Canada will begin receiving COVID-19 vaccines in January, the Ontario health minister says

The content of the article continued

The news prompted Ontario Premier Doug Ford to warn that parts of the province “were staring at the barrel of another block.”

Ford warned that new measures will be announced on Friday for Toronto and neighboring Peel and York regions.

There are a number of steps you need to take before actually getting to the distribution point

“The virus is spreading at alarming rates in these areas,” the premier said at a press conference. “Right now, we’re staring at the barrel of another bloc in these regions.”

Ford issued the stern warning after Ontario reported 1,417 new cases of COVID-19 and 32 new deaths from the virus on Wednesday.

Dr Theresa Tam, head of Canadian public health, has sounded the alarm about the increase in cases in vulnerable populations and environments.

“Cases have been increasing in the elderly for several weeks, with those aged 80 and over now having the highest incidence rate nationwide,” he said in a statement.

“Larger and larger outbreaks are occurring in long-term care homes, living environments and hospitals, and are spreading to indigenous communities.”

Tam also mentioned Nunavut, which has initiated a two-week closure of non-essential schools and businesses in what the premier described as a significant increase in cases.

The territory reported 10 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, bringing the total from 60 to 70.

Tam said the increase in transmission puts lives at risk and presents significant challenges to health services, especially in areas not equipped to handle what he called complex medical emergencies.