Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Feb. 2

The latest:

• GoFundMe puts protest convoy fundraiser on pause.

• Figure skater Keegan Messing's Olympics in limbo as he awaits test results.
  
• Manitoba tobegin easing restrictionsnext week, premier says.
  
• What the latest pandemic waveis like for the ICU teamat one Toronto hospital.
  
• Host of symptoms, variable recovery timescomplicate return to workfor those with long COVID.
  
• 'It's one by one': Community workers keen to tackleMontreal's pockets of unvaccinated.
  
• Emails raise questions about regulator's independenceamid COVID-19-related flight refunds.

Some organizers of a convoy protest around Parliament Hill, which began as opposition to mandatory vaccination for cross-border truckers, said Wednesdaythey plan to remain "for as long as it takes." Meanwhile, protesting truckers have partially reopened a highway blockadeat the southern Alberta border.

In Ottawa, the protest has included vehiclesparked and honkingon roads leading to Parliament Hill since Friday.In recent days there have beenreports of Ottawa residents feeling anxious and fearful amid the ongoing protest.

Police have announced three arrests foroffences they say are related to the protests. In abriefing to city councillors Wednesday afternoon,Ottawa's police Chief Peter Sloly saidpolicing alone might not solve the occupation of the city's downtown core, and military aid might be necessary.

The scope of the road closures and size of the area city officials sayto avoid havedropped since Saturday, when police estimated crowds ofbetween 5,000 and 18,000 people, but both still take up swaths ofresidential and business districts. Many businesses have chosen to close.

On Wednesday, someprotest organizers said they have empathy for the city's residents, but insisted there's no other way to end all COVID-19 public health mandates across Canada.

WATCH |Protest costing Ottawa$1M per day:

Parliament Hill protest costing city $1M per day

3 years ago

Duration 2:05

City officials say the protests outside Parliament Hill are costing roughly $1 million per day and the mayor is looking at ways to recover those costs, including a potential lawsuit against GoFundMe.

"Our message to the citizens of Ottawa is one of empathy," wrote Chris Barber, who saidhe's a senior convoy leader, in a Wednesday morning news release.

"We understand your frustration and genuinely wish there was another way for us to get our message across, but the responsibility for your inconvenience lies squarely on the shoulders of politicians who have [preferred] to vilify and call us names rather than engage in respectful, serious dialogue."

The news release also said the protestersplan to remain "for as long as it takes."

Meanwhile, therewas apotential breakthrough in resolvinga blockade that has snarled cross-border traffic at the main U.S.-Canada border crossing in the village ofCoutts, Alta.

The protest of trucks lined up in front of the border checkpoint the primary conduit for the approximately $6 billion in trade between Alberta and the U.S. has halted all traffic at that location ofHighway 4 since Saturday. The demonstration is tied to thenationwide protest over thefederal vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers, which took effect last month.

• Worries build over economic impact of Alberta border blockade

Chad Williamson, a lawyer representing truckers blocking access to the crossing, saidon Wednesday they had spoken with RCMP and agreed to open a lane of the highway in each direction. Trucks and other vehicles began clearing paths.

"The truckers finally feel like their message has been heard," Williamson said. "In a tremendous show of good faith, they are reopening one lane each way to provide unimpeded access through the town of Coutts and across the border in both ways.

WATCH |Truckers partially reopen highway:

Truckers partially open highway at blockade in Coutts, Alta.

3 years ago

Duration 1:20

After days of impeding travel at the U.S.-Canada border in southern Alberta, protesting truckers have allowed one lane of traffic in each direction to move through the blockade.

Later Wednesday, the United Conservative Party deniedthat its rural caucus has negotiated an agreement to temporarily end the blockadein exchange for discussions onlifting COVID-19 health restrictions.

RCMPCpl. Curtis Peters saidthe protesters removed vehicles from one lane in each direction, northbound and southbound, but added the change may be temporary and that police continue to monitor the situation.

In a statement issued shortly after 5:30 p.m. local time, RCMP said the move allowed area residents to move freelyand would enable emergency services to provide full services. TheRCMP said border access and the flow of goods and services would also resume.

Officers "remain on scene and our efforts continue to be focused on fully reopening services," reads the statement.

From CBC News and The Canadian Press, last updated at 8:15p.m. ET

What's happening in the rest ofCanada

With lab-based testing capacity deeply strained and increasingly restricted,experts say true case counts are likely far higher than reported. Hospitalization data at the regional level is also evolving, with several provinces saying they will reportfiguresthat separatethe number of people in hospital because of COVID-19 from those in hospital for another medical issue who alsotest positive for COVID-19.

• Track how many people have been given the COVID-19 vaccine across Canada

For more information on what is happening in your community including details on outbreaks, testing capacity and local restrictions click through to the regional coverage below.

You can also read more from thePublic Health Agency of Canada, whichprovides a detailed look at every regionincludingseven-day averagetest positivity ratesin itsdaily epidemiological updates.

InAtlantic Canada on Wednesday,New Brunswickreported a record165 COVID-19 hospitalizations, with 16people in the province's intensive care units. The province also saw four additional deaths and 381 additional lab-confirmed cases.

Health officials inNewfoundland and Labradorreported 20COVID-19 hospitalizations, down five from the previous day's record high, with nine people in ICU. Health officials also reported four additional deaths and 248 new lab-confirmed cases.

Prince Edward Island, where public schools resumed in-person classes on Monday,reported there are 15 people in hospital due to COVID-19. Of those,two people were in intensive care. There were also 238 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19.

InNova Scotia,a news release from the province said there were 92 people receiving care in designated COVID-19 units in hospital, including 13in intensive care. There were alsosix additional deaths related to COVID-19 and 395 new lab-confirmed cases.

