COVID-19 live updates: AstraZeneca recipients will be able to switch vaccines for 2nd dose – Dubé

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Updated throughout the day on Friday, June 11. Questions/comments: ariga@postmedia.com

Top updates

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3:50 p.m.

Maxime Bernier arrested after anti-lockdown rally in Manitoba: report

Maxime Bernier, leader of the People’s Party of Canada and a former Conservative cabinet minister, has been arrested after an anti-lockdown rally in Manitoba, Radio Canada is reporting.

3:30 p.m.

Here’s how to advance your second dose if you don’t have a medicare card

Two readers emailed with questions about how people without medicare cards can advance second vaccine doses, since entering the number on the card is one of the requirements for follow-up shots on Clic Santé.

I asked the Health Department for an answer.

“The best option for (someone in this situation) is to go to a walk-in clinic to receive their second dose when at least eight weeks have passed” and they are in an age group eligible to speed up second shots, a Health Department spokesperson told me.

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“The other option is to keep their original date” for the second dose.

Here are the emails from readers:

1. “I hope you are doing well today, I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate the COVID-19 live updates. I had a quick question about the second dose rollout that I think many others may want to know about and the media may have a better time getting the answer and sharing it around as well. My question is: To book the second dose it is required to input a RAMQ (health insurance card) number into the Clic Santé website However, many people, especially students in Montreal, do not have a RAMQ number. How should these individuals book their appointments?

2. “I have been reading your COVID-19 live updates on the Montreal Gazette for quite some time – thank you for always being an incredibly valuable source of information during these rapidly evolving times. I wanted to write to you with the hopes that you might be able to shed some light on the situation for advancing second doses for individuals without RAMQ cards (e.g. immigrants and out-of-province and international students). In its current state, the second dose portal on Clic Santé only allows users to look up their dossiers using the RAMQ card and cell phone number. This makes the system completely inaccessible to individuals without RAMQ cards. In contrast, it was incredibly easy and straightforward to access the first dose portal without a RAMQ number – you just had to tick a box to indicate you didn’t have a card, and then fill out all of your other information!

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“Do you know if the government is planning to update Clic Santé to make the second dose platform accessible to individuals without RAMQ cards? Could the advancement of the second dose be done over the phone, or is the only option to wait for hours in line at a walk-in clinic (which might be far away/inaccessible for some people).”

3:15 p.m.

Quebec lost 4,000 nurses over the past year, union leader says

The head of a major health care union says she understands the disappointment of Quebecers who have seen their surgeries postponed until 2023 as the province tries to reboot the health care system in the wake of months of pandemic.

But Nancy Bédard on Friday reminded the public that Quebec is still dealing with a nursing shortage, that the nurses remaining on duty were exhausted even before the pandemic and last year saw their summer vacation times cut.

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Read our full story.

2:40 p.m.

More walk-in Pfizer vaccine clinics in Park Extension

The health authority that oversees west-central Montreal says it is extending the hours of operation at the CLSC Parc-Extension vaccination clinic to accommodate walk-ins, and opening a mobile walk-in clinic at the Howie Morenz Arena.

CLSC Parc-Extension, 7085 Hutchison St.:

The mobile vaccination clinic at the Howie Morenz Arena, 8650 Querbes Ave., will operate today and tomorrow, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

Reminder: Indoor gatherings allowed as of Monday as Montreal turns yellow

Montreal will become a yellow zone on Monday, meaning private indoor gatherings will be permitted for up to two households. Other restrictions will also be dropped.

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Here’s a look at what Montrealers will be able to do in the yellow zone, by Katelyn Thomas.

For more on what is and isn’t allowed in yellow zones, visit the provincial government’s yellow alert-level webpage.

2:15 p.m.

Doctor who faced racism after COVID-19 outbreak sues New Brunswick, RCMP

From The Canadian Press:

A Black doctor who says he faced a barrage of hate and racism after being accused of breaking COVID-19 rules last year is suing New Brunswick and the RCMP.

Lawyers representing Dr. Jean Robert Ngola told reporters Friday the lawsuit is the next step in their client’s attempts to seek justice for what they say was an abuse of power.

The statement of claim refers to Ngola’s “banishment” from the province and alleges he is a victim of systemic racism and anti-Black racism.

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The document does not specify a dollar amount but seeks restorative justice, a public apology and a system of checks and balances to ensure such a case doesn’t happen again.

Ngola, a family doctor who was working in the northern New Brunswick city of Campbellton, was accused of violating the province’s Emergency Measures Act, but the Crown withdrew the charge last week after concluding there was no chance of conviction.

He has been seeking an apology from Premier Blaine Higgs, who in May 2020 — without naming Ngola — linked a growing COVID-19 outbreak in the Campbellton area to an “irresponsible” health care worker and said the matter was being handled by the RCMP.

