• Ontario reported 928 new cases today for a total of 625,312 cases. The province has seen a total of 10,036, up nine deaths. There are 163 new cases in Toronto, 48 in Peel Region, 84 in York, 50 in Hamilton and 51 in Windsor-Essex. There are 340 in hospital. There are 165 in intensive care, 95 on a ventilator. There have been 606,797 cases resolved, up 879.
  • So far, there have been 24,076,464 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,300,708 fully vaccinated.
  • Ontario completed 26,136 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 20,010,049. There are 17,087 test results pending.
  • There are seven outbreaks in a long term care home. There are 13 resident cases, 17 staff. So far, 4,027 residents have died. One home in Ottawa has an outbreak: St. Patrick’s Home.
  • There are 836 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; eight are closed. There are 303 new student cases reported today; 35 staff.
  • Ontario could see between 250 and 400 COVID-19 patients requiring intensive care in January, putting more strain on an already burdened health system, the province’s science advisory table says. The table said that cases are rising in most public health units, and recommends continued public health measures and increasing the speed of the campaign to vaccinate children aged five to 11 against the virus. The projected climb in cases and admissions to ICUs does not account for the presence of the omicron variant, which injects multiple layers of uncertainty into the latest modelling and could mean the forecasts are overly conservative, the group said. “COVID will almost certainly rise through (January) even before omicron hits us in full force. Case numbers count, because too many Ontarians remain un/under vaccinated and will end up in hospital.”
  • In a worst-case scenario — which includes no further public health restrictions, and about 30 per cent of five-to-11 year olds fully vaccinated by year’s end — daily cases could rise to nearly 3,000 by mid-January. If vaccination coverage of that demographic rises to 50 per cent by the end of December, daily cases will likely top out in the range of 1,500 to 1,800 by mid-January, the group projected.
  • McMaster University scientists will use a jet nebulizer machine to administer two new, oral coronavirus vaccines just approved for human trials by Health Canada. The promising vaccines, delivered by inhaled aerosols, go straight through the breathing passage to provoke an immune response in the lungs — right where the virus attacks.
  • Ontario MPP Belinda Karahalios has been kicked out of the legislature after testing positive for COVID-19. The Cambridge MPP has tried to take her seat in the chamber but the speaker ruled she must leave and stay away for 90 days.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 68 new cases for a total of 32,401 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 618. There are 448 active cases and there have been 31,335 cases resolved. There are seven in hospital, two in ICU. There are 28 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,762,385 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 797,241 residents fully vaccinated.
  • Quebec reported 1,234 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of  455,825 infections. There has been a total of 11,594 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 235 patients with 58 people in intensive care. The province completed 26,795 tests on Dec. 5. So far, 14,034,589 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,711 cases in total, up 61 There have been 223 deaths. There are 151 active cases and 14,337 recoveries. There is one in hospital, one in intensive care. There have been 629,829 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Quebec could see 4,000 cases a day in January Dr. Hector Arruda said during a media press conference.
  • The Quebec government will allow private indoor gatherings of up to 20 vaccinated people as of Dec. 23, Health Minister Christian Dubé announced Tuesday. He says public health is asking people to be responsible and continue to follow public health measures. 
  • The province also announced third doses of a COVID-19 vaccine are available for health-care workers, people with chronic illnesses and other health issues, people from isolated and remote communities and pregnant people, totalling a million more people eligible for the booster dose. People age 60 and over will be eligible for the third dose as of January. 
  • In Canada, there have been 1,812,244+ cases with 29,800+ deaths and 1,753,116+ recoveries. There are 29,328+ active cases.
  • Canada’s first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine has shown high efficacy against infection during Phase 3 clinical trials, the drugmakers behind the plant-based shot reported Tuesday, fuelling hopes it could soon get a stamp of approval for use. Medicago, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Quebec City, and British-American vaccine giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) are now gearing up for their final regulatory submission to Health Canada. The vaccine’s overall efficacy rate against all virus variants studied was 71 per cent, with a higher efficacy rate of 75 per cent against COVID-19 infections of any severity from the dominant delta variant, the companies said in a news release.
  • Worldwide there have been 266,815,426+ cases, 5,267,917+ deaths and 8,245,684,505+ vaccine doses have been administered.

COVID-19 by the numbers

Note: The following graphics show cases reported by the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Numbers may lag behind local reports.

Click here for more COVID-19 graphic

Dec. 6

  • Ontario reported 887 new cases today for a total of 624,384 cases. The province has seen a total of 10,027 deaths. There are 139 new cases in Toronto, 60 in Peel Region, 60 in York, 28 in Hamilton and 41 in Windsor-Essex. There are 137 in hospital. There are 168 in intensive care, 101 on a ventilator. There have been 605,918 cases resolved, up 560.
  • So far, there have been 24,015,833 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,295,706 fully vaccinated.
  • Ontario completed 25,981 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,983,913. There are 9,859 test results pending.
  • There are five outbreaks in a long term care home. There are six resident cases, 16 staff. So far, 4,027 residents have died. One home in Ottawa has an outbreak: St. Patrick’s Home.
  • There are 810 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; six are closed. There are 162 new student cases reported today; 16 staff.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 55 new cases for a total of 32,333 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 618. There are 431 active cases and there have been 31,284 cases resolved. There are seven in hospital, two in ICU. There are 28 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,762,385 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 797,241 residents fully vaccinated.
  • The city’s planning committee voted unanimously Monday in favour of a zoning bylaw amendment that would make permanent some of the relaxed patio regulations introduced during the depths of the pandemic. The proposed amendment would require patios within 30 metres of a residential zone to erect a “visual screen,” while also prohibiting them from using amplifiers to play music. 
  • The Algonquin community of Kitigan Zibi, near Maniwaki, Quebec, has shut schools and day cares because of an outbreak.
  • Quebec reported 1,189 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of  455,825 infections. There has been a total of 11,589 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 226 patients with 62 people in intensive care. The province completed 34,949 tests on Dec. 4. So far, 14,012,039 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,711 cases in total, up 61 There have been 223 deaths. There are 151 active cases and 14,337 recoveries. There is one in hospital, one in intensive care. There have been 629,829 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Rapid COVID-19 tests are being distributed to parents who have children in Quebec’s public or subsidized daycare network.
  • Quebec’s public health institute says it did detailed testing of samples from almost 900 positive COVID tests on Nov. 30 and found that none of them contained the omicron variant. That one day snapshot seems to indicate that there is no community spread of omicron in the province, the Institut national de santé publique du Québec reported Monday.
  • New Brunswick is reporting 71 new cases of COVID-19 and three deaths on Monday.
  • Nova Scotia is reporting 45 new cases over the weekend. 
  • There were 539 cases and six new COVID-19 deaths reported over the past three days in Manitoba.
  • Saskatchewan reported 48 new COVID-19 cases on Monday along with two additional deaths related to the virus.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,802,359+ cases with 29,757+ deaths and 1,745,281+ recoveries. There are 27,321+ active cases.
  • The 12-member House of Commons finance committee is to meet today to move the COVID relief bill closer to a final vote before MPs leave on their holiday break in two weeks. The bill before the committee proposes a $7.4 billion revamp of benefits to send them only to workers subject to lockdowns, and rent and wage subsidies for only the most hard-hit businesses through to May 7. Benefits for parents who must stay home with sick children, and another for workers who need sick days from work, would also be extended to the spring.
  • Merck, the maker of the COVID anti-viral treatment molnupiravir — which is under Health Canada review — has reached an agreement with Thermo Fisher Scientific in Whitby to manufacture the treatment.
  • The latest data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds Canadian concern over contracting the virus rebounding after a decrease in November. Three-in-five Canadians now say they are concerned about becoming sick and three-quarters (73%) say they are worried their friends or family will be infected by COVID-19.
  • Worldwide there have been 266,041,035+ cases, 5,259,026+ deaths and 8,202,869,195+ vaccine doses have been administered.

Dec. 3

  • Ontario reported 1,031 new cases today for a total of 621,260 cases. The province has seen a total of 10,016 deaths, up four. There are 133 new cases in Toronto, 60 in Peel Region, 56 in York, 47 in Hamilton and 68 in Windsor-Essex. There are 286 in hospital. There are 146 in intensive care, 92 on a ventilator. There have been 604,027 cases resolved, up 742.
  • So far, there have been 23,832,474 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,281,481 fully vaccinated.
  • Ontario completed 39,748 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,889,929. There are 16,032 test results pending.
  • There are five outbreaks in a long term care home. There are five resident cases, 18 staff. So far, 4,025 residents have died. One home in Ottawa has an outbreak: St. Patrick’s Home.
  • There are 792 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; nine are closed. There are 152 new student cases reported today; 18 staff.
  • The Ministry of Health has published updated vaccination figures to include children aged five to 11 years old. As of Thursday evening, 154,925 children in that age cohort, or about 14.4 per cent of those eligible, had received a first dose.
  • York Region announced a positive case of Omicron infection Friday afternoon. The case was discovered in a child under 12 in Vaughan, who returned to Canada from southern Africa on Nov. 22. The child has been isolating at home since then, and public health workers are following up with close contacts, who are also isolating at home, the news release says. So far, 13 cases of Omicron have been found in Canada.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 60 new cases for a total of 32,160 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 618. There are 363 active cases and there have been 31,179 cases resolved. There are 10 in hospital, two in ICU. There are 27 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,746,687 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 796,448 residents fully vaccinated.
  • Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce reported 19,858 children’s tests were processed last month at the city’s main testing site at Brewer Arena, compared to just more than 6,000 in November 2020.
  • City staff estimate that Ottawa’s population grew by 1.6 per cent last year, to 1,022,604. 
  • Building permits, new construction climbed by more than 20 per cent in 2020, the city says.
  • Quebec reported 1,355 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of  451,868 infections. There has been a total of 11,585 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 230 patients with 57 people in intensive care. The province completed 37,103 tests on Dec. 1. So far, 13,928,518 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,650 cases in total, up 31. There have been 223 deaths. There are 133 active cases and 14,294 recoveries. There is one in hospital, one in intensive care. There have been 625,440 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • The Quebec government says it will be handing out rapid COVID-19 screening tests to parents with children in daycare, starting Monday. The tests will be given to all day cares to be distributed to parents of children over the age of one who display symptoms of the virus. The rapid tests can be used by parents at home.
  • There have been 97 cases reported in New Brunswick along with two more deaths.
  • Manitoba reported 147 new COVID-19 cases and four deaths on Friday.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,798,872+ cases with 29,737+ deaths and 1,742,524+ recoveries. There are 26,611+ active cases.
  • Canada added 154,000 jobs in November, a 0.8 per cent increase from October, Statistics Canada says. Canada’s unemployment rate was 6.0 per cent in November, down from 6.7 per cent the month before. There are now 186,000 more jobs filled than there was a year ago. The employment rate, which compares the working population to the overall population, was 61.4 per cent, the highest since February 2020, when the rate was 61.8 per cent.
  • The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is now “strongly recommending” all Canadians over the age of 50 and other vulnerable groups, such as health-care workers, Indigenous people and those living in congregate-care settings, get a third dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine six months after initial set of injections. The committee, an independent body composed of volunteer vaccine experts, is also recommending the younger cohort — Canadians age 18 to 49 — get a third mRNA shot at least six months after they got their second.
  • Worldwide there have been 264,438,500+ cases, 5,238,702+ deaths and 8,108,655,475+ vaccine doses have been administered.

Dec. 2

  • Ontario reported 959 new cases today for a total of 620,229 cases. The province has seen a total of 10,012 deaths, up seven. There are 118 new cases in Toronto, 75 in Peel Region, 53 in York, 27 in Hamilton and 91 in Windsor-Essex. There are 291 in hospital. There are 155 in intensive care, 85 on a ventilator. There have been 603,285 cases resolved, up 770.
  • So far, there have been 22,978,037 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,259,729 fully vaccinated.
  • Ontario completed 38,480 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,850,181. There are 17,333 test results pending.
  • There are seven outbreaks in a long term care home. There are four resident cases, 20 staff. So far, 4,025 residents have died. Four homes in Ottawa have outbreaks: Peter D. Clark, the Glebe Centre, St. Patrick’s Home and Residence Saint-Louis.
  • There are 761 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; 10 are closed. There are 148 new student cases reported today; 15 staff.
  • Ontario is expanding booster shots to those 50 years and up as a way to blunt the impact of the Omicron variant. A new case of Omicron infection was identified today in Durham Region. There have now been 11 cases found in Canada.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 62 new cases for a total of 32,100 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 618. There are 350 active cases and there have been 31,132 cases resolved. There are 11 in hospital, two in ICU. There are 27 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,734,894 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 795,748 residents fully vaccinated.
  • The Sugar Plum Fairy and Mouse King will take the stage at the National Arts Centre (NAC) this holiday season in The Nutcracker, but dozens of dancing polar bear cubs, prancing reindeer and angels — parts traditionally played by local kids — have been sidelined by COVID-19 safety precautions.
  • Quebec reported 1,146 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 450,513 infections. There has been a total of 11,583 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 227 patients with 53 people in intensive care. The province completed 35,725 tests on Nov. 30. So far, 13,899,873 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,619 cases in total, up 29. There have been 223 deaths. There are 113 active cases and 14,283 recoveries. There is one in hospital, one in intensive care. There have been 624,025 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • The Quebec coroner’s office says it will now investigate after a man in Senneterre, a town in Quebec’s Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, died following a two-hour wait for an ambulance this week. His local emergency room’s service had been scaled back due to staffing shortages.
  • Quebec isn’t planning to open eligibility for COVID-19 booster shots to younger adults just yet, despite rising case counts, Premier François Legault said Thursday. The premier told a news conference in Quebec City that he’s listening to the province’s public health officials, who have told him boosters aren’t needed for those under 70.
  • Nova Scotia reported Thursday 40 new cases and 29 recoveries.
  • Manitoba’s new Conservative premier, Heather Stefanson, is telling members of her party to get vaccinated by Dec. 15, or be kicked out of caucus. Infrastructure minister Ron Shuler is the only member of caucus who has not revealed his vaccination status. There are 172 new COVID-19 cases and three new deaths reported in Manitoba on Thursday, the province’s online coronavirus dashboard says.
  • Saskatchewan reported 71 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, along with one more death.
  • There have been 366 new COVID-19 cases identified in Alberta over the past 24 hours, along with two more deaths. Alberta has reported three more infections by the Omicron variant for a total of four. The province has expanded booster dose eligibility to all adults 18 and up. As of Thursday morning, anyone 60 years of age and older could set a time to book a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as appointments for that group begin on Monday, Dec. 6.
  • British Columbia has confirmed 368 new cases and five more deaths.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,795,629+ cases with 29,714+ deaths and 1,739,899+ recoveries. There are 26,016+ active cases.
  • Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will deliver a fiscal update on Dec. 14.
  • A new report commissioned by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) provides a stark overview of the broader impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Canadians. From delayed or missed treatments to a significant increase in the incidence of mental health and substance use disorders, the report highlights the dire consequences beyond the immediate loss of life and illness caused by the COVID-19 virus. The report,  A Struggling System: Understanding the Health Care Impacts of the Pandemic, conducted by Deloitte, shows that delayed or missed health care services may have contributed to more than 4,000 excess deaths not related to COVID-19 infections between August and December 2020.
  • Worldwide there have been 263,731,621+ cases, 5,228,460+ deaths and 8,070,836,565+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that people who aren’t vaccinated will be excluded from nonessential stores, cultural and recreational venues, and parliament will consider a general vaccine mandate, as part of an effort to curb coronavirus infections that again topped 70,000 new cases in a 24-hour period.
  • The U.S. will require international travellers to provide a negative COVID rapid antigen test taken within one day before arrival. The Canada-U.S. land border will not be affected by this. Meanwhile, a second confirmed case of Omicron infection has been found in a Minnesota man who has not connection to travel to South Africa or any of the other countries with confirmed cases. He did, however, travel to New York City to attend a conference.
  • South Africa’s new cases of COVID-19 nearly doubled in a day, authorities reported Wednesday, signaling a dramatic surge in the country where scientists detected the Omicron variant last week. New confirmed cases rose to 8,561 Wednesday from 4,373 a day earlier, according to official statistics. Scientists in South Africa said they are bracing for a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases following the discovery of the new omicron variant.

