Canada’s chief public health officer receives her 2nd shot — this time with Moderna | CBC News

“Thrilled to receive my 2nd #COVID19Vaccine dose today (Moderna this time)!” Dr. Theresa Tam posted on Twitter, along with a photo of her pointing at her arm at a mass vaccination clinic at the University of Ottawa.

“Big thanks to the staff @OttawaHealth and #frontlineworkers at vaccination clinics across Canada, for their important and tireless work!” she tweeted.

Tam said back in April that her first dose was a Pfizer-BioNTech shot. She now joins the 25 per cent of Canadians who’ve been administered two shots.

Her second dose comes after Pfizer announced a delay in shipments to Canada, and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization said mixing mRNA vaccines — which Pfizer and Moderna both are — is safe, prompting many provinces to shift to rolling out Moderna for those first inoculated with Pfizer.

“This is not a new concept, so having a multi-dose series in terms of vaccines given by manufacturers is something that public health have used over time for many other vaccines,” Tam said in early June. “When vaccines programs and supplies change, this is not an unusual thing to do.” 

What’s happening across Canada

As of 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Canada had reported 1,412,868 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 8,924 considered active. A CBC News tally of deaths stood at 26,214. More than 34 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far across the country, according to CBC’s vaccine tracker.

Saskatchewan tallied 61 new COVID-19 infections and one additional death on Saturday. The province also said 70 per cent of residents 12 and older have now received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose.

Manitoba registered 106 new cases and three more fatalities

Also Saturday, the province moves out of code red for the first time since November. Now that 70 per cent of eligible Manitobans have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 25 per cent have their second shot, people can visit restaurants, salons and gyms.

The provincial government is still urging residents “to continue to follow the fundamentals and adhere to public health orders.”

WATCH | Restaurants scramble to find staff as Man. COVID-19 rules ease:

While Manitoba restaurants are finally seeing some light during the COVID-19 pandemic, not all of them will be willing or able to set tables for patrons as dine-in restrictions ease this weekend. 2:22

Ontario logged 346 new cases and 13 more deaths.

As of 8 a.m. on Saturday, Ontario youth between the ages of 12 and 17 who live in designated hot spots for the delta COVID-19 variant can book accelerated second vaccine dose appointments.

Quebec on Monday will move to the lowest alert level of the province’s colour-coded COVID-19 alert system, which allows for more relaxed restrictions on social gatherings and group sports.

WATCH | Bigger parties, more sports and fewer masks as Que. to ease restrictions:

Quebec Premier François Legault has announced a significant easing of public health restrictions as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccinations climb. 1:19

New Brunswick Public Health says 76,000 doses were given out in the past week, the highest seven-day rolling average since the pandemic began.

Nova Scotia reported 11 new cases on Saturday, all in the central health zone. 

Prince Edward Island Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison said the province is rolling ahead with a plan to open up to Atlantic Canada this coming Sunday.

In the Northwest Territories, a non-resident has tested positive in Hay River. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Kami Kandola said the case is linked to out-of-territory travel and that there are currently no public health risk exposures. 

What’s happening around the world

As of Saturday, more than 180.4 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to the latest numbers from Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus tracker. The reported global death toll stood at more than 3.9 million.

In Europe, Russia has reported 619 new COVID-19 deaths — its highest daily death toll of the year — as the country grapples with a sharp spike in infections that has brought new restrictions in some regions.

In the Americas, Mexico says it will reopen two temporary wards to handle a resurgence of COVID-19 cases after months of closing temporary hospital spaces as the coronavirus pandemic receded.

In Africa, virus cases are surging in Uganda, making scarce hospital beds even more expensive, and concern is growing over the alleged exploitation of patients by private hospitals accused of demanding payment up front and hiking fees.

In Asia-Pacific, Sydney, Australia, and some surrounding areas will enter a hard two-week lockdown on Saturday as authorities struggle to control a fast-spreading outbreak of the highly infectious delta variant that has grown to 80 cases.