Today’s coronavirus news: Ontario reports 13,807 new cases of COVID-19 today and a notable increase in hospitalizations; Ontario’s top doctor to make an announcement amid surge in cases

The latest coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Thursday. This file will be updated throughout the day. Web links to longer stories if available.

10:17 a.m.: Ontario is reporting 13,807 new cases of COVID-19 and eight deaths on Thursday. This is an increase from the 10,436 cases and three deaths reported on Wednesday

In addition, 965 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 and 200 people are in ICU due to the virus — this is up notably from the previous week. The seven-day average of COVID-19 related patients in ICU is 179 on Thursday.

The seven-day average for cases is +1,145 to 10,328 cases per day, +158 per cent in a week, a doubling rate of every 5.1 days. Positivity (30.5 per cent) is increasing.

Also in the province, 27,012,866 vaccine doses have been administered, with over 197,000 doses administered Wednesday — 90.8 per cent of Ontarians aged 12+ have had one dose and 88.1 per cent have had two doses.

Reported on Wednesday, 726 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 while 190 people were in ICU due to the virus. The seven-day rolling average of COVID-19 related patients in ICU for Wednesday was 174.

Yesterday, 26,815,586 vaccine doses had been administered, compared to more than 176,000 doses administered Tuesday. Additionally, 90.7 per cent of Ontarians aged 12+ had, had one dose and 88.1 per cent have two doses then.

9:35 a.m.: A Johnson & Johnson booster shot provided strong protection against the omicron variant, greatly reducing the risk of hospitalization, according to a clinical trial in South Africa.

The study, which compared more than 69,000 boosted health care workers with a corresponding group of unvaccinated South Africans, found that two shots of the vaccine reduced the risk of hospitalization from omicron by about 85%. In comparison, another study in South Africa found that two shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine reduced the risk of hospitalization by about 70%.

Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as a booster shot, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that other vaccines be preferred. The CDC raised concerns about rare but life-threatening blood clots that have been linked to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

But the authors of the new study, which was published on a preprint server and has not yet been peer-reviewed, said that the results were important for vaccination efforts in Africa, where the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a mainstay of COVID public health efforts. As the continent braces for a wave of Omicron cases, a second dose of the vaccine could prevent a surge of hospitalizations.

9:34 a.m.: The Town of The Blue Mountains (TBM) is hosting its second week of COVID-19 vaccination clinics since the holidays began.

First, second, and third doses are being administered on a walk-in and appointment basis at the Beaver Valley Community Centre, including vaccinations for children between five and 11 years old.

The second round of clinics are running on Dec. 29, Dec. 31, and Jan. 3, and they were set up to supplement vaccinations taking place at the Blue Mountains Community Health Centre.

Between the health centre and the community centre, 5,484 vaccines were administered between Dec. 18 and Dec. 27.

TBM Mayor Alar Soever said he has found the community response encouraging.

“People are very informed in The Blue Mountains … and the immunity is waning from the first and second shot, so people are keen to get their third shots and protect themselves,” he said.

The holiday clinics were specifically set up to provide locals with more options, as the community hubs offering vaccination clinics are outside of TBM.

“The community hubs are some distance away,” he said. “The ones that are going to be up in January are in Chesley, Port Elgin, and Owen Sound, so the closest one is 45 minutes away. People, especially the elderly, are rather loath to drive to a strange community.”

Instead of making people travel, TBM council offered the community centre as a space, in order to increase local options for vaccination.

9:26 a.m.: Millions of rapid at-home COVID tests are flying off pharmacy shelves across the country, giving Americans an instant, if sometimes imperfect, read on whether they are infected with the coronavirus.

But the results are rarely reported to public health departments, exacerbating the long-standing challenges of maintaining an accurate count of cases at a time when the number of infections is surging because of the omicron variant.

At the minimum, the widespread availability of at-home tests is wreaking havoc with the accuracy of official positivity rates and case counts. At the other extreme, it is one factor making some public health experts raise a question that once would have been unthinkable: Do counts of coronavirus cases serve a useful purpose, and if not, should they be continued?

“Our entire approach to the pandemic has been case-based surveillance: We have to count every case, and that’s just not accurate anymore,” said Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, a national nonprofit organization representing public health agencies in the United States. “It’s just becoming a time where we’ve got to think about doing things differently.”

8:53 a.m.: Britain’s National Health Service “is now on a war footing,” one of its top medical officials warned Thursday, saying its hospitals would erect field wards to help absorb the impact of a record surge in coronavirus cases that has already produced a rise in hospitalizations nationally.

