Canada edges towards new milestone in COVID cases as Moderna says vaccine effective
Posted Dec 4, 2020 11:02 am.
OTTAWA – Canada edged towards a new milestone in COVID-19 cases Friday as accelerating infections had Prime Minister Justin Trudeau noting numbers are “too high,” especially in Alberta “where the numbers are rising alarmingly.”
Additions to the daily tally brought the nation to nearly 400,000 reported cases by Friday morning, including 1,780 new cases in Ontario, 1,345 in Quebec, eight in New Brunswick and eight in Nunavut.
Trudeau says the Health Canada review of the Pfizer vaccine is ongoing. They will not approve a vaccine until they meet our strict standards and are safe for Canadians. Trudeau also going over the distribution plan released yesterday #cdnpoli
— Cormac Mac Sweeney (@cmaconthehill) December 4, 2020
Trudeau warned of increasing strain on hospitals and health-care workers and urged Canadians to remain vigilant in public health care measures that he acknowledged will make for a difficult holiday season.
Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said spread had “hit a critical point” in her province, where there are 633 new cases in Toronto, 433 in Peel and 152 in York Region, and 25 more deaths linked to the virus.
In Quebec, there are 1,345 new cases and 28 additional deaths, including five deaths that occurred in the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, U.S. biotech firm Moderna said Friday it will have as many as 125 million doses available by the end of March, including 15 to 25 million doses available for non-U.S. countries.
