Today’s coronavirus news: Ontario reports 192 cases, one death; 80 per cent of adults in Ontario have received at least one dose of vaccine and 66 per cent are fully vaccinated - Toronto Star

There are 603 active cases, 40 per cent of which are in the Interior Health region.

Of those 12 years and older, 80.3 per cent have had their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while just over 58 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Nova Scotia’s top public health doctor says there have been 22 cases of heart inflammation reported in the province after immunization with Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, The Canadian Press.

As of Friday, 75 per cent of all people in Nova Scotia had received at least one dose of vaccine and 56 per cent had received two doses, according to online government data.

New Brunswick plans to remove all travel and public health restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic effective just before midnight next Friday.

As of today, 62.7 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers are fully vaccinated while 81.2 per cent have received their first dose of COVID-18 vaccine.

The Northwestern Health Unit, which covers the city of Kenora, Ont., and surrounding communities has been running its last mass clinics this week.

The health unit says the large clinics were no longer filling up but shots will still be offered at smaller sites.

The health unit is advising people with shots booked for August and beyond to rebook.

“We can now look at this period as the home stretch of our initial vaccine rollout to get to that final 10 to 20 per cent of our population and ensure that they, too, are vaccinated.”.

​Kingston, Ont.’s health unit announced it would enter a “new phase” of its vaccination plan last week, with plans to shut down mass clinics beginning in August and shift to pharmacy, mobile and primary care sites.

Eighty per cent of adults in Ontario have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 66 per cent are fully vaccinated.

The Grey Bruce health unit noted this week that its local COVID-19 situation is now a “pandemic of the unvaccinated,” a trend noted around the world.

The health unit says 95 per cent of cases reported in the first two weeks of July were among people not fully vaccinated, and encouraged people to get their shots, noting that it’s likely that vaccinated people may be subject to fewer restrictions such as isolation rules in the event of future outbreaks.

The Northwestern Health Unit, which covers the city of Kenora, Ont., and surrounding communities has been running its last mass clinics this week, according to CP.

The health unit says the large clinics were no longer filling up, but shots will still be offered at smaller sites.

The health unit is advising people with shots booked for August and beyond to rebook.

​Kingston, Ont.’s health unit announced it would enter a new phase of its vaccination plan last week, with plans to shut down mass clinics beginning in August and shift to pharmacy, mobile and primary care sites.

Eighty per cent of adults in Ontario have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 66 per cent are fully vaccinated.

The Grey Bruce health unit noted this week that its local COVID-19 situation is now a “pandemic of the unvaccinated,” a trend noted around the world.

The health unit says 95 per cent of cases reported in the first two weeks of July were among people not fully vaccinated, and encouraged people to get their shots, noting that it’s likely that vaccinated people may be subject to fewer restrictions such as isolation rules in the event of future outbreaks.

Eighty per cent of adults in Ontario have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 66 per cent are fully vaccinated.

As public health units across Ontario ramp up efforts to fully vaccinate all eligible residents against COVID-19, many regions have a long way to go to meet provincial thresholds for exiting Step 3 and returning to some semblance of normal life.

All public health units have vaccinated over 50 per cent of their populations 12 years old and over, according to the Ministry of Health’s most recent figures.

But while the overall provincial average is nearing 64 per cent for the eligible populations who have been fully vaccinated, several of the province’s 34 health units are substantially below that.

“It is absolutely concerning,” said Ashleigh Tuite, an infectious disease epidemiologist, at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, noting the province-wide numbers mask some of the variability between regions, and even neighbourhoods with lower rates.

More Americans are now getting vaccinated against coronavirus in the areas worst hit by the virulent Delta variant, a potentially hopeful sign as cases continue to soar, public health experts said Thursday.

President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 czar Jeff Zients said more people in the five states with the highest infection rates — Florida, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Missouri — are now getting vaccinated on a daily basis than the national average.

Almost all the serious cases, including 97 per cent of those hospitalized and 99.5 per cent of deaths, are among unvaccinated people.

Pfizer Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine was just 39 per cent effective in keeping people from getting infected by the contagious Delta variant in Israel in recent weeks, according to the country’s health ministry, but provided a strong shield against hospitalization and more severe forms of the virus.

The vaccine provided 88 per cent protection against hospitalization and 91.4 per cent against severe illness for an unspecified number of people studied between June 20 and July 17, according to a report Thursday from the health ministry.

The report said that the data could be skewed because of different ways of testing vaccinated groups of people versus those who hadn’t been inoculated.

The Delta variant first emerged in India and is spreading around the globe as governments race to inoculate people, sometimes infecting those already fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Israel has had one of the world’s most effective inoculation drives, with 57 per cent of the population fully vaccinated, but has seen a recent surge in infections due to Delta.

Requirements for testing and self-isolation lifted entirely for fully vaccinated Canadian travellers on Canada Day, while those requirements will ease over the next few months for travellers with just one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Nova Scotia has further reduced COVID-19 public health orders after entering the fourth phase of its reopening.

Under the new rules, retail stores can operate at full capacity, churches and other venues can operate at half capacity or with a maximum of 150 people, and up to 50 people can attend outdoor family gatherings.

Organized sports practices, games, league play, competitions and recreation programs can involve up to 25 people indoors and 50 people outdoors without physical distancing.

In addition, professional and amateur arts and culture rehearsals and performances can involve up to 25 people indoors and 50 outdoors without physical distancing.

New Brunswick has moved into Phase 2 of its reopening plan, having reached its goal of having 20 per cent of people 65 or older vaccinated with two doses of a COVID vaccine.

Meanwhile, the province has allowed personal gatherings to increase so that up to 20 people can get together indoors and outdoors.

Organized gatherings hosted by a business or other organization are permitted with groups of up to 200 people outdoors or 100 people indoors.

All of Quebec is now at the lowest green alert level under the province’s COVID-19 response plan as public health restrictions continue to ease.

Social gatherings are limited to 25 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.

Religious services and other ceremonies are allowed indoors with larger groups of people who are physically distanced.

Manitoba is loosening restrictions and allowing extra freedoms for people who have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine as it moves into the second phase of its reopening plan.

Retail stores can run at 50 per cent capacity or 500 people, whichever is lower.

Faith-based gatherings can expand to half capacity or 150 people indoors.

Businesses, such as casinos, museums and movie theatres, can open at 50 per cent capacity but only fully vaccinated Manitobans can take part.

Saskatchewan has removed all public health orders — including the province-wide mandatory masking order, as well as capacity limits on events and gathering sizes.

Premier Scott Moe says the province decided to go ahead with full implementation of Step 3 of its Reopening Roadmap because more than 70 per cent of residents over the age of 18 and 69 per cent of those over 12 have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The province recommends people wear a mask at all times when visiting a care home if they have not been fully vaccinated, including children under 12.

Theatres and restaurants can also open at 25 per cent capacity or 25 people, whichever is less

Meanwhile in Kinngait and Rankin Inlet, outdoor gatherings are limited to 100 people and those indoors are restricted to a household plus 15 people

Restaurants and bars are allowed to open for regular business at 50 per cent capacity, and there must be a two metre distance between tables, with no more than six people seated or around each table

Yukon has expanded the rules for gatherings, allowing up to 200 people to get together, as long as masks are worn indoors and other health protocols are followed

Fully vaccinated people can have personal gatherings of up to 20 people indoors and 50 outdoors, but the unvaccinated are encouraged to stick with their “safe six” because they are at significantly higher risk

Officials say more than 80 per cent of those eligible have received their first vaccine dose, while 57 per cent are fully vaccinated