• Coroner inquest ordered in death of N.B. inmate from COVID-19
• Hospitality industry hoping for break in restrictions following Omicron wave

Quebec on Wednesday reported 2,730 COVID-19 hospitalizations, including 204 in intensive care. The province also reported 3,816 new cases of COVID-19 and 50 deaths.

The update comes a day afterPremierFranois Legaultannounced he isscrapping a proposed taxon unvaccinated Quebecers,now saying it is more important to build bridges and extend a hand to people who refuse to get vaccinated.

WATCH |Quebec dropscontroversial tax proposal:

Legault confirms Quebec dropping controversial tax on the unvaccinated

3 years ago

Duration 0:57

Citing the division it caused in Quebec, Premier Franois Legault said the province is scrapping its plan to tax those who are unvaccinated against COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Ontarioon Wednesday reported there were 2,939people with COVID-19 in the province's hospitals, with555patients with COVID-19 requiringintensive care, continuing a downward trend. The province also reported 72 additional deaths and 3,909 new lab-confirmed cases.

• Projections suggest Quebec's hospitalizations may go up in February
• Ontario seeks to expand use of rapid tests

Manitobais planning to relaxCOVID-19 restrictions once the current public health orders expire next week, Premier Heather Stefanson said at a Wednesday news conference.New rules to take effect on Feb. 8 will allow for larger private gatherings and will allow for highercapacityin public spaces for people who are fully vaccinated.

The update came as the number of people in the province's hospitals with COVID-19 set a new record for the third day in a row, rising to744 including54 in ICU. The province also reportedseven more deaths and 526 new lab-confirmed cases.

Saskatchewan also reported a record number of people in hospital with COVID-19 372 onWednesday, including 40in ICU. There werefour additional deaths and 611 new lab-confirmed cases. The premier has said he wants toend the province's proof of vaccineprogram by the end of the month.

Albertaon Wednesdayreported1,598 patients are being treated in hospital with COVID-19, a new high for the province, including 106 ICU patients. It also reported 14 new deaths and 3,024 additional lab-confirmed cases, with a test positivity rate of nearly 40 per cent.

Health officials in British Columbiaon Wednesday reported that 988 COVID-positive individuals are in hospital down 47 from the previous daywith 136 in intensive care. They also reported 18 new deaths in the past 24 hours, and 1,776 new lab-confirmed cases.

• Alberta premier hopes to start lifting all restrictions by end of February
• B.C. hitting 'peak' of hospitalizations, officials say
• COVID-19 cases in Yukon schools accounted for 1 in 5 of all active cases last September

In the North, Nunavut reported 22 new lab-confirmed cases on Wednesday, whilethe Northwest Territories reported 148 and Yukonreported 18.

From CBC News and The Canadian Press, last updated at 8:15 p.m. ET

What's happening around the world

As of Wednesday evening, more than384.4 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University's coronavirus tracker. The reported global death toll stood at nearly5.7million.

In theAsia-Pacificregion,New Zealand's government on Thursday outlined plans to ease its quarantine requirements for incoming travellers and reopen its borders, a change welcomed by thousands of citizens abroad who have endured long waits to return home.

Most incoming travellers need to spend 10 days in a quarantine hotel room run by the military, a requirement that has created a bottleneck at the border.

In Australia,the COVID-19 hospitalization rate fell to its lowest in nearly three weeks on Wednesday, while a steady rate of daily infections raised hopes the worst of its Omicron-fuelled outbreakmay have passed.

Meanwhile, new cases in Tokyo exceeded 20,000 for the first time, dimming hopes that a wave of infections fuelled by the highly transmissible Omicron variant is peaking in Japan.

In theMiddle East,Turkey has recorded 110,682 new infections in24 hours, its highest daily figure of the pandemic, health ministry data showed on Wednesday. In late December, daily cases stood at about 20,000 but have since surged due to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Data also showed 217 people died due to COVID-19 in the same 24-hour period.

COVID-19 infections and deaths in the Americas are still increasing, but the rise in infections seems to be slowing down in places hit earliest by the Omicron variant, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday.

Most of the sevenmillion new cases reported in the past week were in North America (some fourmillion new infections), while Chile and Brazil posted record numbers of daily cases, and deaths have more than doubled in Cuba, the Bahamas and Antigua and Barbuda, the regional health agency said.

WATCH | Approval looms for kids vaccine:

Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine for kids under 5 could get approval in February: reports

3 years ago

Duration 2:05

U.S. reports say Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine could get emergency approval for children aged six months to five years by the end of February, much earlier than expected.

InEurope,British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced three new calls to resign from within his own Conservative Party on Wednesday, adding to the steadily growing number demanding he quit over a series of parties at 10 Downing Street during lockdown.

Police are investigating 12 different gatherings at the heart of the British state for breaches of the government's own COVID-19 public health laws following an internal inquiry that criticized a "serious failures of leadership."

• WHO sounds alarm about Omicron as COVID-19 infections of past 10 weeks exceed those in all of 2020

Meanwhile, the Kremlincontinues to hold off from imposing nationwide restrictions as Russian President Vladimir Putinacknowledged a "difficult" COVID-19 situation that has seen infection records for two weeks straight. The state coronavirus task force reported 141,883 newinfections on Wednesday a massive spike from the daily 15,000 cases recorded in early January.

A subset of the omicron variant, BA.2, has been also discovered in Russia. The BA.2 subset is widely considered stealthier than the original version and some scientists worry it could also be more contagious.

InAfrica,health officials in South Africa on Wednesday reported 4,502new cases of COVID-19 and 175 additional deaths. The country has now reportedmore than 3.6 million cases and more than 95,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

From Reuters andThe Associated Press, last updated at9:45p.m.