Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
The federal government says it has no plans to enforce a vaccine mandate for children, as Health Canada green lights the first COVID-19 vaccine for those aged five to 11 years old.
Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says, as it stands now, Ottawa won’t apply the same mobility restrictions to children as they have to adults travelling in and out of the country.
“There are no changes to the vaccination or testing rules for children of any age. We are, as you said, entirely focused now on delivering the doses of Pfizer to the provinces and territories so that we can start administering the Pfizer vaccine as quickly as possible,” said Duclos in an interview with CTV’s Question Period airing Sunday.
He stipulated that no one can predict “how the situation will evolve.”
On Friday, Health Canada authorized the use of Pfizer-BioNTech’s two-dose vaccine for children. The first shipment of these pediatric doses will arrive on Sunday, with a total of 2.9 million doses landing by the end of next week.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), which makes recommendations to governments about the use of vaccines, has stated that kids “may” be offered the Pfizer vaccine.
“It’s not unusual for the beginning of any vaccine recommendations for NACI to begin by saying ‘may be offered’ to a certain group of vaccinees just because of the information they have in front of them and the size of the trials for example,” said Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam during a press conference Friday.
“But we expect NACI to continue to evaluate that information, and as did some of the adult recommendations, they can shift over time.”
In their analysis, NACI said because of uncertainties surrounding pediatric vaccination at this time, children and their parents and guardians should be respected for their decision on whether to opt for the vaccine and “should not be stigmatized” either way.
Moderna has also submitted their COVID-19 vaccine for Health Canada approval for administration in kids aged six-to 11-years old.
Duclos said the government also doesn’t intend to include COVID-19 booster shots within vaccine mandate requirements.
“Based on the public health guidance and knowledge that we now have there is no need to change the rules around the definition of full vaccination,” he said.
Health Canada has approved the use of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine as a booster shot in people 18 and up to be given at least six months after finishing a primary vaccine course. Provinces and territories have implemented their own application rules.
In a subsequent announcement, government officials announced that as of Nov. 30, fully vaccinated Canadians and permanent residents returning home from trips less than 72 hours from abroad will no longer have to provide proof of a negative molecular test, such as a PCR test.
Asked why the timeframe of three days, Duclos said a shorter trip equates to less risk.
“The Public Health Agency [of Canada] assessed that being very short trips, the risk of those people catching the disease and returning with the virus to Canada was modest compared to other risks,” he said.
“Health Canada, Public Health Agency [of Canada], with border officials, will be randomly testing those Canadians that are leaving for less than three days to see whether indeed, we should be continuing with that policy or whether we should be revising it in the future.”
With files from CTV News’ Rachel Aiello
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
B.C. conservation officers recently seized a nine-foot-long Burmese python from a home in Chilliwack.
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
The Ontario government is introducing changes to auto-insurance, but some experts say the move is ill-advised.
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Newfoundland’s unique version of the Pine Marten has grown out of its threatened designation.
A Toronto man is out $12,000 after falling victim to a deepfake cryptocurrency scam that appeared to involve Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
It started small with a little pop tab collection to simply raise some money for charity and help someone — but it didn’t take long for word to get out that 10-year-old Jace Weber from Mildmay, Ont. was quickly building up a large supply of aluminum pop tabs.
There’s a group of people in Saskatoon that proudly call themselves dumpster divers, and they’re turning the city’s trash into treasure.
Ontario is facing a larger than anticipated deficit but the Doug Ford government still plans to balance its books before the next provincial election.