The federal government will sign on to a global vaccine procurement program.
By the end of the week, it hopes to announce how much money it will pledge to the cause.
Procurement Minister Anita Anand said the federal government is preparing for the possibility of a resurgence of COVID-19 cases by securing future vaccines.
She announced Canada’s fifth deal for vaccines, signing with drugmakers Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline.
In all, Canada committed one-billion-dollars to buy at least 154-million doses of vaccines.
Canada is also joining the COVAX Facility, a vaccine sharing program connected to international organizations including the World Health Organization and the Vaccine Alliance of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
COVAX links wealthy, low and middle-income countries to ensure access to COVID-19 vaccines is not limited just to countries with the money to buy them.
Canada intends to join two COVAX groups: one any country can join to get access to vaccines, and a second to help low-income countries join.
Anand said more details on Canada’s participation will be announced in the coming days.
COVID-19 response
In the last 24 hours, Alberta reported a single recovery from COVID-19 in Wood Buffalo.
The province also noted Earls Kitchen and Bar in downtown Fort McMurray as an outbreak location.
RELATED: Downtown restaurant included in Alberta list of COVID-19 outbreak locations
This occurred in the urban service area, which has 43 active cases, one death, and 181 resolved cases of the illness.
Outside the urban service area, there are still four active cases and 61 recoveries.
Across the province, there are 150 new cases and two additional deaths in the last 24 hours.
Just over one per cent of the 14,264 tests health officials completed in that timespan was positive.
NEW:
– 150 new COVID cases in AB on 14,264 tests (1.05% +)
– 2 new deaths, now up to 258
– 51 in hospital, 9 in ICU (no change)
– 1565 active cases (+106)#yeg #yyc #ableg #covid19ab pic.twitter.com/HClO2zhS4O— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) September 22, 2020
Alberta has 1565 active cases, 258 deaths, 15,066 resolved cases linked to COVID-19.
This article includes excerpt by Mia Robson of The Canadian Press.
