Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Jan. 25

The latest:

• Quebec announces plan to reopen restaurants, cinemas in coming weeks
  
• Ontario reports 626 people with COVID-19 in ICUs
  
• B.C.'s vaccine card program extended to June 30
  
• Pfizer and BioNTech launchtrial of Omicron-targeted vaccine
  
• Anxiety, depression, loneliness at highest levels among Canadians since early pandemic: survey
  
• How does Pfizer's COVID-19 pill work and who will get it?
  
• University students struggling with impact of online classes as pandemic wears on

Recalling that last week he said there was "light at the end of the tunnel," Quebec Premier Franois Legaultsaid Tuesday that he now believes the province is coming out of that tunneland so will ease more pandemic restrictionsas of Jan. 31.

But he said the easing will happen slowly. As of Monday, people can resume private indoor gatherings, but with a maximum of four people from two bubbles, Legault said.

The same rules will apply to dining. Restaurants may reopen to indoor dining as of Monday, with a capacity of 50 per cent. Tables must be limited to four people, again from only two bubbles, and vaccine passports will be required.

Kids under 18 will also be able to resume extra-curricular and non-school related sports, but there will be no games or competitions only practices permitted with a gathering maximum of 25 people.

Restaurants at ski lodges will be able to open at50 per cent capacity, as will other tourist attractions such as the Biodome.

WATCH | Vaccine mandate for stores could help:

Requiring vaccine passport for big-box stores may contribute to sense of security, professor says

3 years ago

Duration 0:52

Emily McDonald, a specialist in internal medicine at McGill University Health Centre, says requiring that shoppers at big-box stores be vaccinated may not lessen COVID-19 transmission, but might encourage a small percentage unvaccinated residents to get their first dose.

A second phase of reopening will begin Feb. 7 and focus on cultural venues, such as concert halls and cinemas, which will be able to reopen at 50 per cent capacity to amaximum of 500 people. Places of worshipwill also be allowed to reopen at 50 per centto a maximum of 250 people.Vaccine passports will be required for all.

Legault said in hisbriefing that the Quebec health system is beaten down, with still 12,000 health-care workersabsent from the system. He made an appeal to young people to choose a career in nursing.

Quebec currently has3,278 patients in hospital, with 263 in ICU. The province has 2,977 newly confirmed cases and 85 new deaths.

- From CBC News, last updated at 2:30 p.m. ET

What's happening across Canada

WATCH |Alberta prepares field hospitals:

Alberta prepares field hospitals amid expected COVID-19 patient surge

3 years ago

Duration 1:50

Alberta is preparing field hospitals in Calgary and Edmonton ahead of an expected COVID-19 patient surge, but health-care workers are concerned about not having enough staff for additional beds.

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.

• COVID-19 blamed for greatest drop in life expectancy in Canada since 1921

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.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) hasupgraded its initial advice that kids aged five to 11 "may" get two doses of a mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

Now that more data is available on the safety and effectiveness of the first two doses of the vaccine, NACI says kids "should" get the shots.

It recommends a four- to eight-week interval between doses, but says a longer interval will likely lead to longer-lasting protection.

NACIalso recommends immunocompromised kids between those ages be offered a third dose.

WATCH | Stronger vaccine advice for kids:

NACI strengthens COVID vaccine advice for kids 5-11

3 years ago

Duration 4:13

NACI is now strongly recommending children aged five to 11 be vaccinated against COVID-19, with an interval of at least eight weeks between the two doses. Dr. Noah Ivers, a family physician from Women's College Hospital says, 'The most important decision is to go ahead and get your children vaccinated. The secondary consideration is the intervals.'

In Central Canada Tuesday, 4,008people were in hospital inOntario with COVID-19, including 626 in intensive care. The province reported64 deaths, which it says reflects data from the past 20 days. There were also3,424 newly confirmed cases.

• Enforcing new vaccine mandate frustrates some Quebec retailers

In Atlantic Canada, most students inNewfoundland and Labradorheaded back to classrooms Tuesday, making it the second Atlantic province to return to in-person education this year.

The return to class plan posted by the government includes screening guidelines, mask rules and cohorts aimed at reducing the number of close interactions. Students were also asked totaketwo rapid tests, including one Tuesday morning, prior to their return.

There were 20people in hospital with COVID-19 Tuesday. Five remainin the ICU. The province also reported 296new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Students in Nova Scotia were the first to return to school in the winter term in Atlantic Canada, heading back to classrooms on Jan. 17.

In Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, students are set to stay remote until Jan. 31 at the earliest.

• N.B. education minister shares back-to-class plans ahead of return next week
• Sending school work home for absent students in line with contract, says N.S. teachers' union
• How schools are pushing through to keep students learning in person despite Omicron

New Brunswickreported another seven people were in hospital Tuesday for a total of 138 patients being treated for COVID-19. Eleven werein the ICU. The province also confirmed another 350 cases, as well as three deaths.

As of Tuesday,Prince Edward Islandhad 10 people in hospital with COVID-19, including two in ICU. There have been 275newly confirmed cases and one more deathfrom the virus.

Nova Scotiaon Tuesday said there were still 92people in hospital withCOVID-19, with one more patient in the ICU, bringing the totalthere to 15.The province also reported an additional 492 lab-confirmed cases and five additional deaths.

