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Sabtu, 02 Oktober 2021

COVID-19 updates, Oct. 1: Montreal cases hit two-month low, with schools the main source of outbreaks - Montreal Gazette

Ottawa expects to receive Pfizer vaccine data for children aged 5 to 11 by mid-October. In the U.S., that age group could be eligible for the shot by Halloween.

Author of the article:

Andy Riga

Publishing date:

Oct 01, 2021  •  1 day ago  •  16 minute read
Children listen to a teacher as they prepare for the first day of the new school year in Montreal on Tuesday Aug. 31, 2021.
Children listen to a teacher as they prepare for the first day of the new school year in Montreal on Tuesday Aug. 31, 2021. Photo by Pierre Obendrauf /Montreal Gazette

Updated throughout the day on Friday, Oct. 1. Questions/comments: ariga@postmedia.com

Top updates

  • In U.S., Pfizer shots for children 5 to 11 could be approved by Halloween
  • Ottawa expects to receive Pfizer vaccine data for children aged 5 to 11 by mid-October
  • Dr. Anthony Fauci gives online lecture hosted by McGill
  • Ontario is mandating vaccinations for long-term care staff
  • Montreal reports 79 cases – fewest in almost two months
  • ‘Schools are safe’ despite outbreaks among younger children, Drouin says
  • ‘Protect yourself, but also protect your patients,’ infectious diseases expert tells Quebec health workers
  • Winter flu will chart the course of the pandemic in coming months
  • Quebec registers 643 cases, 6 deaths as testing increases
  • 86% of Quebec parents intend to get their children vaccinated, survey suggests
  • Canadiens Notebook: Bell Centre back to full capacity to start season
  • Fast-food chains close some indoor seating as U.S. cities mandate vaccine checks
  • Merck’s COVID-19 pill cuts risk of death in half, clinical trial finds
  • Arts groups, events promoters cheer Quebec’s decision to allow full houses
  • Anti-vaccination protester jailed after refusing to wear mask in Montreal court
  • A guide to Quebec’s COVID-19 vaccine passport
  • Sign up for our free nightly coronavirus newsletter
5 p.m.

Thanks for reading

I’ll be back on Monday morning with another live blog.

In the meantime, you can follow all our coverage via the coronavirus page.

My previous COVID-19 live blogs are available here.

4:15 p.m.

In U.S., Pfizer shots for children 5 to 11 could be approved by Halloween

From the Bloomberg news agency:

U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisers will meet this month in separate sessions to discuss booster doses for recipients of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccines and Pfizer shots for kids ages 5 to 11.

The FDA’s vaccine advisory committee of outside experts will meet Oct. 14 and 15 to discuss boosters for Moderna and J&J shots, the agency said in a statement Friday.

A booster was authorized for Pfizer recipients last month after the committee recommended a third dose for those 65 and older or at high risk of severe Covid-19.

The panel also plans to discuss data on boosters using a different vaccine than the one originally given. Mixing of vaccines has been one of the more controversial issues in the broader debate over booster shots.

The committee will then tentatively meet Oct. 26 on vaccines for kids 5 to 11, the FDA said. Pfizer and partner BioNTech submitted initial data on the pediatric vaccine to regulators this week and said they expect to make a formal application to the FDA soon.

The potential meeting near the end of October could mean kids 5 to 11 will be eligible for vaccination by Halloween, as federal officials including Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. virus expert, have suggested is possible.

3:45 p.m.

U.S. COVID-19 death toll hits 700,000

The United States surpassed 700,000 coronavirus-related deaths on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, as officials roll out booster doses of vaccines to protect the elderly and people working in high-risk professions.

The U.S. leads the world in COVID-19 cases and deaths, accounting for 19 per cent and 14 per cent of all reported infections and fatalities.

Globally, the pandemic is set to surpass 5 million deaths.

Read our full story.

3:05 p.m.

Ottawa expects to receive Pfizer vaccine data for children aged 5 to 11 by mid-October

Health Canada expects to receive a submission from Pfizer for its COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 by mid-October, Dr. Supriya Sharma, Health Canada’s chief medical advisor, said at a press conference Friday.

Pfizer has completed its clinical studies for childhood immunizations and this week submitted its raw data to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States.

Sharma said Health Canada is expected to receive the raw data early next week and will have to wait a few more days before obtaining the formal submission from Pfizer.

“We expect it to probably arrive before mid-October,” she said.

Sharma was unwilling to offer a timeline for the approval of Pfizer’s vaccine for children, which has a lower dose and a different formulation.

She said Health Canada will only allow it if it is safe for this age group.

Moderna is also preparing a vaccine that can be administered to 5 to 11 year olds.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

3 p.m.

Dr. Anthony Fauci gives online lecture hosted by McGill

Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has become a household name around the world amid the pandemic, delivered a free public lecture and answered questions today at an event hosted by McGill University.

