Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Thursday

The latest:

• New Ontario modelling suggests delta variant will become dominantform of virusthis summer.
• Ontario speeds up 2nd vaccine doses, but only for some residents.
• Movies, bowling, indoor dining back on the menu as Alberta moves to Stage 2 reopening.
• Manitoba announces plans for reopening.
• U.S. legislation seeks to up pressure for Canadian border reopening.
• U.S. pledge of 500M doses'a small piece of the puzzle' in global vaccination race, expert says.
• Canada still lacks national guidance for fully vaccinated Canadians as travel restrictions ease.
• Have a question about the pandemic? You can send your questions toCOVID@cbc.ca.

Ontario and Alberta both moved Thursday to speed up second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, as the more delta variant continues to gain ground.

New modelling suggests OntarioCOVID-19 cases, positivity rates and hospitalizations have all dropped sharply in recent months. But it also suggests the delta variant is more transmissible,may be more dangerous andwill likely be the dominant form of the virus this summer, withexperts saying it is critical to control the spread of the variant.

The province is speeding up its delivery of second COVID-19 vaccine doses for residents of hot spotswhere the delta variant is spreading. But the acceleration only applies to people who received an mRNA vaccine and does not apply to people who got AstraZenenca-Oxford as their first dose.

WATCH | Health minister defends decision on 2nddoses:

Ontario defends 12-week gap between AstraZeneca doses

3 years ago

Duration 1:08

Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott, in an exchange with a reporter, said the 12-week wait between first and second doses of the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine is the 'gold standard' for the shot's effectiveness.

Pediatric infectious diseases specialistDr. Anna Banerjisays the government is making the wrong decision with the AstraZeneca dosage interval, given the risk of exposure right now to the delta variant.

"We need to shorten that period and get people their second dose of AstraZenecaas soon as possible," she said."There's no reason to wait 12 weeks for the AstraZeneca vaccine."

WATCH | Doctor rejects Ontario's decision on AstraZeneca:

Ontario accelerates 2nd vaccine doses, but not for AstraZeneca

3 years ago

Duration 3:19

Dr. Anna Banerji, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist, explains why she believes the Ontario government is making the wrong decision when it comes to maintaining the 12-week gap between first and second doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine.

The provincereported 590 new cases of COVID-19 and 11 additional deaths on Thursday.Hospitalizations stood at 516, the province reported, with 450 people in ICU due to COVID-19.

Meantime, Albertamoved to Phase 2of reopening on Thursdayand Premier Jason Kenney announced theacceleration of second doses of vaccines and a final push to get more first doses into arms. Alberta Health Services is also looking intopartnering with schools or after-school programs in order to get more young people vaccinated, and even a potential incentive lottery.

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• Track how many people have been given the COVID-19 vaccine across Canada and around the world

Anyone in Alberta who had AstraZeneca vaccine asa first dose isadvised to wait at least eight weeks between doses, but does not need to wait 12. Individuals can also choose between having a second dose of AstraZeneca or one of the mRNA vaccines.

Alberta reported 178new COVID-19 cases Thursday and sixnew deaths, its lowest active case count of COVID-19since October,with a test positivity rate of 3.3 per cent.

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

What's happening across Canada

WATCH | New data on vaccinated people testing positive:

Nova Scotia shares data on vaccinated people testing positive for COVID-19

3 years ago

Duration 2:01

Once a week, Nova Scotia is reporting 'breakthrough cases,' when a person is COVID-positive two weeks after receiving either one or two doses of vaccine.

As of 8:30p.m. ET on Thursday, Canada had reported 1,398,278confirmed cases of COVID-19, with19,257considered active. A CBC News tally of deaths stood at 25,873.More than 27.7million COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered so far across the country, according to CBC's vaccine tracker.

Manitobaon Thursdayunveiled its reopening plan that will see the province loosen public health restrictions as more people get vaccinated against COVID-19.

The government's plan focuses on four reopening categories: gatherings, travel, shopping and dining.

The first immunization target is to have over 70 per cent of Manitobans 12 and older with a first dose and over 25 per cent with a second dose by Canada Day.If that happens, the province says it will loosen some capacity restrictions on businesses and other facilities.

WATCH |Pallister talks about reopening:

Premier announces Manitoba summer reopening 'path'

3 years ago

Duration 2:33

Saying 'it's time for Manitobans to get their freedoms back,' Premier Brian Pallister unveiled the four-category 'path' the province will use to reopen this summer and lift restrictions put in place to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is no information in the plan abouthow or whetherpandemic indicators, such as test positivity rates, case counts, ICU admissions or hospital capacityfactor into the reopenings. Manitoba struggled with high ICU admissions during its third wave, leading it to send some patients out of province for treatment.

Manitoba's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brent Roussin was asked what happens if Manitobans meetthe targets for vaccinations, butICUs are still overwhelmed and test positivity rates are still high.

"Public health is looking at all the indicators. We really set these vaccine targets with the idea that knowing if we start reaching these levels, we're not going to expect to see high test positivity or high demands in our ICUs," he said.

"Our ICUs are not filling with vaccinated Manitobans."

