COVID-19

Active discussions are taking place to potentially pre-order COVID-19 vaccine doses for Canadians, chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said Tuesday. She said an independent vaccine task force is advising the government on options for Canada's choice of vaccine, including exploring the possibility of manufacturing a potential pandemic cure at home.

School is not exclusively a positive force in the lives of children, and sending them back before it is safe to do so could do more damage than good

An Alberta senator is urging Ottawa to fund a Canadian company so it can develop a domestic COVID-19 vaccine to lessen the risk Canadians will have wait in a line on a foreign-made pandemic cure. "I really do believe that we need to keep the pressure now on the government of Canada, whom I'm not criticizing. I get that this is an unusual time. And this may be in hand, or it may have fallen through the cracks. But we can't allow that to happen,'' Sen. Doug Black said in an interview Monday.

Canada's government should be looking at setting up a Crown corporation to ensure a domestic supply of critical drugs and vaccines at reasonable prices

Protesters also come out against mandatory masking legislation which took effect Monday

British Columbia Premier John Horgan says drivers who have out-of-province licence plates on their vehicles should consider taking public transit or riding a bicycle if they're feeling harassed by people. Horgan also suggests drivers change over to B.C. licence plates to avoid trouble from residents who are concerned about the spread of COVID-19.

New research out of Brazil suggests that the influenza vaccine may provide benefits for patients who contract COVID-19

In support of the ongoing fight against COVID-19 and as part of the province's plan to end hallway health care, the Ontario government is announcing five new Ontario Health Teams and is providing additional funding to better connect care. "Over the past several months, Ontario Health Teams have demonstrated remarkable responsiveness to the COVID-19 outbreak by simplifying the purchase of personal protective equipment, supporting the staffing of long-term care homes and assessment centers, and expanding virtual care options," said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, in a press release. "They've done so by breaking down long-standing barriers to better connect care, both in support of patients and our brave frontline heroes. (This) announcement of five new teams will build on this success as we continue to implement our plan to defeat COVID-19."