Dec. 1

  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 50 new cases for a total of 32,038 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 618. There are 329 active cases and there have been 31,091 cases resolved. There are 11 in hospital, two in ICU. There are 27 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,734,894 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 795,748 residents fully vaccinated.
  • CHEO is suspending all virtual visits with emergency room staff for at least 90 days due to growing demand for in-person care, and to get a handle on ER wait times.
  • Ontario reported 780 new cases today for a total of 619,270 cases. The province has seen a total of 10,005 deaths, up five. There are 96 new cases in Toronto, 60 in Peel Region, 30 in York, 17 in Hamilton and 71 in Windsor-Essex. There are 296 in hospital. There are 155 in intensive care, 90 on a ventilator. There have been 602,515 cases resolved, up 965.
  • So far, there have been 22,978,037 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,259,729 fully vaccinated.
  • Ontario completed 35,364 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,811,701. There are 16,736 test results pending.
  • There are four outbreaks in a long term care home. There are four resident cases, 18 staff. So far, 4,025 residents have died.
  • There are 763 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; 13 are closed. There are 167 new student cases reported today; 16 staff.
  • Some 14,500 Ontario businesses that weren’t eligible for pandemic relief programs received $210 million in provincial supports, others were given more money than they lost to the tune of $714 million extra and some hard-hit vendors were excluded, the province’s auditor general has found.
  • Pandemic programs for businesses totalled $11.2 billion, or about a third of the money allocated for provincial COVID-19 relief. But the auditor found those programs lacked clear goals or consultation with the most-affected businesses, and eligibility criteria was poorly defined, allowing thousands of ineligible businesses to receive the funds.
  • The province also paid $16 million in property tax and energy rebates to more than 3,000 ineligible businesses and the audit also flagged issues with the Ontario Together fund, which offered help to businesses shifting their operations to assist with the province’s pandemic response.
  • Some 58 women and girls were killed between Nov. 26, 2020 and Nov. 25, 2021, according to the Annual Femicide List compiled by the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses (OAITH) and researchers at the University of Guelph. The women ranged in age from two to 89.
  • Quebec reported 1,196 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 449,367 infections. There has been a total of 11,581 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 239 patients with 52 people in intensive care. The province completed 32,373 tests on Nov. 29. So far, 13,871,847 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,590 cases in total, up 31. There have been 223 deaths. There are 91 active cases and 14,276 recoveries. There is one in hospital, one in intensive care. There have been 622,800 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • The first cases of COVID-19 in Canadian wildlife have been discovered in three white-tailed deer, a press release from Environment and Climate Change Canada reports. The National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease confirmed the detections on Nov. 29. The deer were sampled between Nov. 6 to 8 in the Estrie region of Quebec. The deer showed no evidence of clinical signs of disease and were “all apparently healthy.”
  • About 11,000 daycare workers are taking part in an unlimited strike, shutting down about 400 public daycares across the province of Quebec.
  • Three more New Brunswickers have died as a result of COVID-19, as the province also reports 93 new cases.
  • Health officials in Nova Scotia reported 35 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday.
  • Manitoba reports 124 new cases of COVID-19 and two more deaths on Wednesday.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,792,500+ cases with 29,687+ deaths and 1,737,256+ recoveries. There are 25,557+ active cases.
  • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the country has enough supply to administer boosters to those Canadians who want one.
  • Canada will require all air travellers, except for those from the U.S., entering Canada will be requited to take a COVID test and, if negative, self-isolate until they get a negative result after 10 days.
  • Worldwide there have been 263,080,976+ cases, 5,220,467+ deaths and 8,032,263,234+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • The United States is reporting its first case of Omicron infection in a fully vaccinated Californian recently returned from South Africa. The individual is experiencing mild symptoms.

Nov. 30

  • There are now four confirmed cases of omicron infection in Ottawa.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 26 new cases for a total of 31,969 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 618. There are 347 active cases and there have been 31,004 cases resolved. There are 11 in hospital, one in ICU. There are 30 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,723,590 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 795,121 residents fully vaccinated.
  • Meanwhile, in South Africa on a visit for a wedding, CTV Ottawa reporter and weekend news anchor Stephan Keyes has tested positive for an omicron variant infection.
  • Ontario reported 687 new cases today for a total of 618,490 cases. The province has seen a total of 10,000 deaths. There are 96 new cases in Toronto, 60 in Peel Region, 30 in York, 17 in Hamilton and 71 in Windsor-Essex. There are 266 in hospital. There are 153 in intensive care, 96 on a ventilator. There have been 601,550 cases resolved, up 560.
  • So far, there have been 22,978,037 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,259,729 fully vaccinated.
  • Ontario completed 21,476 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,776,337. There are 15,824 test results pending.
  • There are three outbreaks in a long term care home. There are two resident cases, 10 staff. So far, 4,025 residents have died.
  • There are 749 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; 12 are closed. There are 279 new student cases reported today; 30 staff.
  • Nearly 600,000 people made more than 3.6 million visits to food banks in Ontario between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021, according to an annual report from Feed Ontario, a collective of hunger-relief organizations in the province. This is a 10 per cent increase year over year.
  • Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table says that from March 20, 2020 to October 31, 9,096 Ontarians had been admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) with COVID-19 related critical illness. The pandemic has strained Ontario’s critical care system. At the peak of wave 3, the number of patients on ventilators was over 180% of pre-pandemic historical averages. They warn that the critical care system does not currently have capacity to accommodate a surge as it did during Waves two and three because of worsening staffing shortages, worker burnout, and health system recovery efforts. The table urges more public health measures are needed to slow the influx of critically ill patients. 
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 19 new cases for a total of 31,988 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 618. There are 321 active cases and there have been 31,049 cases resolved. There are 10 in hospital, one in ICU. There are 27 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,723,590 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 795,121 residents fully vaccinated.
  • The scientists watching Ottawa’s wastewater for COVID-19 say the new variant hasn’t escaped their testing and they’re starting to collect data about how prevalent it may be in the community. CBC has more.
  • As they battle staff shortages, ski hills in the greater Ottawa-Gatineau area say season pass sales are selling quickly — or are alreasdy gone. “Our season passes have been posted as ‘sold out’ since the first week of October,” Erin Boucher, assistant director of Camp Fortune in Chelsea, Que., told CBC. 
  • Quebec reported 784 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 448,171 infections. There has been a total of 11,579 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 227 patients with 51 people in intensive care. The province completed 23,013 tests on Nov. 27. So far, 13,847,161 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,559 cases in total. There have been 223 deaths. There are 72 active cases and 14,264 recoveries. There is one in hospital, one in intensive care. There have been 621,919 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Manitoba reported 128 new COVID-19 cases and four deaths from the illness on Tuesday.
  • Alberta’s first case of the omicron variant has been confirmed in a traveller who returned to the province from Nigeria and the Netherlands.
  • B.C. reported its first case of Omicron on Tuesday in a person who had travelled to Nigeria.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,782,171+ cases with 29,618+ deaths and 1,727,526+ recoveries. There are 25,027+ active cases.
  • The federal government has expanded the list of countries where travel has been cut off to include Nigeria, Egypt and Malawi.
  • Unvaccinated travellers over the age of 12 will no longer be able to board a plane or passenger train in Canada.
  • Worldwide there have been 261,800,310+ cases, 5,203,719+ deaths and 7,637,017,835+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • The president of BioNTech, which along with Pfizer, created a widely used COVID-19 mRNA vaccine says the Omicron variant of the coronavirus could lead to more infections among vaccinated people but they will most likely remain protected from a severe course of illness.
  • The head of Moderna, meanwhile, says COVID-19 vaccines are unlikely to be as effective against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Nov. 29

  • Ontario is reviewing measures to protect residents in the wake of a newly discovered COVID-19 variant of concern in the province, chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore said. Included in that review is the possible acceleration of the province’s third dose vaccine strategy, Moore said at a news conference on Monday. There are two confirmed cases in Ottawa and Ontario is also investigating four more possible cases, including two in the Hamilton area and two more in Ottawa.
  • The two confirmed cases had travelled to Ottawa from Nigeria. They were the first to test for the variant in Canada. The variant has now been detected around the globe. Cases involving the omicron variant have been confirmed in Germany, Italy, Belgium, Israel and Hong Kong in recent days.
  • Ottawa Public Health now advises individuals who have been in Nigeria, South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Namibia, within 14 days before arriving in Ottawa and members of their households to: immediately self-isolate even if fully vaccinated; get tested and Isolate from household members. For example, stay in a separate room or stay in an isolation centre until receiving a negative test result.
  • Ontario reported 788 new cases today for a total of 617,803 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,997 deaths. There are 106 new cases in Toronto, 49 in Peel Region, 48 in York, 20 in Hamilton and 84 in Windsor-Essex. There are 145 in hospital. There are 148 in intensive care, 89 on a ventilator. There have been 600,990 cases resolved, up 453.
  • So far, there have been 22,950,908 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,254,056 fully vaccinated.
  • Ontario completed 26,016 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,754,861. There are 9,376 test results pending.
  • There are four outbreaks in a long term care home. There are three resident cases, 10 staff. So far, 4,025 residents have died.
  • There are 717 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; 16 are closed. There are 120 new student cases reported today; 10 staff.
  • Meanwhile, Ottawa Public Health is reporting 26 new cases for a total of 31,969 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 618. There are 347 active cases and there have been 31,004 cases resolved. There are 11 in hospital, one in ICU. There are 30 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,723,590 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 795,121 residents fully vaccinated.
  • Quebec reported 756 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 447,387 infections. There has been a total of 11,576 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 226 patients with 45 people in intensive care. The province completed 23,013 tests on Nov. 27. So far, 13,826,528 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,531 cases in total, up 16. There have been 223 deaths. There are 91 active cases and 14,217 recoveries. There is one in hospital, one in intensive care. There have been 620,716 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • One case of the new omicron COVID-19 variant has been confirmed in Quebec in a woman who had recently returned from Nigeria, the provincial government announced Monday. Health Minister Christian Dubé said the case was discovered after 115 people in the province who had travelled to southern African countries were asked to take a new COVID-19 test and isolate, in accordance with new federal government rules.
  • New Brunswick Public Health has reported one new COVID-related death and 46 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday. 
  • There were 10 deaths and 342 new COVID-19 cases reported over the past three days in Manitoba.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,782,171+ cases with 29,618+ deaths and 1,727,526+ recoveries. There are 25,027+ active cases.
  • Worldwide there have been 261,800,310+ cases, 5,203,719+ deaths and 7,637,017,835+ vaccine doses have been administered.

Nov. 26

  • Ontario reported 927 new cases today for a total of 615,197 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,991 deaths, up six. There are 129 new cases in Toronto, 54 in Peel Region, 52 in York, 29 in Hamilton and 62 in Windsor-Essex. There are 268 in hospital. There are 140 in intensive care, 86 on a ventilator. There have been 599,399 cases resolved, up 666.
  • So far, there have been 22,865,543 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,238,458 fully vaccinated.
  • Ontario completed 33,901 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,667,709. There are 15,153 test results pending.
  • There are four outbreaks in a long term care home. There are three resident cases, 10 staff. So far, 4,024 residents have died.
  • There are 712 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; 17 are closed. There are 132 new student cases reported today; eight staff.
  • The private indoor gathering limit in the Kingston, Ont., area has been dropped to 10 people ahead of the holiday season, part of the local campaign to try to turn around a record-breaking month of worrying pandemic trends.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 47 new cases for a total of 31,837 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 617. There are 318 active cases and there have been 30,902 cases resolved. There are 12 in hospital, no-one in ICU. There are 32 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,707,443 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 794,321 residents fully vaccinated.
  • Children ages five to 11 are getting their COVID-19 shots in Ottawa today. Children who have had the flu vaccine recently are advised to wait two weeks before getting the COVID jab.
  • Quebec reported 1,037 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 444,585 infections. There has been a total of 11,571 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 206 patients with 43 people in intensive care. The province completed 32,539 tests on Nov. 24. So far, 13,752,524 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,515 cases in total, up 15. There have been 223 deaths. There are 85 active cases and 14,198 recoveries. There is one in hospital, one in intensive care. There have been 616,182 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • One of Quebec’s largest public daycare workers’ unions is going on strike indefinitely as of Dec. 1 if negotiations with the province do not progress by then.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,777,814+ cases with 29,600+ deaths and 1,725,101+ recoveries. There are 23,113+ active cases.
  • Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced Friday that Canada will limit travel from seven countries in southern Africa, a region that has reported cases of a new — and possibly more infectious — COVID-19 variant. All foreign nationals who have travelled through South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini or Mozambique in the last 14 days will be barred from entering Canada. Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be allowed to return home from these countries but they will be required to wait for the results of a COVID-19 arrival test at a hotel. If the test is negative, those returning travellers will be released to quarantine for a mandatory 14 days at home. They will also be required to go through a so-called “day eight” test on the eighth day of quarantine.
  • Worldwide there have been 260,411,797+ cases, 5,186,898+ deaths and 7,549,545,850+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • The World Health Organization has declared the new coronavirus variant identified in South Africa as a variant of concern and named it omicron. A variant of concern is declared when there’s evidence that increased transmission or increased severity of disease may be happening, or that public health measures, vaccination or treatments may have decreased effectiveness against it. 
  • Other countries, too, are banning flights from several countries today and stock markets are falling after the discovery of a potentially more dangerous variant of COVID-19 in South Africa.

Nov. 25

  • Ontario reported 748 new cases today for a total of 614,270 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,985 deaths, up four. There are 77 new cases in Toronto, 48 in Peel Region, 43 in York, 26 in Hamilton and 57 in Windsor-Essex. There are 257 in hospital. There are 137 in intensive care, 87 on a ventilator. There have been 598,733 cases resolved, up 599.
  • So far, there have been 22,845,723 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,230,866 fully vaccinated.
  • Ontario completed 33,932 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,633,808. There are 15,435 test results pending.
  • There are four outbreaks in a long term care home. There are three resident cases, nine staff. So far, 4,023 residents have died.
  • There are 694 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; 15 are closed. There are 137 new student cases reported today; 16 staff.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 42 new cases for a total of 31,790 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 617, up one. There are 304 active cases and there have been 30,869 cases resolved. There are 13 in hospital, no-one in ICU. There are 36 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,701,333 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 793,430 residents fully vaccinated.
  • Quebec reported 902 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 442,246 infections. There has been a total of 11,571 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 210 patients with 45 people in intensive care. The province completed 32,265 tests on Nov. 23. So far, 13,732,546 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,515 cases in total, up 15. There have been 223 deaths. There are 85 active cases and 14,198 recoveries. There is one in hospital, one in intensive care. There have been 615,102 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • New Brunswick reported 95 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, while neighbouring Nova Scotia reported 22 cases and one more death.
  • Manitoba public health officials announced 183 new COVID-19 cases and five deaths from the illness on Thursday.
  • Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said on Thursday that he regretted the delay in imposing mask mandates and vaccine passports. “We likely should have acted a couple of weeks earlier with respect to the measures that are in place here today, and they are proving to be effective, and in hindsight that is something that I regret.” Saskatchewan reported 96 additional cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, along with one more death.
  • Alberta reported 379 new cases of COVID on Thursday, along with one more death.
  • B.C. health officials announced 424 new cases of COVID-19 and three more deaths on Thursday.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,774,946+ cases with 29,580+ deaths and 1,721,427+ recoveries. There are 23,939+ active cases.
  • Some health experts are urging establishments and institutions to re-think the use of plexiglass as a measure against COVID-19, arguing the barriers can even be “counterproductive” when they obstruct the ventilation needed to avoid spreading the more transmissible delta variant. CBC has more.
  • In an update, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) says medical masks and respirators provide better protection than that provide by cloth masks on its COVID-19 mask information webpage. PHAC says that COVID-19 is an airborne virus.
  • Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, says COVID-19 vaccines for babies and toddlers could be approved early in the new year, depending on how clinical trials play out.
  • Worldwide there have been 259,661,587+ cases, 5,178,928+ deaths and 7,518,754,099+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • South Africa’s health minister announced Thursday the discovery of a new variant, B.1.1.529, that appears to be spreading rapidly in parts of the country. It has an unusually high number of mutations, with more than 30 in the critical spike protein, the structure the virus uses to get into the cells they attack. Officials are concerned the mutation could result in immune evasion and enhanced transmissibility of the virus, but add it is too early to tell what kind of impact the mutations will have on vaccine efficacy.

