Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Jan. 13

The latest:

• SaskatchewanPremier Scott Moe tests positive for COVID-19.
  
• Ontario's chief medical officer of health warns the month ahead will be tough.
  
• Quebec premier ends curfew,sends kids back to school Monday.
  
• Manitoba schools will no longer notify close contacts of individual COVID-19 cases.
  
• Nunavut easing some COVID-19 restrictions starting Monday.
  
• CBC EXPLAINS |If you got Omicron post-vaccination, medical experts advise not to rush out for a booster shot.
  
• 2 years into the pandemic, why aren't all retail workers getting N95 masks?
  
• N.B. moves to Level 3 COVID-19 restrictions until Jan. 30as hospitalizations rise.
  
• ANALYSIS |A tax on the unvaxxed would be legally and ethically questionable even if it worked.
  
• Trudeau not ready to endorse Quebec's plan to tax the unvaccinated.

New Brunswick is movingto the more restrictive Level 3on Friday at 11:59 p.m., as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the province.

Premier Blaine Higgs, who himself tested positive on New Year's Eve, made the announcement Thursday.

Under Level 3, social gatherings willbe limited to single household bubbles;no public gatherings willbe permitted; restaurantswillbe takeout only;non-essential retail willbe reduced to contactlesspickup or delivery only;gyms, salons and entertainment centres willbe closed;and faith services willonly be allowed outdoors or virtually.

WATCH | New Brunswick's new restrictions:

New Brunswick lays out new restrictions to combat Omicron variant

3 years ago

Duration 2:27

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs announced Thursday that the province is set to move to 'Level 3,' the most restrictive level of its COVID-19 winter plan, for 16 days beginning Friday at midnight.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says he has also tested positive for COVID-19. Moe posted histest result on Twitter Thursday morning.

The premier's press secretary, Julie Leggott, said in an email to CBC News that Moe has been routinely using rapid antigen testing to monitor for COVID-19. She saidhe isn't experiencing any symptoms.

Moe appeared in person at a newsconference on Wednesday and took his mask off while answering questions.

Leggott's email went on to advise that anyone who was present at the news conference "should self-monitor and rapid test," and that all Moe's close contacts fromthe past 48 hours have been notified in accordance with public healthguidance.

Meanwhile, some provinces are pushing back the start of in-school learning again. Prince Edward Island announced students will not be back in class until at least Jan. 24as provincialCOVID-19 cases have been increasing steadilyover the past week.

"Despite our best efforts and preparations, there will be cases of COVID-19 in the schools," said Chief Public Health OfficerDr. Heather Morrison. "Our aim will be to minimize disruption in learning for students and for P.E.I. families in general."

Newfoundland and Labrador is also aiming to get studentsback in class Jan. 24. They will continue with online learning for the next week.

Prior to returning to class, all students, teachers and school staff across the province will be required to take tworapid COVID-19 tests at home, about 72 hours apart. For example, if classes resume on Jan. 24, tests would be taken on Jan. 21 and the morning of Jan. 24.

Quebec, however, is sending kids back to school on Monday, and is removing the curfew that has been in effect since Dec. 31. Premier Franois Legault says he believes case numbers in the province are beginning to stabilize.

In a briefing Thursday, Legaultalso said vaccination will now be mandatory for big box stores, with the exclusion of grocery stores and pharmacies.

The 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew drewcriticism asLegault provided little evidence thatcurfews areeffective at slowing transmission of the virus.Legault said Thursday that he hopesthe province will return to where it was before Christmas soonwith everything from movie theatres to gyms and restaurants fully reopened.

WATCH | Quebecon the right track, says premier:

Quebec says latest COVID-19 wave has peaked, ends curfew

3 years ago

Duration 1:51

The Quebec government says the latest COVID-19 wave has peaked and will start lifting some restrictions, including ending a curfew and sending students back to class.

Manitoba students will also return to in-school learning Monday, but with the news that schools will no longer notify close contacts of individual cases andwill instead provide reports on absenteeism through theirregular channels.

-From CBC News, and The Canadian Presslast updated at 4:30 p.m. ET

What's happening across Canada

WATCH | Proposed unvaccinated tax raises many concerns:

Quebecs proposed unvaccinated tax raises legal, ethical, political concerns

3 years ago

Duration 2:43

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is among the chorus of voices saying they need more details before they can support Quebec's plan to implement a tax on residents unvaccinated against COVID-19.

