Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Saturday - CBC.ca

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Police in Australia used pepper spray to subdue protesters on Saturday at an anti-lockdown rally in Melbourne, the country's second-largest city.

About 1,000 demonstrators gathered in the suburb of Richmond after the location of the protest was changed at the last minute to evade authorities.

Police clash with protesters during a 'Worldwide Rally for Freedom' demonstration in Melbourne, Australia, on Saturday. (James Ross/AAP/Reuters)

There were minor scuffles as well as a violent confrontation involving a handful of protesters. Several protesters were arrested.

Most of the demonstrators defied regulations by failing to wear masks.

Some 2,000 police officers were deployed at road checkpoints and barricades, as well as on roving patrols, to try to stop the rally from going ahead in breach of public health orders.

Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews had announced that public transit in the city's central business district would be suspended for six hours on Saturday to help keep protesters away.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that 10 police officers were hurt and more than 200 people were arrested.

Protesters walk down Pine Street in Hawthorn, an inner suburb of Melbourne, on Saturday. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Melbourne is the capital of Victoria, which on Saturday reported 535 new infections and one COVID-19 death in the latest 24-hour period. The city's sixth lockdown began on Aug. 5

Across Australia, health officials recorded 1,882 new coronavirus cases on Saturday.

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What's happening across Canada

WATCH | Doctor holds counter-protest against demonstrators targeting hospitals: 

Doctor holds counter-protest against demonstrators targeting hospitals

5 hours ago

Dr. Raghu Venugopal, an emergency room doctor in Toronto, held a counter-protest against demonstrators targeting Toronto General Hospital in opposition to COVID-19 measures and vaccine mandates. He says the protests are 'unacceptable' and 'un-Canadian' and that the government needs to legislate against demonstrations outside hospitals. 6:54

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What's happening around the world

As of Saturday, more than 227.8 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University's coronavirus tracker. The reported global death toll stood at more than 4.6 million.

In the Americas, South Carolina is setting records for COVID-19 hospitalizations, and new cases in the state are approaching the peak levels of last winter. Case numbers have risen from 150 a day to more than 5,000. The state hit nearly 2,600 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in early September, a record.

WATCH | What we know about COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant people: 

What we know about COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant people

16 hours ago

Two doctors answer questions about the safety of vaccines on pregnant people, and the risks unvaccinated pregnant people face when they catch COVID-19. 5:44

In the Middle East, the capital of the United Arab Emirates has ended a policy requiring those coming in from other emirates to have a recent negative COVID-19 test. Abu Dhabi made the announcement on Saturday, saying that people from the UAE's six other emirates could enter the capital from Sunday without getting a test.

In Asia, Vietnam has approved Cuba's Abdala vaccine for use, the government said on Saturday, as the Southeast Asian country battles its worst outbreak of COVID-19. Abdala becomes the eighth COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in Vietnam, which has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the region, with only 6.3 per cent of its 98 million people having received at least two shots.

In Singapore, health officials reported 1,009 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, the highest since April last year. A recent rise in cases after the relaxation of some COVID-19 measures has prompted Singapore to pause further reopening. More than 80 per cent of its population has been vaccinated against COVID-19.

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Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Saturday - CBC.ca
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