Nov. 24

  • Ontario reported 591 new cases today for a total of 613,522 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,981 deaths, up seven. There are 74 new cases in Toronto, 43 in Peel Region, 48 in York, 10 in Hamilton and 63 in Windsor-Essex. There are 289 in hospital. There are 137 in intensive care, 84 on a ventilator. There have been 598,134 cases resolved, up 664.
  • So far, there have been 22,833,157 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,223,333 fully vaccinated.
  • Ontario completed 30,092 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,599,876. There are 15,681 test results pending.
  • There are four outbreaks in a long term care home. There are three resident cases, nine staff. So far, 4,023 residents have died.
  • There are 666 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; 15 are closed. There are 154 new student cases reported today; 13 staff.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 32 new cases for a total of 31,748 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 616, up one. There are 303 active cases and there have been 30,829 cases resolved. There are 14 in hospital, no-one in ICU. There are 34 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,701,333 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 793,430 residents fully vaccinated.
  • Ottawa’s medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches is “very” encouraged by the sign-up in Ottawa for children’s vaccinations — some 27,700 in the first day. She believes the figure will ensure that about one-third of the city’s five- to 11-year-old will have a first shot before the holidays.
  • City of Ottawa employees hoping for a future of permanently working from home: think again. Municipal workers will be expected to come into the office when their bosses ask them to, city manager Steve Kanellakos said Wednesday. For the more than 4,000 people that work out of the city’s three main administrative buildings — City Hall, 100 Constellation Drive and Ben Franklin Place — the city is working toward a hybrid model.
  • Quebec reported 882 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 441,344 infections. There has been a total of 11,566 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 211 patients with 46 people in intensive care. The province completed 32,118 tests on Nov. 22. So far, 13,715,471 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,500 cases in total, up 13. There have been 223 deaths. There are 79 active cases and 14,198 recoveries. There are two in hospital, two in intensive care. There have been 613,791 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • New Brunswick reported 87 new cases on Wednesday, while Nova Scotia reported 20, along with one more death.
  • Manitoba health officials say another three people have died and 147 new infections have been confirmed.
  • Neighbouring Saskatchewan reported 90 new cases of COVID-19 cases. 
  • In Canada, there have been 1,772,319+ cases with 29,555+ deaths and 1,719,116+ recoveries. There are 23,648+ active cases.
  • The Liberal government has tabled legislation giving targeted supports to businesses still affected by the pandemic such as those in tourism and the arts. The Liberals phased out several pandemic-era benefits like the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) and the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) at the end of October. The Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit is one new measure is aimed at providing income support to employees who are unable to continue with work because of government-imposed lockdowns.
  • Air Canada has decided to pull out of a financial aid program from the Canadian Government after a travel rebound boosts its liquidity.
  • Worldwide there have been 259,062,478+ cases, 5,170,698+ deaths and 7,480,568,798+ vaccine doses have been administered.

Nov. 23

  • Ontario reported 613 new cases today for a total of 612,931 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,974 deaths. There are 72 new cases in Toronto, 35 in Peel Region, 47 in York, 13 in Hamilton and 32 in Windsor-Essex. There are 282 in hospital. There are 134 in intensive care, 81 on a ventilator. There have been 597,470 cases resolved, up 717.
  • So far, there have been 22,820,451 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,215,575 fully vaccinated.
  • Ontario completed 19,859 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,569,784. There are 14,591 test results pending.
  • There are three outbreaks in a long term care home. There are two resident cases, eight staff. So far, 4,023 residents have died.
  • There are 647 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; 10 are closed. There are 247 new student cases reported today; 30 staff.
  • Appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations for children aged five to 11 in Ontario are now. Appointments can be booked through the COVID-19 vaccination portal and contact centre; directly through public health units using their own booking system; and with participating pharmacies, which people can find by visiting Ontario’s website and using the pharmacy locator. The vaccine will also be available through select primary care providers. About a million children across Ontario qualify. To book an appointment, children must be turning five years old by the end of 2021, and born in 2016. The province is following NACI’s advice and spacing doses out by eight weeks.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 31 new cases for a total of 31,716 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 615, up one. There are 316 active cases and there have been 30,785 cases resolved. There are 13 in hospital, one in ICU. There are 34 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,696,349 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 792,657 residents fully vaccinated.
  • Police say they have arrested and charged men from Ottawa and Quebec who allegedly breached the Ontario’s COVID-19 immunization system to fish for personal information from people who recently booked an appointment. Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say they arrested a 21-year-old who lives in Ottawa’s Gloucester neighbourhood, who was an employee of the vaccine contact centre, part of the Ontario Ministry of Government and Consumer Services. The other man is 22 and from Vaudreuil, Quebec.
  • In their first game after a COVID crisis which saw 10 players on the NHL’s pandemic protocol, the Ottawa Senators lost 7 to 5 to the Colorado Avalanche Monday night.
  • Quebec reported 699 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 440,462 infections. There has been a total of 11,565 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 203 patients with 46 people in intensive care. The province completed 22,723 tests on Nov. 21. So far, 13,708,051 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,487 cases in total, up 14. There have been 223 deaths. There are 80 active cases and 14,184 recoveries. There are two in hospital, two in intensive care. There have been 613,675 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Quebec parents can now reserve a vaccination spot for their children through the Clic-Santé website. Siblings can be booked together in a single time-slot and parents can check a box to signal if their child is nervous about the process. About 80,000 time slots were booked by mid-afternoon. Premier Francois Legault says the campaign will move into schools next week. Children will not be vaccinated without their parents’ written consent.
  • Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé says public health authorities in the province are recommending a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for people living in long-term care facilities (CHSLDs), private seniors’ homes (RPAs) and family-type or intermediate residences (RI-RTF).
  • Quebec’s long-term care model needs to be reviewed “immediately and completely,” Quebec’s ombudsperson concluded in a devastating report on the Legault government’s management of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in CHSLDs in the spring of 2020. CTV has more.
  • New Brunswick has recorded another COVID-related death and 75 new infections.
  • Manitoba reports 129 new cases of COVID-19 and four more deaths. 
  • Saskatchewan reported 69 new infections, 50 recoveries and two deaths.
  • Alberta has 253 new cases, 10 more deaths. Vaccine appointment bookings will open Wednesday for all kids aged five to 11.
  • British Columbia is going to start vaccinating children aged five to 11 against COVID-19 next week, the province says. Officials say invitations to book appointments will start going out Monday to families with children who have been registered through the province’s portal, with a number of same-day appointments available. The province said roughly 91,000 children have already been registered.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,770,106+ cases with 29,526+ deaths and 1,716,453+ recoveries. There are 23,841+ active cases.
  • Vaccine Hunters Canada is returning to social media now that COVID-19 vaccines are available for children aged five to 11.
  • The Liberal government says it will end the pandemic, rebuild the economy, battle the climate crisis, roll out new child care deals with the provinces and pursue reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, Canada’s first Indigenous governor general, unveiled those priorities today in a speech from the throne.
  • The federal government is expected to waive the $5,700 fine multiple British Columbians received on Monday for returning to Canada without producing a negative molecular test.
  • Almost half of Canadians plan to abandon social distancing during holiday gatherings and hug, kiss and shake hands with friends and family, a new Leger poll in collaboration with The Canadian Press found that 45 per cent of Canadians say they will “greet others with a handshake, hug or kiss” at Christmas parties and other holiday gatherings. In Ontario, the number prepared to ditch social distancing over the winter vacation rose to 50 per cent.
  • Worldwide there have been 258,457,605+ cases, 5,163,506+ deaths and 7,444,652,409+ vaccine doses have been administered.

Nov. 22

  • Ontario reported 627 new cases today for a total of 612,218 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,968 deaths. There are 92 new cases in Toronto, 53 in Peel Region, 38 in York, 20 in Hamilton and 28 in Windsor-Essex. There are 136 in hospital. There are 133 in intensive care, 78 on a ventilator. There have been 596,753 cases resolved, up 494.
  • So far, there have been 22,809,355 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,208,667 fully vaccinated.
  • Ontario completed 19,552 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,555,074. There are 6,489 test results pending.
  • There are three outbreaks in a long term care home. There are two resident cases, eight staff. So far, 4,023 residents have died.
  • There are 600 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; nine are closed. There are 95 new student cases reported today; 17 staff.
  • Appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations for children aged five to 11 in Ontario will open Tuesday. Appointments can be booked through the COVID-19 vaccination portal and contact centre; directly through public health units using their own booking system; and with participating pharmacies, which people can find by visiting Ontario’s website and using the pharmacy locator. The vaccine will also be available through select primary care providers. About a million children across Ontario qualify. To book an appointment, children must be turning five years old by the end of 2021, and born in 2016. The province is following NACI’s advice and spacing doses out by eight weeks.
  • The first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine for children under the age of 12 could be going into little arms by the end of the week, according to Ottawa’s medical officer of health.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 24 new cases for a total of 31,685 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 614. There are 347 active cases and there have been 30,724 cases resolved. There are 15 in hospital, three in ICU. There are 30 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,696,349 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 792,657 residents fully vaccinated.
  • Quebec reported 692 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 439,763 infections. There has been a total of 11,560 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 204 patients with 46 people in intensive care. The province completed 21,070 tests on Nov. 20. So far, 13,701,560 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,473 cases in total, up 25. There have been 223 deaths. There are 82 active cases and 14,168 recoveries. There are two in hospital, two in intensive care. There have been 613,562 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Thousands of public daycare workers in Quebec will walk off the job for as many as four days, after contract talks with the provincial government broke down last week.
  • New Brunswick reported 62 new cases today.
  • Nova Scotia reported one new COVID death and a three-day total of 60 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday. 
  • There were 459 new COVID-19 cases reported over three days in Manitoba, along with seven more deaths.
  • The Saskatchewan government reported 73 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday and one additional death.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,762,434+ cases with 29,481+ deaths and 1,709,112+ recoveries. There are 23,841+ active cases.
  • Worldwide there have been 257,783,045+ cases, 5,154,711+ deaths and 7,418,271,679+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • Austria has become the first western European country to reimpose a lockdown on citizens in the face of surging coronavirus infections. From midnight, Austrians have been asked to work from home and non-essential shops have closed.
  • New restrictions have sparked protests throughout Europe. People clashed with police in the Netherlands and Belgium. Infection rates have risen sharply on the continent, prompting warnings from the World Health Organization. On Saturday WHO regional director Dr Hans Kluge told the BBC that unless measures were tightened across Europe —‚ such as on vaccines, wearing masks and with Covid passes for venues — half a million more deaths could be recorded by next spring.

Nov. 19

  • Ontario reported 793 new cases today for a total of 610,222 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,959 deaths. There are 115 new cases in Toronto, 54 in Peel Region, 60 in York, 41 in Hamilton and 55 in Windsor-Essex. There are 269 in hospital. There are 128 in intensive care, 72 on a ventilator. There have been 595,169 cases resolved, up 567.
  • So far, there have been 22,776,096 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,187,346 fully vaccinated.
  • Ontario completed 30,515 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,475,585. There are 11,899 test results pending.
  • There are three outbreaks in a long term care home. There are two resident cases, eight staff. So far, 4,023 residents have died.
  • There are 599 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; seven are closed. There are 101 new student cases reported today; seven staff.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 39 new cases for a total of 31,578 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 614. There are 365 active cases and there have been 30,599 cases resolved. There are 18 in hospital, one in ICU. There are 26 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,690,018 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 791,458 residents fully vaccinated.
  • Quebec reported 745 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 437,549 infections. There has been a total of 11,552 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 201 patients with 45 people in intensive care. The province completed 29,986 tests on Nov. 17. So far, 13,678,956 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,448 cases in total, up seven. There have been 223 deaths. There are 100 active cases and 14,125 recoveries. There are three in hospital, two in intensive care. There have been 612,682 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Manitoba’s daily case count has reached a new high for the fourth wave of the pandemic, with 201 new cases announced Friday. As well four more people have died because of the virus.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,759,560+ cases with 29,462+ deaths and 1,706,554+ recoveries. There are 23,544+ active cases.
  • As expected, the federal government has lifted the requirement of a PCR COVID-19 test for short, 72-hour-long visits to the United States. The molecular test requirement will still be required for trips abroad lasting more than 72 hours.
  • As expected, Health Canada has approved for use the Pfizer vaccine for children aged five to 11.
  • Canadian hospitals are battling a wide range of supply chain shortages of items such as crutches, surgical gloves, sutures, staplers and dressing supplies. CBC has more. The vaccine doses will begin arriving in Canada on Sunday.
  • Worldwide there have been 256,261,809+ cases, 5,135,938+ deaths and 7,613,419,533+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • Germany has declared a country-wide state of emergency over a surge in COVID cases.

Nov. 18

  • Ontario reported 711 new cases today for a total of 609,429 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,955 deaths. There are 74 new cases in Toronto, 40 in Peel Region, 39 in York, 23 in Hamilton and 71 in Windsor-Essex. There are 278 in hospital. There are 129 in intensive care, 78 on a ventilator. There have been 594,602 cases resolved, up 575.
  • So far, there have been 22,762,199vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,178,476 fully vaccinated.
  • Ontario completed 34,347 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,445,070. There are 12,480 test results pending.
  • There are two outbreaks in a long term care home. There are two resident cases, four staff. So far, 4,023 residents have died.
  • There are 589 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; five are closed. There are 114 new student cases reported today; 14 staff.
  • Ontario is expanding COVID testing of people who are symptomatic to pharmacies. As well the number of pharmacies doing testing will increase from 211 up to 1,300 within a few weeks. As well, before the holidays, the government will hand out at total of 11 million rapid antigen tests, five for each student to take home for use this winter. From mid-December to early January, the province will also be launching a mobile testing blitz with “pop-up testing for asymptomatic people in higher traffic public settings.” Locations for these mobile units will be released in the coming weeks but will most likely be near public spaces like retail stores and holiday markets.
  • The province is also returning to regular timetabling in January.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 48 new cases for a total of 31,491 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 614, up one. There are 376 active cases and there have been 30,549 cases resolved. There are 20 in hospital, one in ICU. There are 24 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,685,366 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 790,459 residents fully vaccinated.
  • Local public health officials expect to see first doses delivered to 77,000 eligible children five to 11 who live in Ottawa within four weeks of Health Canada approval which is expected as early as Friday. No child will be vaccinated without their parents’ consent.
  • Immunizations will take place at the four pre-existing community clinics plus three new ones. Those new locations are: The Nepean Sportsplex curling rink at 1701 Woodroffe Ave., the former St. Patrick’s Intermediate School at 1485 Heron Rd and Rideauview Community Centre at 4310 Shore Line Dr. OPH will also spend four weeks running 73 after-hours pop-up clinics at schools across the city.
  • Quebec reported 720 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 436,804 infections. There has been a total of 11,550 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 205 patients with 46 people in intensive care. The province completed 31,125 tests on Nov. 16. So far, 13,666,199 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,429 cases in total, up 19. There have been 223 deaths. There are 101 active cases and 14,105 recoveries. There are two in hospital, two in intensive care. There have been 612,055 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Nova Scotia reported 22 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday.
  • New Brunswick is reporting 72 new cases and is imposing quarantines for those in households with a case of infection in certain regions of the province.
  • Manitoba reports 179 new COVID-19 cases and five deaths on Thursday.
  • The death toll in Saskatchewan grew by four to 905 on Thursday as 95 new infections were added.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,756,823+ cases with 29,431+ deaths and 1,703,898+ recoveries. There are 23,494+ active cases.
  • Canada and Mexico will redistribute millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses they received from the United States to other Western Hemisphere countries. The plan was part of the North American leaders’ summit.
  • Worldwide there have been 255,193,384+ cases, 5,127,302+ deaths and 7,590,215,673+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • Germany’s disease control agency, the Robert Koch Institute, reported 65,371 new daily cases, shattering the previous 24-hour record and continuing an upward trend in the country that experts have warned about for weeks. As a result of the surge the country’s parliament has passed legislation that includes requirements for employees to prove they are vaccinated, recovered from COVID-19 or have tested negative for the virus in order to access communal workplaces. 
  • Coronavirus deaths in Russia have hit record highs for the second straight day. Russia’s state coronavirus task force reported Thursday that 1,251 people died of COVID-19 since the day before. The previous record of 1,247 deaths was recorded Wednesday.

