Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Saturday

The latest:

• Ontarioreports 1,829 new cases asoutdoor dining resumes in grey-lockdown zones.
• Nova Scotiastarts vaccinating residents atprimary care clinics.
• New data offers a glimpse at how wellCanadians havecomplied with restrictions.
• Fans from outside Japan banned from attending Tokyo Olympics.
• 51% of adults in the U.K. administered at least 1 dose of vaccine.
• Canada hesitates to update guidance on AstraZeneca vaccine amid potential link to blood clots.
• Have a question about the COVID-19 pandemic?You can reach us at COVID@cbc.ca

Ontarioreported 1,829 new cases and11 new deathsonSaturday as looser restrictions came into effect forrestaurants, including the resumption of outdoor dining in grey-lockdown zones.

The new cases markedthe province'shighest daily case countsince Feb. 1 andcomes amid growing consensus amonghealth experts and infectious disease specialists that Ontario has entered a third wave of the pandemic.

The surge isdriven primarily by variants of concern that are more transmissible and more likely to cause serious illness. Ontario's COVID-19 science advisory table, a group of experts that advises the government on its pandemic response, calculates that variants currently account for about 54 per cent of all new cases.

The province alsoreportedthat 765 peopleare hospitalized due to COVID-19, including 302 in intensive care.

Premier Doug Ford announced Friday that the province wouldloosensome COVID-19 restrictions to help struggling businesses.

Effective Saturday after midnight, outdoor dining is now permittedin grey-lockdown zones, which include the hard-hit regions of Toronto and Peel Region.

Dr. Peter Jni of the province's COVID-19 science advisory table told CBC News that the risk of infection outdoors is greatly reduced.

"Outdoors is so much safer. It's not about risk elimination; it's about risk reduction," he said.

WATCH |Ontario allowing outdoor dining in grey-lockdown zones:

Ontario will allow outdoor dining in grey-lockdown zones, modifying COVID-19 restrictions

4 years ago

Duration 2:56

Ontario will allow outdoor dining in grey-lockdown zones after modifying some of its COVID-19 restrictions. Restaurants in the red and orange zones of the province's colour-coded guidelines will have their indoor dining capacity increased to 50 per cent up to a maximum of 50 or 100 people, respectively.

Meanwhile, restaurants in the red and orange zones of the province's colour-coded guidelines are seeing their indoor dining capacity increased to 50 per cent up to a maximum of 50 or 100 people, respectively.

Only those from the same household can sit at a table together, indoors or outdoors. The exception is those who live alone or are acting as caregivers to someone outside their own household maysit with one other household.

The loosening of restrictions comes as Ontario expandsits COVID-19 vaccinationcampaign. As of Monday, people aged 75 and older can start scheduling appointments through the province's booking portal.

The province will also allow certain pharmacies and family doctors in select regions to give the AstraZeneca-Oxford shot to residents aged 60 and older.

What's happening across Canada

As of 6p.m. ET on Saturday,Canada had reported 930,521cases of COVID-19, with 34,283cases considered active. A CBC News tally of deaths stood at 22,643.

Alberta reported556 new cases of COVID-19 andfour more deaths. Officials say 99 of the cases are coronavirus variants of concern, bring the total of active variant cases to 759.

In Saskatchewan,Regina Public Schools and the Regina Catholic School Division plan tomove to remote learning over the next two weeksdue to concerns over coronavirus variants. Of the 156 confirmed variants of concern cases in the province,141, or 90 per cent, are in the Regina area.

On Saturday, Saskatchewan announced three additional COVID-19 deaths and 200 new cases, but none of them were variants.

WATCH |Officials urge caution asvariants take hold in Western Canada:

Officials urge caution as COVID-19 variants take hold in Western Canada

4 years ago

Duration 1:32

The COVID-19 variants are taking hold in much of Western Canada with confirmed cases doubling in some provinces and Regina seeing nearly all its cases from the variants, prompting health officials to urge caution and warn that lockdowns may return.

Manitoba registered 89 more COVID-19 cases on Saturday and one death. Of the new cases, more than half 46 are in the Northern health region.

In another development, an outbreak has been declared at Riverview Health Centre personal care homein Winnipeg.

Quebecadministered more than 40,000 vaccine shots in a single day for the first time since the start of the pandemic.So far,more than 915,000vaccine doses have been administered in the province.

New Brunswickreportedthree new casesin the Edmundston region. Officials say all three are linked to previous cases and are self-isolating.

Meanwhile, New Brunswickers coming into Nova Scotia now no longer have to self-isolate when entering Nova Scotia. But Nova Scotians going to New Brunswick will still have to self-isolate for two weeks upon arrival there.

Although Nova Scotia has reopened its border, New Brunswick is not planning to do the same.

WATCH | Atlantic bubble set for April reopening:

Atlantic bubble set for April reopening

4 years ago

Duration 1:56

Four premiers have planned to reopen the Atlantic bubble in mid-April, allowing people to travel between Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, P.E.I. and New Brunswick without isolating.

In Nova Scotia,the province's firstvaccinations in a primary care clinic took place at a walk-in clinic in Truro.

Ten community clinics and 15 pharmacies are administering theCOVID-19 vaccine to all Nova Scotians who are 80 and older based on birth month, while 25 pharmacies and physician offices are bringing AstraZeneca vaccine to those aged60 to 64.

Additionally,various restrictionson long-term care, restaurants, sports and other areas were lifted as of 8 a.m. Saturday for those in the Halifax Regional Municipality and other designated areas.

Newfoundland and Labradoradded 21 new recoveries and saw no new cases for the fourth time this week.

The new recoveries dropped the province's active caseload to five known active cases, all in the Eastern Health region. The last time the province's active case count was this low was Jan. 27.

In Prince Edward Island, four more people have been diagnosed with COVID-19, including a male under 19 who is involved in minor sport activities, the Chief Public Health Office said late Friday. The office also said there was a public exposure at Stretch Fitness in Summerside.

Nunavut also did not tally any new cases. The territory did see two recoveries, bringing active cases back down to zero.

Yukon is the only other jurisdiction in Canada with no active cases.As of Friday, the Northwest Territories was reporting a single active case.

What's happening around the world

As of Saturday, more than 122.4million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide with 69.3 million cases listed as recovered,according to a tracking tool maintained by Johns Hopkins University. The global death toll stood at more than 2.7 million.

In the Americas, Chile has reported its highest daily count of 7,084 coronavirus infections since the start of the pandemic, despite widespread restrictions and progress on vaccinations.

In Europe, the U.K. says half of the country's adults have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The National Health Service has put shots in the arms of 26.9 million people, or 51 per centof the adult population, according to the latest government statistics.

In Asia, the Tokyo Olympics announced that spectators from abroad will be barred from attending when the Gamesopen in four months in an effort to curb potential COVID-19 risks.

In Africa, Guy Brice Parfait Kollas, the leading opposition presidential candidate in Republic of Congo, was receiving oxygen at a private hospital after being diagnosed with COVID-19, a family member said, casting Sunday's election into doubt on the eve of the vote.