Cases in Britain reached new highs this week, driven by the highly transmissible omicron variant, with more than 183,000 reported across the country Wednesday — twice the highest daily count recorded in previous waves. And public health experts have said it is likely to be days before the full impact of socializing over the Christmas holidays is reflected.

“We do not yet know exactly how many of those who catch the virus will need hospital treatment,” Stephen Powis, the NHS medical director for England, said in a statement. “But given the number of infections we cannot wait to find out before we act.”

8:48 a.m.: New York City will ring in 2022 in Times Square as planned despite record numbers of COVID-19 infections in the city and around the nation, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday.

“We want to show that we’re moving forward, and we want to show the world that New York City is fighting our way through this,” de Blasio, whose last day in office is Friday, said on NBC's “Today” show.

After banning revelers from Times Square a year ago due to the pandemic, city officials previously announced plans for a scaled-back New Year's bash with smaller crowds and vaccinations required.

While cities such as Atlanta have canceled New Year's Eve celebrations, de Blasio said New York City's high COVID-19 vaccination rate makes it feasible to welcome masked, socially distanced crowds to watch the ball drop in Times Square. “We’ve got to send a message to the world. New York City is open,” he said.

8:05 a.m.: Ontario’s top doctor is set to make an announcement today as the province continues to reach new records in daily COVID-19 infections.

Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore, was initially scheduled to hold a news conference Tuesday to share new rules on COVID-19 testing and case management.

But the event was postponed so officials could review changes to isolation and quarantine guidelines in the United States.

Ontarians are also waiting on the province to announce whether children will go back to school in person or online next week in light of the recent surge in cases driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant.

Some provinces have decided to prolong the winter break for some or all students, while others have opted to switch to virtual learning starting next week.

Ontario recorded a new daily high of 10,436 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, just days after logging more than 10,000 daily cases for the first time in the pandemic.

7:22 a.m.: Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari has been hospitalized after testing positive for the coronavirus for his second time of the pandemic.

Finland’s government did not say when or where the 84-year-old Ahtisaari was thought to have gotten infected. Ahtisaari served as the Nordic country’s head of state for one term during 1994-2000.

The former diplomat and peace broker for the Finnish government won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2008 for his work to resolve international conflicts.

“President Ahtisaari is doing well under the circumstances but stays at the hospital for the time being. He tested positive for coronavirus also in March 2020,” the office of Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said in a statement late Wednesday.

In September, it was announced that Ahtisaari had Alzheimer’s disease and was withdrawing from all public activities.

6:20 a.m.: If you’re planning to host a New Year’s Eve party, health experts urge you to make it virtual or outdoors.

Omicron, which is extremely contagious and estimated to have already infected hundreds of thousands of people in Ontario, has made indoor gatherings far too risky — even for double-vaccinated groups with negative rapid test results.

Dr. Peter Jüni, scientific director of Ontario’s COVID-19 science table, said it is likely about five per cent of Ontarians currently have COVID and are infectious. That’s more than 725,000 people, or one in every 20 people.

By the time New Year’s comes around, he said there will be about a one in three chance that if you meet with 10 people, one of them will be infected.

Read the full story from the Star’s Ben Cohen.

6:20 a.m.: The province will start rolling out fourth COVID-19 vaccine doses to long-term-care residents who will become eligible three months after receiving a booster shot, the Star has learned.

The move, to be announced Thursday, comes as the province sees record-high COVID-19 cases because of the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

“This is one of the many measures the government is putting in place to protect long-term-care residents and staff,” a government source told the Star.

Read the full story from the Star’s Kris Rushowy.

6:15 a.m.: England’s National Health Service is building temporary structures at hospitals around the country to prepare for a possible surge of COVID-19 patients as the highly transmissible omicron variant fuels a new wave of infections.

The U.K. reported a record 183,037 confirmed new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, 32% more than the previous day. While early data suggests omicron is less likely to cause serious illness than earlier variants, public health officials think the sheer number of infections could lead to a jump in hospitalizations and deaths.

In response, the NHS will begin setting up “surge hubs” this week at eight hospitals around England, each with the capacity to treat about 100 patients. Staff are preparing plans to create as many as 4,000 “super surge” beds should they be needed, the NHS said Thursday.

“We do not yet know exactly how many of those who catch the virus will need hospital treatment, but given the number of infections we cannot wait to find out before we act, and so work is beginning from today to ensure these facilities are in place,” NHS England medical director Stephen Powis said in a statement.

The number of people in England hospitalized with COVID-19 increased to 10,462 on Wednesday from 7,366 on Dec. 24, government figures show. Wednesday’s number was the highest since March 1. The figure is still well below the peak of 34,336 recorded on Jan. 18.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resisted implementing new restrictions on business and social interactions during the holiday season, instead emphasizing an expanded vaccine booster program to control the spread of Omicron.