Following the lecture, he was given an honorary doctorate — Doctor of Science, honoris causa — from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Two McGill professors recently wrote this opinion piece suggesting the university has disregarded Fauci’s advice by refusing to require proof of vaccination in residences and classrooms.

Watch his lecture here:

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

1:55 p.m.

Ontario is mandating vaccinations for long-term care staff

Ontario is reversing course and introducing a mandatory vaccination policy for staff at long-term care homes, The Canadian Press reports.

The government’s previous policy was to require regular testing for those not vaccinated against COVID-19.

Long-Term Care Minister Rod Phillips announced today that all in-home staff, support workers, students and volunteers must be vaccinated by Nov. 15 unless they have a valid medical exemption.

He says any staff not fully vaccinated by then will not be able to enter a long-term care home to work.

Phillips says vaccination rates of staff in many homes are not high enough in the face of the Delta variant.

Homes will also start randomly testing fully vaccinated staff, caregivers and visitors to try to detect breakthrough cases early.

Ontario reported 1,315 cases of COVID-19 over the last two days and 12 more deaths.

12:40 p.m.

Montreal reports 79 cases – fewest in almost two months

There were 79 new cases of COVID-19 on Montreal Island yesterday – the lowest case count since early August.

At 4.1 cases per 100,000 people, Montreal’s rate of new cases is among the lowest in Quebec.

These regions had higher per-capita case counts: Laval, Chaudère-Appalaches, the Eastern Townships, the Laurentians, the Outaouais, Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Mauricie-et-Centre-du-Québec.

12:30 p.m.

‘Schools are safe’ despite outbreaks among younger children, Drouin says

The COVID-19 situation in Montreal is very stable, though elementary schools are the scene of a large number of the island’s active outbreaks, Montreal’s director of public health says.

Community transmission is low, Dr. Mylène Drouin said in an interview this morning with the 98.5FM radio station.

However, there are about 180 active outbreaks on Montreal Island, mostly in schools and daycares, she said.

Sixty-eight of the outbreaks are in schools, with the vast majority in elementary schools and only three or four in high schools, Drouin said. There are no active outbreaks in CEGEPs and universities.

The low case counts in high schools and post-secondary institutions can be attributed to vaccines and mask mandates, she said.

It’s a different story in elementary schools since children 5 to 11 still can’t be vaccinated, Drouin said.

But even those schools “are safe,” she added.

She said officials are striving to avoid closing classrooms and schools.

“The message I want to send to parents is that schools are safe, even if there’s a case,” Drouin said. “If public health tells you that your child can return to school, it’s better to send your child to school than to keep them at home.”

Noon

Winter flu will chart the course of the pandemic in coming months

Charting the course of the pandemic during the coming months is likely to involve a more traditional winter nuisance: the flu.

As countries from Italy to Canada lift restrictions, travel resumes and colder temperatures set in, influenza will probably start circulating as well. That’s after measures to thwart Covid-19 such as masks and ventilation kept the flu at bay for the past year and a half.

Read our full story.

Noon

Alberta doctor describes calling woman about her mother’s impending COVID death

“Your mom Anne was admitted to the COVID ward about two hours ago. I’m calling because she is not doing well, and will likely not survive the day”

Read our full story.

11:45 a.m.

Update on Quebec’s vaccination campaign

11:45 a.m.

Updated charts: Quebec cases, deaths

11:35 a.m.

‘Protect yourself, but also protect your patients,’ infectious diseases expert tells health workers

About 16,000 Quebec health care workers have still not received a first vaccine dose despite an Oct. 15 deadline. That includes about 6,400 workers with direct contact with patients.

After that date, they risk being suspended without pay under Quebec’s vaccine mandate.

In a video message posted this morning, Dr. Karl Weiss, one of Quebec’s top infectious diseases experts, urged unvaccinated health workers to get the jab.

11:10 a.m.

COVID-19 live updates: Quebec registers 643 cases, 6 deaths as testing increases

Quebec has recorded 643 new cases of COVID-19, the provincial government announced this morning.

That’s 12 fewer than yesterday.

The seven-day rolling average is now 628, the lowest rate in almost a month.

Six new deaths were also reported.

The pace of vaccinations picked up, with the number of doses administered hitting a one-week high.

And the number of people getting tested was the highest in more than a week.

Some other key statistics from Quebec’s latest COVID-19 update:

  • Montreal Island: 79 cases, 2 deaths.
  • Net decrease in hospitalizations: 1, for a total of 310. (35 entered hospital, 36 were discharged)
  • Net decrease in intensive care patients: 7, for a total of 84. (6 entered ICUs, 13 were discharged)
  • 17,225 additional vaccine doses were administered over the previous 24 hours.
  • 35,307 tests were conducted Wednesday, the last day for which screening data is available.
  • Positivity rate: 2 per cent.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Quebec has reported 410,823 cases and 11,377 deaths linked to COVID-19. A total of 393,595 people who have contracted the disease have since recovered.

