandyDART strike continues after talks break with no deal

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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.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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