COVID-19 live updates: Seven Montreal walk-in clinics will offer second AstraZeneca doses, starting tomorrow

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Updated throughout the day on Friday, May 28. Questions/comments: ariga@postmedia.com

Top updates

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1:30 p.m.

Coronavirus variant could push back England’s reopening, PM Johnson warns

From the Reuters news agency:

England may need to wait longer than planned before COVID-19 restrictions are fully lifted as a coronavirus variant first found in India spreads rapidly in Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Thursday.

Johnson had previously laid out a roadmap out of lockdown for England, with all restrictions to end on June 21, but warned that the swift spread of the variant could threaten that plan.

The next steps would depend on how robust the country’s “vaccine fortifications” against the variant were, according to the British prime minister.

“I don’t see anything currently in the data to suggest that we have to deviate from the roadmap, but we may need to wait,” he said.

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British Health Secretary Matt Hancock told parliament that a formal assessment would be made on June 14 as to whether restrictions could be lifted on June 21.

“We will only do that if it’s safe,” he told parliament. Later at a news conference, Hancock said up to three-quarters of new coronavirus cases were B.1.617.2.

The variant of concern is thought to spread more rapidly than the previously dominant B.1.1.7 “Kent” variant, although experts say that vaccines still offer protection against severe disease.

1:25 p.m.

Cases could rise if Quebecers don’t respect reopening plan, experts warn

As Quebec begins to gradually reopen this weekend, the province’s latest projections show COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths should keep dropping throughout the summer — as long as people respect the measures in effect.

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During a technical briefing Friday morning, the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) unveiled modelling that showed all indicators are expected to keep decreasing in coming months.

But cases could climb among children and young adults by late June if people let their guard down too early, the institute warned, especially if vaccination coverage stagnates and new variants take hold.

Read our full story, by Jesse Feith.

1 p.m.

Seven Montreal walk-in clinics will offer second AstraZeneca doses, starting tomorrow

Walk-in clinics across Quebec will start administering second doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Saturday.

The province yesterday announced that second doses of AstraZeneca can be administered after eight weeks instead of 16 weeks.

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That means people who received this vaccine before April 3 are now eligible.

In Montreal, these clinics will offer second doses of AstraZeneca:

Here’s the full list of second-dose AstraZeneca walk-in clinics.

12:40 p.m.

Ottawa confirms shipments of 15M more vaccine doses

Procurement Minister Anita Anand today said Canada has confirmed shipments of 15 million more doses of COVID-19 vaccines from three suppliers, The Canadian Press reports.

Every eligible Canadian will have access to a second dose by the end of the summer, she said.

She said 2.4 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech will arrive each week over five weeks in June and nine million more will arrive in July.

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As announced yesterday, Moderna has provided an updated delivery schedule for the first part of June, with 500,000 doses in two shipments starting next week.

Anand said another 1.5 million doses of Moderna are arriving the week of June 14.

As for AstraZeneca, two million supplementary doses will arrive in Canada by the end of June, the minister said.

12:35 p.m.

Federal officials release updated COVID-19 modelling

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12:30 p.m.

Bike-thru vaccination clinic open this weekend on Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve

The vaccination clinic at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve racetrack on Île Notre-Dame opens this weekend, the CIUSSS Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal regional health authority says.

On Saturday and Sunday, the clinic will be open only for cyclists, with 500 doses available for people with appointments and another 500 for those who just show up. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

On the following two weekends (June 5-6 and June 12-13), the clinic will only be accessible by car. Appointments will be necessary.

Health officials said appointments will be available through the Clic Santé booking site.

12:15 p.m.

Offer Canadians second vaccine dose ASAP, immunization committee says

Canada’s expert advisory panel on vaccines now recommends people be offered a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible, now that supplies are increasing.

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The National Advisory Committee on Immunization says the priority for second doses should be given to those who are at the highest risk of getting seriously ill or dying from COVID-19, either after or alongside the first doses for anyone else who is eligible for a vaccine.

Since the novel coronavirus is still circulating in Canada, NACI is still recommending that the second dose be received up to four months after the first dose, in order to maximize the number of people who get at least one shot.

The committee says stretching the dose intervals means many more people can receive a good level of protection from COVID-19 earlier.

11:35 a.m.

No more rainbow lighting on Jacques-Cartier Bridge

With Quebec beginning to reopen, the agency that runs the Jacques Cartier Bridge says it “is ending the rainbow lighting sequence included in the illumination,” as of today.

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The rainbow motif was adopted in April 2020 as part of the “movement of solidarity, hope and support” amid the pandemic.

Starting at sunset today, “this rainbow sequence will be removed from the schedule and replaced by the usual sparkling light sequence presented every hour.”

