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

The latest:

Ukraine reported record daily COVID-19 deaths Tuesday as authorities struggle to boost the country's vaccination rate.

The country, which has been dealing with rising caseloads, reported 838 more deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday.

President Volodymyr Zelensky promised Monday to pay 1,000 hryvnias (roughly $47.50 Cdn) to each Ukrainian who gets vaccinated. Ukrainians can receive their payments starting Dec. 19, authorities said.

"With this money, it will be possible to purchase a gym or fitness club membership, visit a cinema, theatre, museum, concert hall or exhibition centre, or buy tickets for domestic travel," Zelensky said in a video message posted on Facebook.

The government plans to allocate 3 billion hryvnias (more than $142 million Cdn) to the incentive program this year and the same amount in 2022.

Although Ukraine has four coronavirus vaccines available — Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Sinovac — about 20 per cent of the population has been vaccinated so far, one of the lowest rates in Europe.

Authorities have blamed the recent surge in new cases on widespread public reluctance to get vaccinated. To get more people immunized, the government required teachers, doctors, government employees and other groups of workers to get fully vaccinated by Dec. 1.

A woman is vaccinated against COVID-19 at a clinic located in the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv, last week. (Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters)

The government also started requiring proof of vaccination or negative test results to board planes, trains and long-distance buses.

New government regulations and restrictions have spawned a black market for fraudulent vaccine documents, and there have been reports of a fake version of a government digital app that comes with fake certificates installed.

-From The Associated Press, last updated at 6:45 a.m. ET

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What's happening across Canada

WATCH | It's 'very reasonable' to expect that Canadian children aged 5-12 could get the COVID-19 vaccine before Christmas, says infectious diseases specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch: 

Canadian kids could get the COVID-19 jab before Christmas, says specialist

5 hours ago

It's 'very reasonable' to expect that Canadian children aged 5-12 could get the COVID-19 vaccine before Christmas, says infectious diseases specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch. (Paul Vernon/The Associated Press) 1:26

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What's happening around the world

A health worker wearing personal protective equipment walks during a health sector workers' protest as Greek hospitals are under pressure due to escalating COVID-19 cases, in Athens. (Louiza Vradi/Reuters)

As of early Tuesday morning, more than 253.9 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University's coronavirus tracker. The online database showed a reported global death toll of more than 5.1 million.

In Europe, Greek public health sector workers protested in Athens over pay and conditions as hospitals struggled with a new surge in COVID-19 cases and authorities considered further restrictions.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands has recorded its highest weekly number of positive coronavirus tests as lawmakers discuss legislation to tighten the use of the country's COVID pass. The country's public health institute reported Tuesday that positive tests rose by 44 per cent over the last seven days. Hospital admissions for COVID-19 patients rose 12 per cent and, admissions to intensive care units rose by three per cent.

The Dutch government wants to make COVID passes mandatory in more places. At the same time, it wants to allow businesses that are required to check customers' passes to have the option of limiting access to people who have been fully vaccinated, or have recovered from COVID-19.

In Africa, Nigeria will start a mass COVID-19 vaccination campaign later this week, aiming to inoculate half of its targeted population by the end of January, government officials said.

In the Americas, lawsuits filed around the country challenging the Biden administration's workplace COVID-19 vaccine rule are expected to be consolidated in a single federal appeals court on Tuesday, giving the government a chance to revive a rule that was blocked last week.

More than a dozen lawsuits have been filed challenging the rule, which requires employers with at least 100 workers to mandate COVID-19 vaccination or weekly testing combined with wearing a face covering at work. The rule was issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which said it will prevent 250,000 hospitalizations caused by COVID-19.

On Friday, a three-judge panel on the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans blocked the rule, calling it a "one-size-fits-all sledgehammer that makes hardly any attempt to account for differences in workplaces."

Meanwhile, Brazilian Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga said the government will offer booster shots to everyone older than 18.

In the Middle East, Israel's economy continued to recover from the pandemic in the third quarter on the heels of steep gains in exports and investment, but the growth was slower than expected due to only a slight rise in consumer spending.

In the Asia-Pacific region, Japan is moving to further reduce COVID-19 restrictions. A panel on Tuesday agreed to remove caps on spectators at some events, though the plan calls for either proof of vaccination or a negative test result. The measure still needs full government approval.

-From Reuters, The Associated Press and CBC News, last updated at 11:15 a.m. ET

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