Nov. 17

  • Ontario reported 512 new cases today for a total of 608,718 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,950 deaths. There are 54 new cases in Toronto, 26 in Peel Region, 24 in York, 20 in Hamilton and 38 in Windsor-Essex. There are 274 in hospital. There are 133 in intensive care, 77 on a ventilator. There have been 594,027 cases resolved, up 573.
  • So far, there have been 22,748,337 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,169,767 fully vaccinated.
  • Ontario completed 28,931 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,410,723. There are 13,473 test results pending.
  • There are two outbreaks in a long term care home. There are two resident cases, four staff. So far, 4,023 residents have died.
  • There are 558 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; four are closed. There are 110 new student cases reported today; 16 staff.
  • Ontario pharmacies will soon have the option to offer COVID-19 testing to symptomatic people. If they opt in the pharmacies will be able to offer PCR swab tests for people with symptoms and high-risk contacts of people with the virus. Pharmacies taking part in the program will be providing free, in-store diagnostic testing and PCR self-collection kits. They will also serve as drop-off points for at-home tests.
  • Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said Wednesday that health units will soon share more plans for if and when a COVID-19 vaccine is approved for younger children, including allowing pre-registration.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 36 new cases for a total of 31,491 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 613, up three. There are 380 active cases and there have been 30,498 cases resolved. There are 22 in hospital, two in ICU. There are 23 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,681,579 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 789,453 residents fully vaccinated.
  • Quebec reported 718 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 436,084 infections. There has been a total of 11,548 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 195 patients with 47 people in intensive care. The province completed 31,626 tests on Nov. 15. So far, 13,653,464 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,410 cases in total, up six. There have been 223 deaths. There are 92 active cases and 14,095 recoveries. There are two in hospital, two in intensive care. There have been 611,625 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Several Quebec nurses’ unions are filing a joint complaint with the province’s labour court against the Quebec government, urging it to stop using ministerial decrees to regulate working hours.
  • Quebec’s Ministry of Health and Social Services destroyed 12,678 expired doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, according to data from Oct. 31. Daniel Paré, the head of Quebec’s vaccination campaign, said the unused doses couldn’t be returned to the federal government because shipping them would have altered their quality
  • New Brunswick reported 82 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday.
  • Nova Scotia announced 20 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. Meanwhile Premier Tim Houston is slammed organizers of a religious gathering that led to outbreaks of COVID-19 in the province which claimed the lives of three people. At the end of October, the Gospel Light Baptist Church in Amherst, N.S., hosted a multi-day gathering of more than 100 people and did not require proof of vaccination to enter, in violation of public health rules.
  • Yukon’s acting top doctor says COVID-19 cases appear to be plateauing following a spike early this month. Dr. Andre Corriveau, acting chief medical officer of health, says the case count remains high but the infection curve appears to be levelling off. Yukon reported 44 new cases Wednesday.
  • Manitoba saw another spike in COVID-19 cases Wednesday as the province recorded 162 new cases, along with two more deaths.
  • According to the Saskatchewan government’s dashboard, there were 149 new cases and four more deaths today.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,754,375+ cases with 29,403+ deaths and 1,701,340+ recoveries. There are 23,632+ active cases.
  • Canada’s inflation rate jumped to a new 18-year high of 4.7 per cent last month, led by sharply higher prices for energy, Statistics Canada says. On a monthly basis, the consumer price index rose 0.7 per cent in October, the largest gain since June 2020.
  • Worldwide there have been 254,636,914+ cases, 5,119,385+ deaths and 7,557,154,192+ vaccine doses have been administered.

Nov. 16

  • Ontario reported 481 new cases today for a total of 608,206 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,938 deaths. There are 56 new cases in Toronto, 31 in Peel Region, 23 in York, 14 in Hamilton and 21 in Windsor-Essex. There are 301 in hospital. There are 139 in intensive care, 82 on a ventilator. There have been 593,454 cases resolved, up 651.
  • So far, there have been 22,733,297 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,160,503 fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,509+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,231+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 22,753 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 18,965 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,381,792. There are 13,685 test results pending.
  • There is one outbreak in a long term care home. There is one resident case, four staff. So far, 4,022 residents have died.
  • There are 536 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; three are closed. There are 222 new student cases reported today; 18 staff.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 34 new cases for a total of 31,455 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 610. There are 380 active cases and there have been 30,465 cases resolved. There are 21 in hospital, one in ICU. There are 23 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,681,579 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 789,453 residents fully vaccinated.
  • Both of Ottawa’s English-language school boards say they will partially reopen schools to community uses such as after-school sports by late November.
  • Quebec reported 517 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 435,366 infections. There has been a total of 11,548 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 200 patients with 47 people in intensive care. The province completed 20,527 tests on Nov. 14. So far, 13,632,676 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,404 cases in total, up 38. There have been 223 deaths. There are 94 active cases and 14,087 recoveries. There are two in hospital, two in intensive care. So far there have been 611,342 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • New Brunswick reported 34 new cases and 43 recoveries on Tuesday, while Nova Scotia reported 31 new cases.
  • Manitoba reported 99 new cases of COVID-19 and one death.
  • Saskatchewan says there were 85 new cases, 104 recoveries and one death.
  • Alberta reported 321 new cases of COVID-19 and 13 more deaths Tuesday.
  • British Columbia has reported the first case of a new strain of the Delta variant, known as AY 4.2 strain which was first detected in the United Kingdom, but has also been connected to spread in Western Canada..
  • In Canada, there have been 1,752,517+ cases with 29,384+ deaths and 1,698,570+ recoveries. There are 24,563+ active cases.
  • Moderna has asked Health Canada to approve its COVID-19 vaccine, for children six to 11 years of age, the department announced. A decision on the efficacy of the Pfizer vaccine for children is expected within the next week and a half.
  • Worldwide there have been 254,092,019+ cases, 5,111,573+ deaths and 7,538,664,047+ vaccine doses have been administered.

Nov. 15

  • Ontario reported 552 new cases today for a total of 607,725 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,937 deaths. There are 85 new cases in Toronto, 51 in Peel Region, 49 in York, 12 in Hamilton and 30 in Windsor-Essex. There are 138 in hospital. There are 141 in intensive care, 79 on a ventilator. There have been 592,803 cases resolved, up 342.
  • So far, there have been 22,720,151 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,152,122 fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,509+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,231+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 22,753 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 21,475 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,362,827. There are 6,576 test results pending.
  • There is one outbreak in a long term care home. There is one resident case, six staff. So far, 4,022 residents have died.
  • There are 488 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; four are closed. There are 77 new student cases reported today; nine staff.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 49 new cases for a total of 31,421 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 610. There are 388 active cases and there have been 30,423 cases resolved. There are 22 in hospital, two in ICU. There are 21 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,681,579 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 789,453 residents fully vaccinated.
  • National museums such as the war, nature and science museums and the National Gallery of Canada will require visitors to prove they’re fully vaccinated as of Dec. 1. Currently, this proof is only needed for eating areas of some museums.
  • The NHL postponed three Ottawa Senators games on Monday amid a COVID-19 outbreak on the team, the first time any of North America’s major professional sports leagues have been hit by rescheduling this fall because of the coronavirus. Games scheduled for Tuesday at New Jersey, at home Thursday against Nashville and at home Saturday against the New York Rangers were postponed. Ten Senators players along with associate coach Jack Capuano are currently in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol.
  • Quebec reported 509 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 434,849 infections. There has been a total of 11,546 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 202 patients with 42 people in intensive care. The province completed 20,903 tests on Nov. 13. So far, 13,632,676 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,366 cases in total, up 20. There have been 223 deaths. There are 89 active cases and 14,046 recoveries. There are two in hospital, two in intensive care. So far there have been 609,338 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Quebec is relaxing public health restrictions for high schools, restaurants, bars and fitness centres. This as COVID-19 cases in the province rise but hospitalizations decrease. Starting today, high school students are no longer obligated to wear a mask in classrooms. However, students must wear wear masks in common areas and when moving around school grounds. Elementary students will still need to wear masks at all times, including while seated. Singing and dancing are also making a return to Quebec bars. 
  • In Canada, there have been 1,745,349+ cases with 29,309+ deaths and 1,691,535+ recoveries. There are 24,505+ active cases.
  • The Canadian Real Estate Association says 2021 was the busiest year ever for Canada’s housing market, with average selling prices climbing to new highs, too. The group said Monday that the average selling price for a home that sold on the group’s Multiple Listings Service was $716,585, an increase of 18 per cent compared to the same month a year earlier. Sales increased by more than eight per cent in October from September’s level meaning that 581,275 homes have changed hands in the first 10 months of the year. That’s already more than the previous annual record of 552,423 — and there’s still two months to go.
  • The NHL postponed three Ottawa Senators games on Monday amid a COVID-19 outbreak on the team, the first time any of North America’s major professional sports leagues have been hit by rescheduling this fall because of the coronavirus. Games scheduled for Tuesday at New Jersey, at home Thursday against Nashville and at home Saturday against the New York Rangers were postponed. Ten Senators players along with associate coach Jack Capuano are currently in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol.
  • Quebec reported 509 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 434,849 infections. There has been a total of 11,546 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 202 patients with 42 people in intensive care. The province completed 20,903 tests on Nov. 13. So far, So far, 13,632,676 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,366 cases in total, up 20. There have been 223 deaths. There are 89 active cases and 14,046 recoveries. There are two in hospital, two in intensive care. So far there have been 609,338 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Quebec is relaxing public health restrictions for high schools, restaurants, bars and fitness centres. This as COVID-19 cases in the province rise but hospitalizations decrease. Starting today, high school students are no longer obligated to wear a mask in classrooms. However, students must wear wear masks in common areas and when moving around school grounds. Elementary students will still need to wear masks at all times, including while seated. Singing and dancing are also making a return to Quebec bars. 
  • New Brunswick is reporting 40 new cases of COVID-19 Monday.
  • Nova Scotia reported 70 new cases over the past two days.
  • There are 399 new COVID-19 cases and four deaths over three days in Manitoba. The total number of deaths caused by the disease is now 1,273. There are currently 1,499 active cases of COVID-19 and 62,991 people have recovered.
  • Saskatchewan recorded 97 new cases Monday, along with two deaths. A new study from researchers at the University of Saskatchewan, which included more than 9,000 participants in Saskatchewan, found 76 per cent were willing to or had been vaccinated against the virus; 13 per cent had not decided; and 11 per cent said they would not get vaccinated.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,745,349+ cases with 29,309+ deaths and 1,691,535+ recoveries. There are 24,505+ active cases.
  • The Canadian Real Estate Association says 2021 was the busiest year ever for Canada’s housing market, with average selling prices climbing to new highs, too. The group said Monday that the average selling price for a home that sold on the group’s Multiple Listings Service was $716,585, an increase of 18 per cent compared to the same month a year earlier. Sales increased by more than eight per cent in October from September’s level meaning that 581,275 homes have changed hands in the first 10 months of the year. That’s already more than the previous annual record of 552,423 — and there’s still two months to go.
  • Federal employees who refuse to be vaccinated without a valid reason can now be put unpaid leave.
  • Worldwide there have been 253,474,331+ cases, 5,103,391+ deaths and 7,486,506,721+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • Canada has donated nearly two million doses of the Moderna vaccine to Uganda, according to the United Nations. The shipment was part of Canada’s commitment to the WHO-led COVAX vaccine sharing facility.
  • Federal employees who refuse to be vaccinated without a valid reason can now be put unpaid leave.
  • Worldwide there have been 253,474,331+ cases, 5,103,391+ deaths and 7,486,506,721+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • Austria took what its leader called the “dramatic” step Monday of implementing a nationwide lockdown for unvaccinated people who haven’t recently had COVID-19. The move, which took effect at midnight, prohibits people 12 years old and up who haven’t been vaccinated or recently recovered from COVID-19 from leaving their homes except for basic activities such as working, grocery shopping, going for a walk — or getting vaccinated.
  • A ban on public sector employees entering their offices if they are unvaccinated and untested for COVID-19 took effect in Egypt on Monday, as the government pushes to accelerate vaccination rates in the final weeks of the year.
  • China has confined nearly 1,500 university students to their dormitories and hotels following an outbreak of COVID-19 in the northeastern city of Dalian.

Nov. 12

  • Ontario reported 598 new cases today for a total of 605,846 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,921 deaths. There are 63 new cases in Toronto, 43 in Peel Region, 32 in York, 14 in Hamilton and 43 in Windsor-Essex. There are 207 in hospital. There are 130 in intensive care, 72 on a ventilator. There have been 591,525 cases resolved, up 462.
  • So far, there have been 22,681,696 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,126,663 fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,508+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,231+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 22,052 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 30,230 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,290,043. There are 11,008 test results pending.
  • There are two outbreaks in long term care homes. There are no resident cases, six staff. So far, 4,022 residents have died.
  • There are 489 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; two are closed. There are 84 new student cases reported today; nine staff.
  • The latest briefing from Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table shows that transmission of the virus is growing in 26 of the province’s 34 public health units. Test positivity rates are also rising in a number of public health units, particularly those in southwestern Ontario, the science table said. The main elements driving increased transmission are colder weather keeping people indoors, the lifting of capacity limits in many settings such stadiums, restaurants and gyms — which are all accepting proof of vaccination — and more indoor gatherings in general. While public health experts say the recent rise in cases is a concern, it has not yet been accompanied by an increase in the number of patients being treated for COVID-related illnesses in the province’s intensive care units. As of Thursday evening, there were 130 people with COVID in ICUs, two fewer than the day before.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 37 new cases for a total of 31,278 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 609. There are 326 active cases and there have been 30,343 cases resolved. There are 24 in hospital, two in ICU. There are 19 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,676,982 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 788,082 residents fully vaccinated.
  • Quebec reported 716 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 432,991 infections. There has been a total of 11,535 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 205 patients with 40 people in intensive care. The province completed 30,139 tests on Nov. 10. So far, 13,603,766 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,346 cases in total, up 11. There have been 223 deaths. There are 80 active cases and 14,043 recoveries. There are two in hospital, two in intensive care. So far there have been 609,338 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Health officials in Nova Scotia are reporting 70 new COVID-19 cases and 69 recoveries since Wednesday.
  • Health officials in New Brunswick are reporting 65 new COVID-19 cases.
  • Manitoba is introducing several new pandemic measures aimed at kids in sports, hospital capacity and some unvaccinated churchgoers as the province works to get a handle on rising COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalizations. People age 12 to 17 will have to either be vaccinated or regularly tested starting Dec. 5 to participate in indoor sports. The province identified 359 new COVID-19 cases and one more death over the past two days.
  • Saskatchewan is reporting 122 new COVID-19 cases, along with five more deaths.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,740,005+ cases with 29,249+ deaths and 1,686,745+ recoveries. There are 24,011+ active cases.
  • Health Canada has authorized Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine (also known as Spikevax) for use as a booster shot. It has already approved Pfizer’s booster. Health Canada also says approval of Pfizer’s vaccine for children, aged five to 11 should be approved within two weeks.
  • Worldwide there have been 252,236,993+ cases, 5,084,129+ deaths and 7,407,993,989+ vaccine doses have been administered.

Nov. 11

We shall remember them. Remembrance Day ceremonies took place this year, but some pandemic-related adjustments were made. The National Remembrance Day service in Ottawa was open to the public at the National War Memorial and a large crowd was there. Attendees were distanced and wore masks. There was not a Veterans’ parade or a Canadian Armed Forces parade. Wreathes were pre-placed at the memorial this year. 

