GPHIN Daily Report for 2020-09-24 Special Section on Coronavirus
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GPHIN Daily Report for 2020-09-24 Special section on Coronavirus Canada Areas in Canada with cases of COVID-19 as of 23 September 2020 at 07:00 pm EDT Source: Government of Canada Province, territory or Number of confirmed Number of active Number of other cases cases deaths Canada 147,753 10,722 9,243 Newfoundland and 272 1 3 Labrador Prince Edward Island 58 1 0 Nova Scotia 1,087 1 65 New Brunswick 197 4 2 Quebec 69,088 3,593 5,809 Ontario 48,087 3,652 2,835 Manitoba 1,674 418 18 Saskatchewan 1,830 133 24 Alberta 17,032 1,520 260 British Columbia 8,395 1,399 227 Yukon 15 0 0 Northwest Territories 5 0 0 Nunavut 0 0 0 Repatriated travellers 13 0 0 A detailed epidemiologic summary is available. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection.html#a1 Canada – Coronavirus disease (COVID -19) Outbreaks and Outcomes (Official and Media) Canada Government of Canada signs new agreements to secure additional vaccine candidate and treatment for COVID-19 Source: Public Services and Procurement Canada [APG] ID: 1007891979 News release September 22, 2020 - Gatineau, Quebec - Public Services and Procurement Canada The Government of Canada is protecting the health and safety of all Canadians, while ensuring a safe and sustainable economic recovery. This includes taking steps to ensure that Canadians can access future vaccines and treatments, and that the healthcare system has the tools required for effective deployment. The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, today announced that the Government of Canada has signed agreements with Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to secure up to 72 million doses of their COVID-19 adjuvanted recombinant protein-based vaccine candidate. Based on recommendations from the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, the Government of Canada is signing agreements with a number of leading pharmaceutical companies to establish a guaranteed supply base of potential vaccine candidates. Agreements have previously been signed with Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and Novavax, and negotiations continue for access to other leading vaccine candidates. Currently, no vaccines have been approved to prevent COVID-19 in Canada. Many vaccines are in clinical trials or under development domestically or internationally. Once vaccines are ready, companies will need to make submissions for authorization to Health Canada. Health Canada will review the evidence of safety, efficacy and manufacturing quality for each vaccine to determine whether individual vaccines will be approved for use in Canada before they are made available to Canadians. At the same time, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, an external advisory group of vaccine and public health experts, will provide federal, provincial and territorial governments with guidance for safe and effective vaccine use for Canadians. While significant work is underway to develop vaccines to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Government of Canada is also focused on therapeutics to treat Canadians who have contracted the virus. Minister Anand announced that the Government of Canada has signed an agreement with Gilead Sciences and McKesson Canada to secure a supply of up to 150,000 vials of remdesivir, with deliveries beginning this month and continuing into early 2021. Currently, remdesivir is the only known anti-viral drug that has been shown to be effective in treating COVID-19 patients. The Government of Canada has also signed two contracts with SiO2 International Inc. to purchase syringes and vials for use in filling up to 80 million doses of vaccine, with deliveries beginning this month. Quotes “On behalf of the Public Health Agency of Canada, and based on recommendations from the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, we are looking to the future and readying Canada for a vaccine to enable us to emerge from this pandemic. These agreements signed to date include the three main types of vaccine candidates – known as mRNA, Protein Subunit and Viral Vector. Having a diverse portfolio of vaccines from multiple supply sources will provide assured access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines when they become available. We have also signed a number of contracts for the supplies necessary to eventually distribute vaccines, including syringes, vials, and alcohol swabs. When a vaccine is ready, Canada will be ready.” The Honourable Anita Anand Minister of Public Services and Procurement “The announcement of additional vaccine candidate agreements will help us to provide a vaccine to as many Canadians as possible when one is approved by Health Canada and proven to be safe and [APG] effective. In the meantime, we will be working with provinces and territories to distribute the 150,000 vials of remdesivir to healthcare providers to treat their COVID-19 patients who need it most.” The