Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Jan. 26

The latest:

• Ottawa police prepare as protest convoyapproaches
  
• Spotify to remove Neil Young's music atsinger's requestover 'false information about vaccines' on streaming platform
  
• Ontario reports 89 more COVID-linked deaths over last 3 weeks
  
• Omicron subvariant BA.2 raises new questions about virus's puzzling evolution
  
• As Quebec moves to ease restrictions, daily death toll remains in double digits
  
• Anxiety, depression, loneliness at highest levels among Canadians since early pandemic, survey suggests

Prince Edward Island will ease some COVID-19 restrictions as students return to classroomsnext week, which will seeOntario and Quebec also relaxingpublic health rules amid a fifth wave fuelled by the Omicron variant.

In a COVID-19 briefing Wednesday, P.E.I. Premier Dennis King confirmed in-person learning would resume on Mondayas planned, saying thatstudents being out of of school for well over a month has"brought its own challenges."

"Our teachers, our school administrators, our parents have been champions through this, our kids have been champions through this, but it's time and we need to get them back into school," he said.

Students will be subject to testing, masking and cohorting.

WATCH |New vaccine guidance forkids:

COVID-19: Will updated guidance improve vaccine uptake in kids?

3 years ago

Duration 4:25

Infectious diseases specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch answers questions about whether the National Advisory Committee on Immunizations guidance that children should get the COVID-19 vaccine will improve uptake and how concerned people should be about an emerging variant.

The government is also loosening other pandemic measures on Monday, including permitting personal gatherings witha steady, consistent maximum of 10 people and allowing fitness facilities and indoor dining to reopen at 50 per cent capacity.

The province on Wednesday reported14COVID-19 hospitalizations, with two peoplein ICU.There were 255 new lab-confirmed cases. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison said she expects more cases when students return to school on Monday.

"It's always a balance going forward," shesaid."It was never intended to stop Omicron, the circuit breaker It was to suppress the cases and make sure the hospital could manage the capacity and so we could open up a little bit more."

InQuebec,restaurants will also be permitted to open dining rooms with limited capacity on Monday, while some sports will return. The moves are part of a gradual easing of restrictionsthe province is planning for the weeks ahead.

"The idea is to go gradually," Legault said indescribing the loosened restrictions at a press conference Tuesday. "I understand that people are fed up, but we need to take a prudent approach."

Legault said Quebec's health system is still feeling the strain and that it will take time to build the capacity the province needs.

WATCH |Issues in Quebec's health-care system:

Legault describes Quebec living with COVID-19 long-term

3 years ago

Duration 1:22

Living with COVID-19 long-term means accepting hospitalizations and deaths, says Quebec Premier Franois Legault.

The provinceon Wednesday reported 3,270 COVID-19 hospitalizations, with 252 people in intensive care. There were73 additional deaths and 4,150 new lab-confirmed cases.

Quebec's online portal, where people can report the results of rapid tests done at home, is nowonline. Health Minister Christian Dubesaid the portal will help gauge community transmission because lab tests remain limited to high-risk groups, as it does in most jurisdictions across the country.

Meanwhile, Ontario is allowinga host of indoor settings to reopen to the public with 50 per cent capacity limits on Monday, includingrestaurants, gyms and movie theatres.

The province lay out a timeline forgradually easing public health restrictions last week, with a plan to lift most remaining measures by mid-March.

Ontario's health minister on Wednesday reported a total of 4,016 hospitalizations, with 608 people in intensive care. The province, which saw5,368 new lab-confirmed cases, also reported 89 additional deaths though Christine Elliott's office noted that the deaths occurred overthe past 21 days.

From CBC News and The Canadian Press, last updated at 7:30p.m. ET

What's happening across Canada

With lab-based testing capacity deeply strained and increasingly restricted,experts say true case counts are likely far higher than reported. Hospitalization data at the regional level is also evolving, with several provinces saying they will reportfiguresthat separatethe number of people in hospital because of COVID-19 from those in hospital for another medical issue who alsotest positive for COVID-19.

• COVID-19 blamed for greatest drop in life expectancy in Canada since 1921

For more information on what is happening in your community including details on outbreaks, testing capacity and local restrictions click through to the regional coverage below.

You can also read more from thePublic Health Agency of Canada, whichprovides a detailed look at every regionincludingseven-day averagetest positivity ratesin itsdaily epidemiological updates.

In the rest of Atlantic Canada on Wednesday,Nova Scotiahealth officialssaid the province had 91 people in designatedCOVID-19 hospital units, including 15 people in intensive care. The province also reported three additional deaths and 346 new lab-confirmed cases ofCOVID-19.

Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, the chief medical officer of health inNewfoundland and Labrador, said that there were 20 people hospitalized due toCOVID-19. Of those, seven are in ICU, an increase of two from the previous day.The province also reportedthree deaths due to COVID-19and 304 additional lab-confirmed cases.

The update came as Premier AndrewFureysaid the province is, "evaluating making a change to the Newfoundland and Labrador vaccinepass to reflect booster doses in the coming weeks."

• COVID-19 update today as N.S. marks 27 deaths from virus this month
• Low pay, a revolving door of workers and the push to improve home care in N.S.
• St. John's 'COVID hotel' sees spike in guests looking for a safe space

New Brunswickreported that 137 people were hospitalized withCOVID-19, including eight people in intensive care. Six new deaths were also reported, along with 520 new cases.