  • Ontario reported 642 new cases today for a total of 605,248 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,916 deaths. There are 74 new cases in Toronto, 61 in Peel Region, 62 in York, 12 in Hamilton and 48 in Windsor-Essex. There are 251 in hospital. There are 132 in intensive care, 72 on a ventilator. There have been 591,063 cases resolved, up 422.
  • So far, there have been 22,668,228 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,117,999 fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,508+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,231+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 22,007 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 29,814 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,259,813. There are 13,635 test results pending.
  • There are two outbreaks in long term care homes. There are no resident cases, four staff. So far, 4,022 residents have died.
  • There are 501 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; two are closed. There are 72 new student cases reported today; eight staff.
  • Current epicentres of coronavirus surges are shifting from dense urban zones to more rural or remote areas that have lower vaccination rates and fewer public health resources, such as northern Ontario including Sudbury health region which has brought back capacity limits in public spaces, requiring residents to mask and provide proof of vaccination. Its COVID-19 recent case rate, at 164.7 per 100,000 as of Monday, is by far the highest in the province.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 40 new cases for a total of 31,241 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 609. There are 328 active cases and there have been 30,304 cases resolved. There are 22 in hospital, two in ICU. There are 20 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,673,604 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 787,029 residents fully vaccinated.
  • The Ottawa Senators placed two more players in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol Thursday, hours before they were scheduled to host the Los Angeles Kings.
  • Quebec reported 663 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 432,275 infections. There has been a total of 11,533 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 215 patients with 42 people in intensive care. The province completed 32,192 tests on Nov. 9. So far, 13,588,907 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,335 cases in total, up 13. There have been 223 deaths. There are 69 active cases and 14,043 recoveries. There are two in hospital, two in intensive care. So far there have been 608,582 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Yukon declared a state of emergency this week after announcing 80 COVID-19 cases in three days, bringing the total active cases to 169 in the territory of 43,000 people. About 22.1 per cent of Yukon’s population is indigenous, compared with the national average of about five per cent.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,740,005+ cases with 29,249+ deaths and 1,686,745+ recoveries. There are 24,011+ active cases.
  • Health Canada has updated its occupational health guidance which is expected to ease restrictions in federal workplaces. Building occupancy can gradually increased up to full occupancy, based on operational requirements, appropriate use of workplace preventive practices, building layout, and local public health considerations, but should have the flexibility to adjust if transmission rates increase. Treasury Board President Mona Fortier says “there is no one-size-fits-all approach. As the heads of their organizations, deputy heads are responsible for the safety and well-being of their employees. I expect that next steps in federal organizations will be set out in a phased way and that includes sustained employee engagement.” A digital, citizen- and business-driven approach remains a priority, building flexibility where possible and where it makes sense.
  • Worldwide there have been 251,656,566+ cases, 5,076,440+ deaths and 7,365,326,239+ vaccine doses have been administered.

Nov. 10

  • Ontario reported 454 new cases today for a total of 604,606 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,912 deaths. There are 42 new cases in Toronto, 33 in Peel Region, 34 in York, 12 in Hamilton and 23 in Windsor-Essex. There are 243 in hospital. There are 136 in intensive care, 74 on a ventilator. There have been 590,641 cases resolved, up 414.
  • So far, there have been 22,652,266 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,107,758 fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,513+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,231+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 21,973 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 33,364 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,229,999. There are 11,901 test results pending.
  • There are two outbreaks in long term care homes. There are no resident cases, four staff. So far, 4,022 residents have died.
  • There are 497 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; two are closed. There are 102 new student cases reported today; 10 staff.
  • Capacity limits and physical distancing will remain in place for the time being for night clubs, event spaces where there is dancing (for example, places that host wedding receptions), strip clubs and other similar venues where proof of vaccination is required. Limits were to be lifted on Nov. 15. Instead, the province says it will monitor data for the next 28 days to determine when it is safe to proceed with lifting limits in these settings.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 34 new cases for a total of 31,156 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 606. There are 293 active cases and there have been 30,257 cases resolved. There are 19 in hospital, two in ICU. There are 21 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,670,617 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 786,139 residents fully vaccinated.
  • Ottawa’s medical officer of health is asking the city’s residents to remain cautious as COVID-19 case counts rise. The daily average in Ottawa has jumped to 35 cases and the city’s test positivity rate is now at two per cent. “We are seeing the pandemic grow again,” Dr. Vera Etches said. She says the spike in case counts is due to an increasing number of “opportunities for COVID to be transmitted. … There is more close contact, perhaps a little less mask wearing,” she said.
  • The Ottawa Senators have placed a sixth player in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol, announcing Wednesday that defenceman Josh Brown has been added to the list. Brown joins forwards Austin Watson, Dylan Gambrell and Connor Brown and defencemen Victor Mete and Nick Holden on the list.
  • Quebec reported 672 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 431,612 infections. There has been a total of 11,529 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 220 patients with 45 people in intensive care. The province completed 30,399 tests on Nov. 8. So far, 13,573,761 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,322 cases in total, up six. There have been 223 deaths. There are 58 active cases and 14,041 recoveries. There are two in hospital, two in intensive care. So far there have been 607,866 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Health officials in Nova Scotia are reporting 30 new COVID-19 cases. In neighbouring New Brunswick, there are 69 new cases reported on Wednesday. 
  • There were 143 new COVID-19 cases and two deaths in Manitoba on Wednesday.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,737,389+ cases with 29,217+ deaths and 1,684,331+ recoveries. There are 24,841+ active cases.
  • Worldwide there have been 251,063,629+ cases, 5,068,279+ deaths and 7,339,514,184+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • U.S. inflation is now at 6.2 per cent, the highest in three decades driven by rising food and fuel prices.

Nov. 9

  • Ontario reported 441 new cases today for a total of 604,152 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,903 deaths. There are 55 new cases in Toronto, 15 in Peel Region, 30 in York, 14 in Hamilton and 15 in Windsor-Essex. There are 244 in hospital. There are 134 in intensive care, 78 on a ventilator. There have been 590,227 cases resolved, up 456.
  • So far, there have been 22,637,009 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,098,007 fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,513+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,231+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 21,894 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 19,368 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,196,635. There are 14,750 test results pending.
  • There are two outbreaks in long term care homes. There are no resident cases, five staff. So far, 4,022 residents have died.
  • There are 474 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; three are closed. There are 159 new student cases reported today; 17 staff.
  • Dr. Peter Juni, the head of Ontario’s COVID-19 science table, says it could be time to revisit some capacity limits in the province as COVID-19 cases rise.
  • Ontario isn’t changing course on its reopening plan despite a recent rise in COVID-19 infections. Health Minister Christine Elliott says a bump in cases was anticipated during the colder weather as people move indoors, and that was factored into the province’s plans.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 34 new cases for a total of 31,156 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 606. There are 293 active cases and there have been 30,257 cases resolved. There are 19 in hospital, two in ICU. There are 21 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,670,617 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 786,139 residents fully vaccinated.
  • Eastern Ontario’s children’s hospital says it’s seeing an early resurgence of a respiratory virus called RSV, unrelated to COVID-19, that caused a record number of patient admissions in October.
  • Quebec reported 545 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 430,940 infections. There has been a total of 11,528 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 219 patients with 45 people in intensive care. The province completed 22,048 tests on Nov. 7. So far, 13,562,002 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,316 cases in total, up 22. There have been 223 deaths. There are 58 active cases and 14,035 recoveries. There are two in hospital, two in intensive care. So far there have been 607 388 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Quebec has opened up booster shots to this residents 70 and up starting Nov. 23. Vaccines will be phased with 80 and up getting the shots first, starting Nov. 16.
  • Nova Scotia reported 56 new cases of COVID-19 and one death on Tuesday, while neighbouring New Brunswick reported 52 new cases.
  • Manitoba saw 185 new cases and four additional deaths on Tuesday.
  • Saskatchewan officials say another two COVID-19 patients who had been transferred to Ontario for intensive care have died there, bringing the total number of deaths among transferred patients to five. The province confirmed 86 cases on Tuesday, along with one additional death.
  • Alberta reported 422 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday and eight new deaths from the disease.
  • Another 500 new cases have been reported in British Columbia, along with five deaths.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,735,017+ cases with 29,193+ deaths and 1,681,698+ recoveries. There are 24,126+ active cases.
  • Statistics Canada’s provisional data shows that 19,488 more Canadians died between March 2020 and July 2021 than would have been expected.
  • Health Canada has authorized Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for anyone 18 and up.
  • Scientists have spotted two sublineages of the Delta variant in Western Canada, called AY.25 and AY.27, respectively. Global News has more.
  • Worldwide there have been 250,533,859+ cases, 5,060,003+ deaths and 7,305,623,050+ vaccine doses have been administered.

Nov. 8

  • Ontario reported 480 new cases today for a total of 603,711 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,900 deaths. There are 53 new cases in Toronto, 39 in Peel Region, 39 in York, 11 in Hamilton and 21 in Windsor-Essex. There are 105 in hospital. There are 107 in intensive care, 74 on a ventilator. There have been 589,771 cases resolved, up 238.
  • So far, there have been 22,623,960 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,089,632 fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,513+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,231+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 21,709 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 22,980 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,177,267. There are 6,356 test results pending.
  • There are two outbreaks in long term care homes. There are two resident cases, nine staff. So far, 4,022 residents have died.
  • There are 474 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; three are closed. There are 75 new student cases reported today; seven staff.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 30 new cases for a total of 30,994 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 606. There are 284 active cases and there have been 31,122 cases resolved. There are 15 in hospital, none in ICU. There are 19 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,670,617 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 786,139 residents fully vaccinated.
  • The Ottawa Senators have cancelled Monday’s practice a day after defenceman Nick Holden and associate coach Jack Capuano were placed on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list. The team has today also placed forwards Connor Brown and Dylan Gambrell in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol.
  • Quebec reported 531 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 430,395 infections. There has been a total of 11,522 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 225 patients with 48 people in intensive care. The province completed 22,006 tests on Nov. 6. So far, 13,551,153 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,294 cases in total, up 12. There have been 223 deaths. There are 52 active cases and 14,019 recoveries. There are two in hospital, two in intensive care. So far there have been 607,388 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,727,686+ cases with 29,132+ deaths and 1,675,129+ recoveries. There are 23,425+ active cases.
  • As the U.S. border reopens today to non-essential travel, calls are mounting for Canada to end the pre-arrival COVID-19 test requirement for fully vaccinated travellers. These tests can cost between $150 and $300 for a PCR test, the type of molecular test most widely available. 
  • Worldwide there have been 250,056,541+ cases, 5,052,620+ deaths and 7,276,759,084+ vaccine doses have been administered.

Nov. 5

  • Ontario reported 563 new cases today for a total of 602,087 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,896 deaths. There are 44 new cases in Toronto, 44 in Peel Region, 52 in York, 12 in Hamilton and 37 in Windsor-Essex. There are 225 in hospital. There are 129 in intensive care, 81 on a ventilator. There have been 588,798 cases resolved, up 352.
  • So far, there have been 22,585,340 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,063,495 fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,511+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,231+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 21,442 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 30,187 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,096,996. There are 13,655 test results pending.
  • There are two outbreaks in long term care homes. There are two resident cases, nine staff. So far, 4,022 residents have died.
  • There are 488 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; four are closed. There are 59 new student cases reported today; six staff.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 39 new cases for a total of 30,994 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 604. There are 220 active cases and there have been 30,170 cases resolved. There are 14 in hospital, none in ICU. There are 16 outbreaks. So far, In Ottawa, 1,666,596 doses of vaccine have been administered. There are 784,689 residents fully vaccinated.
  • The City of Ottawa says sports leagues are responsible for checking the vaccination status of people playing in or watching an event at city-owned facilities, despite provincial rules that state otherwise. Ontario’s Ministry of Health says the responsibility for checking someone’s proof of vaccination and identification or confirming someone’s exemption, lies with whoever is responsible for the sports facility, it wrote in an email to CBC.
  • Quebec reported 571 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 428,631 infections. There has been a total of 11,511 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 240 patients with 57 people in intensive care. The province completed 29,114 tests on Nov. 3. So far, 13,521,918 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,282 cases in total, up nine. There have been 223 deaths. There are 49 active cases and 14,010 recoveries. There are two in hospital, two in intensive care. So far there have been 606,058 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Newfoundland and Labrador has eight new confirmed cases of COVID-19 as its health care system emerges from a massive cyberattack, now considered the worst in Canadian history.
  • Health officials in New Brunswick are reporting the province’s 121st COVID-19 related death, along with 51 new COVID-19 cases and 37 recoveries on Friday.
  • Nova Scotia reported 40 new cases on Friday and is attributing the rise in cases over the past couple of days to faith group gatherings.
  • Another three Manitobans with have died and health officials are reporting 130 new infections.
  • Saskatchewan is reporting 141 new cases of COVID-19 and two new deaths from the illness on Friday. 
  • In Canada, there have been 1,725,151+ cases with 29,115+ deaths and 1,672,874+ recoveries. There are 23,161+ active cases.
  • About 90,000 low income seniors who received the Canada emergency response benefit (CERB) are seeing their guaranteed income supplement (GIS) payments clawed back.
  • The Public Health Agency of Canada says the country is bending the curve on the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, but progress has recently slowed and Canada could still see some “bumps” over the next few months.
  • For the first time, reported cases nationally are now most commonly children under the age of 12 who do not qualify to be vaccinated against COVID-19. However, outbreaks in schools and daycares have been smaller this wave. Less than one per cent of children who have been infected by COVID-19 have developed serious illness.
  • After returning to its pre-pandemic level in September, employment held steady (31,000 at 0.2 per cent) in October. The unemployment rate fell by 0.2 percentage points to 6.7%.
  • Worldwide there have been 248,813,323+ cases, 5,033,576+ deaths and 7,185,229,645+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • Pfizer Inc. said Friday that its experimental antiviral pill for COVID-19 cut rates of hospitalization and death by nearly 90 per cent in high-risk adults, as the drugmaker joins the race to bring the first easy-to-use medication against the coronavirus to the U.S. market. As well, the United Kingdom has authorized Merck’s COVID-19 pill. Both are are under review at Health Canada.

Nov. 4

  • Ontario reported 438 new cases today for a total of 601,524 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,891 deaths. There are 72 new cases in Toronto, 26 in Peel Region, 37 in York, nine in Hamilton and 17 in Windsor-Essex. There are 234 in hospital. There are 130 in intensive care, 85 on a ventilator. There have been 588,444 cases resolved, up 337.
  • So far, there have been 22,569,439 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,053,036 fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,513+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,231+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 21,323 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 32,129 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,066,809. There are 13,726 test results pending.
  • There are two outbreaks in long term care homes. There are two resident cases, nine staff. So far, 4,022 residents have died.
  • There are 501 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; four are closed. There are 72 new student cases reported today; 14 staff.
  • The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) says it is “disappointed” that the Quebec and Ontario provincial governments have decided not to require mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for health care workers.
  • Ontario is boosting health spending, investing more in roads and bridges, and phasing out COVID-19 supports as it charts a path out of the pandemic. The province’s fall economic statement released Thursday projects a deficit this fiscal year of $21.5 billion, lower than the budget’s $33.1-billion projection – largely due to higher-than-expected tax revenues and stronger economic growth. The province is set to spend $342 million to add and upgrade the skills of more than 5,000 registered nurses and registered practical nurses and 8,000 personal support workers. Another $57.6 million will go toward hiring 225 more nurse practitioners in long-term care, starting next year. Ontario is also planning to spend $22 million over three years to integrate clinical information between hospitals and long-term care homes in order to streamline re-admissions and give information to families. Another $29 million is being put toward mental health funding for health-care and long-term care workers, children and youth with eating disorders, and post-secondary students.
  • The province plans to reduce COVID supports from $10.7 billion to $3.4 billion next year, and end it by 2023-24. Without COVID-19 funding, program spending is set to jump from $165.5 billion this year to $173 billion next year.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 30 new cases for a total of 30,955 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 604. There are 193 active cases and there have been 30,138 cases resolved. There are 11 in hospital, none in ICU. There are 15 outbreaks.
  • Quebec reported 588 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 428,060 infections. There has been a total of 11,510 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 241 patients with 63 people in intensive care. The province completed 30,822 tests on Nov. 2. So far, 13,505,223 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,273 cases in total, up 11. There have been 223 deaths. There are 46 active cases and 14,044 recoveries. There are three in hospital, two in intensive care. So far there have been 605,083 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,722,570+ cases with 29,095+ deaths and 1,670,325+ recoveries. There are 23,150+ active cases.
  • New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds unvaccinated Canadians’ top reasons for avoiding the jab are “personal freedom” and “health concerns.” One-third also say the main reason they have not been vaccinated is because COVID-19 is not a serious health threat. Indeed, nearly all (90 per cent) of the unvaccinated believe the health risks of COVID-19 are overstated while 84 per cent believe their immune system alone is good enough to fight the infection.
  • More than 95 per cent of federal public servants are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and 98 per cent have received at least one dose, according to new figures published by the government.
  • Drugmaker AstraZeneca has filed for Health Canada’s approval of its new therapy to prevent symptomatic COVID-19. The therapy, called AZD7442, is a long-acting antibody treatment derived from donated B-cells, which are a type of immune cell, from convalescent patients after SARS-CoV-2 for the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19, according to a press release.
  • Worldwide there have been 248,282,374+ cases, 5,025,636+ deaths and 7,147,317,573+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • The U.S. Mayo Clinic estimates about 1.3 million Americans are off the job because of long haul COVID-19.

