Category Archives: Ontario/Quebec
Ontario warns health-care providers of counterfeit N95 masks sent from its stockpile
TORONTO — Ontario unknowingly obtained and distributed counterfeit N95 masks to health-care providers, the government said Friday, urging them to check their supply for the fake personal protective equipment. The province could not immediately say how ...
Quebec promises transparency on vaccine passports, opposition says moving too fast
MONTREAL — The Quebec government is promising transparency as it considers a vaccine passport for residents fully immunized against COVID-19, but opposition parties say the project could lead to discrimination and division.Health Minister Christian Dub...
Ontario should prioritize vaccine rollout by neighbourhood as well as age: experts
TORONTO — Prioritizing COVID-19 vaccinations based on neighbourhood, as well as age, could prevent thousands of cases and reduce the number of deaths due to the pandemic, Ontario's science advisors said in a new report Friday. The Ontario COVID-19 Scie...
Ontario universities seek govt support in face of $500M shortfall due to COVID: group
TORONTO — Ontario's universities are facing a shortfall of about half a billion dollars this year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, an advocacy group for the sector said Friday in seeking government relief. Schools incurred significant expenses in ...
Ontario lacked updated pandemic response plan before COVID-19 hit
TORONTO — Ontario had no updated plan for dealing with a pandemic when COVID-19 began cutting a deadly swath through the province last spring, a public commission was told. In testimony before the panel released on Thursday, the province's chief medica...
Highlights from Ontario’s election law reform bill
TORONTO — Ontario's Progressive Conservative government introduced legislation Thursday that would reform the province's election laws. Here are some of the amendments included in the bill: - Extend the $637,200 spending limit placed on third-party adv...
Ontario could have moved faster on COVID-19 vaccine booking site, experts say
TORONTO — Ontario's explanation that ongoing tests are delaying the launch of its vaccine-booking web portal doesn't carry water for experts, who said Thursday that the province should have begun those trials months ago. The website – set to launch in...
Proposed Ontario election law changes an attempt to silence critics: Opposition
TORONTO — Proposed changes to Ontario's election laws introduced Thursday by the Progressive Conservatives were slammed by the Opposition as an attempt to silence critics amid mounting failures in the province's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The g...
Quebec health minister open to vaccine passports as thousands sign up for COVID shot
MONTREAL — As Quebec began booking appointments Thursday for its expanded COVID-19 vaccination campaign, the province's health minister said he's in favour of vaccine passports for those who have been fully inoculated. Christian Dube was asked at a new...
Quebec reports 806 new COVID-19 infections, rise of 10 intensive care patients
MONTREAL — Quebec is reporting 806 new COVID-19 cases today and a sharp increase in the number of patients in intensive care. Health officials say hospitalizations dropped by 25, to 655, but the number of intensive care patients jumped by 10,
