Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern received the her first shot of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, as the country steps up efforts to inoculate its population.
The Pacific island nation shut its borders and used tough lockdown measures to become one of the few countries to have virtually eliminated COVID-19 in the community, but the government is facing criticism for a slow rollout of vaccines.
"I'm smiling under the mask," Ardern said as she sat down to receive the shot at a vaccination center in Auckland, as the media watched on.
"For me, I never wanted to be amongst the first, for me we needed to get those front line workers but I also need to be a role model and this demonstrates that it's safe, that it's effective and that it's really important that everyone is vaccinated when they have their opportunity...," she said after receiving the vaccine shot.
"It's really true when they say it's actually pretty pain-free."
About 1 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine have so far been administered in New Zealand, a nation of 5 million people. The country's medical authorities are yet to approve the use of any other vaccine, including AstraZeneca.
The country was on track for everyone eligible to be vaccinated by the end of the year, Ardern said last week.
Pressure has been mounting on the government to speed up vaccinations and reopen its borders. Ardern has said having more people vaccinated gives the nation more options at the border.
Vaccinations would be allocated according to age with people over 60 offered one from July and those over 55 from August. Those over the age of 45 would get vaccine invitations from mid to late August while those over 35 from mid to late September, and everyone else would be eligible from October.
(Reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An investigation is underway after a Regina police officer was accidentally shot by a fellow officer’s gun during the search of a house early Friday morning.
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
An investigation is underway after a Regina police officer was accidentally shot by a fellow officer’s gun during the search of a house early Friday morning.
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
Donald Trump's defense team in his hush money case sought Friday to undermine the testimony of the prosecution's lead witness and his account that a tabloid's practice of helping to bury embarrassing stories about Trump was part of a scheme to aid the Republican's 2016 campaign.
A Ukrainian court on Friday ordered the detention of the country's farm minister in the latest high-profile corruption investigation, while Kyiv security officials assessed how they can recover lost battlefield momentum in the war against Russia.
The practice of giving sedatives to people detained by police has spread quietly across the U.S. over the last 15 years, built on questionable science and backed by police-aligned experts, an investigation led by The Associated Press has found.
The military horses that bolted and ran loose when spooked by construction noise in central London earlier this week "continue to be cared for and closely observed," the British Army said Friday.
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Egypt sent a high-level delegation to Israel on Friday with the hope of brokering a ceasefire agreement with Hamas in Gaza, two officials said. At the same time, it warned that a possible Israeli offensive focused on Gaza's city of Rafah -- on the border with Egypt -- could have catastrophic consequences for regional stability.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
The federal government is earmarking $3 million for production of drones in Ukraine in support of Kyiv's fight against Russia's invasion.
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
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TikTok is in the crosshairs of authorities in the U.S., where a new law threatens a nationwide ban unless its China-based parent ByteDance divests. Here are the places that have partial or total bans on TikTok.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a stunning new image of the glowing gas ejected from a dying star, which in this case happens to resemble a 'cosmic dumbbell.'
After years of delays and a dizzying array of setbacks during test flights, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is finally set to make its inaugural crewed launch.
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
Ellen DeGeneres is reflecting on how her talk show came to an end. The comedian began performing her 'Ellen's Last Stand…Up Tour' this week, her first major project since 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' finished its run in 2022.
The singer R. Kelly was correctly sentenced to 20 years in prison on child sex convictions in Chicago, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.
The federal and Quebec governments are spending close to $100 million to boost the country's manufacturing capacity for semiconductors, which are vital in technologies ranging from artificial intelligence to quantum computing.
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Ford’s electric vehicle unit reported that losses soared in the first quarter to US $1.3 billion, or US$132,000 for each of the 10,000 vehicles it sold in the first three months of the year.
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
Legendary sportscaster Bob Cole was a Newfoundlander through and through, and his daughter says his connection to the province was 'everything' to him.
Skinner has confidence of his coach, but playoff goaltending a concern for Oilers
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Ford’s electric vehicle unit reported that losses soared in the first quarter to US $1.3 billion, or US$132,000 for each of the 10,000 vehicles it sold in the first three months of the year.
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Police in Vancouver are appealing for witnesses to come forward after a serious crash Thursday left one man in hospital with life-threatening injuries.
It’s National Infertility Awareness week, which brings attention to a medical condition that impacts one-in-six adults in B.C.
An 11-year-old boy struck by a transport truck in Etobicoke on Friday morning suffered critical injuries and is receiving treatment at a Toronto trauma centre, police say.
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
Calgary police are investigating a shooting reported in the Valleyfield industrial area on Friday.