Nov. 3

  • Ontario reported 378 new cases today for a total of 601,086 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,886 deaths. There are 64 new cases in Toronto, 13 in Peel Region, 41 in York, 23 in Hamilton and 21 in Windsor-Essex. There are 237 in hospital. There are 137 in intensive care, 79 on a ventilator. There have been 588,107 cases resolved, up 380.
  • So far, there have been 22,552,851 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,042,298 fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,511+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,231+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 21,232 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 32,950 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,034,680. There are 13,643 test results pending.
  • There are three outbreaks in long term care homes. There are three resident cases, nine staff. So far, 4,022 residents have died.
  • There are 499 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; four are closed. There are 78 new student cases reported today; 10 staff.
  • Ontario will not issue a vaccine mandate for health care workers.
  • The province will begin to offer booster shots to all residents with the bulk of the population able to get the shot in the new year.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 22 new cases for a total of 30,925 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 604. There are 186 active cases and there have been 30,135 cases resolved. There are 10 in hospital, none in ICU. There are 16 outbreaks. Ottawa Public Health says 90 per cent of residents who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines have received at least one dose. So far, 1,649,177 have received at least one dose of vaccine; 782,350 are fully vaccinated.
  • Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said the city’s proposed budget for 2022, which contains a three per cent hike in property taxes, is “prudent. … It positions our city … to win the fight against COVID-19. It continues to invest in our roads, sidewalks and multi-use pathways. It strives to help businesses bounce back from the pandemic. And it endeavours to make our city more sustainable for future generations.” The primary budget document, which spells out $4.14 billion in city-wide operating expenses, was one of three set to be tabled Wednesday, along with separate budgets for the Ottawa Police Service and OC Transpo. Ottawa Public Health presented a $123-million draft budget Monday. 
  • Quebec reported 525 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 427,472 infections. There has been a total of 11,510 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 248 patients with 70 people in intensive care. The province completed 30,568 tests on Nov. 1. So far, 13,491,121 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,262 cases in total, up one. There have been 223 deaths. There are 41 active cases and 13,998 recoveries. There are four in hospital, three in intensive care. So far there have been 604,216 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Quebec has decided that health-care workers already employed won’t be forced to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Health Minister Christian Dubé said that the province is facing 500 service reductions or reorganizations if it went ahead with its planned Nov. 15 deadline for staff vaccines. Instead of the previous plan, now only new hires will be required to be vaccinated, he said, though the province will try hard to replace those workers with vaccinated ones over time.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,720,355+ cases with 29,056+ deaths and 1,667,744+ recoveries. There are 23,555+ active cases.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that star player Sidney Crosby has tested positive for COVID-19, joining several other players on the team who have been infected. The players are said to have been fully vaccinated.
  • Air Canada has suspended about 800 employees because they were not fully vaccinated or would not reveal their status.
  • Worldwide there have been 247,772,027+ cases, 5,017,528+ deaths and 7,128,048,118+ vaccine doses have been administered.

Nov. 2

  • Ontario reported 331 new cases today for a total of 600,708 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,881 deaths. There are 42 new cases in Toronto, 36 in Peel Region, 44 in York, 21 in Hamilton and 17 in Windsor-Essex. There are 230 in hospital. There are 136 in intensive care, 84 on a ventilator. There have been 587,727 cases resolved, up 383.
  • So far, there have been 22,535,918 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,031,522 fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,511+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,231+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 21,204 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 20,148 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 19,001,730. There are 14,419 test results pending.
  • There are three outbreaks in long term care homes. There are three resident cases, nine staff. So far, 4,022 residents have died.
  • There are 515 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; three are closed. There are 123 new student cases reported today; 20 staff.
  • Nurses, personal support workers and therapists have left home care in droves during the COVID-19 pandemic, CBC reports. “We lost literally over 3,000 nurses and skilled therapists and personal support workers to other parts of the health-care system,” said Sue VanderBent, the CEO of Home Care Ontario, which represents home-care providers in the province.
  • The Ontario government will raise the province’s minimum wage to $15 an hour on Jan. 1, 2022, Premier Doug Ford confirmed Tuesday morning.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 20 new cases for a total of 30,903 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 604. There are 188 active cases and there have been 30,111 cases resolved. There are 11 in hospital, one in ICU. There are 17 outbreaks. Ottawa Public Health says 90 per cent of residents who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines have received at least one dose. So far, 1,649,177 have received at least one dose of vaccine; 782,350 are fully vaccinated.
  • Ottawa Public Health says it will be able to vaccinate all children five to 11 within four weeks of being given the green light by Health Canada. Dr. Vera Etches told a meeting of the Board of Health there should be enough supply for a “rapid push” to vaccinate that entire age group. She said the goal is to vaccinate 90 per cent of that population.
  • OPH’s 2022 draft budget was tabled at Monday’s Board of Health meeting. It projects a balanced budget of $123 million next year, including $41.5 million on COVID-19 measures. Dr. Vera Etches said she anticipates some COVID-19 work could continue into 2023, but she also noted that the budget includes a plan to gradually de-escalate the COVID-19 response in 2022.
  • Quebec reported 490 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 426,947 infections. There has been a total of 11,502 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 250 patients with 71 people in intensive care. The province completed 21,437 tests on Oct. 31. So far, 13,478,926 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,261 cases in total, up five. There have been 223 deaths. There are 45 active cases and 13,993 recoveries. There are three in hospital, three in intensive care. So far there have been 603,792 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Dancing and singing will be allowed again in Quebec bars and restaurants as of Nov. 15. Face coverings, including for those singing karaoke, will still be required, unless the singer is two metres away from other people. Workplaces will no longer have to priorize working from home. Gyms will no longer have to require distancing and face masks during high-intensity workouts. High school students will only need to wear masks while moving around on school grounds.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,718,471+ cases with 29,023+ deaths and 1,665,085+ recoveries. There are 24,363+ active cases.
  • Eight more airports across Canada will open to international travel at the end of November. They are: St. John’s International, John C. Munro Hamilton International, Region of Waterloo International, Regina International, Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International, Kelowna International, Abbotsford International and Victoria International.
  • These are in addition to the 10 airports that are already receiving international flights: Halifax Stanfield International, Québec City Jean Lesage International, Montréal-Trudeau International, Ottawa/Macdonald–Cartier International,Toronto Pearson International, Billy Bishop Toronto City Centre, Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International, Edmonton International, Calgary International and Vancouver International
  • Worldwide there have been 247,274,026+ cases, 5,009,007+ deaths and 7,099,881,496+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • A study of nearly 2,000 vaccinated health-care workers, some of whom had contracted COVID-19, has found that those who survived the virus and then received an mRNA vaccine have a higher number of long-lasting antibodies.
  • New Israeli research into the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster shot suggests getting a third dose significantly reduces the risk of disease-related hospitalization and death. The study compared data from 728,321 individuals age 12 and older who received a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine with the same number of people who received only two doses at least five months prior.
  • The U.S. government will require companies with at least 100 workers to provide paid time off for employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and paid sick leave to recover from effects of the shots, a Biden administration official said Monday.
  • The U.S. Centers for Disease Control have opened the door to vaccination for all children ages five to 11 in the U.S. to get Pfizer-BioNTech’s pediatric COVID-19 shots.

Nov. 1

  • Ontario reported 422 new cases today for a total of 600,377 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,874 deaths. There are 61 new cases in Toronto, 47 in Peel Region, 41 in York, 20 in Hamilton and 19 in Windsor-Essex. There are 134 in hospital. There are 133 in intensive care, 84 on a ventilator. There have been 587,344 cases resolved, up 399.
  • So far, there have been 22,522,144 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 11,022,859 fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,507+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,231+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 21,196 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 19,840 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,981,582. There are 6,650 test results pending.
  • There are three outbreaks in long term care homes. There are 14 resident cases, 11 staff. So far, 4,022 residents have died.
  • There are 515 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; three are closed. There are 68 new student cases reported today; six staff.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 29 new cases for a total of 30,883 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 603. There are 197 active cases and there have been 30,083 cases resolved. There are 12 in hospital, two in ICU. There are 14 outbreaks. Ottawa Public Health says 90 per cent of residents who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines have received at least one dose. So far, 1,649,177 have received at least one dose of vaccine; 782,350 are fully vaccinated.
  • Quebec reported 497 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 426,457 infections. There has been a total of 11,496 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 244 patients with 67 people in intensive care. The province completed 20,808 tests on Oct. 30. So far, 13,467,729 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,256 cases in total, up eight. There have been 223 deaths. There are 75 active cases and 13,958 recoveries. There are four in hospital, three in intensive care. So far there have been 603,433 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • There is no longer be a capacity limit in restaurants, bars and casinos in Quebec and the distance between tables in some cases will be reduced to a metre.
  • New Brunswick is reporting 31 new cases on Monday. A job action by provincial unionized employees with CUPE is having an impact on health care staff who have put in extra effort and hours throughout the last year and a half,” according to the province. “Some regional health authority vaccination clinics and COVID-19 screening at assessment centres have had to be cancelled or rescheduled,” the province wrote in a release.
  • Nova Scotia reported 59 new cases of COVID-19 and one death over the weekend.
  • An IT systems outage is causing problems with a number of health-related services across Newfoundland and Labrador, causing delays, cancelled appointments and issues with COVID-19 testing. The province reported two new cases today.  
  • Another two deaths and 342 new COVID-19 cases emerged in Manitoba over the past three days.
  • There were at least 156 COVID-19-related deaths reported in Saskatchewan in October, beating January 2021 for the worst month during the pandemic, despite vaccines not being widely available at that time. According to the Saskatchewan government’s dashboard on Monday, there were 128 new cases and three deaths.
  • Any public service employee who has not received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by Nov. 22 will be placed on unpaid leave for three months, B.C. health officials say. Workers who still aren’t vaccinated after that period “may be terminated,” Health Minister Adrian Dix said during a news conference Monday.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,712,128+ cases with 28,952+ deaths and 1,657,949+ recoveries. There are 25,227+ active cases.
  • Another COVID-19 vaccine could soon be on the market as Novavax has officially filed for regulatory approval of its vaccine to Health Canada. The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine is the first protein-based vaccine candidate of its kind. The vaccine was created using recombinant nanoparticulate technology from the first strain of SARS-Cov-2.
  • All travellers in Canada aged 12 and older must be fully vaccinated before boarding planes, trains or cruise ships in this country. The government also says travellers should be doubly vaccinated two weeks prior to travel. All travellers need to show proof of a negative molecular COVID-19 test upon returning to Canada. The government said there would some exceptions, like for emergencies and special accommodation for designated remote communities so residents can continue to access essential services.
  • Worldwide there have been 246,844,003+ cases, 5,002,179+ deaths and 7,069,554,600+ vaccine doses have been administered.

Oct. 29

  • Ontario reported 419 new cases today for a total of 599,259 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,865 deaths. There are 63 new cases in Toronto, 32 in Peel Region, 30 in York, 23 in Hamilton and 34 in Windsor-Essex. There are 211 in hospital. There are 130 in intensive care, 89 on a ventilator. There have been 586,356 cases resolved, up 399.
  • So far, there have been 22,476,654 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,991,730 fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,506+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,231+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 20,765 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 29,592 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,909,268. There are 12,281 test results pending.
  • There are three outbreaks in long term care homes. There are 14 resident cases, 11 staff. So far, 4,022 residents have died.
  • There are 520 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; two are closed. There are 85 new student cases reported today; seven staff.
  • Ontario will not make proof of COVID vaccination mandatory to attend school.
  • About 35.6 per cent of COVID-19 infections in Ontario over the past two weeks have been in individuals that were fully vaccinated against the disease.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 28 new cases for a total of 30,812 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 603. There are 213 active cases and there have been 29,996 cases resolved. There are six in hospital, two in ICU. There are 14 outbreaks. Ottawa Public Health says 90 per cent of residents who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines have received at least one dose. So far, 1,646,369 have received at least one dose of vaccine; 780,420 are fully vaccinated.
  • Quebec reported 511 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 424,802 infections. There has been a total of 11,491 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 250 patients with 68 people in intensive care. The province completed 29,452 tests on Oct. 27. So far, 13,440,215 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,248 cases in total, up seven. There have been 223 deaths. There are 78 active cases and 13,947 recoveries. There are four in hospital, three in intensive care. So far there have been 601,737 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • All adults in the N.W.T. are now eligible for a booster shot, says the territory’s top doctors.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,709,536+ cases with 28,928+ deaths and 1,655,282+ recoveries. There are 25,326+ active cases.
  • The National Advisory Committee on Immunization is recommending mRNA boosters to people who received two doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, adults over the age of 70, front-line health-care workers with a short interval between their first two doses, and people from First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities. The latest recommendation says the emerging evidence suggests vaccine effectiveness against asymptomatic infection and mild COVID-19 disease may decrease over time, and a booster could help restore protection.
  • The federal government is advising managers they can use their own discretion when determining whether an employee is exempt from getting the COVID-19 vaccine because of their religious beliefs, CBC reports.
  • Worldwide there have been 245,699,263+ cases, 4,984,527+ deaths and 6,947,883,074+ vaccine doses have been administered.

Oct.28

  • Ontario reported 409 new cases today for a total of 598,840 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,865 deaths, up three. There are 54 new cases in Toronto, 45 in Peel Region, 25 in York, 17 in Hamilton and 24 in Windsor-Essex. There are 197 in hospital. There are 132 in intensive care, 93 on a ventilator. There have been 585,957 cases resolved, up 366.
  • So far, there have been 22,455,484 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,977,572 fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,505+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,231+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 20,676 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 31,383 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,879,676. There are 13,410 test results pending.
  • There are three outbreaks in long term care homes. There are 12 resident cases, nine staff. So far, 4,022 residents have died.
  • There are 503 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; two are closed. There are 75 new student cases reported today; four staff.
  • Starting in mid-November, Ontario will expand its COVID-19 testing options for students and staff at the province’s 4,800 schools as well as increasing rapid testing requirements for unvaccinated staff.
  • After thousands of pandemic-related log term care deaths, Ontario’s government is introducing a bill on Thursday that would double the maximum fines levied on homes that break the law. The Providing More Care, Protecting Seniors, and Building More Beds Act, 2021, would also increase the power of long-term care home inspectors, allowing them to issue compliance orders on the spot and allow the ministry to put in place a long-term care home supervisor to run a home. Fines for or individuals go from $200,000 for first offence, $400,000 for second offence; fines for corporations go from ($500,000 for first offence, $1,000,000 for second offence) and for board members (for-profit licensees: $200,000 for first offence, $400,000 for second offence; not-for-profit licensees: $4,000).
  • The province is extending a temporary $2 to $3 an hour wage increase for more than 150,000 publicly funded personal support workers until the end of March.
  • Ontario has also lifted capacity limits for outdoor, organized events such as Remembrance Day ceremonies and Santa Claus parades. Ottawa’s parade has been cancelled.
  • Dr. Rochagne Kilian, an Ontario doctor who was barred from issuing medical exemptions for COVID-19 vaccines, has now had her licence suspended by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 28 new cases for a total of 30,784 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 603. There are 221 active cases and there have been 29,960 cases resolved. There are four in hospital, one in ICU. There are 14 outbreaks. Ottawa Public Health says 90 per cent of residents who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines have received at least one dose. So far, 1,643,806 have received at least one dose of vaccine; 778,718 are fully vaccinated.
  • Ottawa police have laid forgery charges against an unnamed city paramedic, alleging he faked his proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Meanwhile the city has extended the staff vaccination deadline to Nov. 15.
  • Quebec reported 478 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 424,291 infections. There has been a total of 11,490 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 254 patients with 67 people in intensive care. The province completed 32,889 tests on Oct. 26. So far, 13,425,692 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,241 cases in total, up nine. There have been 223 deaths. There are 76 active cases and 13,932 recoveries. There are four in hospital, three in intensive care. So far there have been 600,883 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • New Brunswick announced two more deaths due to COVID-19, 69 new cases, and 51 recoveries on Thursday.
  • Manitoba reports 116 new COVID-19 cases and four deaths on Thursday. As well, the province says that  about a third of the number of the province’s new COVID-19 cases are in kids under 12.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,706,884+ cases with 28,881+ deaths and 1,652,739+ recoveries. There are 25,264+ active cases.
  • Worldwide there have been 245,186,269+ cases, 4,975,704+ deaths and 6,902,924,036+ vaccine doses have been administered.

