TORONTO — The federal government is planning to unveil its plans for a vaccine passport designed for international travel on Thursday, CTV News has confirmed.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland are scheduled to speak to reporters at 10 a.m. ET on Thursday following a technical briefing involving several federal departments, including the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency.

WATCH LIVE: PM Justin Trudeau is making an announcement

With several countries, including the United States, opening their borders to travellers, proof of vaccination for travel has, to date, come through provincial vaccine receipts. A nationwide vaccine passport for travel would make for a uniform document.

It is not clear when the new passport will be available, though Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc said on Oct. 10 that it would be ready “in the next couple of months.”

Canadian travellers will soon need vaccine documentation for almost every mode of transportation, as all employees and passengers in the federally regulated air, rail and marine transportation sectors will need to be fully vaccinated as of Oct. 30, though there will be a grace period until the end of November during which proof of a negative COVID-19 test will be accepted.

Edmonton – More than 3,000 Albertans have now died due to COVID-19 after the province reported 18 new deaths and 786 new cases on Wednesday.

The deaths are spread across several days and range in age from in their 30s to those over 80 years old. They bring the number of Albertans to have died due to COVID-19 up to 3,006.

The 3,000th death appears to have occurred on Sunday but that could change pending future data revisions and typical delays in death reporting. 

Alberta is averaging about 10 deaths from COVID-19 a day over the past week.

As of Wednesday, there are 928 people in hospital with COVID-19, including 203 patients in intensive care units. 

The province now has 10,842 active cases and a seven-day daily average of 786 infections, as both figures continue their declines over the past week. 

Among all Albertans, 73.4 per cent have received one dose of vaccine and 66.2 per cent have received two or more shots.

Unvaccinated Albertans remain signficantly more likely to suffer a severe outcome after contracting COVID-19, including hospitalization or death.

The next data update is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

EDMONTON – In six months, Alberta will begin using a fifth area code.

The code 368 is expected to come into circulation April 23 of next year.

New numbers starting with 368 will only be assigned once the province runs out of numbers with the existing area codes.

“The introduction of the new area code 368 is the result of a decision by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and is intended to meet the continuously growing demand for new telephone numbers,” a statement by the Telecommunications Alliance on Wednesday read.

According to the Canadian Numbering Administrator, existing phone numbers will be unaffected.

Alberta has four existing area codes: 403, 587, 780 and 825.

The first was introduced in 1947. In 1999, the 780 code was brought in in northern Alberta and 403 was kept to service southern customers.

The codes 587 and 825 were introduced in 2008 and 2016, respectively. 

EDMONTON –

One of the western provinces is setting itself up to be ready to vaccinate children against COVID-19 when a shot becomes available. 

Alberta is taking registrations from parents for children aged five to 11, who remain too young for any vaccines approved in Canada. Only the Pfizer-BioNTech shot is approved for youth, 12 years and older.

“Planning is underway to move quickly to offer vaccines to additional age groups once approved by Health Canada. We cannot proceed until Health Canada approves a vaccine and the doses arrive in Alberta,” a confirmation statement from Alberta Health on Tuesday read. 

“Any timeline depends on Health Canada approval. However, Alberta Health, AHS and other partners are working hard to have the system in place so that parents can quickly book appointments for their kids when the doses arrive.”

To register means to make an account through which parents will eventually book a vaccination appointment. 

The account also allows them to book a flu shot for children six months and older. 

A health card number, name and phone number is needed.

Pharmaceutical company Pfizer and biotechnology company BioNTech said Friday they have requested to have their coronavirus vaccine licensed for children ages five to 11 across the European Union.The data they submitted to the European Medicines Agency includes late-stage results from a study testing their COVID-19 vaccine in more than 2,200 children ages six months to 11 years. The children received a lower dose than what’s normally given to adults. The companies said in a statement that the results showed a “strong immune response” in the children and that the vaccine was also found to be safe. 

In the U.S., the White House is expected to authorize the Pfizer shot for younger children in a matter of weeks.

With files from CTVNews.ca

CALGARY – There’s mounting pressure on Coun. Sean Chu to resign from his Ward 4 seat after his admission of having a sexual encounter with a teenager while serving as a Calgary police officer 24 years ago recently surfaced.

The incumbent retained his seat in Monday’s election by just 52 votes, prompting a recount request by runner-up DJ Kelly.

During a pandemic briefing on Tuesday, Premier Jason Kenney and Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver agreed that, if the reports are true and proven correct, it would be the honourable thing to step aside.”

Kenney added Chu should present proof of his denial, but the province is not able to force out an elected official at the city level.

Many others are now speaking out and responding.

UCP MLA Leela Aheer tweeted that Chu should step down.

Janis Irwin, the NDP Opposition Status of Women Critic, wrote an open letter to the province calling for an inquiry. “Calgarians deserve answers for this type of unacceptable conduct from a newly elected member of their city council.”

Kourtney Branagan, elected to represent Ward 11, also took to social media, stating in a thread that she herself is a victim of assault, and “cannot be quiet,” before adding, “We cannot send a signal to the women of this city that those in leadership positions who are guilty of offences against women and minors are allowed to hold power.”

Mayor-elect Jyoti Gondek says once she takes office she will direct the new council to take immediate action on Chu, but says he should resign.

A Twitter account has been created to organize a protest outside City Hall for Sunday at noon, posting that Chu’s indiscretions make him not fit to serve.

Chu was 34 years old at the time and admitted to “caressing” the girl on the leg in a public restaurant while in uniform.

He told the hearing he “participated in consensual sexual foreplay” with the girl in the living room of his home while he was off-duty and not in uniform.

No criminal charges were laid but, according to two Law Enforcement Review Board (LERB) decisions, Chu was investigated by CPS’ professional standards section for allegedly bringing the girl into his home in those early morning hours 24 years ago, and for alleged misconduct in his actions with the girl.

The documents also reveal that the teen alleged Chu sexually assaulted her.

Chu, who served as a member of CPS from 1992 to 2013, was charged with two counts of discreditable conduct and was convicted of one count.

The internal documents state that the conviction was in relation to him touching the girl’s leg. He was given a letter of reprimand on his CPS file for five years, which expired in 2008.

In an earlier statement to CTV, Chu said that during the investigation he underwent a polygraph test, at his request, which confirmed his account. He says, “It is not unusual for police officers to be subject of unsubstantiated complaints, but a complete and thorough process was conducted which found this complaint to be without merit.”

CTV News has tried to reach Chu for comment on the allegations along with the election results, but all requests have gone unanswered.