A Calgary man has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in a downtown stabbing spree last year that sent multiple people to hospital.
Canada's largest cosplay parade is back in full force, returning to city for the 10th time on Friday.
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Queen’s University says renowned Canadian broadcaster and alumna, Shelagh Rogers will serve as its 16th chancellor starting July 1.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has issued a flood watch for the Pembroke, Ont. area.
A Montreal-area family confirmed to CTV News that the body of their loved one who died while on vacation in Cuba is being repatriated to Canada after it was mistakenly sent to Russia.
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
After more than 50 years, the Parc Safari wildlife park is going car-free for the 2024 season, instead offering visitors rides on electric trucks in its famous Safari Adventure site.
An Alberta RCMP officer has been charged with child sexual exploitation offences.
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Skinner has confidence of his coach, but playoff goaltending a concern for Oilers
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A church in Bridgetown, N.S., has been destroyed by a Friday morning fire.
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
A Winnipeg city councillor has formally apologized for using the term “bicycle Nazis” to describe a cycling advocacy group at a meeting earlier this month.
An investigation is underway after a Regina police officer was accidentally shot by a fellow officer’s gun during the search of a house early Friday morning.
A public inquest into the death of a Saskatchewan teenager who was found unresponsive in a creek east of Regina in 2015 will take place in May.
RCMP have made two arrests in connection to a homicide investigation in southeast Saskatchewan.
Waterloo regional police is investigating a hit-and-run collision involving a pedestrian on Dunbar Road at Briarwood Drive in Cambridge.
An elderly Guelph driver has been charged after hitting a woman pushing a stroller.
Flames could be seen coming from a vacant leather factory in Kitchener once again late Thursday night.
Four people, including two teen girls, were arrested and charged after an attempted armed robbery on Thursday evening.
For the first time since 1993 two Saskatchewan teams will face each other in the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Eastern Conference Final as the Moose Jaw Warriors and Saskatoon Blades get their third round series underway Friday night
Saskatoon city council is making road safety improvements following the death of a cyclist at a busy intersection last year.
Two hunters from North Bay, Ont., and a third from Temagami pled guilty recently to offences they committed during a 2022 moose hunt.
A month after an accidental fire forced more than 100 people out of their apartments at the Empire Complex in Timmins, residents are now dealing with being victims of theft.
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
A fatal crash in Thames Centre closed down a portion of Highway 401 westbound. Around 2:15 a.m., first responders were called to westbound lanes of the highway between Culloden and Putnam Roads for a two-vehicle crash.
An unknown number of people have been taken to hospital following a crash in Oxford County. OPP are on scene of the two-vehicle crash at 37th Line and Road 74 in Zorra.
London police are asking for the public's help locating four suspects in an arson investigation.
A man is in serious condition after being struck by a train near Alliston.
Faking a caller identity has never been so easy.
A small garage fire sent a resident to the hospital in Huntsville.
Windsor police have arrested two people after seizing $120,000 in illegal drugs.
A former high school teacher who just finished one trial is now facing another.
The City of Windsor is letting the public know about lane restrictions on three busy streets.
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
British Columbia's Opposition leader says community safety should come before protection of privacy rights for dangerous people.
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
An emaciated dachshund is now recovering thanks to a Good Samaritan who found the pup near a biking trail in Kelowna, according to the BC SPCA.
Search and rescue crews have been called in after a vehicle belonging to a missing senior was located near a rural intersection outside of Kelowna Tuesday.
Major crime detectives in British Columbia are investigating a suspected homicide after a body was found in a remote area southeast Kelowna over the weekend.
It was a busy Wednesday evening for fire crews in Lethbridge County after multiple grass fires were sparked near the Kipp rail yard.
A former University of Lethbridge student has been awarded the Medal for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Equity by NASA.
The Okotoks Oilers bounced back against the Bandits Wednesday night, defeating Brooks 4-1.
Meeting next week, city council in Sault Ste. Marie will get an overview of what to expect if it decides to implement a new tax on empty homes in the city.
Some members of the Garden River First Nation are demanding answers regarding the disbursement of the Robinson-Huron Treaty settlement funds.
The Ontario Provincial Police, in partnership with the Treaty Three Police Service, have charged a suspect with murder following a homicide in a remote northwestern Ontario community.
Legendary sportscaster Bob Cole was a Newfoundlander through and through, and his daughter says his connection to the province was 'everything' to him.
Cenovus Energy has been ordered to pay a $2.5-million fine for its role in the largest offshore oil spill ever recorded in Newfoundland and Labrador.
As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country's smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right.
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