The province reported 251 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday and six new deaths.The five-day test positivity rate is 11.1 per cent provincially.

Across the North on Thursday,NunavutPremier Joe Savikataaqreported one new case, bringing the number of active cases in Iqaluit to two. Health officials inNorthwest Territories reported no new cases, while Yukon had three new cases.

• Ontario-Quebec border reopening still up in the air
• 2 patients die in cancer ward at Sherbrooke hospital following COVID-19 outbreak
• Porcupine health district to stay in lockdown while rest of Ontario enjoys patios, shopping

InQuebec, meanwhile, health officials reported189 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday and two additional deaths.

In Atlantic Canada on Thursday,Newfoundland and Labradorreported five new cases of COVID-19whileNew Brunswickreported three new cases.

Health officials inNova Scotiareported 15 new cases and no additional deaths.

Prince Edward Islandhad no new cases.

Saskatchewanreported one additional death on Thursday and 77new cases of COVID-19. The province is changing its rules around rapid antigen tests, and will now allowbusinesses and the public to purchase and administer them to test for COVID-19 inasymptomatic people.

InBritish Columbia, health officials on Thursday reported fourdeaths and 153new cases of COVID-19.Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henrysays B.C. is in a good position to go ahead with Phase 2 reopening next Tuesday. That will see movie theatres reopenedand indoor, organized gathering levels increased to 50.

-From CBC News and The Canadian Press, last updated at 6:30p.m. ET

What's happening around the world

As of early Friday morning, Johns Hopkins University's COVID-19 tracking tool was showing a total of more than174.7million reported cases worldwide since the pandemic began. The reported global death toll stood at more than 3.7 million.

India on Friday reported 91,702 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, and 3,403 daily deaths from the coronavirus. The South Asian country's total COVID-19 case load now stands at 29.3 million, while total fatalities are at 363,079, according to data from the health ministry.

The Japanese government is considering ending a state of emergency in Tokyo and several other prefectures as scheduled on June 20, but keeping some curbs such as on restaurant hours until the Olympics start in July, local media reported.New coronavirus infections in Olympics host Tokyo have inched down during the last month of emergency restrictions although authorities remain concerned about the spread of variants and the continued strain on medical resources.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson saysnations of the world must set aside the "beggar my neighbour" attitude that led to squabbling over medicine,protective gearand badly neededCOVID-19 vaccines.

Johnson said Thursday that Group of Seven leaders meeting this weekend in England will commit to vaccinating the world by the end of 2022.

WATCH | Vaccine inequity is real and poses a real threat, experts say:

EU joins new push to find origins of COVID-19

3 years ago

Duration 0:45

The EU Commission says it needs to know where the novel coronavirus came from to create tools to stop such a thing from ever happening again. (Credit: Francisco Seco/Reuters)

The British leader wrote in The Times of London that it was time for wealthy countries to"shoulder their responsibilities and to vaccinate the world, because no one can be properly protected until everyone has been protected."

But he faces criticism because the U.K. has yet to send any doses abroad and has cut its international aid budget, citing the economic blow of the pandemic.

U.S. President Joe Biden is announcing Thursday that the U.S. will buy hundreds of millions more doses of the Pfizer vaccine to share with poorer countries over the next year.

The U.S. is now set to be COVAX's largest vaccine donor in addition to its single largest funder with a $4 billion US commitment. The global alliance has thus far distributed just 81 million doses, and parts of the world, particularly in Africa, remain vaccine deserts.

InAfrica,about 90 per cent of African countries will miss a September target to vaccinate at least 10 per centof their populations, a WHO official said.

Tanzania's finance minister said it has begun talks with the International Monetary Fund over a COVID-19 relief loan.

InEurope,Spain's health ministry on Wednesday scrapped a nationwide plan to gradually reopen nightlife just a week after introducing it, following widespread complaints from regional authorities who dismissed it as either too strict or too loose.

Germany is sticking to its opposition to easing patent protection on COVID-19 vaccines as it goes into the Group of Seven summit.

In the Middle East,starting June 15, Abu Dhabi will restrict access to shopping malls, restaurants, cafes and other public places to those who have been vaccinatedor who have recently tested negative.

The new rules were announced as the United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven emirates, has seen daily cases rise over the past three weeks. The UAE, which does not give a breakdown for each emirate, recorded 2,179 new infections on Wednesday, up from 1,229 on May 17.

If the spread of COVID-19 continues at current rates it will be years before the virus is controlled in the Americas, the Pan American Health Organization said, as it called for countries to share excess vaccine doses.

Brazil's health regulator Anvisa authorized Phase 1 and 2 clinical tests to be carried out on volunteers for the domestically developed Butanvac vaccine.

Moderna Inc. said on Thursday it has filed for U.S. authorization to use its COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents aged 12 to 18, to help expand the inoculation drive in the country.

Moderna's vaccine is already being used in the U.S., the European Union and Canada for anyone over 18. The drugmaker has already submitted applications toEuropean and Canadian health regulators seeking authorization for the vaccine's use in adolescents.

-From The Associated Press, Reuters and CBC News, last updated at 1:28a.m. ET