A replay of the day’s news conferences and briefings from federal and provincial authorities on their response to the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses Canadians from outside his home in Ottawa on the federal government’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) pandemic.

On Parliament Hill, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, and Dr. Howard Njoo, the deputy chief public health officer, join ministers Jean-Yves Duclos (Treasury Board president), Patty Hajdu (health) and Anita Anand (public services and procurement) for an update on the federal response to COVID-19 (coronavirus disease). Dr. Tam discusses the recommendations from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) on the prioritization of initial doses of COVID-19 vaccines. The committee recommends that the first 6 million doses to arrive in Canada during the first quarter of 2021 should be dedicated to the residents and staff of seniors’ homes, adults over 70 (starting with those over 80), health-care workers, and adults in Indigenous communities where infection can have disproportionate consequences. Minister Anand announces that the federal government has signed contracts with FedEx Express Canada and Innomar Strategies for the distribution of vaccines across the country with the exception of the Pfizer vaccines, which need to be maintained at extreme cold temperatures. The government has also updated its deal with Moderna in order to secure the purchase of an additional 20 million doses of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine.

In Winnipeg, Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief public health officer, discusses modelling data concerning the possible impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) in the province. He is joined by Lanette Siragusa, the provincial lead of health system integration and quality as well as chief nursing officer for Shared Health. The province is releasing projections of cases up to December 28 of this year under four different scenarios.

In Edmonton, Dr. Verna Yiu, CEO of Alberta Health Services, and Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, provide an update on the province’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) pandemic.

In Halifax, Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health, and Premier Stephen McNeil provide an update on the province’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) pandemic.

In St. John’s, Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, Newfoundland and Labrador’s chief medical officer of health, Andrew Furey, premier of N.L., and John Haggie, minister of health, provide an update on the province’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) pandemic. Premier Furey faces questions on the health minister’s decision to host a fundraising event in St. John’s on December 2, hours after a COVID-19 briefing where the premier asked people to avoid attending New Year’s Eve gatherings. A total of 23 people attended the fundraiser. The premier says the timing was not right and that a similar event will not happen again.