Ontario's health minister says more than 1,200 internationally-trained nurses have expressed interest in working in the province. Christine Elliott says they will be matched with workplaces later this week. The jobs would be in both hospitals and care homes. Elliot says the province now has a total of nearly 2,500 intensive care unit beds and about 600 ICU beds remain available today, with the ability to add nearly 500 additional beds if required. Elliot says this initiative will help in addressing the staff shortage issue the health system has been grappling with during the COVID-19 pandemic

Quebec Premier Francois Legault says adult residents who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19 will be charged a financial penalty. Legault made the announcement to reporters today in Montreal, adding that the levy will only apply to people who do not qualify for medical exemptions.It is the first time a government in Canada has announced a financial penalty for people who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19.Legault says the amount of the penalty hasn’t been decided but will be "significant."He says about 10 per cent of adults in Quebec are unvaccinated but they represent about 50 p

Justin Trudeau says Canada will have enough COVID-19 vaccines for all those eligible to receive a fourth dose if needed. The prime minister spoke with provincial and territorial leaders yesterday, and a statement issued by his office says he assured them Canada has secured enough shots for a third and potential fourth round of vaccinations. The statement says Ottawa will do all it can to help provinces and territories cope with the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, as infections fuelled by the Omicron variant threaten to overwhelm health systems. The federal government has said provinces

COVID-19 cases are threatening to overwhelm hospitals in several parts of Canada, with hospitalizations nearing or reaching record highs in Quebec, Ontario, and New Brunswick. Former CEO of the University Health Network and Ontario deputy health minister Dr. Bob Bell says every Western country dealing with COVID's fast spreading Omicron variant has a stressed hospital system right now. But he says Canada will pursue lockdowns and restrictions sooner than places such as the United States because Canada has a lower tolerance for deaths from the virus. Meanwhile, students in British Columbia a

Canada's chief public health officer says the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is causing an "enormous" volume of cases. In a news conference this morning, Dr. Theresa Tam said the average daily case count has increased 65 per cent from last week.Tam says testing capacity is challenged in many areas of the country, but public health officials continue to use other indicators to measure the progress of the virus. Dr. Theresa Tam said the new variant is now "predominating and widespread" in much of the country.Tam says the portion of laboratory tests coming back positive is estimated at 29 per cent,

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has announced that he and his wife welcomed a baby girl into the world on Monday, a day after his own birthday. The NDP leader tweeted the news, saying their ``powerful little girl'' is basically his ``birthday present for life.'' Singh and his wife, fashion designer Gurkiran Kaur Sidhu, were married in February 2018. Jagmeet Singh on Twitter: @gurkirankaur and I want to let you know that we welcomed the newest addition to our family on January 3rd, 2022. Our powerful little baby girl is basically my birthday present for life lol. Momma bear and baby are healthy and o

Cineplex says it has temporarily laid off nearly five-thousand part-time employees because of mandated closures of its Ontario movie theatres. New COVID-19 public health measures announced by Ontario Premier Doug Ford to tackle the surge of the Omicron variant resulted in the closure of 67 Cineplex theatres. A spokeswoman says Canada's largest movie chain will get its employees back to work as soon as the restrictions are lifted. The new restrictions also closed indoor concert venues, museums, galleries and other attractions. Indoor dining is also closed, and restaurants and bars must cease s

Quebec Health Minister Christian Dube says he hopes to coerce unvaccinated people to get their first doses by bringing in new proof-of-vaccination rules at liquor and cannabis stores starting January 18th. Dube says more services will soon be added to the list for proof of vaccination requirements. He also says the health system is missing about 20-thousand workers who have been infected or exposed to the disease, and that the government is working with unions to find more staff to care for up to 2,500 COVID-19 patients. A provincial health-care research institute says that within two week

Surging cases of COVID-19 driven by the rapidly transmissible Omicron variant are pushing the health-care system to the brink and putting pressure on some police and transit services. With 170 personnel booked off on leave related to COVID-19, the Winnipeg Police Service declared a state of emergency Wednesday and the Edmonton and Calgary police services warned of staffing challenges after a growing number of members tested positive or were in isolation. Ontario's GO Transit says a temporary reduction in train and bus service in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton regions is set to begin within d