10:45 a.m.

86% of Quebec parents intend to get their children vaccinated, survey suggests

For several months, the Institut national de santé publique du Québec has been surveying parents of young children and adolescents about whether they would get their offspring vaccinated.

Between April and June, about 70 per cent said they would do so.

The interest in vaccinating children jumped in June and has been consistently high since then.

In early September, 86 per cent of parents said they intended to vaccinate their children, with 12 per cent saying they would not vaccinate them, and another two per cent unsure.

Only children 12 and older are currently eligible for vaccination in Quebec.

This week, Pfizer and BioNTech submitted initial trial data for their COVID-19 vaccine in 5-11 year olds and said they would make a formal request to U.S. regulators for emergency use in the coming weeks.

Dr. Horacio Arruda, Quebec’s director of public health, has said he hopes the province will be able to start vaccinating children in the 5 to 11 age group before Christmas.

10:15 a.m.

Economy rebounds in Canada amid wider business reopenings

Canada’s economy returned to growth as consumers headed back to restaurants and entertainment venues, propelling spending on services, the Bloomberg news agency reports.

Gross domestic product rose 0.7 per cent in August, Statistics Canada said in a flash estimate from Ottawa. That’s a reversal from July, which showed a 0.1 per cent contraction, according to the report.

Economists were predicting a 0.2 per cent drop in output for July, after early guidance indicating a weak start to the second half of the year. The agriculture and manufacturing sectors were among the contributors to the decline.

“Today’s GDP report provides a small tonic to the troubling results from a month ago,” Doug Porter, chief economist at Bank of Montreal, said in a report to investors. “The slightly smaller-than-expected setback in July and nice pop in August suggest that the economy managed to grind out some moderate growth in the summer quarter as a whole.”

10:10 a.m.

Canadiens Notebook: Bell Centre back to full capacity to start season

“That’s exciting and good news,” Montreal Canadiens defenceman Jeff Petry said about the return to full capacity at the Bell Centre as of next week. “It’s exciting to have the fans back in the building, back to what we all remember.”

Read our full story, by Stu Cowan.

10 a.m.

Fast-food chains close some indoor seating as U.S. cities mandate vaccine checks

As New York, San Francisco and a few other U.S. cities and counties require restaurants to check proof of COVID-19 vaccination to dine indoors, some fast-food chains are simply shutting their seating areas altogether – a move that may dent their sales, the Reuters news agency reports.

The burger chain White Castle shut the seating sections in its more than 20 New York City locations in September after New York City began asking customers over the age of 12 to prove they received at least one dose of the vaccine in order to eat indoors.

By eliminating dine-in options, restaurants are forced to rely entirely on carry-out, drive-thru and delivery orders – which are generally more profitable. That also means they can eliminate costly labour required to clean seating areas and check customers’ proof of vaccination, and perhaps have an extra employee work the kitchen or counter instead.

White Castle Chief Operations Officer Jeff Carper said the chain was “able to redeploy some labour to focus on drive-thru, delivery and pick-up,” for instance.

Taco Bell, a unit of Yum Brands Inc, said it encouraged customers to place digital orders for pickup and delivery, adding that “our restaurants comply with federal, state and local regulations and guidelines to keep our team members and customers safe.” Two Taco Bell locations that Reuters visited had closed their indoor seating.

At McDonald’s Corp, franchisees consider multiple factors when deciding to close indoor seating, including COVID case counts, local regulations and staffing levels, the company said. On Sept. 16, 3 of the 8 McDonald’s locations in New York City visited by Reuters had closed their indoor seating.

“We continue to monitor the Delta variant closely and, as we have throughout the last 18 months, remain able to adapt quickly while maintaining our safety standards,” the company said.

9:55 a.m.

Alberta says COVID crisis help on way from Armed Forces, Red Cross, Newfoundland

From The Canadian Press:

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says help is on the way from the Canadian Armed Forces and elsewhere to battle a COVID-19 wave that continues to overwhelm hospitals.

Kenney said the province is finalizing a deal to provide eight to 10 intensive care ward specialists, likely to be based in Edmonton.

Up to 20 trained Red Cross medical workers, some with intensive care experience, are to be deployed in central Alberta.

And Newfoundland and Labrador is set to send a medical team, including five or six intensive care staff, to work in the northern oil hub city of Fort McMurray.

“I know that Alberta health care workers will be grateful for the helping hand and that all Albertans are thankful for any assistance at this challenging time,” Kenney said Thursday in Calgary.

Kenney also announced that 25,000 public sector workers will soon be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

The employees must be fully vaccinated by Nov. 30 and, if not vaccinated after that date, will have to show negative tests paid for at their own expense.

