Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Thursday

The latest:

• Manitoba posts highest daily COVID-19 case countsince mid-June with 132 new cases; no intensive care patients are fully vaccinated.

• Federal NDP leader wants to see federalvaccine passport, paid sick leavefromLiberal government.

• New COVID-19 modelling suggests restrictions helping Alberta turn the corner on the pandemic.

• Employment lawyers brace for first wave of COVID-19 layoffs as vaccine mandates kick in.

• Pandemic early warning system has issued only a handful of alerts since start of 2020.

• Field visits by phone, locked-up PPE flagged by Ontario nursing home staff in 1st wave.

• Federal public servants, RCMP, and air and rail travellers must be vaccinated by month's end.

Canada's fourth-wave battle shows cautious signs of progress in someregions, but parts of the Prairies are currently dealing with steep case COVID-19 counts and corresponding stresses on their health systems.

On Thursday, Manitoba reported 132 new cases the largest single-day caseload since the end of the spring. Ninety-five of those cases are in people who were not fully vaccinated, according to the provincial dashboard. The province also reported one additional coronavirus death.

Meanwhile, neighbouring Saskatchewan is dealing with the highest rate of new daily COVID-19 cases in the last week of any province.

Saskatchewan reported 348 COVID-19 patients in hospital as of Thursday, 78 of them in intensive care. Most were unvaccinated.

The province said it has activated its emergency operations centre so it can redeploy more health-care workers to hospitals that are dealing with the COVID-19 crisis.

Premier Scott Moe said Thursday that finding additional front-line workers is a major challenge as hospitalizations continue to break new records almost daily.

He said Saskatchewan may make an official request to the federal government for help in the days ahead, but first the province must make sure it is utilizing all its available employees.

On the other side Manitoba, Ontario reported 587 new cases Thursday and five additional deaths.

In that province, Dr. Kieran Moore, the chief medical officer of health, shared advice for how to stay protected during the second Thanksgiving of the COVID-19 era.

What's happening across Canada

WATCH |COVID-19 boostersnot needed for most people yet, says specialist:

COVID-19 booster shots not needed for most people yet, says specialist

3 years ago

Duration 4:51

Canadians who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 might see longer immunity if their shots were spaced further apart than recommended by the vaccine makers, says Dr. Matthew Oughton, an infectious diseases specialist in Montreal who said most people don't need booster shots at this time. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)

• Alberta announces supports for businesses trying to enforce COVID-19 restrictions.

• Trick-or-treating, Thanksgiving dinners on(for the vaccinated), Ontario's top doctor says.

• At least 63 hospital staff in Windsor, Ont., have lost jobs or privileges for not getting COVID-19 shots.

• B.C. Hydro to require mandatory vaccinations for thousands of workers and contractors.

• N.L.'s vaccine passport rolls out Friday. Here's how it works.

• Hasty COVID-19 aid for N.B. workers lacked controls,says auditor-general.

• Toronto hospitals report surge in sick kids as some pediatricians still won't see them in person.

• N.W.T. reports another record number of COVID-19 cases asgathering restrictions extended in Yellowknife area.

• Military nurses to begin work at Edmonton hospital as Alberta battles 4th wave of COVID-19.

• B.C.'s seniors advocate calls for paid sick leave, more staff in long-term care to prevent COVID-19 deaths.

• Expanded 3rd dose eligibility in Manitoba aims to keep health-care staff at work during 4th wave.

What's happening around the world

As of early Thursday evening, more than 236.6 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University's coronavirus-tracking tool. The reported global death toll stood at more than 4.8million.

UNSecretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed on Thursday for $8 billion US to help equitably vaccinate 40 per centof people in all countries by the end of the year, as the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a plan that aims to inoculate 70 per centof the world by mid-2022.

Guterres urged the Group of 20 rich countries to deliver on their "desire to get the world vaccinated" at a summit in Rome later this month.

"Not to have equitable distribution of vaccines is not only a question of being immoral, it is also a question of being stupid," he said at a news conference, warning of the potential for new, vaccine-resistant variants to emergeif the virus continues to spread "like wildfire."

WATCH |UN officials reiterate dangers of vaccine inequity:

Vaccine inequity 'immoral,' 'stupid,' UN secretary general says

3 years ago

Duration 2:30

United Nations Secretary General Antnio Guterres said not having equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines around the world is both 'immoral' and 'stupid.' At the same press conference, World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for the sharing of intellectual property so more COVID-19 vaccines can be produced.

So far, more than 6.3 billion doses of coronavirus vaccines have been administered globally. But more than half of the world has yet to receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to Our World in Data, and less than five per centof Africans have been fully vaccinated, according to the continent's top public health official.

In Europe,German officials say the nation has vaccinated about 3.5 million more people against the coronavirus than previously counted.That means almost 80 per centof adults in Germany are fully vaccinated and about 84 per centhave received at least one shot, according to the disease control centre.

Russia's daily coronavirus infections soared Thursday to their highest level so far this year as authorities have struggled to control a surge in new cases amid a slow pace in vaccinations and few restrictions in place.The government's coronavirus task force reported 27,550 new confirmed cases, a nearly 10 per centrise from the previous day.The daily coronavirus death toll topped 900 for a second straight day.

In Africa,Sudan has received more than 500,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Pfizer, the first batch of a U.S. donation of 1.27 million doses through the COVAXvaccine-sharing initiative.

In theAsia-Pacific region,Australian doctors warned a too-rapid easing of COVID-19 restrictions in Sydney could put pressure on health systems and risk lives, as the country's biggest city prepares for an end to more than 100 days in lockdown next week.

Stay-at-home restrictions are due to be lifted on Monday after New South Wales state hit a targeted 70 per cent for full vaccination of its adult population. Authorities on Thursday bumped up permitted limits for home gatherings, weddings and funerals.

The Australian Medical Association, however, representing the country's doctors, said opening "too fast or too early" will result in avoidable deaths and the reintroduction of lockdowns.

In the Middle East,rebel-held northwest Syria is facing an unprecedented coronavirus surge and aid agencies are calling on the world to help provide humanitarian and medical aid, increase hospital capacity and ensure people are vaccinated.

The surge, apparently caused by the more contagious delta variant, has overwhelmed hospitals with sick patients and is causing shortages of oxygen, according to local officials. The local rebel-run authority imposed a nighttime curfew as of Tuesday while schools and universities were closed and students are getting distant learning.

In the Americas,Pfizer Inc. andBioNTechhave asked U.S. regulators to authorizeemergency use of their COVID-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11, a group for whom no shot is currently allowed, Pfizer saidThursday.

The U.S. FDA has set a date of Oct. 26 for outside advisers to meet and discuss the Pfizer application.