Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the first COVID-19 vaccine doses are on track to arrive this month, as tough new measures took effect in Prince Edward Island and Ontario hit a new daily case record today.
Trudeau says Ottawa has reached an agreement with Pfizer to have up to 249,000 doses delivered, pending Health Canada approval, and that the first shipments could come next week.
In Atlantic Canada, Prince Edward Island entered what it’s calling a two-week “circuit-breaker” lockdown after seven new cases of the virus were reported over the weekend.
The province reported four new cases on Monday, all of whom are close contacts with those announced on the weekend.
All Islanders in their 20s are being asked to be tested for COVID-19 even if they have no symptoms.
Visitors are being kept out of hospital and long-term care homes, except under compassionate circumstances.
Meanwhile, Ontario is reporting 1,925 new virus cases today, beating the record set a day earlier by one.
Premier Doug Ford is expected to speak about his province’s vaccine plans this afternoon.
Quebec reported 1,577 new cases of COVID-19 and 22 additional deaths linked to the virus, three of which took place in the last 24 hours.
(Canadian Press)
