Air Canada and Ottawa have agreed to financing deals that would allow the airline to access as much as $5.9 billion through the Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility program. As part of the package, Air Canada has agreed to a number of commitments, including refunds for some customers who did not travel due to COVID-19 and a promise to resume service at some regional airports. Other restrictions include limits on executive compensation and maintaining a minimum number of staff. Travel restrictions introduced through the beginning of the pandemic have been catastrophic for the airline in

Canada's chief public health officer says the number of patients being hospitalized for COVID-19 is on the rise as more contagious variants of the virus spread in many parts of the country. Dr. Theresa Tam says hospitals treated an average of more than 2,500 patients with COVID-19 each day last week, a seven per cent increase compared to the previous week. Tam says 860 of these patients were in intensive-care units, which is an increase of 23 per cent over the previous week. Ontario hospitals have been asked to ramp down elective surgeries and non-urgent procedures in order to cope with the in

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says stricter measures are needed in several parts of the country as more contagious variants of COVID-19 send younger people to hospital. Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam told the same federal briefing that hospital admissions are up seven per cent week-over-week, with the number of cases linked to more contagious variants almost doubling. The federal government has now delivered more than 10.5-million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the provinces and territories. Trudeau says Canada is expected to have received at least 44-million doses from Pfizer, Mo

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been successful in northern communities thanks to the collaboration between Ottawa and the country's Inuit leadership. Speaking at the fourth annual Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee, Trudeau says more work is needed to close gaps in food security, housing and health care. He says the pandemic has highlighted existing economic and social inequalities the Inuit have faced for a long time. But Trudeau also says the pandemic didn't hit northern populations as hard as the rest of the country, nor were its effects

Canada's deputy chief public health officer says there are still no reports of blood clots in Canada connected to the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines. Dr. Howard Njoo told an Ottawa news conference today that health officials continue to monitor for any expected or unexpected adverse reactions to all vaccines. He says there have been about 400 other kinds of reactions, but no clots. More than seven-million vaccine doses have now been administered in Canada, and the amount arriving in the country is expected to significantly increase each month to more than 30 million by July. Dr. Howard

The Canadian Medical Association says constantly changing rules to help curb the spread of COVID-19 are confusing and detrimental to their purpose. The national advocacy group representing Canada's doctors, says new lockdowns can't be lifted until there are clear signs the variants are under control. The pace of vaccinations must also increase, particularly in communities where COVID-19 is spreading the most. That association says primary care doctors should be involved to help roll out vaccines, prioritizing vaccinations for essential workers. It says essential workers and their families als

Metal fences have been put up around the GraceLife church just west of Edmonton and Alberta Health Services says it will stay closed until it complies with COVID-19 health rules. The church has ignored public health warnings for months, and its pastor spent a month in jail. Churches are allowed to be open at 15 per cent capacity, but officials say hundreds of people have attended GraceLife's services. Several doctors say public-health restrictions introduced by government are not enough Several doctors from Calgary and Edmonton say that with cases involving COVID-19 variants doubling every w

Ontario residents are facing new stay-at-home orders as officials in several provinces tighten restrictions and crack down on rule-breakers in a race against COVID-19 and its variants. Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the order will take effect at 12:01 a.m. Thursday and it will mean stores selling essential items can stay open but will only be permitted to sell grocery and pharmacy items. Premier Doug Ford says his government will declare its third state of emergency of the pandemic to invoke the new measures. He says the order is necessary to fight the third wave of the pandemic that threate

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization says it is standing by its emergency recommendation to extend the delivery of second doses of COVID-19 vaccines up to four months.The panel's ``rapid'' response recommendation a month ago was followed by further research on the vaccines.NACI's experts say they still believe that extending the time to give a second dose will bring protection to Canadians more quickly.The panel says it expects the administration of second doses won't end up taking as long as four months based on Canada's expected vaccine supply.NACI, an external advisory body that