Coronavirus (COVID-19) National News

TORONTO — Schools shuttered by fears of a post-holiday pandemic surge reopen in many parts of the country Monday, but experts say keeping kids safe will depend on stepped-up control measures beyond the learning environment.

The mutated version spreading in Britain has also been detected in the U.S. and numerous other countries.

OTTAWA — Federal procurement minister Anita Anand says Canada will do "whatever it takes" to get more vaccine doses delivered to Canada faster but there hasn't yet been any change to the number of doses Canada is expecting to receive this winter and

Israel leads the world in vaccines administered per population, giving at least one dose to 17 per cent of its 9 million people in less than three weeks.

The vast majority — 87 of the current roster of 93 senators — say they have stayed home, as recommended by public health authorities

Florida allows anyone aged 65 and older to sign up for vaccination — at clinics, hospitals drive-thru sites and soon pharmacies — including non-residents and foreigners.

Regardless of citizenship, all travellers five years of age or older must provide proof of a negative laboratory test result for COVID-19

While there currently isn't a law against travel outside of Canada during the pandemic, the federal government says you should avoid non-essential travel outside Canada until further notice. 

In his first news conference of the year on Tuesday, Trudeau said he shared the frustrations of Canadians who think the vaccinations should be going faster.

The federal prison population varies but is typically about 14,000 people.