Today’s coronavirus news: new COVID-19 cases; More than 100K

Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, have received their COVID-19 vaccinations, royal officials said Saturday.

Buckingham Palace officials said in a statement that the 94-year-old monarch and Philip, 99, received their jabs Saturday, joining some 1.5 million people in Britain who have been given a first dose of a vaccine.

The injections were administered at Windsor Castle, where the queen and her husband have been spending their time during the lockdown in England.

Royal officials said they took the rare step of commenting on the monarch's health in order to prevent inaccuracies and further speculation. The queen “decided that she would let it be known she has had the vaccination,” the palace statement said.

On Dec. 8, Britain became the world's first country to begin a mass vaccination drive against the coronavirus. The government says it is aiming to deliver the first vaccine doses to some 15 million people in the top priority groups by the middle of February.

That includes everyone over age 70, as well as frontline health care workers, care home residents and anyone whose health makes them especially vulnerable to the virus

11:46 a.m.: Quebec is reporting 3,127 new cases of COVID-19 today hours before a provincewide curfew is set to take effect.
Stephen Lecce says Canada Post staff, workers with the RCMP and Canada Border Services, and workers with homeless shelters and children's aid societies are among those on the expanded list.

Earlier this week, the province announced online learning would continue until at least Jan. 25 for students across southern Ontario in order to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The province reported 3,443 new cases of the virus today along with 40 related deaths.

10:40 a.m. (updated): Ontario has recorded another 3,443 cases of COVID-19, and 40 more deaths, according to statistics released Saturday morning.

The seven-day average for new cases is 3,406, or 164 per 100,000 people. Ontario’s seven-day average for deaths is at 42.4 daily.

There are 1,457 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in the province, including 382 patients in intensive care and 244 on ventilators.

Ontario has administered 15,700 doses of COVID-19 vaccines since its last daily update, with a total of 103,260 vaccinations given as of 8 p.m. Friday. The number of people who have received the two doses required is 5,880.

Read the full story here: Ontario reports 3,443 new COVID-19 cases and 40 more deaths

10:00 a.m.: Quebec's premier is urging residents to respect a curfew that takes effect tonight and that he argues is necessary to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Francois Legault says the month-long curfew is meant to discourage gatherings he says are responsible for rising case numbers and hospitalization rates.

He calls the measure a "shock treatment" necessary to keep the province from reaching a tipping point that would leave the most seriously ill patients without proper care.

Starting tonight and until at least Feb. 8, most Quebecers are being asked to remain at home between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Residents will receive an emergency alert later today to remind them of the new rules.

9:20 a.m.: COVID-19 vaccines are finally here, but the challenge to get a dose to everyone in Canada who wants one — and hopefully, bring the pandemic to heel in the process — has only just begun.

This week was marked by sparring between federal and provincial leaders who each put the blame on the other for what has been criticized as a slow start to the vaccination effort, even as officials argued that efforts are beginning to ramp up.

As questions swirl about how to speed up the process, some have wondered about whether second doses could be delayed or even done away with — though Health Canada says it is sticking with its recommendations.

Meanwhile, if you’ve been selling fraudulent vaccines to seniors, the London police want to talk to you.

As the world continues down the road to mass vaccination, here’s what you need to know.

Read the full round-up by Star reporter Alex Boyd here: This week’s COVID-19 vaccine news: The Canadian blame game, the two-dose edict — and London’s snake-oil salesman