6:15 a.m.: Las Vegas isn’t cancelling or scaling back plans for New Year’s Eve gatherings.

More than 300,000 visitors are expected in town for events including a New Year’s Eve fireworks show on the Las Vegas Strip that was cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic

Thousands of ticketholders also are expected at a multi-stage outdoor music event beneath a canopy light show at the downtown casino pedestrian mall.

In announcing Wednesday that the show will go on, Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft said: “If you’re sick, stay at home. If you’re indoors, wear a mask.”

Las Vegas regional health officials reported 2,201 new coronavirus cases — the most in one day since last Jan. 11. New cases and deaths in Las Vegas have been trending up.

6:15 a.m.: Mexico’s health safety council has approved the use of Cuba’s three-dose Abdala coronavirus vaccine.

The council said Wednesday that it has sufficient evidence the vaccine is safe and effective.

The approval for emergency use does not necessarily mean the Mexican government will acquire or administer the Abdala vaccine in Mexico. Mexico has approved 10 vaccines for use, but has made little use of some, like China’s Sinopharm.

Cuba has approved Abdala for use domestically and begun commercial exports of the three-dose vaccine to Vietnam and Venezuela.

6:15 a.m.: Montenegro has tightened virus rules amid a surge in infections and fears of fast-spreading omicron variant.

Starting Thursday, all gatherings are banned indoors or outdoors in the European country, including weddings, parties and conferences. Bars and restaurants were ordered to close at 1 a.m. on New Year’s Eve and 10 p.m. after the holidays.

Authorities also limited the number of people allowed into shopping malls and religious objects to one per 10 square meters (108 square feet) and said COVID passes are required for cinemas, museums and theatres.

For sports events, spectators are banned indoors and outdoor venues are limited to one-fourth capacity. Face masks are obligatory everywhere.

Authorities have said that numbers of new infections have risen and the tightened rules are needed to prevent them from spiralling out of control. Some 1,500 new infections were reported on Wednesday in the nation of 620,000 people.

Montenegro has also tightened entry rules for visitors and urged people to spend the upcoming holidays just with their immediate family.

6:15 a.m.: Chinese officials promised steady deliveries of groceries to residents of Xi’an, an ancient capital with 13 million people that is under the strictest lockdown of a major Chinese city since Wuhan was shut early last year at the start of the pandemic.

China’s Commerce Ministry has contacted nearby provinces to help ensure adequate supplies of everyday necessities, a ministry spokesperson said Thursday.

State broadcaster CCTV aired a story Thursday showing building staff assembling free grocery deliveries for the residents of an apartment complex in Xi’an.

The deliveries included a box of 15 eggs, a 2.5-kilogram (5.5-pound) bag of rice and some green vegetables. Residents could also expect either some chicken or pork, it said.

Still, some people complained in comments below the segment shared on Weibo, a social media platform, that they have not received the same deliveries in their communities. Many worried if they will be able to obtain fresh vegetables and meat.

6:15 a.m.: Residents and tourists in Paris will be required to wear face masks outdoors starting Friday as France sees a surge of COVID-19 infections fuelled by the omicron variant.

The Paris police prefecture said the mask rule will apply to people ages 12 and over, although individuals will be exempt while riding bicycles or motorcycles, travelling in vehicles and doing exercise.

Those who do not comply face fines of 135 euros ($153).

Masks already are mandatory in shops, public facilities and office buildings and on public transportation in France.

The French government announced measures to fight the spread of the coronavirus this week, when France reported a daily record of 208,000 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday.

6:15 a.m.: Provinces across the country are amending or extending health restrictions as the Omicron variant continues to cause record-breaking numbers of COVID-19 cases.

Quebec said yesterday that vaccinated health-care staff who test positive for COVID-19 could be allowed back on the job after seven days if they have no symptoms, and that workers who are exposed to COVID outside their homes no longer automatically need to isolate.

Manitoba and Ontario have said they were considering similar measures to avoid overwhelming their own health systems.

British Columbia says it will bring back students in January in a phased approach, with staff and students whose parents are health workers, as well as those who need extra support, returning to class on Jan. 3 or 4. All other students will go back to school on Jan. 10.

Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec set new case records Wednesday, with the latter reporting more than 13,000 infections, 10 more deaths and a 102-person rise in COVID-19-related hospitalizations. Ontario reported 10,436 new infections and three deaths.

Alberta more than doubled its active case count in a week, while recording its highest single-day increase of new infections.