With lab-based testing capacity deeply strained and increasingly restricted,experts say true case counts are likely far higher than reported. Hospitalization data at the regional level is also evolving, with several provinces saying they will reportfiguresthat separatethe number of people in hospital because of COVID-19 from those in hospital for another medical issue who alsotest positive for COVID-19.

• Track how many people have been given the COVID-19 vaccine across Canada

For more information on what is happening in your community including details on outbreaks, testing capacity and local restrictions click through to the regional coverage below.

You can also read more from thePublic Health Agency of Canada, whichprovides a detailed look at every regionincludingseven-day averagetest positivity ratesin itsdaily epidemiological updates.

In Central Canada, health officials in Quebec on Thursday said COVID-19 hospitalizations had risen to 2,994, an increase of 117. The number of people in intensive care, the province's health ministry said, stood at 272.

The province also reported 45 additional deaths, as well as8,793new lab-confirmed cases.

• Quebec parents may be called in to supervise classrooms if teachers out sick with COVID-19

Health officials in Ontario on Thursday reported 35 additional deaths linked to COVID-19. Total hospitalizations stood at 3,630 an increase of 182 with 500 people inintensive care units, according to data from the province's public health dashboard.The province, which has limited access to PCR testing, reported an additional 9,909 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19.

In a briefing Thursday, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore said he anticipates the spread of Omicron could peak in the next few weeks. That peak is likely to be followedby subsequent increases in hospitalizations and ICU admissions.

"It will be a difficult January, but the sacrifices you are making now means a better February and a better March for all of us," Moore said.

Moore stressed Ontarians need to continue getting their booster shots to keep hospitalization numbers at bay.

Individuals in Ontario who are immunocompromisedare eligible for a fourth dose of vaccine as of Friday, providing they are 84 days out from their third dose.

• Ontario's COVID-19 test positivity rate still over 20%
• Quebec recommends 3rd dose for those who've recently had COVID-19
• People with disabilities 'left out' of Ontario's pandemic response, activists say
• Life in lockdown: 2 families share stories from Bearskin Lake First Nation in Ontario

In Atlantic Canada, officials inPrince Edward Island on Thursday announced that students will be learning remotely for at least another week.

Newfoundland and Labrador will keep kids learning from home until at leastJan. 24.

"While I know it's not perfect, it has allowed us to minimize learning loss during these difficult times," Education Minister Tom Osborne said in a news release.

The province, which did not report any additional deaths on Thursday, has eight people in hospital with COVID-19, including three in the ICU. There were 520 new lab-confirmed cases.

InNew Brunswick, hospitalizations increased by 10 to 104, health officials said Thursday, with ninepeople in intensive care units. The province also saw fouradditional deaths and 304additional lab-confirmed cases.

Nova Scotiahealth officials on Thursday reported 59 people in hospital and seven in the ICU. There were 542 lab confirmed COVID-19 cases.

• Strang warns N.S. at 'most serious' point in pandemic
• COVID-19 hospital load 'manageable,' plans in place for more
• Moncton church opens doors to homeless after COVID-19 case at shelter warming centre

Across the North,Nunavut's top public health doctor said in a statement Thursday that the territory will lift some COVID-19 restrictions as of next Monday.

"The strict public health restrictions since the end of December have been effective in controlling the spread of COVID-19," said Dr. Michael Patterson, Nunavut's chiefpublichealthofficer,as the territory reported 12 additional cases.

Health officials inYukon reported that there are still two patients in hospital, with 56 new confirmed cases.

TheNorthwest Territorieshad120 new cases.

• 'Sheer volume' of infections in N.W.T. will lead to hospitalizations, says top doctor
• Yukon top doctor expects more COVID-19 hospitalizations within 'days to week'

In the Prairie provinces, hospitalizations inManitobahit another pandemic high Thursday, with499 COVID-19-related cases in hospital up 45in one day. The number of people in ICU rose to 47, and there were nineadditional deaths. The province also reported 1,228additional lab-confirmed cases. Manitoba has one of the highest test positivity rates in the country with a five-day average of44.9 per cent.

In Saskatchewan,health officialson Thursday said hospitalizations rose slightly fora total of 123, with 11 people in ICU. The province, which had no additional deaths to report, saw 945additional lab-confirmed cases.

