25.13°C Vancouver

Dec 29, 2020 9:21 PM -

Call to close Ontario's COVID-19 vaccination clinics was a wrong decision: Rick Hillier

Share On
call-to-close-ontarios-covid-19-vaccination-clinics-was-a-wrong-decision-rick-hillier
A person walks past a COVID-19 restrictions sign during in Mississauga, Ont., on Tuesday, December 22, 2020. Ontario is reporting a new daily record for COVID-19 infections. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Retired general Rick Hillier says the call to close Ontario's COVID-19 vaccination clinics over Christmas Day and Boxing Day was the wrong decision.

Medical experts were sharply critical of the move, pointing out on social media that the virus doesn't take a holiday.

That's been borne out in the latest stats, which show Ontario recorded 2,553 new cases of COVID-19 today and 1,939 yesterday.

Hillier says all of the province's clinics are open today and that Ontario expects to receive its first doses of the Moderna vaccine tomorrow, which will be sent to long-term care and retirement homes.

Ontario is reporting nearly 4,500 new COVID-19 infections over the past two days, including more than 2,500 new cases today.

The rest were reported on Monday, but not released due to the holidays.

The entire province has been in lockdown since Saturday.

Latest news

BCAug 20, 2026

Single-Vehicle Collision Leads to Drug Trafficking Investigation

On August 19, 2026, at approximately 8:45 p.m., West Shore RCMP Frontline officers responded to a report of a single-vehicle collision involving a pickup truck near the intersection of Island Highway and Wale Road in Colwood. A witness told police that the vehicle had been performing a burnout before crashing into a telephone pole. Officers attended the scene and identified the driver as a 53-year-old man whose driver's licence had been suspended. Although the driver was determined to be sober, police found evidence of illicit narcotics inside the vehicle during their investigation. The man wa
carney-speaks-with-mexican-president-sheinbaum-on-trade-cusma-and-wildfire-cooperation
CanadaAug 20, 2026

Carney speaks with Mexican President Sheinbaum on trade, CUSMA and wildfire cooperation

Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke by phone with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to discuss bilateral trade relations and ways to strengthen trade across North America. During the conversation, Carney thanked Sheinbaum for Mexico’s support in Canada’s wildfire response, including the deployment of more than 400 firefighters and support personnel. The two leaders also discussed ongoing developments affecting the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), stressing the importance of advancing the agreement to protect businesses and workers and provide greater stability in trade. Carney
CanadaAug 20, 2026

Advance Voting for 3 Federal By-Elections Begins Friday in Canada

Advance voting for three federal by-elections in Canada is set to begin Friday. According to Elections Canada, advance voting will take place for four consecutive days, from Friday through Monday, between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. The by-elections are being held in the federal ridings of North Vancouver–Capilano in British Columbia, Beaches–East York in Toronto, and Chicoutimi–Le Fjord in Quebec. Election Day for all three ridings is scheduled for August 31. The three by-elections are part of a series of federal by-elections being held across Canada this year. Earlier, on April 13, two federal b
WorldAug 20, 2026

43 Dead, 16 Rescued After Boat Capsizes in Nigeria

At least 43 people have died after an overloaded boat capsized in Nigeria’s northwestern Sokoto state, while 16 people have been rescued. Local officials said many of those who died were children. Abdulkadir Yusuf, a regional official with the National Inland Waterways Authority, said around 40 bodies had been recovered and rescue operations were continuing. Local lawmaker Nasiru Adamu put the death toll at 43. Residents said the boat was carrying farm owners and workers hired to harvest rice. However, reports differ on the number of people aboard the boat. One resident said more than 70 peo
BCAug 20, 2026

Garbage-Dumping Videos Go Viral in Abbotsford, Police Launch Investigation

Police in Abbotsford have launched an investigation after two separate videos showing garbage being dumped in a waterway and a local park went viral on social media. The two incidents are believed to have occurred in late July. In one video, a woman is seen dumping garbage at Mill Lake Park, while another video shows her dumping garbage near Bluejay Elementary School. According to Sgt. Paul Walker, police had not received any reports about the incidents before the videos went viral. However, after the videos were widely shared, around 30 people contacted or tagged the police department, provid

Related News