Another 1,200 New Brunswickers will be vaccinated against COVID-19 beginning next week after the first shipment of Moderna vaccine arrived in the province Wednesday afternoon.
Shawn Berry, a spokesperson with the Department of Health, said 2,400 doses were expected. Since half of the shipment is going to be reserved for the second dose to be administered after 28 days, only 1,200 New Brunswickers will be getting shots this time around.
Berry said the province is collaborating with partner agencies to administer the vaccine to long-term care residents in nursing homes and adult residential facilities around the province.
He said the “vast majority” of vaccines will go to long-term care residents, including a long-term care facility within a First Nations community. He said the priority is for residents over the age of 85.
While New Brunswick hasn’t been specific about when other “older” populations will be eligible to receive the vaccine, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization suggested that people over 70 be in the first wave of vaccinations. The committee recommended starting with people over 80 and then decreasing by five-year increments to 70 as supply becomes available.
“As availability of the vaccine increases and eligibility is expanded, information will be provided to indicate how individuals in other eligible groups can register to receive the vaccine,” Berry said by email.
Public Health Agency of Canada guidelines for who should get vaccinated for COVID-19 first. (CBC News)
Berry said a small number of doses may go to those who work at long-term care facilities, or to health-care workers, but only if there’s enough to go around after the priority residents are vaccinated.
He said health officials are currently contacting facilities around the province to arrange vaccinations beginning next week.
“As availability of the vaccine increases and eligibility is expanded, information will be provided to indicate how individuals in other eligible groups can register to receive the vaccine,” said Berry.
The province’s first vaccination clinic was held in Miramichi on Dec. 19 and 20. A second clinic was held Dec. 23, 24 and 27 in Moncton. Both of those clinics used the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
So far, two COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for use in Canada.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was approved by Health Canada on Dec. 9, and the first doses arrived in New Brunswick on Dec. 15.
Moderna’s vaccine was approved on Dec. 23 “after a thorough, independent review of the evidence” on safety, efficacy and quality requirements, officials said in a release.
The two vaccines are among several that have been pre-ordered by the Canadian government.
A nurse prepares a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic at St. Michael’s Hospital, in Toronto. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Both require an initial dose and a followup one — Pfizer-BioNTech after 21 days and Moderna after 28.
Pfizer-BioNTech has said its vaccine is 95 per cent effective at preventing COVID-19, while Moderna said its vaccine is more than 94 per cent effective.
The province has said more doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are on the way, with 3,900 scheduled to arrive next week, and “regular deliveries” starting the week of Jan. 11.
TORONTO – Cineplex Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter compared with a profit a year ago as it was hit by a fine for deceptive marketing practices imposed by the Competition Tribunal.
The movie theatre company says it lost $24.7 million or 39 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a profit of $29.7 million or 40 cents per diluted share a year earlier.
The results in the most recent quarter included a $39.2-million provision related to the Competition Tribunal decision, which Cineplex is appealing.
The Competition Bureau accused the company of misleading theatregoers by not immediately presenting them with the full price of a movie ticket when they purchased seats online, a view the company has rejected.
Revenue for the quarter totalled $395.6 million, down from $414.5 million in the same quarter last year, while theatre attendance totalled 13.3 million for the quarter compared with nearly 15.7 million a year earlier.
Box office revenue per patron in the quarter climbed to $13.19 compared with $12 in the same quarter last year, while concession revenue per patron amounted to $9.85, up from $8.44 a year ago.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
TORONTO – Restaurant Brands International Inc. reported net income of US$357 million for its third quarter, down from US$364 million in the same quarter last year.
The company, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, says its profit amounted to 79 cents US per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with 79 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue for the parent company of Tim Hortons, Burger King, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs, totalled US$2.29 billion, up from US$1.84 billion in the same quarter last year.
Consolidated comparable sales were up 0.3 per cent.
On an adjusted basis, Restaurant Brands says it earned 93 cents US per diluted share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 90 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 95 cents US per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Fortis Inc. reported a third-quarter profit of $420 million, up from $394 million in the same quarter last year.
The electric and gas utility says the profit amounted to 85 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, up from 81 cents per share a year earlier.
Fortis says the increase was driven by rate base growth across its utilities, and strong earnings in Arizona largely reflecting new customer rates at Tucson Electric Power.
Revenue in the quarter totalled $2.77 billion, up from $2.72 billion in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Fortis says it earned 85 cents per share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 84 cents per share in the third quarter of 2023.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 82 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.
