Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on June 16
Canada has administered more than 30 million vaccine doses, CBC tracker says
The latest:
- Canada has administered more than 30 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, CBC tracker shows.
- COVID-19 has 'spread like wildfire' through Kashechewan — and children are suffering most: minister
- Couple who flew to Yukon community for vaccine plead guilty to breaking pandemic rules.
- B.C.'s restaurants and bars are thousands of workers short as reopening gathers pace, association says.
- Ontario tops 200,000 vaccine doses in 24 hours as provincial borders reopen.
- Travel prizes added to Alberta vaccine lottery.
- Doctors worry they won't be able to help every cancer patient diagnosed, treated late due to COVID-19.
- Some prisoners not offered COVID-19 shots until months after general public, CBC analysis finds.
- 'We're not invincible': Yukoners grapple with 1st outbreak in months.
- New Brunswick enters Phase 1 of path to green reopening plan. What are the changes?
- Have a coronavirus question or news tip for CBC News? Email: [email protected]
Yukon Premier Sandy Silver is calling on his fellow Yukoners to get vaccinated against COVID-19, to stay vigilant and to follow public health measures, as the territory experiences an ongoing outbreak that now totals dozens of new cases.
"If we let our guard down, this virus will absolutely take advantage and spread," Silver said, when speaking at a news conference on Wednesday.
Health officials in Yukon reported 16 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the active number of COVID-19 cases there to 50. The territory has seen 136 total COVID-19 cases throughout the pandemic to date, as well as three deaths.
Dr. Brendan Hanley, the chief medical officer of health in Yukon, said he expects the territory will see additional cases — likely numbering dozens or more — in the days to come.
"With the rapid number of cases growing across multiple age groups, it is imperative we remain alert and take a measured and cautious approach over these next few weeks," he said.
Elsewhere in the North, there were no new cases reported in Nunavut or the Northwest Territories on Wednesday.
-From CBC News, last updated at 6:35 p.m. ET
What's happening across Canada
As of 6:45 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Canada had reported 1,405,162 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 14,160 considered active. A CBC News tally of deaths stood at 26,001. More than 30.3 million COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered so far across the country, according to CBC's vaccine tracker.
In Atlantic Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador reported one new case of COVID-19 on Wednesday, as health officials announced the province would be moving up second dose appointments.
Nova Scotia, meanwhile, reported eight new cases of COVID-19. New Brunswick reported three new cases on Wednesday.
WATCH | Brett Ruskin on Phase 2 of reopening in N.S.:
Health officials in P.E.I. had not reported any new cases as of early Wednesday evening.
Ontario on Wednesday reported 384 new cases of COVID-19 and 12 additional deaths.
Quebec, meanwhile, reported one additional death and 153 new cases of COVID-19.
In Manitoba, 144 new COVID-19 cases were reported Wednesday, along with seven additional deaths, as Saskatchewan reported 74 new cases and two additional deaths. Alberta reported 153 new cases and four additional deaths.
WATCH | Kashechewan devastated by latest outbreak:
In British Columbia, health officials reported 113 new COVID-19 cases and four additional deaths on Wednesday.
LISTEN | Will vaccine incentives work?:
-From CBC News and The Canadian Press, last updated at 9:25 p.m. ET
What's happening around the world
As of Wednesday evening, more than 176.9 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to data published by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University. The reported global death toll stood at more than 3.8 million, with more than 600,000 of the deaths in the United States alone.
In the Asia-Pacific region, India is reopening its famed marvel of love, the Taj Mahal, and several other monuments amid a decline in new coronavirus infections. District Magistrate Prabhu Narain Singh said 650 tourists with online bookings will be allowed a day to visit the Taj Mahal starting Wednesday. Temperatures will be checked, face masks must be worn and physical distancing must be observed.
The Health Ministry reported 62,224 new infections Wednesday in the past 24 hours, which is down from a peak of more than 400,000 new infections a day in April. It also reported 2,542 more deaths, raising total fatalities to 379,573. Both figures are believed to be vast undercounts.
Japan is expected to ease a coronavirus state of emergency in Tokyo and most other areas this weekend, with the Olympics starting in just over a month.
Daily cases have declined significantly and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is expected to downgrade the state of emergency when it expires on Sunday to a less-stringent quasi-emergency for several weeks.
In the Americas, Ecuador said it had approved the use of the COVID-19 vaccine made by China's CanSino Biologics Inc.
New York is lifting all state-mandated coronavirus restrictions after reporting that 70 per cent of the state's adults have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Tuesday.
In Africa, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Johnson & Johnson would send two million COVID-19 vaccine doses to the country by the end of the month, making up for the amount lost due to contamination at a U.S. ingredient supplier.
The European Union is recommending that member countries start lifting restrictions on U.S. tourists. EU members agreed Wednesday to add the U.S. to the list of countries for which restrictions on non-essential travel should be lifted.
The move was adopted during a meeting in Brussels of permanent representatives to the 27-nation bloc. The recommendation is non-binding, and national governments have authority to require test results or vaccination records and to set other entry conditions. In addition to the U.S., the representatives of EU nations also added North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Lebanon and Taiwan to the tourist travel list.
Portugal is experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases, with the government set to review its pandemic rules on Thursday. The country reported 1,350 new cases on Wednesday, the highest daily total since February. Experts say the delta variant first identified in India may be driving the spread. The Lisbon region has accounted for almost 1,000 of the new cases.
Authorities in Moscow and the surrounding region on Wednesday made COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for those working in retail, education, health care, public transport and other trades that provide services to a large number of people.
Russian public health officials ordered businesses and institutions to ensure that 60 per cent of staff get at least one shot of a coronavirus vaccine by July 15 and are fully vaccinated by August 15.
In the Middle East, Iran's reported case total rose to 3,049,648, with 82,351 reported deaths.
-From Reuters, The Associated Press and CBC News, last updated at 9:20 p.m. ET
With files from The Canadian Press, Reuters and The Associated Press