The update came a day after the province said thatfour hospitals were at or near capacity, withthe Horizon Health hospitalnetworksaying thatnumber of people in hospital combined with staff shortages is having an impact on how it delivers care.

Across the North,Nunavuton Wednesday reported48 new cases of COVID-19, whileYukonreported 25 additional cases and theNorthwest Territoriesreported 175 new cases.

• 'A financial roller-coaster': N.W.T. business on the eve of pandemic year 3
• COVID-19 exposure warnings for 2 N.W.T. sheltersand 1 youth centre
• Nunavut officials announce 12 positive COVID-19 cases at correctional healing facility in Iqaluit

In the Prairie provinces,Manitobaon Wednesday reported a total of 720COVID-19 hospitalizations down from the previous day's pandemic high of 729. Of those, 49 people were in intensive care. Health officials also reported three newdeaths and 637 additional lab-confirmed cases.

InSaskatchewan, the total number of COVID-19 hospitalizations stood at 315 on Wednesday, with 33 people in the province's intensive care units. The province also reported sixadditional deaths and 1,194 lab-confirmed cases.

Albertaon Wednesday reported 1,418 COVID-19 hospitalizations,with 109 people in ICU. There were 22 new deaths and3,483 new lab-confirmed cases.

• Alberta may be on verge of turning point in Omicron transmission, health minister says
• Patient dies in ER at Red Deer Regional Hospital as wait times spike to 14 hours on weekend
• Wastewater monitoring suggests COVID-19 transmission may have peaked in Winnipeg on New Year's Day
• Advocates concerned as Saskatoon, Prince Albert correctional centres see large spike in COVID-19

In British Columbia,total COVID-19 hospitalizations stood at 949, health officials said Wednesday, with 136in intensive care units. The province also reported 21additional deaths and 2,086 additional lab-confirmed cases.

From CBC News and The Canadian Press, last updated at 7:30p.m. ET

What's happening around the world

As of Wednesday evening, more than 361.4million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University's coronavirus tracker. The reported global death toll stood at more than 5.6 million.

In theAsia-Pacificregion, theAustralian navy's largest ship docked at disaster-stricken Tonga on Wednesday and was allowed to unload humanitarian supplies in the South Pacific nation despite crew members being infected with COVID-19, officials said.

Nearly two-dozen sailors aboard HMAS Adelaide were reported infected on Tuesday, raising fears the mission could bring the coronavirus to the small archipelago devastatedby an undersea volcanic eruption and a tsunami on Jan. 15.Supplies were to be delivered without contact with the local population to avoid infections, the Australian government said in a statement.

Since the pandemic began, Tonga has reported just a single case of COVID-19 and has avoided any outbreaks. It's one of the few countries in the world currently completely virus free. About 61 per centof Tongans are fully vaccinated, according to Our World in Data.

South Korea's daily new cases exceeded 13,000 for the first time, as the government seeks to revise its anti-virus response scheme to focus on Omicron.

InEurope, most coronavirus restrictions including mandatory face masks were being lifted in England on Thursday, after the government said its vaccine booster rollout successfully reduced serious illness and COVID-19 hospitalizations.

Face coverings are no longer required by law anywhere in England, and a legal requirement for COVID-19 passes for entry into nightclubs and other large venues has been scrapped.

Hospital admissions and the number of people in intensive care units have stabilized or fallen, and daily cases have fallen from a peak of over 200,000 a day around New Year to under 100,000 in recent days.

Austria's lockdown for people not fully vaccinated will end on Monday because the pressure on hospitals has eased, the government said.

Sweden will extend several restrictions for another two weeks, while neighbouring Denmark was expected to announce that it no longer considers COVID-19 as "a socially critical disease" as of next month and will remove most restrictions.

Romania on Wednesday recorded a huge jump in COVID-19 infections, hitting a pandemic highof nearly 35,000 daily cases, almost doubling the numbers from a day earlier. Deaths have also begun to climb.

Russia, meanwhile,has expanded a domestically developed coronavirus vaccine for children aged 12-17 to include more regions, amid the country's biggest infection surge yet due to the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant.

InAfrica,Uganda wants to curb its borrowing and boost exports in sectors such as meat and dairy as the East African country lifts restrictions triggered by the pandemic, President Yoweri Museveni and government officials told Reuters.

In theMiddle East,Israel broadened eligibility for a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine to include adults under 60 with underlying medical conditions, their caretakers, and others over 18 at significant risk of exposure to the coronavirus.

In theAmericas,theUnited States has shipped 400 million COVID-19 vaccine doses as part of its earlier pledge to donate about 1.2 billion doses to low-income countries, the White House said on Wednesday.

"Today, we will hit a major milestone in our global effort: 400 million vaccine doses shipped to 112 countries ... for free, no strings attached," White House COVID-19 co-ordinator Jeff Zients told reporters at a briefing.

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration had previously said it woulddonate a second tranche of 500 million doses to the COVAX global vaccine sharing program, raising its total pledge to some 1.2 billion COVID vaccine doses, with the latest batch expected to start shipping this month.

Global health experts have said at least fivebillion to sixbillion doses are needed by poorer countries to help protect them against the coronavirus amid the ongoing pandemic.

Overall COVAX, backed by the World Health Organization and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, has delivered more than a billion doses to 144 countries and aims to achieve 70 per centCOVID-19 immunization coverage by mid-2022.

From Reuters, CBC News and The Associated Press, last updated at 7:30 p.m. ET