9:50 a.m.

Merck’s COVID-19 pill cuts risk of death in half, clinical trial finds

Merck’s experimental oral drug for COVID-19, molnupiravir, reduced by around 50 per cent the chance of hospitalization or death for patients at risk of severe disease, according to interim clinical trial results announced on Friday.

Read our full story.

9:40 a.m.

Arts groups, events promoters cheer Quebec’s decision to allow full houses

Quebec health minister Christian Dubé might be in line for a standing ovation if he shows up at Enrique Iglesias’s next Montreal show.

Concert promoter Evenko was preparing to scrap Iglesias’s Oct. 9 Bell Centre appearance — a double bill with Ricky Martin — when Dubé announced on Thursday that cultural venues and sports stadiums with assigned seating can be filled to full capacity as of Oct. 8. Attendees will have to show proof of full vaccination and wear masks.

Read our full story, by Frédéric Tomesco.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

9:40 a.m.

Majority votes to impose vaccine passport at the National Assembly

Vaccine passports will be required at the National Assembly, despite opposition from two parties – Québec solidaire and the Parti Québécois.

Read our full story.

9:35 a.m.

Saskatchewan brings in proof-of-vaccination policy as ICU cases hit record high

Saskatchewan’s proof-of-vaccination policy is now in effect, meaning residents will have to show they have been immunized or have a negative COVID-19 test to access several businesses and event venues, The Canadian Press reports.

Public service employees are also required to provide proof of vaccination or provide a negative COVID-19 test result at least every seven days.

It comes a day after Saskatchewan recorded its highest daily case count of COVID-19 and its highest number of people needing intensive care.

Businesses that will be requiring proof of vaccination include restaurants, bars, nightclubs, theatres, casinos and entertainment venues.

Children under the age of 12 are exempt from the requirements.

The government will not require proof of vaccination for retail businesses such as grocery stores, places of worship, fast-food restaurants offering takeout and delivery, private indoor gatherings and hotels.

Mandatory indoor masking remains in effect for all indoor public venues.

9:20 a.m.

Montreal Children’s Hospital says emergency visits at ‘worrisome’ levels

Occupancy at the Montreal Children’s Hospital’s emergency ward has reached “worrisome” levels and now exceeds pre-pandemic highs, the hospital said.

Read our full story.

9:20 a.m.

Anti-vaccination protester jailed after refusing to wear mask in Montreal court

A former math teacher who recently protested against COVID-19 vaccinations outside Montreal schools has been ordered to remain detained to ensure he will show up for a trial at the municipal courthouse.

François Amalega Bitondo has reportedly been fined a total of more than $40,000 since the COVID-19 pandemic began. This week, he announced that he has been suspended from Facebook until Oct. 26 because of information he posted about the pandemic.

Read our full story, by Paul Cherry.

9:20 a.m.

The nine psychological barriers that lead to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and refusal

The fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is putting pressure on hospital networks, upsetting many and making vaccine refusals seem foolish. To better understand what leads someone refuse or delay vaccination, it is important to identify the psychological barriers that underlie the decision.

Read our full story.

9:15 a.m.

A guide to Quebec’s COVID-19 vaccine passport

Quebec’s vaccine passport is mandatory for people 13 and older who want to access services and activities deemed non-essential by the provincial government, including bars, restaurants, gyms, festivals and sporting events.

Quebecers can use a smartphone app to prove their vaccination status or simply carry their QR code on paper.

The app is available from Apple’s App Store and Google Play.

We have published two guides to the passports – one looks at how to download and set up the app, and another answers key questions about the system, including how, when and why.

You can find more information on the Quebec government’s website – one page has details on how the system works, and another has a list of the places where a vaccine passport will be required.

A security guard scans a Montrealer’s phone with the VaxiCode Verif app before they are permitted to enter a food court on Wednesday, September 1, 2021.
A security guard scans a Montrealer’s phone with the VaxiCode Verif app before they are permitted to enter a food court on Wednesday, September 1, 2021. Photo by Allen McInnis /Montreal Gazette
9:15 a.m.

A guide to COVID-19 vaccinations in Quebec

Local health authorities have set up mass vaccination sites across Montreal.

You can book appointments via the Clic Santé website or by phone at 1-877-644-4545.

Quebecers can also visit walk-in AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer vaccine clinics.

Here are the nuts and bolts of getting vaccinated.

9:15 a.m.

Here are the current pandemic restrictions in Montreal and Quebec

We are regularly updating our list of what services are open, closed or modified in Montreal and Quebec, including information on the curfew and other lockdown measures.

You can read it here.

9:15 a.m.

Here’s where Montrealers can get tested today

Montrealers can be screened at test centres across the island.

You can check screening clinic wait times here.

8:30 a.m.

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You can sign up here.

ariga@postmedia.com

Read my previous live blogs here.

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