As many Asian countries battle their worst surge of COVID-19 infections, the slow flow of vaccine doses from around the world is finally picking up speed, giving hope that low inoculation rates can increase and help blunt the effect of the rapidly spreading delta variant.
With many vaccine pledges still unfulfilled and rates of infection spiking across multiple countries, however, experts say more needs to be done to help nations struggling with the overflow of patients and shortages of oxygen and other critical supplies.
Some 1.5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine arrived Thursday afternoon in Indonesia, which has become a dominant hot spot with record high infections and deaths.
The Health Ministry in Indonesia reported 54,517 confirmed new cases on Wednesday, up from about 8,000 a month ago. The country began its vaccine rollout in January, but only about 5.8 per cent of its 270 million people have received both shots.
‘Race between the vaccines and the variants’
The U.S. shipment follows three million other American doses of the Moderna vaccine that arrived Sunday, and 11.7 million doses of AstraZeneca that have come in batches since March through the UN-backed COVAX mechanism, the last earlier this week.
“It’s quite encouraging,” said Sowmya Kadandale, health chief in Indonesia of UNICEF, which is in charge of the distribution of vaccines provided through COVAX. “It seems now to be, and not just in Indonesia, a race between the vaccines and the variants, and I hope we win that race.”
Many, including the World Health Organization, have been critical of the vaccine inequalities in the world, pointing out that many wealthy nations have more than half of their populations at least partially vaccinated, while the vast majority of people in lower-income countries are still waiting on a first dose.
The International Red Cross warned this week of a “widening global vaccine divide” and said wealthy countries needed to increase the pace of following through on their pledges.
Vietnam, Thailand and South Korea have all imposed new lockdown restrictions over the past week as they struggle to contain rapidly rising infections amid sluggish vaccination campaigns.
While the majority of recent deliveries have been American, Japan was sending one million doses of AstraZeneca on Thursday each to Indonesia, Taiwan and Vietnam as part of bilateral deals, and Vietnam said it was receiving 1.5 million more AstraZeneca doses from Australia.
The Philippines is expecting a total of 16 million doses in July, including 3.2 million from the U.S. later this week, 1.1 million from Japan, 132,000 of Sputnik V from Russia, as well as others through COVAX. Japan is also sending 11 million through COVAX this month to Bangladesh, Cambodia, Iran, Laos, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and others.
Health workers administer shots of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine ata vaccination centre in Bangkok on Thursday. (Sakchai Lalit/The Associated Press)
Canada this week committed an additional 17.7 million surplus AstraZeneca doses to the 100 million already pledged through COVAX, which is co-ordinated by GAVI, a vaccine alliance. France delivered 1.7 million doses worldwide through June with COVAX and is sending millions more this summer.
In addition to distributing some donated vaccines, financial contributions to COVAX also help fund the purchase of doses to distribute for free to 92 low- or moderate-income nations.
Earlier this month, it took blistering criticism from the African Union for how long it was taking for vaccines to reach the continent, noting that just one per cent of Africans are fully vaccinated.
WATCH | CBC’s Adrienne Arsenault reports from Tokyo as Olympic preparations ramp up and COVID-19 cases climb:
No spectators, no fan zone, no Olympic cauldron viewing. The CBC’s Adrienne Arsenault has landed in Tokyo and reports on the tightening of restrictions that increasingly separate the Japanese from their own Olympic Games. (Hiro Komae/AP Photo) 6:49
-From The Associated Press and Reuters, last updated at 8:40 a.m. ET
What’s happening across Canada
As of 8:45 a.m. ET on Thursday, Canada had reported 1,421,837 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 4,837 considered active. The country’s COVID-19 death toll stood at 26,458. More than 43.8 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far across the country, according to a CBC News tally.
In Atlantic Canada on Wednesday, there were just three new cases of COVID-19. Health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador said the cases were found in people aboard one of the ships currently anchored off the coast.The provincial Department of Health said eight crew members from one ship have tested positive, and there are 14 cases aboard another vessel.
