Global National: Dec. 7, 2020 | COVID-19 vaccine doses arriving in Canada earlier than expected

Tonight's top story: Canada is on the cusp of getting the first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and it’s happening earlier than originally expected. The federal government now says the first doses of the Pfizer/ BioNTech vaccine could arrive as early as next week. Health Canada hasn’t approved it yet, and it’s still reviewing data from several vaccine candidates, but it could approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine later this week. Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said Monday a deal has been made to get 249,000 doses of it delivered shortly after that. Contracts have been signed to get more doses in the months ahead, not just by Pfizer but from other manufacturers as well. But tonight, Canada is closer than ever to getting this mass immunization program underway. Mercedes Stephenson has more.

Administering the vaccine when it is approved and deciding who gets it first will be up to the provinces. It’s clear the priority will be front-line health care workers and the most vulnerable. Quebec, which recorded 1,500 new cases today for the third straight day and has more than 800 COVID-19 patients in the hospital, is one of the hardest hit regions and it unveiled its vaccination plan, Mike Armstrong explains.

In Alberta, the latest round of COVID-19 restrictions — the most moderate in the country — were implemented 10 days ago, but there is nothing to suggest they are working. On Monday, the premier reaffirmed his commitment to "defend freedom," and the mayor of Calgary promised his city will act if the province does not. As politicians talk, hospitals are dealing with a grim reality. Heather Yourex-West explains.

In the U.S., the first five days of December has seen another one million infections to the nation's staggering tally. America is now on track to surpass 15 million cases by Tuesday. This is likely a surge of positive tests after Thanksgiving. There are more holidays in the weeks ahead and health-care workers could be facing a tsunami of cases before the first round of vaccinations even begins. Jackson Proskow reports.

After Denmark culled 17 million minks to curb the spread of the coronavirus, there were fears COVID-19 might appear in mink farms around the world. Well, that fear is now turning into reality. An outbreak among workers has been declared on a farm in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley. No cull of the small mammals has been planned, but as Robin Gill explains, the cases are being closely watched.

Someone’s been busy erecting metal objects in remote areas and provoking intrigue around the world. What started in Utah has been repeated in multiple places including England and the Netherlands. And there are some wild theories about who put them there and why. Redmond Shannon on the mystery of the metal monoliths.

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