COVID-19 live updates: Ontario closing border with Quebec starting Monday

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Updated throughout the day on Friday, April 16. Questions/comments: ariga@postmedia.com

Top updates

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4:50 p.m.

Ontario closing border with Quebec starting Monday

(This item is being updated)

The third wave is raging in Quebec’s neighbour to the west.

On Friday, Ontario, Canada’s pandemic epicentre, reported a record 4,812 cases.

And the situation may get worse before it gets better. New projections published Friday indicate daily infections could approach 20,000 if strong measures aren’t imposed.

Soon after the grim forecast was released, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who has been criticized for not doing enough to stem the rise of infections, announced a series of new measures.

Among them: starting Monday, Ontario will be “limiting access to border crossings” between Ontario and the provinces of Quebec and Manitoba, Ford announced

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Exceptions will be made for people travelling for work, medical care or the transportation of goods.

Ford called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to tighten international borders and keep foreign travellers out of Ontario.

Ontario is also limiting outdoor gatherings to people from the same household, restricting the number of people allowed at places of worship and closing non-essential construction sites.

Ford says his province is “losing the battle between the variants and the vaccines.” He complained his province is not receiving enough vaccine doses needed to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

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3:35 p.m.

Pfizer applies to expand the use of its vaccine to people 12 and over

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3:30 p.m.

Ontario to close borders with Quebec, Manitoba: reports

Several media outlets are reporting that Premier Doug Ford will announce this afternoon that he is closing Ontario’s border with Quebec and Manitoba.

Ford is scheduled to hold a briefing at 4 p.m. I’ll provide a live feed here.

3:05 p.m.

PQ calls for Quebec-Ontario border controls

The Parti Québécois opposition wants Quebec to tighten its border with Ontario, where cases are skyrocketing.

“Traffic between Quebec and Ontario must be controlled,” the party said in a statement.

“To do this, measures such as rapid screening or mandatory quarantine must be used.”

The call comes two days after Montreal public health director Dr. Mylène Drouin called for Quebec to impose controls on the Ontario border.

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PQ health critic Joël Arseneau said: “We can’t do anything about our geographic proximity to Ontario, but we can act on traffic. Let us remember that during the first wave, last spring, the authorities set up roadblocks on the interprovincial bridges connecting Gatineau and Ottawa.”

He said the current situation is even more alarming, yet no measures have been put in place.

Arseneau said two regions are at particular risk – Abitibi‑Témiscamingue, which shares a border with Ontario, and the Laurentians, which has resorts popular with Ontarians.

“Travel between red zones and yellow zones (in Quebec) is already prohibited,” he said.

“And in Atlantic Canada, they have gone even further; it’s impossible for a Quebecer to enter New Brunswick. Manitoba also imposes a quarantine on those entering its territory.

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“And we, in Quebec, do nothing? I understand that (Premier) François Legault wishes to preserve his friendship with (Ontario Premier) Doug Ford, but he must nevertheless demonstrate his leadership.”

3 p.m.

Editorial: As days lengthen, 8 p.m. curfew is too early

“This pandemic is far from over, and we each still have to do our part: get vaccinated when eligible, avoid gatherings, follow the rules. But those rules should make sense. The curfew’s utility is debatable. If we need to have one, let it at least start at 9:30 p.m.”

Read the full editorial, by the Montreal Gazette’s editorial board.

2:30 p.m.

Health officials urge eligible Montrealers to get vaccinated this weekend

Public health officials are urging Montrealers eligible for vaccination against COVID-19 to get the shot this weekend.

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For those 55 and older, 20,000 AstraZeneca doses are available at Montreal walk-in clinics, which are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal said in a statement today.

Appointments are also available by calling 514-644-4545 or visiting the Clic Santé website.

The same services can be used to book appointments for vaccinations for eligible essential workers, including teachers, community workers and daycare educators.

Vaccines are also available for people who have certain medical conditions.

“I want to reassure the population, all vaccines available to the public are safe and the risk of complications is extremely rare,” Dr. Paul Le Guerrier, of Montreal’s public health department, said in a press release.

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“If you are hesitant, I recommend that you discuss it with your doctor, pharmacist or healthcare professional.”

He added: “I invite the entire population to talk about (vaccinations) with their loved ones, their family and their colleagues. Vaccination not only protects us against COVID-19, but most importantly, it protects our loved ones and the entire community. This is our way out to return to a normal situation and enjoy the summer. ”

Quebec recently opened vaccinations to some essential workers and some people with health conditions.

The province classifies people in these jobs as being “essential workers in environments at high risk of an outbreak” and therefore eligible for vaccination:

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They must bring proof of employment with them to their appointment.

Quebec has also broken down which Quebecers are eligible for vaccinations because they “have a very high risk of complications from COVID-19.”

In this category, “vaccination will be carried out on the recommendation of an attending physician in specific circumstances, namely, for:

1:10 p.m.

Ontario releases new modelling as third wave rages

Ontario’s science advisers say a six-week stay-at-home order and a vaccination rate of at least 100,000 doses a day is the only way to flatten the COVID-19 curve in the province, The Canadian Press reports.