The agency says the bridge “is illuminated through complex programming that marks the cycle of the seasons with a 365-colour chromatic calendar that includes all the colours of the rainbow.”

11:30 a.m.

Updated charts: Quebec cases, deaths

11:30 a.m.

Update on Quebec’s vaccination campaign

11:05 a.m.

Quebec reports 419 cases as hospitalizations fall to seven-month low

Quebec has recorded 419 new cases of COVID-19, the provincial government announced this morning.

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

Among the other deaths, one occurred between May 21 and May 26, and two occurred before May 21.

One death previously attributed to the pandemic has been removed from the death toll after further tests revealed that it was not related to COVID-19.

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

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Since the beginning of the pandemic, Quebec has reported 369,318 cases and 11,118 deaths linked to COVID-19. A total of 353,442 people who have contracted the disease have since recovered.

10:55 a.m.

Opinion: CAQ’s school air-quality obfuscating more serious than just ‘a play on words’

“Quebec Education Minister Jean-François Roberge’s pants are on fire. Again. Actually, the flames signalling his lies about the validity of school ventilation tests have never been doused. Each new revelation about the degree to which he bent the truth to suit his purposes has fanned a smouldering spark into a raging bonfire.”

Read the latest column by Allison Hanes.

10:30 a.m.

Quebec must reopen gradually, Dubé says

Speaking at a press conference this morning, Health Minister Christian Dubé urged Quebecers to be cautious as the province begins to reopen.

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“It’s normal that everybody is looking forward to going to a terrasse tonight,” Health Minister Christian Dubé said Friday. “It’s normal – we all deserve it, but we have to be cautious, we need a cautious reopening.”

The reopening “has to be gradual,” he added. “We’ve seen in other countries that went too fast – they had to backtrack and nobody wants to go there.”

He thanked Quebecers for their efforts in the fight against COVID-19 over the past 15 months but noted that the battle isn’t over.

Dubé had two messages as the province emerges from confinement.

Quebecers must continue to follow public health rules, he said. And they should be vaccinated as soon as they can – and get a second dose when they become eligible.

10  a.m.

Goodbye curfew, hello terrasses – Quebec begins to reopen

Restaurant terrasses are officially open.

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Gazette photographer Dave Sidaway captured the scene on Notre-Dame St. in Montreal this morning.

The terrasse was open and full at the Burgundy Lion pub – and Corona beer was being delivered to the El Gordo Tacobar.

Some other major pandemic restrictions have also eased across Quebec.

The curfew, which began Jan 9 as a 28-day measure, is over after 139 days. Travel between regions is allowed, and backyard gatherings of friends and families can take place.

Here are the changes and the rules that apply.

9:15 a.m.

Montrealers say lifting of curfew offers a ‘new feeling of freedom’

Nicolas figures he’s going to let loose once Quebec’s curfew ends.

“I think it’s a good thing and I’m really going to be partying,” said Nicolas, who didn’t want to give his last name to a Gazette reporter. The young man was lounging in Jeanne-Mance Park earlier this week.

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Read our full story, by Brendan Kelly.

9:15 a.m.

Montreal restaurant owners scramble to prepare for terrasses reopening

Outremont restaurateur Patricia Lévêque says Premier François Legault hadn’t even finished discussing details of his back-to-normal roadmap last week when her work phone began ringing.

“We started getting reservations during the premier’s press conference,” said Lévêque, whose eponymous Laurier Ave. brasserie will turn 50 next year. “By the next day, we were pretty much fully booked. I’ve never lived through a war, but this must be what liberation feels like.”

Read our full story, by Frédéric Tomesco.

9:15 a.m.

Legault thanks Quebecers for efforts during pandemic

As the province begins to reopen, Premier François Legault has penned a letter to Quebecers thanking them for their efforts, sacrifices and solidarity since the pandemic began 15 months ago.

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Read our full story, by Katherine Wilton.

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9:20 a.m.

Walk-in clinic for 2nd dose of AstraZeneca opens Saturday at Décarie Square

Montrealers who were vaccinated with AstraZeneca before April 3 can get their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine starting Saturday at a walk-in clinic at Décarie Square.

Read our full story.

9:15 a.m.

Montreal unveils $25M summer plan to revive downtown core

Close to 200 terrasse permits have been issued at dramatically reduced rates in Montreal’s downtown area, with five to 10 new applications coming in every week.

Read our full story, by T’Cha Dunlevy.

9:15 a.m.

A guide to 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.

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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.

Two private sites can also help you book appointments:

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9:15 a.m.

Here are the current pandemic restrictions in Montreal and Quebec

We are regularly updating our list of what services are open, closed or modified in Montreal and Quebec, including information on the curfew and other lockdown measures.

You can read it here.

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.