Doctors warn of variant spread, PM says more vaccines on the way

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he’s been assured that COVID-19 vaccination deliveries will accelerate in coming weeks, and that includes four million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by the end of March.

He says the pharmaceutical giant has confirmed it will deliver the doses they promised last November, and that Canada has also ordered four million additional doses of the Moderna vaccine, which will arrive over the summer.

Trudeau outlined several measures to rein in the pandemic.

Those included the start of strict travel requirements Feb. 22 and a $53-million investment on a strategy to monitor more infectious variants like the ones first detected in the U.K. and South Africa.

“Nobody wants a third wave to start, particularly not one comprised of new, more communicable variants that can cause real challenges,” Trudeau said Friday from Rideau Cottage.

Trudeau’s updated delivery schedule from Pfizer also includes 10.8 million doses to be delivered between April and June, and all remaining doses – 40 million in total – arriving by the end of September.

Trudeau said he can say with confidence that all Canadians who want a dose will still be able to get one by September.

The assurance came as Canada’s top doctors said COVID-19 infections appear to be on a downward trend but that the worrisome variants were posing an increasing threat to containing the pandemic.

Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam said earlier Friday that aggressive vaccinations will play a key part in addressing COVID-19 spread but that is just one suppression tool as modelling data in the nation’s hot spots point to a likely third wave.

Tam said at least three provinces are reporting evidence of community spread of the new variants.

“We’ve made great progress, and are now almost two thirds of the way down this curve,” said Tam, adding that ongoing vigilance was vital.

A key part in the battle against the new variants are the federal government’s strict new quarantine and testing measures for travellers arriving in Canada.

In announcing the new rules Friday, Trudeau reiterated pleas that non-essential travel stop due to the threat of a possible third wave in infections.

According to federal data, as of Thursday there have been 817,163 cases of COVID-19 in Canada, with 37,747 of them considered active cases.

Tam urged Canadians to refrain from gathering just as much of the country entered a long weekend that included Family Day in several provinces, and Valentine’s Day.