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In new projections presented today, the advisers say daily infections could approach 20,000 cases per day if strong measures aren’t imposed.

Data indicates Ontario’s COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are at their highest levels since the pandemic began.

The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table says high case rates will persist into the summer without stronger measures and more support for essential workers and high-risk communities.

The group says vaccines are not reaching high-risk people fast enough to overcome serious illness seen in hospitals.

Premier Doug Ford is expected to announce new public health measures later today.

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12:55 p.m.

Ontario asks other provinces, territories to send nurses as COVID surges

From The Canadian Press:

Ontario is pleading with other provinces to send nurses and other health workers as it buckles under surging COVID-19 infections.

In a letter to all provinces and territories, the Ontario government notes it is short thousands of nurses.

The deputy minister of health, Helen Angus, also asks whether her counterparts have any resources to spare.

Her letter says the pandemic has strained hospital capacity, particularly intensive care.

Angus estimates Ontario will be short 4,145 nurses in the hospital sector alone over the next four months.

The letter asks for another 620 health professionals, including nurses and respiratory therapists.

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“Specifically, the province would need assistance in southern Ontario, anticipated to be in the Greater Toronto Area and immediate surrounding areas,” Angus writes. “We are projecting a need for this critical support for four months following the anticipated peak of the third wave.”

12:50 p.m.

Dubé under fire for saying Beauce residents ‘have a hard head’ about vaccine

A remark Thursday by Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé describing residents of the province’s Beauce region as having a “hard head” when it came to being vaccinated is not going over well with the Liberal opposition.

Read our full story.

12:30 p.m.

Trucks with megaphones will advertise mobile AstraZeneca vaccination clinics in western Montreal

As mentioned in yesterday’s live blog, the regional health authority for west-central Montreal is setting up mobile clinics for west-end residents.

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The clinics will be for residents of Côte-des-Neiges, Côte-St-Luc, Hampstead, N.D.G., Outremont, T.M.R. and Westmount. Anyone 55 and older will be eligible.

Today, Health Minister Christian Dubé said he has asked authorities to send out trucks with megaphones to invite people, in multiple languages, to sign up to get the shot at the clinics.

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Noon

Canada will get 8M additional Pfizer vaccine doses, Trudeau says

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he’s ready to deploy mobile Red Cross vaccination teams to Ontario, where infections are soaring.

Speaking at a press conference in Ottawa today, Trudeau said the federal government is ready to provide other types of assistance if Ontario requests it.

On the vaccine front, Canada has signed a deal with Pfizer to buy an additional eight million doses of the company’s vaccine, the prime minister announced.

Of those, four million are to arrive in May, with two million more in each of the following two months.

Under the new delivery schedule, Canada now expects to receive about two million Pfizer doses weekly during May and June, Anita Anand, Canada’s procurement minister, told reporters.

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Anand said Pfizer will also deliver 400,000 doses in June that had previously been expected in the third quarter.

Canada now expects 24 million Pfizer doses between April and June, she said.

Anand said Canada expects to receive 300,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in late April. It is to be delivered to provinces in early

She confirmed that there will be another delay in the deliveries of the Moderna vaccine.

At the end of April, Canada will only receive 650,000 of the 1.2 million doses expected.

In addition, up to two million doses of the 12.3 million doses scheduled in the second quarter may only show up in the third quarter.

Trudeau said Canada is on track to fully vaccinate all adults who want the shot by the end of September.

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Anand said Canada now expects to receive a total of between 48.7 million and 50.7 million vaccine doses by end of June.

“We are not resting and will continue to work around the clock to accelerate vaccine deliveries to Canada,” she said.

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11:30 a.m.

How the CERB response could be a new template for government

In March 2020, the Employment Insurance system was overwhelmed by applications from employees of companies shutting down because of COVID-19 restrictions. This was a defining moment for government operations.

Spurred by adrenaline, the Canada Revenue Agency and Employment and Social Development Canada  co-developed the $500-a-week Canadian Emergency Response Benefit in little more than three weeks, leaving next to no time for testing.

They watched nervously as two million Canadians applied for it the first three days it was made available, then sighed in relief when it became apparent there were no significant glitches.
Read our full story.

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11:15 a.m.

Updated charts: Quebec cases, deaths

11:15 a.m.

Update on Quebec’s vaccination campaign

11:05 a.m.

Quebec reports 1,527 new cases, 7 deaths as ICU admissions rise

Quebec has recorded 1,527 new cases of COVID-19, the provincial government announced this morning.

That’s 22 fewer than yesterday.

The seven-day rolling average fell for the second consecutive day. It now stands at 1,568.

The number of people in intensive care units with the disease continues to rise and is now at its highest point since early February.

In addition, seven new deaths were reported, including one over the previous 24 hours.

Among the other deaths, four occurred between April 9 and 14, one occurred before April 9 and one occurred on an unknown date.

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Some other key statistics from Quebec’s latest COVID-19 update, published this morning:

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Quebec has reported 334,071 cases and 10,785 deaths linked to COVID-19. A total of 309,345 people who have contracted the disease have since recovered.