Oct. 27

  • Ontario reported 321 new cases today for a total of 598,431 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,862 deaths, up 10. There are 66 new cases in Toronto, 16 in Peel Region, 33 in York, 11 in Hamilton and 17 in Windsor-Essex. There are 215 in hospital. There are 134 in intensive care, 91 on a ventilator. There have been 585,591 cases resolved, up 384.
  • So far, there have been 22,435,076 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,964,047 fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,503+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,231+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 20,618 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 30,776 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,848,293. There are 13,925 test results pending.
  • There are three outbreaks in long term care homes. There are 12 resident cases, nine staff. So far, 4,022 residents have died.
  • There are 533 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; two are closed. There are 85 new student cases reported today; five staff.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 27 new cases for a total of 30,756 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 603. There are 214 active cases and there have been 29,939 cases resolved. There are four in hospital, one in ICU. There are 14 outbreaks. Ottawa Public Health says 90 per cent of residents who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines have received at least one dose. So far, 1,643,806 have received at least one dose of vaccine; 778,718 are fully vaccinated.
  • Staff members within the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board are now allowed to wear N95 masks or any other mask approved by Health Canada, instead of masks supplied by the Ontario government. Teachers had been required to wear level two medical face masks.
  • Ottawa police say a Gatineau, Que. man is facing charges following an investigation into forged COVID-19 vaccine certificates. Police say the “extensive and complex” investigation began in September and involved the street crime section, other units, and other law enforcement agencies. On Monday, a 27-year-old man was arrested.
  • Quebec reported 478 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 423,813 infections. There has been a total of 11,485 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 257 patients with 66 people in intensive care. The province completed 32,012 tests on Oct. 25. So far, 13,410,391 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,241 cases in total, up nine. There have been 223 deaths. There are 76 active cases and 13,932 recoveries. There are four in hospital, three in intensive care. So far there have been 600,023 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Quebec’s Health Department says mandatory vaccination won’t be imposed on school workers due to an improvement in the pandemic situation across the province and high rates of vaccination among staff. The department says 90 per cent of staff working in preschool, elementary and high schools are adequately vaccinated.
  • New Brunswick reported one death, 57 new cases of COVID-19 and 44 recoveries on Wednesday.
  • Three more people in Manitoba have died due to COVID-19 and the province has 130 new cases of the disease.
  • Saskatchewan Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab appeared to give his clearest indication yet that he has recommended additional COVID-19 measures to the government during a media briefing today. In an Oct. 21 letter to Health Minister Paul Merriman, 21 medical health officers working in the province called for measures including a 28-day limit on private gathering sizes. Shahab said the proposed steps outlined in the letter are “closely aligned with many recommendations” he’s made to the government. Saskatchewan reported five more COVID-19-related deaths on Wednesday, with 223 new cases. Almost 28 per cent of new cases are in children 11 or younger.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,704,374+ cases with 28,840+ deaths and 1,649,559+ recoveries. There are 25,975+ active cases.
  • Conservative leader Erin O’Toole says today that his MPs will follow the vaccine mandate for the House of Commons. But he said his party will challenge, through a point of privilege, the decision by the house internal affairs committee setting out the mandate. O’Toole said that the House of Commons should vote to set up such a mandate.
  • The Bank of Canada signalled today that it will begin raising interest rates next spring earlier than earlier indicated. The central bank also said the it expects growth to be about five per cent in 2021, lower that earlier predicted. As well the bank said it was ending its qualitative easing measure of buying large amounts of federal bonds that had been used to stimulate the economy.
  • Worldwide there have been 244,672,417+ cases, 4,967,062+ deaths and 6,877,351,132+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel has voted to recommend the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine should to be given to children aged five to 11. This paves the way for emergency authorization within a matter of weeks.

Oct. 26

  • Ontario reported 269 new cases today for a total of 598,110 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,852 deaths, up six. There are 39 new cases in Toronto, 36 in Peel Region, 13 in York, seven in Hamilton and 27 in Windsor-Essex. There are 233 in hospital. There are 138 in intensive care, 88 on a ventilator. There have been 585,207 cases resolved, up 427.
  • So far, there have been 22,413,315 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,949,674 fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,503+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,231+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 20,611 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 21,827 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,817,517. There are 14,276 test results pending.
  • There are five outbreaks in long term care homes. There are 14 resident cases, 11 staff. So far, 4,022 residents have died.
  • There are 614 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; two are closed. There are 140 new student cases reported today; 10 staff.
  • The provincial government announced Tuesday that it is spending $20 million this year to hire 193 new inspections staff and resume a proactive inspections program in Ontario’s long-term care homes that the government cancelled before the pandemic began.
  • With an eye on the next election, a new report, the Ontario Medical Association is urging the province to reduce patient wait times; expand mental health, addiction and home care services, prepare for the next pandemic, strengthen public health units and assign a team of health-care providers to every patient.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 15 new cases for a total of 30,729 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 603, up one. There are 223 active cases and there have been 29,903 cases resolved. There are five in hospital, one in ICU. There are 12 outbreaks. Ottawa Public Health says 90 per cent of residents who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines have received at least one dose. So far, 1,641,596 have received at least one dose of vaccine; 777,265 are fully vaccinated.
  • Quebec reported 340 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 423,335 infections. There has been a total of 11,477 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 259 patients with 66 people in intensive care. The province completed 20,962 tests on Oct. 24. So far, 13,399,110 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,224 cases in total, up 40. There have been 222 deaths. There are 95 active cases and 13,907 recoveries. There are six in hospital, four in intensive care. So far there have been 599,846 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • New Brunswick Public Health says there are 21 new cases and no deaths to report.
  • Nova Scotia reported a death from COVID-19 on Tuesday, the 100th for the province since the beginning of the pandemic. There are seven new cases.
  • Manitoba reported 73 new COVID-19 cases and no deaths on Tuesday.
  • Saskatchewan is reporting 10 deaths and 126 new cases today. The province also announced plans to vaccinate children from five to 11. The province has ordered 112,000 doses of paediatric vaccine from Pfizer.
  • Alberta has reported 442 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday along with 12 more deaths.
  • British Columbia has announced a plan to provide booster shots for anyone who wants one six to eight months following their second dose, or by May 2022. The program will start with those with waning protection from their first doses and those more likely to end up in hospital. Those over the age of 70 should expect to get a third dose before the end of the year, the province said. Health-care workers, long-term care residents and clinical extremely vulnerable people with immune issues are part of the first phase of boosters. Indigenous populations will also be part of the first group of booster shots with an all-community approach. Another 457 cases were recorded in British Columbia on Tuesday, along with two more deaths.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,702,587+ cases with 28,805+ deaths and 1,646,643+ recoveries. There are 27,139+ active cases.
  • Air Canada announced on Monday that it will offer self-administered COVID-19 tests for travellers flying into Canada.
  • Hundreds of federal public servants are organizing in a group called Feds for Freedom in an effort to avoid complying with the government’s new mandatory vaccination rules. They say they’re not anti-vaccine but they don’t agree with the policy because they believe it violates their rights to privacy and bodily autonomy. 
  • Jean-Yves Duclos is the new federal health minister. He, along with associate health minister, Carolyn Bennett, will have responsibility, among other things, for managing the health impacts of the rest of the pandemic.
  • Worldwide there have been 244,210,069+ cases, 4,959,112+ deaths and 6,847,355,987+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • Moderna on Tuesday said it will make up to 110 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine available to African countries, which local officials called a breakthrough on the world’s least vaccinated continent. The announcement said Moderna is prepared to deliver the first 15 million doses by the end of this year, with 35 million in the first quarter of 2022 and up to 60 million in the second quarter. It says “all doses are offered at Moderna’s lowest tiered price.”
  • A new study published in the journal Science has found “robust cellular immune memory” from B cells for at least six months after mRNA vaccination against all circulating strains of the virus — even the highly contagious delta variant.

Oct. 25

  • Ontario reported 326 new cases today for a total of 597,841 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,846 deaths. There are 39 new cases in Toronto, 33 in Peel Region, 31 in York, 15 in Hamilton and 16 in Windsor-Essex. There are 163 in hospital. There are 138 in intensive care, 94 on a ventilator. There have been 584,780 cases resolved, up 369.
  • So far, there have been 22,394,887 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,937,705 fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,500+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,231+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 20,490 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 18,397 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,795,690. There are 7,079 test results pending.
  • There are five outbreaks in long term care homes. There are 13 resident cases, 14 staff. So far, 4,022 residents have died.
  • There are 582 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; two are closed. There are 74 new student cases reported today; 13 staff.
  • Ontario lifts capacity limits today on restaurants, bars and other food and drink establishments, indoor areas of sports and recreational facilities such as gyms and where personal physical fitness trainers provide instruction, casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments, indoor meeting and event spaces.
  • The Ontario government is introducing new legislation that would require large employers to put in “right to disconnect” policies and bar non-compete clauses. The legislation would require employers with 25 or more employees to develop disconnecting-from-work policies, which could include expectations about response time for emails and encouraging employees to turn on out-of-office notifications when they are not working.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 20 new cases for a total of 30,714 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 602. There are 238 active cases and there have been 29,874 cases resolved. There are six in hospital, one in ICU. There are 11 outbreaks. Ottawa Public Health says 90 per cent of residents who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines have received at least one dose. So far, 1,641,596 have received at least one dose of vaccine; 777,265 are fully vaccinated.
  • The St-Albert Cheese Co-op has been churning out cheddar for nearly 130 years, but while the company wants to expand, it says a worker shortage is instead forcing it to cut production. CBC reports that the company, located near Casselman, Ont., is hoping to recruit between 25 and 40 people just to maintain current production levels.
  • Quebec reported 324 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 422,995 infections. There have been 405,663 recoveries. There has been a total of 11,477 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 259 patients with 69 people in intensive care. The province completed 20,676 tests on Oct. 23. So far, 13,389,589 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,184 cases in total. There have been 222 deaths. There are 146 active cases and 13,816 recoveries. There are eight in hospital, four in intensive care. So far there have been 598,069 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • New Brunswick is reporting three deaths on Monday, along with 22 new cases.
  • Nova Scotia reported 57 new cases of COVID-19 and one death over the weekend.
  • Newfoundland and Labrador has 36 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the last public advisory on Friday.
  • Manitoba is reporting two more deaths and 464 new cases over the weekend.
  • In Saskatchewan, Mark Friesen, a former People’s Party of Canada candidate and prominent critic of public health measures during the pandemic, is among the COVID-19 patients moved to ICUs in Ontario. Officials reported 170 new cases on Monday and no new deaths. A total of nine patients had been transferred to Ontario hospitals as of Monday; by Wednesday that could be 19 patients moved. Meanwhile Premier Scott Moe is boasting about falling case numbers and saying there is no reason to limit personal freedoms.
  • Alberta recorded 1,592 new cases of COVID-19 over the last three days, along with 25 deaths.
  • In British Columbia, residents in large parts of the province will be allowed to attend events such as hockey games, concerts and weddings without any limits on numbers. Capacity will be capped at 50 per cent in areas where vaccination rates are low, including parts of the Fraser, Northern and Interior health regions. Attendees at all organized events in B.C. will be required to wear face coverings and show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Twenty people have died of in British Columbia over the past three days, B.C. health officials said Monday, and 1,618 new cases of the disease have been reported.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,695,914+ cases with 28,729+ deaths and 1,638,239+ recoveries. There are 28,946+ active cases.
  • Worldwide have been 243,780,679+ cases, 4,950,943+ deaths and 6,822,314,834+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, says vaccines for American kids between the ages of five and 11 will likely be available in the first half of November.

Oct. 22

  • Ontario reported 492 new cases today for a total of 596,472 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,839 deaths, up 12. There are 64 new cases in Toronto, 59 in Peel Region, 33 in York, 23 in Hamilton and 23 in Windsor-Essex. There are 261 in hospital. There are 149 in intensive care, 94 on a ventilator. There have been 583,512 cases resolved, up 415.
  • So far, there have been 22,338,662 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,900,029 fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,498+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,230+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 20,190 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 28,906 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,724,663. There are 11,503 test results pending.
  • There are five outbreaks in long term care homes. There are 14 resident cases, 19 staff. So far, 4,022 residents have died.
  • There are 550 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; two are closed. There are 84 new student cases reported today; 10 staff.
  • On Monday, Ontario will lift capacity limits in the majority of settings where proof of vaccination is required including restaurants, indoor sports facilities and gyms, casinos, bingo halls and indoor meeting and event spaces. Places of worship, museums and personal care settings such as barbershops and salons can also do away with capacity limits if they require proof of vaccination.
  • Ontario has been at Step 3 of what the government calls its “Roadmap to Reopen” since mid-July. Ontario also announced plans to lift all remaining public health measures including proof of vaccination and mask requirements indoors by March 2022. The lifting of these restrictions will depend on key public health indicators including whether new COVID-19 variants arise, how many people are in hospital and ICU with the illness and if the province once again sees a rapid increase in transmission of the disease.
  • On Nov. 15 capacity limits on night clubs, wedding receptions in spaces where dancing is involved, strip clubs, bathhouses and sex clubs will be lifted.
  • On Jan. 17, 2022, depending on indicators after the holidays, capacity limits in places where proof of vaccination is not required will lift. And proof of vaccine requirements may also be end for restaurants, bars and sports facilities.
  • Proof of vaccine requirements in high-risk settings including night clubs, strip clubs, bathhouses and sex clubs will lift Feb. 7. 
  • Finally, on March 28, Ontario plans to lift mask mandate in indoor public spaces, as well as remove proof-of-vaccine requirements for all remaining settings.
  • Capacity limits and public health measures could be re-introduced at local levels to manage COVID-19 as needed.
  • Senator Josée Forest-Niesing, of Sudbury, is in hospital after testing positive for COVID-19. She was fully vaccinated earlier this year.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 42 new cases for a total of 30,632 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 602. There are 239 active cases and there have been 29,762 cases resolved. There are 10 in hospital, two in ICU. There are 12 outbreaks. Ottawa Public Health says 90 per cent of residents who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines have received at least one dose. So far, 1,638,545 have received at least one dose of vaccine; 775,200 are fully vaccinated.
  • The Ottawa Police Service has implemented a new COVID-19 vaccination policy for all officers and civilians, with unvaccinated officers required to undergo testing every three days while continuing to work. All officers and civilians must disclose their vaccination status or provide written proof of a medical exemption.
  • Quebec reported 434 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 421,791 infections. There have been 405,663 recoveries. There has been a total of 11,466 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 260 patients with 68 people in intensive care. The province completed 28,997 tests on Oct.20. So far, 13,358,006 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,184 cases in total, up four. There have been 222 deaths. There are 146 active cases and 13,816 recoveries. There are eight in hospital, four in intensive care. So far there have been 598,069 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Five more New Brunswickers have lost their lives to COVID-19, Health Minister Dorothy Shephard announced Friday. There are 40 new cases and 67 recoveries. Vaccination rates among public sector employees have increased by six per cent since mandatory vaccination was announced on Oct. 5, but  7,000 still remain unvaccinated.
  • Manitoba is reporting 130 new cases and no additional deaths.
  • Saskatchewan says it plans to increase the number of COVID-19 patients it’s transferring to Ontario starting early next week. It’s anticipated that two to four patients will be transferred each day for several days. 
  • In Canada, there have been 1,693,152+ cases with 28,667+ deaths and 1,635,268+ recoveries. There are 29,217+ active cases.
  • Two weeks after the Thanksgiving holiday, the seven-day average for new cases in Canada is continuing to fall from September’s peak. It now sits at 2,818 cases per day, a 35 per cent drop since Sept. 21. The number of active cases nationwide dipped below 30,000 for the first time since Aug. 27. By comparison, there were close to 50,000 active cases at the height of the fourth wave.
  • Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough told CBC it’s likely that people who lose their jobs for not complying with employer COVID-19 vaccine policies will not be eligible for employment insurance (EI).
  • Canada has lifted a blanket advisory against all non-essential travel outside the country which had been in place since the pandemic was declared in March 2020.
  • The National Advisory Committee on Immunization now says that those who have had an adverse reaction to a first dose of COVID mRNA vaccine can safely get a second shot with proper supervision. NACI also says that administering a second shot eight weeks after the first maintains vaccination efficacy and is there optimal period between injections.
  • Worldwide have been 242,671,833+ cases, 4,932,999+ deaths and 6,757,909,975+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • A study released by Pfizer shows that its mRNA vaccine dose for children aged five to 11 is about 90 per cent effective at preventing symptomatic infections.

