The latest:
Quebec is once again easing COVID-19-related restrictions in some parts of the province, including Montreal and Quebec City.
As of Monday morning, all the regions that were previously classified as orange zones on the province’s pandemic alert system have been downgraded to yellow.
Those include Montreal, Quebec City, Laval, Monteregie to the south of Montreal, the Laurentians, Lanaudiere, Estrie, Outaouais and parts of Bas-St-Laurent.
The change means people from two different households can gather indoors, outdoor team sports can resume and more people can attend weddings, funerals and religious services.
Quebec has reported fewer than 200 COVID-19 cases a day for more than a week, and hospitalizations have been falling steadily. On Sunday, health officials in the province reported two additional deaths and 151 new cases of COVID-19.
Premier François Legault said the province may relax public health measures further in the coming days, but any changes need to be implemented gradually to avoid another bump in cases.
-From The Canadian Press and CBC News, last updated at 6 a.m. ET
What’s happening across Canada
As of early Monday morning, Canada had reported 1,402,125 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 16,954 considered active. A CBC News tally of deaths stood at 25,931. More than 28.9 million COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered so far across the country, according to CBC’s vaccine tracker.
In Atlantic Canada on Sunday, health officials reported a total of 16 new cases of COVID-19, including:
- Eight new cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia.
- Seven new cases of COVID-19 in New Brunswick, which was nearing the goal of having a first dose administered to 75 per cent of the province’s eligible population.
- One new case in Newfoundland and Labrador, the lowest single-day case number in the province since late April.
There were no new cases of COVID-19 reported in Prince Edward Island on Sunday.
In Ontario, more people will be able to book an accelerated second dose of COVID-19 vaccine starting Monday. Those who received a first jab of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine can now book their second shot after eight weeks. The Ontario government had previously set a minimum wait time of 12 weeks for people who took a first dose of AstraZeneca.
The province, which entered the first phase of its reopening plan on Friday, reported seven additional deaths and 530 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday .
In the Prairie provinces on Sunday, Manitoba reported seven deaths and 194 new cases of COVID-19.
Saskatchewan, meanwhile, reported no deaths and 65 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday.
In Alberta on Sunday, the province reported one death and 165 new cases of COVID-19. The update came a day after Premier Jason Kenney announced a lottery with three $1-million prizes available to Albertans who have had at least a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Across the North on Sunday, there were no new cases of COVID-19 reported in Nunavut or the Northwest Territories. In Yukon on Sunday, acting Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Catherine Elliot declared a COVID-19 outbreak in Whitehorse, saying in a statement there had been six new cases of COVID-19 since Friday.
“The outbreak is linked to youth and adults who are not yet vaccinated,” the statement said.
British Columbia will provide updated figures covering the weekend later Monday.
-From CBC News and The Canadian Press, last updated at 7 a.m. ET
What’s happening around the world
The debate about the use of COVID-19 vaccine passports is heating up as more people get vaccinated. Some say they can be incentives for people to get a shot and allow more normal activities to resume, but others worry about infringing on people’s freedom and privacy. 7:47
As of early Monday morning, more than 176 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported around the world, according to a tracking site published by Johns Hopkins University in the U.S. The reported global death toll stood at more than 3.8 million.
In the Asia-Pacific region, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said he felt reassured by other Group of Seven leaders showing “firm support” to his determination to host the Tokyo Olympics next month. Suga told reporters while in Britain for the G7 Summit that he explained to other leaders Japan’s commitment to ensure through virus control measures that the Games would be safe and secure.
“I’m feeling reassured by the firm support I received from all the other leaders,” Suga said Sunday before heading back to Tokyo. “I have renewed my determination to make the Tokyo Games a success at any cost.”
In Africa, Kenya has received a $750 million US loan from the World Bank to support its budget and help the East African economy recover from the effects of the pandemic, the multilateral lender said.
In the Americas, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration said Johnson & Johnson must throw away millions of doses of its vaccine that were manufactured at a problem-plagued Baltimore factory, but also cleared millions for use.
In the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates on Monday reported 1,837 new cases of COVID-19 and four additional deaths, local media reported.
In Europe, Germany’s health ministry said Johnson & Johnson must deliver 6.5 million vaccine doses to Germany in July to make up for a shortfall expected in June.
Moscow will give away cars in a prize draw for residents who get the COVID-19 shot in an effort to speed up the slow rate of vaccinations.
-From Reuters, The Associated Press and CBC News, last updated at 7 a.m. ET
