Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on March 3

The latest:

• Germany extends lockdown but sets out phased planto relax more rules.
• U.S. President Joe Biden says decisionsin Texas, Mississippi to end mask-wearing requirements amount to 'Neanderthal thinking'
• Quebec willlift some restrictions outside greater Montreal region after March break.
• National advisory committee recommends stretching interval between vaccine doses to 4 months.
• Health Canada allows Pfizer-BioNTech vaccineto be stored, transported at higher temperatures.
• An earlier end date for Canada's vaccination campaign is 'possible,'Trudeau says.
• COVID-linked deaths in Ontario top 7,000 as record-high number get vaccine shots.
• Ontario long-term care homes continue breaking COVID-19 safety rules.
• Have a question about the coronavirus pandemic? You can reach us at COVID@cbc.ca

Quebec is loosening restrictions around restaurants, gymsand places of worship, as well as shortening the province'scurfew, inregions outside of greater Montreal starting next week.

Premier Franois Legaultprovided the update on COVID-19 restrictions at a briefing on Wednesday.

Starting next Monday, people living outside greater Montrealwill be allowed to once again hit the gym, dine atrestaurants andattend houses of worship, though physical distancing limits will apply.They will also be able to stay out until 9:30 p.m., rather than the current curfew of8 p.m.

However, it will still beprohibited to have social visitors from another address, except for people who live alone.

The Montreal region will remain in the maximum red-zone alert level, as thehealth network there is still strainedamid wider concerns about the riseof more contagiousCOVID-19 variants.

• Third wave of infections coming soon, Montreal warns, urging elderly to get vaccinated

Quebecrecorded729 new cases of COVID-19 and 19 additional deaths on Wednesday. Hospitalizations in the province stood at 618, with 120 COVID-19 patients in intensive care.

Provincial data also showed 16,117 doses of vaccine were administered the day before, bringing the total number of doses that Quebec has administered since Dec. 14 to 472,710.

Changes to vaccine rollout

Across the country, just over two million doses have been given so far. On Wednesday,Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saidCanada's vaccination campaign could wrap up before September ahead of schedule if the country secures the necessary shots and if there's a change in dosing timelines.

Later Wednesday,the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI)updated its guidance on the maximum interval between doses ofPfizer-BioNTech vaccine, raising itfrom three weeks to four months.

It's a change that some provinces, notably B.C. and Quebec, have implemented already in order to give as many people as possible a first vaccine dose as quickly as possible.

WATCH |Trudeaucomments onBiden's vaccine pledge:

Trudeau is asked if Canada will get some of the U.S.'s vaccine production in June

4 years ago

Duration 2:14

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked by the CBC's Tom Parry about the pledge by U.S. President Joe Biden to have enough COVID-19 vaccines for all adult Americans by the end of May.

"NACI recommends that in the context of limited COVID-19 vaccine supply, jurisdictions should maximize the number of individuals benefiting from the first dose of vaccine by extending the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine up to four months after the first," the committee said in a statement.

Trudeau'scomments also came on the same day that Canada received its first shipment ofthe AstraZeneca-Oxfordvaccinemanufactured by the Serum Institute of India.

Also Wednesday, Health Canada saidit hasauthorized a submission from Pfizer-BioNTech to allow its COVID-19 vaccine to be stored and transported at standard freezer temperatures (between -25C and -15C) for up to two weeks instead of ultra-cold conditions.

"Vials stored at -25 C to -15 C for up to two weeks or transported at -25 C to -15 C may be returned one time to the recommended storage condition of -80 C to -60 C," Health Canada said in a statement announcing the change, which the department said follows a "thorough review" ofPfizer-BioNTech's submission.

While ultra-cold conditions are still recommended, the change allows for more flexible transportation and local re-distribution of thevaccine.

- From The Canadian Press, last updated at 6:15p.m. ET

What's happening across Canada

WATCH |Some provinces won't give AstraZeneca to seniors, could change rollout plans

Some provinces wont give AstraZeneca to seniors, could change rollout plans

4 years ago

Duration 2:29

Several provinces are signalling they will follow the recommendation of Canadas vaccine advisory body and not give the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine to seniors, creating a shift away from a high-priority group despite Health Canadas advice that the vaccine is safe and effective.