Honourable Patty Hajdu Minister of Health https://www.canada.ca/en/public-services-procurement/news/2020/09/government-of-canada-signs-new- agreements-to-secure-additional-vaccine-candidate-and-treatment-for-covid-19.html Canada Trudeau says Canada is in second wave of pandemic, urges renewed caution Source: Financial Post ID: 1007901146 OTTAWA — Canada has entered a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday, warning that the country was on the brink of a surge if people did not follow public health guidelines. In a rare national address, Trudeau said the country “is at a crossroads” as a second wave emerges in four large provinces, adding that the government would do whatever it took to help the country recover from the pandemic. “We’re on the brink of a fall that could be much worse than the spring,” he said. Canada’s COVID-19 cases have spiked in recent days, with an average of 1,123 new cases reported daily over the past week, compared with a daily average of 380 cases in mid-August. “We have the power to get this second wave under control. I know we can do it, because we’ve already done it once before,” Trudeau added. Canadians are now more worried about COVID-19 than they have been since April, an Abacus Data poll showed. Earlier, the government made the commitments in the so-called Speech from the Throne, which lays out its agenda for the next parliamentary session, and promised to recover more than a million jobs lost during the crisis. Total infections reached 147,753, while 9,243 people have died, according to latest government data. https://financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/trudeau-says-canada-is-in-second-wave-of-pandemic-urges- renewed-caution Canada Statement from the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada (Epi Report) on September 23, 2020 Source: Canada News Centre - Public Health Agency of Canada ID: 1007899776 In lieu of an in-person update to the media, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, issued the following statement today: “There have been 146,663 cases of COVID-19 in Canada, including 9,234 deaths. 87% of people have now recovered. Over the past week, there has been a marked increase in laboratory testing, with an average of almost 70,000 people tested daily across Canada and 1.4% of these testing positive. Since our last modelling update in mid-August, the national daily case count has been increasing at an accelerated rate. Over the past seven days, an average of 1,123 cases were reported daily, compared to 380 cases reported daily in mid-August. Canada is at a crossroads with the COVID-19 epidemic trajectory. At the current rate of growth, our epidemiological analysis and modelling studies indicate that unless public health and individual protective measures are strengthened and we work together to slow the spread of the virus, the situation is on track for a big resurgence in a number of provinces. Throughout the summer, infection rates have been highest among young adults aged 20-39 years. While COVID-19 tends to be less severe among young people, ongoing circulation of the virus in younger, more mobile and socially connected adults builds a reservoir for the virus. This not only increases the risk for spread to individuals and populations at higher risk for severe outcomes, but it threatens our ability to keep COVID-19 at manageable levels. As well, it is important to know that young adults are not immune to the direct impacts of COVID-19, as serious or prolonged illness can occur at any age. [APG] Yesterday I ended my remarks with a message to young adults and today I want to reiterate that now more than ever, we need your cooperation, your creativity and your drive to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. In fact, we can’t get back on the slow burn track without your help. This is your generation, this is your time, let’s work together to get this done. To make this work, we all need to commit to strictly adhering to individual protective measures including physical distancing, hand hygiene, non-medical masks as recommended ; limiting in-person contacts as much as possible to a small, consistent and trusted contacts bubble; and following the golden rule of staying home and isolating from others if experiencing any symptoms , even if mild. The challenge we all face is to stay the course no matter how weary we may feel. We have done this before and we know that working together we can do it again. Let’s get back on the slow burn track together. Find more COVID-19 information and resources here .” https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2020/09/statement-from-the-chief-public-health-officer-of- canada-epi-report-on-september-23-2020.html Canada Quebec school bus drivers want to know if students are diagnosed with COVID-19 Source: Montreal Gazette Unique ID: 1007897452 The union representing 3,500 school bus drivers in Quebec wants schools to inform their members if any of the children they are transporting have been diagnosed with COVID-19.