Ontario reports more than 1,200 new COVID cases, nine deaths

ONTARIO (NEWS 1130) – There are 1,268 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Ontario, with nine more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus.

Health Minister Christine Elliott said Monday there are 366 new cases in Toronto, 220 in Peel Region, and 147 in York Region. The province says more than 33,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered since Sunday’s daily report. A total of 1,191,553 vaccine doses have been given in Ontario.

Quebec is reporting 594 new COVID-19 cases and 10 more deaths.

Health officials there said Monday hospitalizations rose by six, to 553, and 96 people were in intensive care, a drop of four. The province says it administered 26,595 doses of COVID-19 vaccine Sunday, for a total of 744,108.

Related article: B.C. bumps up start of vaccine bookings for those 80 – 84

Manitoba health officials are announcing 50 new cases of COVID-19 but no additional deaths.

Officials there also say 18 new cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, originally identified in the United Kingdom, have been confirmed. A total of 41 variants of concern cases have been found in the province.

To date, 106,931 doses of vaccine have been administered in Manitoba.

Nova Scotia is reporting no new cases of COVID-19, exactly one year since the province reported its first three presumptive infections tied to the novel coronavirus.

The province says it had administered 48,077 doses of COVID-19 as of Sunday, with 16,113 people having received a booster shot.

Related article: Expert says Canadians should put AstraZeneca European suspensions in context

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he’ll happily take a COVID-19 vaccine when his time comes. But Trudeau isn’t circling a date on the calendar for his turn because he says that’s not where his focus is at the moment.

Canada is scheduled to receive more than one million doses of various COVID-19 vaccines every week as vaccination efforts ramp up nationally.

Trudeau says more essential workers should be able to get vaccinated after vulnerable populations such as seniors. He says his mother, Margaret, received her vaccine last week.

 

It is important to note that both Health Canada and the World Health Organization say there is no evidence at this time to link the Astra Zeneca vaccine to blood clots.
#cdnpoli

— Cormac Mac Sweeney (@cmaconthehill) March 15, 2021

The prime minister says the federal government is keeping a close eye on European reaction to a batch of COVID-19 vaccines linked to possible side effects.

Multiple countries have paused usage of the vaccines made by Oxford-AstraZeneca over concerns they cause blood clots. Trudeau says none of the doses Canada has received from the vaccine maker are from the problematic batch.

He says Health Canada regulators regularly analyze information about vaccines and have guaranteed those approved in Canada are safe for use.

Similarly, Quebec Premier Francois Legault says provincial health officials see no risk associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine. Trudeau is urging Canadians to get vaccinated as quickly as possible and to take the first vaccine offered to them.