As of 6:45 p.m. ET, Canada had reported 875,564cases of COVID-19, with 29,930cases considered active. A CBC News tally of deaths stood at 22,105.

Ontarioon Wednesday reported958 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday and 17 additional deaths.Hospitalizations in the province stood at 668, with 274 COVID-19 patients in intensive care units.

In Atlantic Canada,Newfoundland and Labradorreported three new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. The number of people in hospital with COVID-19stood at nine, health officials said.

WATCH | P.E.I.eases restrictions, including reopening schools:

P.E.I. eases restrictions as COVID-19 spread under control

4 years ago

Duration 2:11

Prince Edward Island will move out of a red-level lockdown imposed early this week in response to a COVID-19 outbreak that led to mass testing. The province will now move into a new 'circuit-breaker' phase which will see schools open, indoor dining at restaurants and modest mixing in households.

Prince Edward Islandreported one new case of COVID-19 on Wednesday, as the chief public health officersaid there wasno evidenceof widespread community transmission in the province.

Dr. Heather Morrison said the province is not yet out of the woods, warning that the province is still susceptible to the importation of COVID-19.

"Let us proceed cautiously, and let us continue to be patient and kind," she said.

New Brunswick and Nova Scotia each reported three new cases on Wednesday.

Across the North,Nunavut,Yukon andtheNorthwest Territorieshad no new cases.

Manitobareported51 new casesand threenew deaths on Wednesday. The update comes a day after thegovernmentloosenedsome of its COVID-19 restrictions as its case numbers continued to drop. Starting Friday, people will be allowed to have another entire household visit in their home, and outdoor public gatherings can increase to 10 people from five.

In the other Prairies provinces, Saskatchewan reported121 new cases and two more deathson Wednesday.The province said on Tuesday that 91per cent of its long-term care home residents had received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with theother 10 per cent either decliningthe vaccine or not able to take it because of medical or other reasons.

WATCH |Industrial workplaces remain a concern:

Industrial workplaces remain concern as COVID-19 variants spread

4 years ago

Duration 5:25

As variants of concern continue to spread, workers in industrial settings remain a big risk. In Peel Region, a major manufacturing centre outside Toronto, many precautions arent followed and the lack of sick days is still a major hurdle for employees.

Albertareported402 new cases and12 new deaths on Wednesday.Across the province, hospitals were treating 251 patients with the illness, including 48 in ICU beds.

Health officials also announced that, for the first time, an outbreak of COVID-19 in an Albertalong-term care facility has been linked to a highly contagious variant of the coronavirus.

British Columbia, meanwhile, reported542 new cases and sevenmore deaths. There were246 people hospitalized due to COVID-19, including 64in intensive care, health officials said.

B.C.'stop doctor had announced earlier this week the province would be delaying second doses of COVID-19 vaccine by four months, citingscientific evidence as well as real-world data.

Dr. Bonnie Henry saidthe data shows protection from a single dose is upwards of 90 per cent and lasts for several months, and delaying second doses will maximize the benefit of vaccines for everyone while reducing mortality and severe illness for those most at risk.

LISTEN | Mixed messaging around AstraZeneca vaccine and over-65s:

-From The Canadian Press and CBC News, last updated at6:45 p.m. ET

What's happening around the world

As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 114.9million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, with more than 65million cases considered recovered, according to a tracking tool maintained by Johns Hopkins University. The global death toll stood at more than 2.5 million.

In theAsia-Pacificregion, thefirst batch of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine has arrived in Taiwan.

Taiwan has signed contracts securing 10 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, 5.05 million doses of the Moderna vaccine and 4.76 million doses of vaccines through COVAX. Wednesday's delivery had 117,000 doses, which was transported from the airport with a police escort.

• INTERACTIVE |Where is the coronavirus pandemic getting better or worse?

Health-care workers, especially those who have direct contact with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases, will be the first to get the shots, Taiwan's Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said at a news briefing. The island has yet to announce a mass vaccination campaign for the general public.

Indonesia has detected two cases of the more infectious COVID-19 variant first discovered in Britain, marking a potential new complication for the country.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga says he is considering extending an ongoing state of emergency for the Tokyo region for about two weeks, amid concerns that infections have not slowed enough and are continuing to strain health systems in the region.

Suga had declared a month-long state of emergency in Jan. 7 for Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba, then extended the measure through to March 7. The measure issued for up to 10 other urban prefectures later in January was lifted last week, underscoring the government's eagerness to allow businesses to return to normal as soon as possible.