• 7th and 8th COVID-related deaths reported on P.E.I.

WATCH | Scientists are watching a new sub-variant of Omicron:

Sub-variant of Omicron not yet a concern, says epidemiologist

3 years ago

Duration 3:41

A new sub-variant of Omicron has not yet led to enough of an increase in COVID-19 cases to be troubling, but Dr. Prabhat Jha, an epidemiologist at Toronto's St. Michael's Hospital, explains that how a variant behaves cannot be predicted.

In the Prairie provinces,Saskatchewan hospitals reportedan additional 29 people in hospital with COVID-19 Tuesday, for a total of 291, including 33 in the ICU. There have been 1,048 new cases confirmed along with twonew deaths. The province currently has a 7-day positivity rate of 33.7 per cent, the second highest in the country after Yukon, which has a daily positivity rate of 38 per cent. .

Manitobaon Tuesdayreported an additional 13 patients in hospital for COVID-19. for a total of 729. There were no new patients in the ICU, Tuesday, where 49 patients are still being treated.There have been 637new cases of the virus confirmed along with sixadditional deaths.

Albertareported1,377 people in the hospital with COVID-19 on Tuesday, an increase of 73since yesterday. There were 111 people inintensivecare.There have been 2,722 newly confirmed cases and 13 additional deaths.

Alberta's Health Minister Jason Copping said during a briefing Tuesday that the coming weeks will be "the toughest yet" for both health-care workers and citizens, though he hopes the province has reached a turning point in terms of new infections.

• COVID-19 wastewater study shows decrease in Saskatchewan cities

Across the North,Nunavuton Tuesday reported 52 additional cases of COVID-19. There were no patients being treated in hospital for COVID-19. TheBaffin Island communityof Iglookikwas under a strict lockdown as COVID-19 spreadrapidly among households.All offices and schools were closed and travel is restricted.Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Michael Patterson saidthere were17 active COVID-19 cases listed in the community Tuesday, but notedthe numbers were much higher because of a lag in testing.

Health officials inYukonreported 22 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, withone in hospital with the virus.

TheNorthwest Territoriesreported 159new cases on Tuesday. There were no patients with COVID-19in hospital.

• Yukon education minister, acting chief medical officer to give COVID-19 update

In British Columbia,health officials on Tuesday reported 1,446new cases of COVID-19 andone additional death.There were 985COVID-positive peoplein hospital, including 144in the ICU.

Provincial Health OfficerDr. Bonnie Henry said during her briefing Tuesday that the province hasmore patients in hospital now thanat any time sincethe pandemic began, as she announced that the province's vaccine card program will be extended until at least June 30. The proof-of-vaccine program was originally set to expire Jan. 31.

-From CBC News and The Canadian Press, last updated at 6:50 p.m. ET

What's happening around the world

As ofTuesday evening, more than357.7million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University's case-tracking tool. The reported global death toll stood at more than 5.6 million.

In theAmericas,Pfizerand BioNTechsaid on Tuesday they started a clinical trial to test a new version of their vaccine specifically designed to target the COVID-19 Omicron variant, which has eluded some of the protection provided by the original two-dose vaccine regimen.

Chile, which already boasts one of the world's highest COVID-19 vaccination rates, has agreed to purchase twomillion vaccine doses from Moderna, Chilean interim health minister Maria Teresa Valenzuela said.

InEurope,Russian health authorities have shortened the required isolation period for those who come in contact with COVID-19 patients from 14 days to seven, a move that comes as an unprecedented surge of coronavirus infections, driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant, rips through the vast country.

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced the shift Tuesday. It only changes the rules for those who had close contact with someone who has COVID-19, not for those with a confirmed infection. Those who test positive were still required to isolate for 14 days, with a mandatory test on day 10 or 11.

In theAsia-Pacificregion,Beijing residents are coping with abrupt local lockdowns and sweeping COVID-19 testing requirements as the Chinese capital seeks to prevent a coronavirus outbreak ahead of the Winter Olympics, that openin less than two weeks.

The lockdowns are part of China's "zero tolerance" measures to fight the pandemic that have been ratcheted up ahead of the Games. Those now include requiring tests for anyone who purchases medications to treat cold, cough, fever and other maladies.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam defended herself for not wearing a mask at news conferences, saying it was so people could see how "solemn" she was when talking about COVID-19.

South Korea's daily count of new coronavirus cases topped 8,000 for the first time, as the Omicron variant spreads rapidly despite the recent extension of strict physical-distancing rules to slow infection.

Japan is set to more than double the number of regions under enhanced coronavirus curbs on Tuesday, even as it sought to modify strategies to contend with the infectious Omicron variant that has fuelled record numbers of cases.

In theMiddle East,an Israeli government advisory panel has recommended offering a fourth vaccine dose to all adults, on condition that at least five months have passed since they received the third or recovered from the illness.

On Monday,Israel's health minister said he did not think Israel wouldoffer a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose to most people after the government made it available to those older than 60and other high-risk groups.

InAfrica, the Health Ministry in South Africa reported1,332 cases of COVID-19 on Monday, and 88 additional deaths.

-From Reuters, The Associated Press and CBC News, last updated at 8:40 p.m. ET