Albertaon Thursday said COVID-19 hospitalizations rose to 786, with 79people in the province's intensive care units. The provincereported eightadditional deaths andrecorded 6,010 additional lab-confirmed cases. The test positivity rate in the province is 40.9 per cent.

• All Manitobans 'highly likely' to be exposed in coming weeks, official says
• Saskatchewanextends public health orders, residents told to 'trust themselves' when it comes to gatherings
• Delivery of rapid test kits from Ottawa delayed, Alberta's top doctor says

In British Columbia,health officials on Thursday reported sevenCOVID-19 deaths. The province also said there were 534people in hospital an increase of 34 including 104in intensive care. The province reported an additional 2,554 lab-confirmedcasesof COVID-19.

A number of people who took part in the women's and men's provincial curling championships last week in Kamloops havetested positive for COVID-19, according to Curl B.C. The organization is asking that anyone who attended and developssymptoms or tests positive to let them know.

• Delta schools to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for teachers, staff

-From CBC News and The Canadian Press, last updated at 6:45p.m. ET

What's happening around the world

As of Thursday evening, roughly319.7 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University's coronavirus-tracking database. The reported global death toll stood at more than 5.5 million.

The U.S. Supreme Court has stopped a major push by the Biden administration to boost the nation's COVID-19 vaccination rate, a requirement that employees at large businesses get a vaccine or test regularly and wear a mask on the job.

At the same time, the court is allowing the administration to proceed with a vaccine mandate for most health-care workers. The court's orders Thursday came during a spike in coronavirus cases caused by the Omicron variant.

U.S. President JoeBiden called on businesses to institute their own vaccination requirements, noting that a third of Fortune 100 companies already have done so.

Biden also said Thursday he was deploying more military health workers to hospitals in six U.S. states, and would give Americans free masks and more free tests to tackleOmicron around the country.

InAfrica, the continent's top public health body said it was in talks with Pfizer about securing supplies of its antiviral COVID-19 pills for the continent, the latest to join the race for a drug seen as a potential game changer.

"We are in really close discussions with Pfizer to see what can be done to make the drugs available on the continent and accessible on the continent, that is, the Paxlovid drugs," said John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

• INTERACTIVE |Tracking the coronavirus in Canada and around the world

In theAsia-Pacificregion, new infections in Indian cities could peak next week after rising rapidly, experts said, as the country reported the highest number of daily cases since late May and Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India had adequate stocks of vaccines across states.

Meanwhile,Tokyo recorded a new four-month high in infections, and experts forecast the spread of the Omicron variant would cause the daily count to triple by month's end.

South Korea will begin treating coronavirus patients with Pfizer's antiviral pills on Friday, health officials said, as concern mounts over the spread of Omicron. At least 21,000 of the pillsarrived on Thursday to be distributed to some 280 pharmacies and 90 residential treatment centres, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said.

InEurope,French teachers walked off the job on Thursday over what they say is the government's failure to adopt a coherent policy for schools to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and protect pupils and staff against infection.

Germany's vaccine committee recommended on Thursday that all children between the ages of 12 and 17 receive a COVID-19 booster as the country reported a new daily record of more than 81,000 coronavirus infections.

Meanwhile, British officials said Thursday the self-isolation period for people in England who test positive for COVID-19 will be reduced from next week to five full days, instead of seven.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid also said that early signs indicate that the rate of hospitalization from the coronavirus in the country is starting to slow. Currently, those infected can be released from self-isolation after seven days if they test negative on both days six and seven.

Javid urged people to continue to self-test for the virus, so that "we can restore the freedoms to this country while we're keeping everyone safe."

• Boris Johnson, facing calls to resign, apologizes for attending lockdown party

The U.K. saw record numbers of daily confirmed infections over Christmas and into the new year, topping 200,000 cases on some days, as the Omicron variant spread rapidly. Industries from retail to education, and infrastructure like public transport and postal services, have been severely disrupted because scores of workers had to isolate and could not go to work.

Javid told lawmakers that although hospitals will "remain under significant pressure" over the coming weeks with almost 17,000 COVID-19 patients in hospitals in England the current wave of the pandemic has not seen an increase in intensive care patients. Official data showed "encouraging signs" that cases were falling in London and eastern England, he said, but infections were rising elsewhere in the country.

In theMiddle East,Saudi Arabia on Wednesday reported two additional deaths and5,362 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

-From Reuters, The Associated Press and CBC News, last updated at 10:50 a.m. ET