In theAmericas, U.S. President Joe Biden is directing states to prioritize vaccinating all teachers during the month of March, and announced that the federal government will help in the effort through its partnership with retail pharmacies.

Biden said his goal is for every pre-kindergarten through 12th grade educator, school staff member and child-care worker to receive at least one shot by the end of March. To achieve this, Biden announced that qualifying individuals will be able to sign up this month to be vaccinated at a pharmacy near them.

• Where should U.S. vaccine production go next? Canada and Mexico, says one lawmaker

Biden said that while schools are safe to reopen even before staff have been vaccinated, "time and again, we've heard from educators and parents that have anxieties about that," so to "accelerate" the safe reopening teachers should be prioritized.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued the most sweeping rollback of restrictions of any U.S. state on Tuesday, lifting a mask mandate and saying most businesses may open at full capacity next week, while Michigan and Louisiana also announced a loosening of restrictions.

On Wednesday, Biden said said decisions to end the required wearing of masks such as those by governors of Texas and Mississippi amounted to "Neanderthal thinking" given the rising death toll from the coronavirus pandemic.

"I think it's a big mistake," Biden told reporters. "Look, I hope everybody's realized by now, these masks make a difference."

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that 500,000 doses of China's Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine had arrived in the South American country, along with protective material for medical personnel.

In theMiddle East,Saudi Arabia's health ministry has ruled that only people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 will be allowed to attend the hajj this year, Saudi newspaper Okaz reported.

InEurope,Spain revised downwardits tally of coronavirus cases on Tuesday after eliminating those registered twice in the region of Catalonia.

Germany is extending its coronavirus shutdown by three weeks until March 28 but easing some restrictions to allow non-essential stores and other businesses to reopen in areas with relatively low infection rates.

After about nine hours of talks, Chancellor Angela Merkel and the governors of the country's 16 states agreed Wednesday to measures aimed at balancing concern over the impact of more contagious coronavirus variants with a growing clamour for a return to a more normal life.

The first moves have already been made: Many elementary students returned to school last week. And on Monday, hairdressers opened after a 2-month break. Current lockdown rules were set to run through Sunday.

On Wednesday, Merkel and the state governors who in highly decentralized Germany have the power to impose and lift restrictions set out a phased plan that allows for some further relaxation of restrictions. Regions where infection rates are relatively low though not as low as previously envisioned will be able to open non-essential stores, museums and other facilities on a limited basis.

Portugal had its fewest COVID-19 patients in hospital in four months on Tuesday, as its prime minister warned that enforcing lockdown curbs remained essential in a country that topped global death rates a month ago.

InAfrica, more countries received the long-awaited first deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines on Wednesday, with Kenya and Rwanda benefiting from the global COVAX initiative that aims to ensure doses for the world's low- and middle-income nations.

African and other health officials have been frustrated with the sight of a handful of rich countries rolling out vaccines after snapping up large amounts for themselves.

"We will be known as the continent of COVID," if Africa doesn't quickly reach its target of vaccinating 60 per centof its population of 1.3 billion people, the director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, John Nkengasong, said last week. The continent last month surpassed 100,000 confirmed deaths.

So far Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Angola and Congo also have received their first vaccine doses via COVAX, with several other countries including Mali, Senegal, Malawi and Uganda set to receive them this week.

Rwanda is becoming the first African nation to receive the Pfizer vaccine via COVAX. The vaccine needs storage at ultra-cold temperatures, making rollout complex in hot countries and rural areas, for example.COVAX has faced delays related to the severely limited global supply of vaccine doses as well as logistical issues.

• Ivory Coast begins COVID-19 inoculations with shots from COVAX initiative
• History will judge us if we vaccinate rich countries while poor ones suffer,African CDC head says

And COVAX alone will not supply Africa's 54 countries with the doses needed to reach the 60 per centpopulation coverage for achieving so-called herd immunity, when enough people are protected through infection or vaccination to make it difficult for a virus to continue to spread.

That's why some countries such as South Africa, the hardest-hit African nation, are also pursuing COVID-19 vaccines via bilateral deals or via the African Union's bulk-purchasing program.

-From The Associated Press and Reuters, last updated at 6:15 p.m. ET