There were no new cases reported Wednesday in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick or Prince Edward Island, where some COVID-19 testing centres are closing.
In Quebec, where doctors are warning of overburdened emergency rooms and nursing staffing shortages, health officials reported no additional deaths and 75 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday.
Ontario health officials reported seven additional deaths on Wednesday and 153 new cases of COVID-19.
In the Prairie provinces, Manitoba saw no additional deaths on Wednesday 53 additional cases of COVID-19. The province is moving into the second stage of its reopening plan on Saturday — weeks earlier than planned.
Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief public health officer, said at a briefing that the vaccination efforts are “paying off” as he announced the changes, which will include easing of restrictions on indoor gatherings.
Saskatchewan, meanwhile, reported 18 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday and no new deaths.
WATCH | Canada lacks national standards for proof of COVID-19 vaccination:
Canada doesn’t have national standards for proof of a COVID-19 vaccination and as a result, there’s a ‘hodgepodge’ of methods created by provinces and businesses. 1:54
Health officials in Alberta reported one death Wednesday and 46 new COVID-19 infections.
Across the North, there were no new cases reported Wednesday in Nunavut or the Northwest Territories. In Yukon, where officials are expanding the number of people allowed to gather under COVID-19 restrictions, health officials reported six additional cases in a news release issued Wednesday.
In British Columbia, there were no new deaths recorded Wednesday and 41 new cases of COVID-19.
-From CBC News and The Canadian Press, last updated at 8:45 a.m. ET
What’s happening around the world
Artificial flowers adorn a cross at a gravesite in the COVID-19 section of the Chacarita cemetery in Buenos Aires, Argentina, earlier this week. (Victor R. Caivano/The Associated Press )
As of early Thursday morning, more than 188.4 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported around the world, according to a case-tracking tool maintained by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University. The reported global death toll stood at more than four million.
In the Americas, Argentina has reported more than 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, a heavy blow to a country that intermittently imposed some of the most severe lockdowns in the world, only to see erratic compliance by many people.
Recent coronavirus variants have helped spread the disease even faster and the vaccine program, while making progress, is still falling short.
The Health Ministry said Wednesday that 614 people died from the disease in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 100,250.
In Africa, Senegal is experiencing an “unprecedented” surge in infections, after reporting a new daily record of 733 cases.
In the Asia-Pacific region, Australia reported a slowdown in new COVID-19 cases in Sydney on Thursday, while Melbourne and the rest of the state of Victoria was ordered into a five-day lockdown on Thursday following a spike in COVID-19 infections. The country’s two main population hubs have been battling outbreaks of the delta variant.
In Europe, daily coronavirus cases in Britain have risen above 40,000 for the first time in nearly six months. Government figures showed another 42,302 infections, the highest daily figure since Jan. 15 when the country was in strict lockdown following a lethal second wave of the pandemic.
WATCH | Caution urged as England prepares to lift most COVID-19 restrictions:
England is set to lift most of its COVID-19 restrictions on Monday, including mask requirements and physical distancing. But with cases on the rise, some experts say the move is reckless. 2:02
Cases are expected to spike higher, with the government warning an unprecedented 100,000 daily infections may be possible this summer.
The sharp uptick in cases in recent weeks from the more contagious delta variant has prompted concerns about the coming easing of restrictions on Monday in England, which will remove legal limits on social contact and mask-wearing.
In the Middle East, Kuwait reported 11 deaths on Wednesday and 1,623 new cases of COVID-19, local media reported.
-From The Associated Press and Reuters, last updated at 7:05 a.m. ET
Have questions about this story? We’re answering as many as we can in the comments.
VANCOUVER – Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia’s ports since Monday.
The BC Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 are scheduled to meet for the next three days in mediated talks to try to break a deadlock in negotiations.
The union, which represents more than 700 longshore supervisors at ports, including Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo, has been without a contract since March last year.
The latest talks come after employers locked out workers in response to what it said was “strike activity” by union members.