10:45 a.m.

Ontario reports 4,812 cases – highest yet

Ontario is reporting another record in new daily COVID-19 infections as the government considers additional measures to curb surging cases, The Canadian Press reports.

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The province logged 4,812 new cases today, up from Thursday’s record of 4,736.

It is also reporting 25 more deaths related to the virus.

Health Minister Christine Elliott says 1,469 of the new cases are in Toronto, 851 are in Peel Region, 491 are in York Region, 366 are in Ottawa and 268 are in Durham Region.

The province could announce new public health restrictions today, following recommendations made to cabinet.

Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said “everything is on the table” when asked about possible new restrictions on Thursday.

Ontario’s science advisory co-chair Dr. Adalsteinn Brown is also expected to provide an updated pandemic modelling briefing today.

The province’s associate medical officer of health said Thursday the situation in the province is “dire” and worse than any other point in the pandemic.

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10 a.m.

UK grappling with a gnome shortage, in part due to lockdown

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9:45 a.m.

Quebec administered a record 75,000 vaccine doses yesterday

Health Minister Christian Dubé says Quebec set a new vaccination record yesterday.

The province administered 74,927 doses, surpassing the previous record (73,023), set last week.

Yesterday’s tally included 15,522 jabs in pharmacies – also a record, Dubé said.

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9:45 a.m.

Canadian doctors urge feds to change vaccine distribution strategy

From The Canadian Press:

The Canadian Medical Association is calling for “extraordinary” measures, including sharing provincial health-care resources and dropping the per-capita approach to vaccine distribution, to address the COVID-19 crisis unfolding in several provinces.

The CMA says it wants the federal government to consider re-prioritizing its vaccine distribution strategy to focus on urgent areas instead of distributing to provinces on a per-capita basis.

The organization also says provinces should be sharing its health-care resources with areas that are especially hard-hit, including Ontario and Quebec where ICU capacity is overwhelmed.

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Dr. Ann Collins, president of the CMA, says Canada is at a “critical juncture” of the pandemic, adding a “truly national approach” is needed to combat rising COVID activity in parts of the country.

The CMA says further restrictions “must also be considered” in provinces experiencing rapid rates of COVID-19 transmission.

Ontario was expected to announce new measures later Friday.

9:40 a.m.

Aislin

9:30 a.m.

Why hasn’t COVID’s third wave flared up yet in Montreal?

Since the start of the pandemic, Montreal has time and again been one of the hardest-hit Canadian cities. Last spring, the city became the epicentre of the contagion not only in Quebec but the whole country.

But so far during the variant-driven third wave, it’s the regions of Quebec — and not Montreal — where the pandemic is surging. What explains this reversal?

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Read our full story, by Aaron Derfel.

9:30 a.m.

Lévis CHSLD lost 75% of employees during first wave, inquest told

Manoir Liverpool, the Lévis long-term care facility that’s currently the subject of a Quebec coroner’s inquest, had lost 75 per cent of its employees during the first wave of COVID-19, witnesses told public hearings.

Read our full story.

9:30 a.m.

Man posing as a security guard tried to access vaccine in Repentigny: police

Repentigny police on Thursday announced they had launched an investigation into a fraudulent attempt by a man to access COVID-19 vaccine at a local pharmacy.

Read our full story.

9:30 a.m.

Anti-Asian racism has immigrant rethinking life here

LaSalle acupuncturist Wei Li has become so distressed by the wave of anti-Asian racism she and many of her friends have been confronting here since the start of the pandemic, she is considering moving back to China.

Read our full story, by Bill Brownstein.

9:30 a.m.

Ontario might announce new restrictions today to curb surging infections

Ontario could announce new public health restrictions today to curb surging cases of COVID-19 which are straining hospital capacity.

Read our full story.

9:30 a.m.

India shifts from mass vaccine exporter to importer, worrying the world

After gifting and selling tens of millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses abroad, India suddenly finds itself short of shots as new infections surge in the world’s second-most populous country.

India breached 200,000 daily infections for the first time on Thursday, and is trying to inoculate more of its population using domestically produced shots.

Read our full story.

9:15 a.m.

Everything you need to know about getting COVID-19 vaccinations in Quebec

Local health authorities have set up mass vaccination sites across Montreal.

You can book appointments via the Clic Santé website or by phone at 1-877-644-4545.

Here are the nuts and bolts of getting vaccinated, by Katherine Wilton. Her guide includes the age groups targeted, how to book appointments, and addresses of vaccination centres.

Wondering if the vaccines are safe? Once vaccinated, can you disregard public health measures? Is vaccination mandatory? Read our FAQ, by Jason Magder.

9:15 a.m.

Here’s where Montrealers can get tested today

Montrealers can be screened at test centres across the island.

You can check screening clinic wait times here.

8:45 a.m.

The situation across Canada

Here’s the rate of case growth per 100,000 people over the past seven days, via the federal government’s latest epidemiology update.

8:30 a.m.

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ariga@postmedia.com

Read my previous live blogs here.