News got out that Ngola was the worker in question after his positive COVID-19 status was leaked on social media, but Higgs has maintained he had done nothing wrong and refused to apologize.

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2:10 p.m.

Opinion: Canada is slowly shrugging off that lockdown mentality

“Canadians have proven themselves to be champions on the vaccination front. Our rewards for stepping up will be the freedoms that we are ready for, and the ones we aren’t. However you spend it, your best summer is almost here. Enjoy.”

Read the full opinion piece by Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute.

2 p.m.

Video: ‘I feel a bit like a duck,’ Legault says

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1:55 p.m.

Heart inflammation in young men higher than expected after Pfizer, Moderna vaccines: CDC

A higher-than-expected number of young men have experienced heart inflammation after their second dose of the mRNA COVID-19 shots from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, according to data from two vaccine safety monitoring systems, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday.

Read our full story.

1:55 p.m.

AstraZeneca second dose: Should I get it again or choose Pfizer or Moderna vaccine?

For many Canadians, the question of the moment is: What do I choose for my second dose if I’ve received a first dose of AstraZeneca?

Read our full story.

12:10 p.m.

Federal officials provide pandemic update

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12:10 p.m.

Air quality improved last year in Montreal (the pandemic helped)

Air quality in the city of Montreal improved in 2020, although the city acknowledges that while its efforts to cut down on pollution helped, the COVID-19 pandemic also played a role in driving down the numbers.

Read our full story.

Noon

Quebec ‘winning battle’ against COVID-19, Legault said

Premier François Legault says “Quebec is on the way to winning the battle” against COVID-19, thanks to the “admirable work of health workers.”

“We withstood the third wave much better than elsewhere in the world,” Legault told a press conference today about the end of the session at the National Assembly.

He said Quebec has one of the world’s “best vaccination coverage, and everything is in place to succeed in our race for the second dose.

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“We still have work to do but we are finally reaching our goal. And that is thanks to the immense efforts of the population over the past 15 months. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all Quebecers.”

He said Quebecers’ mission for the summer is to ensure they get their second vaccine dose.

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11:30 a.m.

Updated charts: Quebec cases, deaths

11:30 a.m.

Update on Quebec’s vaccination campaign

11:10 a.m.

Moderna recipients will soon be able to speed up their second doses; AstraZeneca recipients will be able to switch vaccines for 2nd dose – Dubé

After weeks of uncertainty about delivery dates, the federal government has confirmed that Quebec will receive 1.5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine this month, Health Minister Christian Dubé said today.

“These deliveries will also allow people who have had Moderna to advance their (second) appointments, and those who have had AstraZeneca to change (vaccines for their second doses), if they wish,” Dubé said via Twitter.

He said Quebec will provide more information to Moderna and AstraZeneca recipients early next week.

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11:05 a.m.

Quebec reports 180 new cases as hospitalizations fall to 8-month low

Quebec has recorded 180 new cases of COVID-19, the provincial government announced this morning.

In addition, one new death was reported. It occurred between June 4 and 9.

Hospitalizations fell for the 17th straight day. The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 is at its lowest point since September.

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 372,656 cases and 11,167 deaths linked to COVID-19. A total of 359,421 people who have contracted the disease have since recovered.

10:55 a.m.

Video: Dubé addresses Clic Santé second-dose glitches

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10:55 a.m.

Americans want the border to reopen. Canadians? Not so much

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10:15 a.m.

G7 vaccine pledge is just a drop in the ocean, campaigners say

From the Reuters news agency:

A Group of Seven plan to donate one billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to poorer countries lacks ambition, is far too slow and shows Western leaders are not yet up to the job of tackling the worst public health crisis in a century, campaigners said on Friday.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he expected G7 leaders to agree on the donations as part of a plan to inoculate the world’s nearly 8 billion people against the coronavirus by the end of next year.

After U.S. President Joe Biden vowed to supercharge the fight against the virus with a donation of 500 million Pfizer shots, Johnson said Britain would give at least 100 million vaccines within a year.

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Canada is expected to commit to sharing up to 100 million doses. Other pledges may follow.

But health and anti-poverty campaigners said that, while donations were a step in the right direction, Western leaders had failed to grasp the exceptional efforts needed to beat the virus. Help with distribution was also necessary, they said.

Former British prime minister Gordon Brown, who has been pushing for richer countries to share more of the cost of vaccinating developing countries, said the G7 pledges were more akin to “passing round the begging bowl” than a real solution.

“It’s a catastrophic failure if we can’t go away in the next week or two … with a plan that actually rids the world of COVID now we’ve got a vaccine,” he told Reuters.

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10:10 a.m.

Ontario starts loosening restrictions today

Outdoor dining and shopping at non-essential retail stores can resume in most of Ontario today as the province enters the first stage of its economic reopening plan, The Canadian Press reports.

New COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations have dropped in recent weeks, allowing the province to loosen some pandemic restrictions.

Outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people and patio dining of up to four people per table are among the activities now permitted.

Non-essential stores can also reopen, with capacity limits, and outdoor fitness classes are allowed.

More restrictions will loosen after 21 days if pandemic indicators continue to improve and more people get vaccinated.

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9:55 a.m.

Walk-in clinics for 1st, 2nd Pfizer doses at Saputo, CAE vaccination hubs

Two vaccinations centres set up with the help of businesses are offering walk-in clinics for first and second Pfizer vaccine doses, Quebec’s Health Department says:

9:35 a.m.

Quebecers 60+ now eligible to advance second Pfizer vaccine dose

Quebecers 60 and older are now eligible to advance their second Pfizer dose – either by changing the date via the Clic Santé booking site, or by visiting a walk-in clinic and getting the second shot.

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Next week, five more age groups will get the chance. That means within a week, anyone 35 and up will be eligible.

Quebec says it has worked out the kinks in the system after glitches marred the first few days of advancing appointments.

Here’s some feedback I received last night from Montrealers seeking to speed up their follow-up Pfizer shots:

“This morning I went to the Dollard-Des-Ormeaux Civic Centre for my vaccine. I had no appointment and it was not the site of my first vaccine. I was vaccinated and out by 8:46 a.m. Why is it a secret that you can get vaccinated without appointments at a lot of the West Island clinics? The booking for a second appointment would not work on my iMac computer but on my Samsung cell phone, it was so easy. The iMac would not allow me to type in info and the writing was garbled. I received error messages but there were no errors! It worked well on the cellphone when I booked for others. Why bother when you can just go to a clinic like Dollard?”

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“Today, I accessed Clic Santé for my wife and it worked perfectly. Within three minutes we had a new date confirmed, and the original cancelled. I accessed for myself yesterday, same scenario… and I get my 2nd shot today @ 15h00 ? GREAT!!”

“I had no trouble changing the date and time for my second dose. Took about 10 minutes. I went Wednesday for this at the Bob Birnie arena. There was quite a line and wait, got my shot about 20 minutes after my scheduled time. We did not have to wait outside, we lined up in the corridor of the swimming pool which was air-conditioned. Being mostly elderly people, I was impressed by the help given, plenty of wheelchairs for those having difficulty with the wait.”

If you tried to speed up your second Pfizer dose today, let me know how it went: ariga@postmedia.com

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9:20 a.m.

‘Like opening a new place’: Montreal bar owners prepare to reopen terrasses

Bar Minéral owner Mathieu Ménard says the reopening of bar terrasses following an eight-month shutdown comes with a healthy dose of the jitters.

“It’s like opening a new place,” said Ménard, who took time out Thursday afternoon from a third day of building his terrasse on Atateken St. to talk to the Montreal Gazette. “We’ve reworked the menus, the cocktails, we’ve hired staff and trained them. It almost feels like we’re starting from scratch.”

Read our full story, by Frédéric Tomesco.

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9:20 a.m.

Quebec’s festival season scales back, revs up as musicians head to the regions

It’s another Montreal summer without the jazz fest, Les Francos and Osheaga, but smaller events in the city and around the province are inching us back together.

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Read our full story, by T’Cha Dunlevy.

9:20 a.m.

‘How come we couldn’t protect them?’ asks CHSLD doctor who had 185 patients

During the first week of a deadly COVID-19 outbreak at a Montreal long-term care centre last spring, there was only one doctor available to look after 185 patients.

Dr. Isabelle Julien, left to her own after a colleague fell sick, recounted those nightmarish seven days during emotional testimony at a coroner’s inquest Thursday.

Read our full story, by Jesse Feith.

9:20 a.m.

Rights group demands Quebec lift COVID-19 health restrictions

The Ligue des droits et libertés is calling upon the Legault government to immediately lift the state of emergency and government-by-decree that have prevailed in Quebec since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and fully restore democracy in the province.

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Read our full story.

9:20 a.m.

Coming soon: COVID Conspiracies podcast

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned Canada upside-down for over a year. People are locked down, businesses are closed, and everybody’s looking for somebody to blame. But amid all the chaos, misinformation has flourished. Conspiracy theorists and anti-vaxxers have taken to the internet to spread false information about vaccines, lockdowns, and the virus itself.

In a six-part series that will be launched June 14, Postmedia journalists from across the country will dive deep into why conspiracy theorists and anti-vaxxers have flourished during the pandemic, how their false claims hurt us, and what we can do about it. Hosted by Monique Beaudin of the Montreal Gazette.

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You can listen to a preview and subscribe now on Apple Podcasts. It will also be available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and other podcast sites.

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.

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.