The start of the lockout was then followed by several days of no engagement between the two parties, prompting federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to speak with leaders on both sides, asking them to restart talks.
MacKinnon had said that the talks were “progressing at an insufficient pace, indicating a concerning absence of urgency from the parties involved” — a sentiment echoed by several business groups across Canada.
In a joint letter, more than 100 organizations, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of Canada and associations representing industries from automotive and fertilizer to retail and mining, urged the government to do whatever it takes to end the work stoppage.
“While we acknowledge efforts to continue with mediation, parties have not been able to come to a negotiated agreement,” the letter says. “So, the federal government must take decisive action, using every tool at its disposal to resolve this dispute and limit the damage caused by this disruption.
“We simply cannot afford to once again put Canadian businesses at risk, which in turn puts Canadian livelihoods at risk.”
In the meantime, the union says it has filed a complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board against the employers, alleging the association threatened to pull existing conditions out of the last contract in direct contact with its members.
“The BCMEA is trying to undermine the union by attempting to turn members against its democratically elected leadership and bargaining committee — despite the fact that the BCMEA knows full well we received a 96 per cent mandate to take job action if needed,” union president Frank Morena said in a statement.
The employers have responded by calling the complaint “another meritless claim,” adding the final offer to the union that includes a 19.2 per cent wage increase over a four-year term remains on the table.
“The final offer has been on the table for over a week and represents a fair and balanced proposal for employees, and if accepted would end this dispute,” the employers’ statement says. “The offer does not require any concessions from the union.”
The union says the offer does not address the key issue of staffing requirement at the terminals as the port introduces more automation to cargo loading and unloading, which could potentially require fewer workers to operate than older systems.
The Port of Vancouver is the largest in Canada and has seen a number of labour disruptions, including two instances involving the rail and grain storage sectors earlier this year.
A 13-day strike by another group of workers at the port last year resulted in the disruption of a significant amount of shipping and trade.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
The Royal Canadian Legion says a new partnership with e-commerce giant Amazon is helping boost its veterans’ fund, and will hopefully expand its donor base in the digital world.
Since the Oct. 25 launch of its Amazon.ca storefront, the legion says it has received nearly 10,000 orders for poppies.
Online shoppers can order lapel poppies on Amazon in exchange for donations or buy items such as “We Remember” lawn signs, Remembrance Day pins and other accessories, with all proceeds going to the legion’s Poppy Trust Fund for Canadian veterans and their families.
Nujma Bond, the legion’s national spokesperson, said the organization sees this move as keeping up with modern purchasing habits.
“As the world around us evolves we have been looking at different ways to distribute poppies and to make it easier for people to access them,” she said in an interview.
“This is definitely a way to reach a wider number of Canadians of all ages. And certainly younger Canadians are much more active on the web, on social media in general, so we’re also engaging in that way.”
Al Plume, a member of a legion branch in Trenton, Ont., said the online store can also help with outreach to veterans who are far from home.
“For veterans that are overseas and are away, (or) can’t get to a store they can order them online, it’s Amazon.” Plume said.
Plume spent 35 years in the military with the Royal Engineers, and retired eight years ago. He said making sure veterans are looked after is his passion.
“I’ve seen the struggles that our veterans have had with Veterans Affairs … and that’s why I got involved, with making sure that the people get to them and help the veterans with their paperwork.”
But the message about the Amazon storefront didn’t appear to reach all of the legion’s locations, with volunteers at Branch 179 on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive saying they hadn’t heard about the online push.
Holly Paddon, the branch’s poppy campaign co-ordinator and bartender, said the Amazon partnership never came up in meetings with other legion volunteers and officials.
“I work at the legion, I work with the Vancouver poppy office and I go to the meetings for the Vancouver poppy campaign — which includes all the legions in Vancouver — and not once has this been mentioned,” she said.
Paddon said the initiative is a great idea, but she would like to have known more about it.
The legion also sells a larger collection of items at poppystore.ca.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
