Ontario to offer fourth COVID-19 vaccine doses to immunocompromised Ontarians
Immunocompromised Ontarians can book appointments for a fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine starting tomorrow.
Ontario's chief medical officer of health says the province has already started giving out fourth doses in long-term care homes, retirement homes and other congregate settings.
Dr. Kieran Moore says in order to further protect vulnerable populations, people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised can book a fourth dose starting at 8 a.m. Friday through the provincial vaccine contact centre.
Ontario is reporting 3,630 people in hospital Thursday due to COVID-19, and 500 people in ICU -- an increase in hospitalizations from 3,448 people the previous day, and five fewer people in intensive care units.
Moore says he anticipates Omicron will peak in Ontario in the next few weeks, predicting a difficult rest of the month followed by a better February and March.
The province also reported 35 new deaths Thursday from the virus.
Moore said provincial health officials are trying to determine what is behind large numbers of deaths reported recently, but said many will be due to the previous wave of Delta, a variant that a higher virulence, and some will be attributed to Omicron -- shown to be less severe --because there is such a higher number of cases.
There are 275 people on ventilators due to COVID-19, 10 more than the previous day.
There are 9,909 new COVID-19 cases reported, though Public Health Ontario has noted that the total number is likely higher due to testing policy changes.
Provincial data show 82 per cent of Ontarians aged five and older have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and 88 per cent have at least one dose.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 13, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.