Coronavirus: What’s happening in Canada and around the world on Jan. 8 – CBC News

The latest:

Canada's chief public health officer is urging those who haveyet to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to take that step as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus continues to strain health-care systems across the country.

"Currently, we still need millions more Canadians to increase their protection with #COVID19 vaccines, including almost 7 million eligible people who need a 1st or 2nd dose," Dr. Theresa Tam tweeted on Saturday.

Tam also urged those who havehad both shots to book a booster dose if they're eligible, citing "accumulating evidence" that a third shot provides protection against severe illness from Omicron.

"This may feel like a double marathon we didn't sign up for, but we can draw strength knowing the ground we've covered so far to stay on track and work together to get where we need to go," Tam said.

Her comments come as provinces struggle with Omicron-driven surges.

In Ontario, the number of people hospitalized continued its upward trend, reaching a new pandemic high of 2,594on Saturday.

Health officials reported13,362new lab-confirmedcases, although the actual dailycount is likely much higher given that the province hasreduced access to PCR testingfor most people.

The province also reported31 additional deaths related to COVID-19 on Saturday.

A total of 385 people were undergoing treatment for the illnessin intensivecare units, up by 47 from the previous day.

New Brunswick also saw a record forhospitalizations, with that figure reaching 80 on Saturday, up 11 from the day before.

InQuebec,thenumber ofCOVID-19-related hospitalizations rose by 163 for a total of2,296 on Saturday. Health officials reported 245 patients in intensive care, an increase of 16 from Friday.

The province also reported44 more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus on Saturday, the highest daily death toll in nearly a year.

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.

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 British Columbia,officials announcedchildren will return to in-class learning on Monday, despite a surge in transmission caused by Omicron.Education Minister Jennifer Whitesidesaid there will be enhanced safety measures in place and schools will have access to three-layered masks, despite calls from the B.C. Teachers Federation to distribute N95s instead.

In the Prairies, the Saskatchewan government is decliningto limit gatherings despite a warning from the chief medical health officer; more than 900 health-care workers in Manitoba tested positive over the holidays, according to the provincial health organization; andprojections from Alberta Health Services'early warning system suggestthe current wavecould,within a couple of weeks, sendmore people to hospital than at any point in the pandemic.

In the Atlantic provinces, visitor restrictions have been expanded to in-patients and long-term care residents at several hospitals in Nova Scotia's northern zone, as the province continues to report high daily COVID-19 case counts. The new restrictions in N.S. comeas Prince Edward Island announcedanoutbreak at acare facility inMiscouchethat has so far affected three staff and eight residents.Meanwhile,labour groups inNewfoundland and Labrador are demanding 10 days of mandatory paid sick leave for workersas thousands across the province are sick with COVID-19 or self-isolating.

In the North,there's a mixture of relief, resignation and disappointment from students, parents and teachersas schools across theNorthwest Territoriesreturn to online learning this week.

As of Saturday,more than 303.5million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University's coronavirus tracking tool. The reported global death toll stood at more than 5.4 million.

In Europe,U.K. government advisers have recommended against giving a fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to nursing home residents and people over 80 because data shows that a third shot offers lasting protection against admission to the hospital.

In the Americas, Mexico set a new record for daily caseson Saturday with 30,671, according to official data. Mexico has confirmed more than 4.1 million cases since the start of the pandemic and has the world's fifth highest confirmed death toll at more than 300,000.

In theAsia-Pacific region, the United States has agreed toimpose stricter COVID-19 measures at its military bases inJapan, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Sunday, amid concerns that outbreaks at bases have fuelled infection inlocal communities. Japan reintroduced coronavirus restrictions in three regionsthat host U.S. military bases, the first such emergency controls since September.

In Africa,the African Cup of Nations the continent's top soccer tournament will finally open in Cameroon on Sunday after a three-year delay, with only fully vaccinated fans and those with proof of a negative test allowed to attend.

See the rest here:

Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Jan. 8 - CBC News