Oct. 21

  • Ontario reported 413 new cases today for a total of 596,280 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,827 deaths, up four. There are 66 new cases in Toronto, 54 in Peel Region, 29 in York, 12 in Hamilton and 21 in Windsor-Essex. There are 274 in hospital. There are 161 in intensive care, 107 on a ventilator. There have been 583,097 cases resolved, up 488.
  • So far, there have been 22,312,892 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,883,221 fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,495+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,230+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 20,075 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 31,889 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,695,757. There are 12,387 test results pending.
  • There are seven outbreaks in long term care homes. There are 17 resident cases, 21 staff. So far, 4,021 residents have died.
  • There are 573 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; one is closed. There are 84 new student cases reported today; nine staff.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 20 new cases for a total of 30,555 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 602. There are 223 active cases and there have been 29,730 cases resolved. There are eight in hospital, four in ICU. There are 10 outbreaks. Ottawa Public Health says 90 per cent of residents who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines have received at least one dose. So far, 1,636,023 have received at least one dose of vaccine; 773,575 are fully vaccinated.
  • According to the latest data from the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU), areas of Cornwall have reached 72 per cent of fully vaccinated residents. This is an improvement for the community with some of the lowest vaccination levels in Ontario. 
  • Quebec reported 428 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 421,357 infections. There have been 405,126 recoveries. There has been a total of 11,458 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 274 patients with 72 people in intensive care. The province completed 32,289 tests on Oct.19. So far, 13,341,895 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,180 cases in total, up nine. There have been 222 deaths. There are 154 active cases and 13,804 recoveries. There are eight in hospital, four in intensive care. So far there have been 597,104 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • New Brunswick has recorded two more deaths, pushing the death toll to 101, Premier Blaine Higgs announced Thursday. Public Health reported 67 new cases of COVID-19.
  • Manitoba has confirmed 92 more cases of COVID-19, health officials announced Thursday. There were no new deaths from the illness reported.
  • In a strongly worded statement, the head of the Canadian Medical Association, Dr. Katherine Smart, is calling for strict measures to control Saskatchewan’s fourth wave. “It is time to stop asking nicely,” the statement reads, adding, “we call on the provincial government to reinstate strict public measures, as recommended by medical experts, to protect the people of Saskatchewan. Any further delays are simply not acceptable.” Saskatchewan is reporting 355 new cases and two more deaths today.
  • Alberta reported 770 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, along with eight more deaths.
  • British Columbia announced 715 new cases of COVID-19 and four more deaths on Thursday.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,690,258+ cases with 28,644+ deaths and 1,631,816+ recoveries. There are 29,798+ active cases.
  • Because the economy is recovering, the federal government will be moving to a new phase of pandemic response by changing the targeting of emergency benefits such as the CRB. Existing income and business supports, such as the CRB and rent and wage subsidies, will expire on Saturday. The federal government will spend about $7.4 billion until May 2022.
  • The federal government also announced the creation of a vaccine passport for for international passport. So far, the Northwest Territories, Yukon, Nunavut, Quebec, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia have signed on and will issue the passports. Each province’s system is supposed to have a “common” look and feel, with the expectation that by next month all Canadians will have access to their vaccine credentials from their province or territory, as proof of vaccination will soon be needed to board a plane or train in this country. The prime minister expects the other provinces to join in coming days. He says the government is very confident the passport will be accepted worldwide.
  • Canada has purchased 2.9 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine for children age five to 11, enough to vaccinate all kids in this cohort. The shot is currently being reviewed for approval by Health Canada.
  • Pfizer says its COVID-19 vaccine booster is showing a high degree of efficacy in protecting against infection and hospitalization.
  • Worldwide have been 242,208,608+ cases, 4,925,344+ deaths and 6,722,128,622+ vaccine doses have been administered.

Oct. 20

  • Ontario reported 304 new cases today for a total of 595,867 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,823 deaths, up four. There are 46 new cases in Toronto, 19 in Peel Region, 22 in York, 20 in Hamilton and 21 in Windsor-Essex. There are 258 in hospital. There are 159 in intensive care, 113 on a ventilator. There have been 582,609 cases resolved, up 537.
  • So far, there have been 22,290,203 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,868,680 fully vaccinated. Ontario is now aiming to have 90 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated. So far, more than 87 per cent of Ontarians 12+ have one dose and almost 83 per cent have two doses.
  • There have been 146,495+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,230+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 20,022 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 31,569 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,663,868. There are 13,668 test results pending.
  • There are six outbreaks in long term care homes. There are 19 resident cases, 21 staff. So far, 4,021 residents have died.
  • There are 592 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; one is closed. There are 85 new student cases reported today; 22 staff.
  • Ontario’s scientific advisory table is recommending the imposition of a vaccine mandate for all health care workers
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 20 new cases for a total of 30,555 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 602. There are 223 active cases and there have been 29,730 cases resolved. There are eight in hospital, four in ICU. There are 10 outbreaks. Ottawa Public Health says 90 per cent of residents who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines have received at least one dose. So far, 1,636,023 have received at least one dose of vaccine; 773,575 are fully vaccinated.
  • Quebec reported 458 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 420,929 infections. There have been 404,640 recoveries. There has been a total of 11,455 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 287 patients with 72 people in intensive care. The province completed 30,818 tests on Oct.18. So far, 13,327,274 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,180 cases in total, up nine. There have been 222 deaths. There are 154 active cases and 13,804 recoveries. There are eight in hospital, four in intensive care. So far there have been 596,238 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Five more deaths and 69 new cases have been reported in New Brunswick.
  • Manitoba says approximately 158 health-care workers have chosen unpaid leave over being tested for COVID-19. The province reported 51 cases and one death Wednesday.
  • The number of Saskatchewan residents infected with COVID-19 and placed under intensive care could more than double by the new year if no additional public health measures are brought in and if people don’t change their behaviours in the next few weeks, says the province’s chief medical health officer. Dr. Saqib Shahab broke down Wednesday during a COVID-19 media teleconference when discussing new modelling, which suggests a potential spike in COVID-19 ICU hospitalizations that would begin in early December and reach its peak in the new year. Saskatchewan today reported five more residents have died after testing positive for COVID-19 and 246 new cases of the virus have been confirmed.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,687,617+ cases with 28,603+ deaths and 1,628,017+ recoveries. There are 30,997+ active cases.
  • Federal Conservatives say they oppose the “secret” move by the House of Commons’ governing body to introduce a new mandatory vaccination policy for MPs requiring full vaccination. They also object to the idea of more virtual sittings of the chamber.
  • Statistics Canada says inflation rose 4.4 per cent on a year-over-year basis in September, the fastest pace since February 2003 and up from a 4.1 per cent gain in August. Excluding gasoline, inflation rose 3.5 per cent year over year in September.  
  • Health Canada is warning Canadians against using Ivermectin, the anti-worm medication, to treat or prevent. The department says calls to poison control centres about the drug have increased over the summer.
  • Worldwide have been 241,755,779+ cases, 4,916,684+ deaths and 6,687,049,429+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • Countries should grant entry to vaccinated travellers regardless of which shot they received to prevent discrimination and facilitate business, an official of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) says.
  • The U.S. government is preparing to vaccinate up to 28 million children five to 11 years sometime in November. The Biden administration expects approval by the Food and Drug Administration in coming days.

Oct. 19

  • Ontario reported 328 new cases today for a total of 595,563 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,819 deaths, up four. There are 52 new cases in Toronto, 60 in Peel Region, 20 in York, 17 in Hamilton and 19 in Windsor-Essex. There are 260 in hospital. There are 159 in intensive care, 101 on a ventilator. There have been 582,072 cases resolved, up 498.
  • So far, there have been 22,264,919 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,852,509 fully vaccinated. Ontario is now aiming to have 90 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated. So far, more than 87 per cent of Ontarians 12+ have one dose and almost 83 per cent have two doses.
  • There have been 146,495+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,230+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 19,976 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 20,792 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,632,299. There are 15,515 test results pending.
  • There are eight outbreaks in long term care homes. There are 22 resident cases, 23 staff. So far, 4,020 residents have died.
  • There are 614 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; one is closed. There are 157 new student cases reported today; 16 staff.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting eight new cases for a total of 30,535 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 602. There are 237 active cases and there have been 29,696 cases resolved. There are seven in hospital, four in ICU. There are nine outbreaks. Ottawa Public Health says 90 per cent of residents who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines have received at least one dose. So far, 1,633,527 have received at least one dose of vaccine; 771,996 are fully vaccinated.
  • Quebec reported 342 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 420,471 infections. There have been 404,157 recoveries. There has been a total of 11,453 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 297 patients with 75 people in intensive care. The province completed 22,197 tests on Oct.17. So far, 13,316,884 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,171 cases in total. There have been 222 deaths. There are 159 active cases and 13,790 recoveries. There are eight in hospital, four in intensive care. So far there have been 595,937 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • The federal government is sending more help to the Northwest Territories to deal with a spike in COVID-19 cases. The support — 10 specialists from the Canadian Red Cross — will be effective until Nov. 14, with the possibility of a two-week extension.
  • New Brunswick is announcing three COVID-19 related deaths on Tuesday, along 50 new cases.
  • A total of 85 direct-care staff have been placed on leave in Manitoba because they failed to comply with public health orders, including getting vaccinated against COVID-19 or submitting to routine testing. Manitoba reports 102 new COVID-19 cases and three deaths on Tuesday.
  • Premier Scott Moe admitted Tuesday his Saskatchewan Party government should have responded faster to the deadly fourth wave of COVID-19 that continues to sweep through the province. Saskatchewan reported eight more residents have died after testing positive for COVID-19 and 271 new cases of the virus.
  • Alberta is reporting 531 new cases and 12 deaths today.
  • Five people died of COVID-19 in the 24-hour period, B.C. health officials say, along with another 560 cases were confirmed in the last day.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,685,342+ cases with 28,564+ deaths and 1,624,065+ recoveries. There are 32,713+ active cases.
  • Anyone entering the House of Commons on Nov. 22 and onward, including MPs, staffers and employees, will have to be fully vaccinated or present a valid medical reason and be tested regularly. The Liberals, NDP, Bloc Quebecois and Greens say their MPs are vaccinated. The Tories are not saying if their members are vaccinated.
  • Worldwide have been 241,409,360+ cases, 4,910,191+ deaths and 6,670,764,843+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • The U.K. recorded 43,738 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, slightly down from the 49,156 reported Monday, which was the largest number since mid-July. New infections have averaged more than 44,000 a day over the past week, a 16 per cent increase on the week before.
  • Mexico City has returned to the lowest level on its COVID-19 pandemic warning system for the first time since June.
  • Daily new COVID-19 cases have plummeted from a mid-August peak of nearly 6,000 in Tokyo, with caseloads in the densely populated capital now routinely below 100, an 11-month low. The bars are packed, the trains are crowded, and the mood is celebratory, despite a general bafflement over what, exactly, is behind the sharp drop. Japan, unlike other places in Europe and Asia, has never had anything close to a lockdown, just a series of relatively toothless states of emergency. Some possible factors include a belated but rapid vaccination campaign, an emptying out of many nightlife areas as fears spread during the recent surge in cases, a widespread practice, well before the pandemic, of wearing masks and bad weather in late August that kept people home.

Oct. 18

  • Ontario reported 373 new cases today for a total of 595,235 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,815 deaths, up two. There are 62 new cases in Toronto, 71 in Peel Region, 18 in York, 26 in Hamilton and 18 in Windsor-Essex. There are 145 in hospital. There are 168 in intensive care, 97 on a ventilator. There have been 581,574 cases resolved, up 423.
  • So far, there have been 22,243,609 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,838,750 fully vaccinated. Ontario is now aiming to have 90 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated. So far, more than 87 per cent of Ontarians 12+ have one dose and almost 83 per cent have two doses.
  • There have been 146,495+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,230+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 19,880 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 20,432 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,611,507. There are 7,862 test results pending.
  • There are nine outbreaks in long term care homes. There are 24 resident cases, 25 staff. So far, 4,020 residents have died.
  • There are 638 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; two are closed. There are 77 new student cases reported today; 11 staff.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 41 new cases for a total of 30,527 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 602, up one. There are 263 active cases and there have been 29,662 cases resolved. There are seven in hospital, four in ICU. There are nine outbreaks. Ottawa Public Health said on Monday that 90 per cent of residents who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines have received at least one dose. So far, 1,633,527 have received at least one dose of vaccine. So far, 771,996 are fully vaccinated.
  • Ottawa residents younger than 20 made up about one in every five cases in September 2020, and that jumped to more than one-third of cases during the same month in 2021. Children are the only demographic to see cases rise compared to the year previous, while cases among those 60 and older have plummeted. CBC has more.
  • Quebec reported 410 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 420,129 infections. There have been 403,572 recoveries. There has been a total of 11,449 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 303 patients with 77 people in intensive care. The province completed 22,105 tests on Oct.16. So far, 13,309,325 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,115 cases in total. There have been 222 deaths. There are 206 active cases and 13,687 recoveries. There are eight in hospital, four in intensive care. So far there have been 595,819 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Nova Scotia has confirmed 72 new cases of COVID-19 from over the weekend.
  • Newfoundland and Labrador has eight new confirmed cases. 
  • New Brunswick reported 53 new cases of COVID-19, along with one death.
  • Manitoba is reporting it has confirmed 339 new cases of the virus since this past Thursday, along with five deaths.
  • Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says it has asked the federal government for help in the province’s over-burdened ICUs. Hospitals in the province are currently providing care for 335 patients with COVID-19: 250 are receiving inpatient care and 85 are in ICUs.  The province is also sending six patients to Ontario for ICU treatment. According to the Saskatchewan government’s dashboard, there were 279 new cases, and four deaths reported today.
  • Alberta reported 30 more deaths over the weekend along with 2,181 new cases. COVID-19 modelling shows Alberta may have reached a peak in the surge and if the province leaves restrictions in place and continues to increase vaccination rates, infections and hospitalizations will continue to decline.
  • The COVID-19 vaccine produced by Moderna is proving to be longer-lasting than its rival Pfizer and better suited as a booster shot for some people who are severely immunocompromised, according to B.C.’s provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,676,846+ cases with 28,468+ deaths and 1,613,576+ recoveries. There are 34,802+ active cases.
  • Pfizer has officially requested Health Canada approval for a COVID-19 shot for children five to 11.
  • The Bank of Canada’s third quarter business survey says the outlook for domestic and foreign sales remains strong. This is especially true for firms providing services. These businesses expect to benefit from an easing of some COVID‑19 restrictions and the release of pent-up demand. Firms in other sectors that have been leading the recovery anticipate increased sales at a slower pace.
  • More firms are facing labour shortages that have intensified. Supply chain disruptions are more prevalent and have worsened since last quarter. Many businesses anticipate they will persist until the second half of 2022. Businesses see these constraints affecting their sales and cost structures. A growing number of respondents plan to increase wages to attract and retain labour. Firms intend to continue passing costs on to their customers with the majority of businesses anticipating inflation above two per cent believing drivers of higher inflation are temporary.
  • Worldwide have been 240,544,370+ cases, 4,901,012+ deaths and 6,647,572,869+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • The first ever Black U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, has died of COVID-19 at age 84. He was fully vaccinated, his family said in a statement, and just about to get a booster shot when he fell ill. He was being treated for a blood cancer and Parkinson’s.

Oct. 17

  • Ontario reported 443 new cases today for a total of 594,862 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,813 deaths. There are 58 new cases in Toronto, 80 in Peel Region, 32 in York, 26 in Hamilton and 19 in Windsor-Essex. There are 155 in hospital. There are 164 in intensive care, 93 on a ventilator. There have been 581,151 cases resolved, up 484.
  • So far, there have been 22,231,210 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,830,407 fully vaccinated. Ontario is now aiming to have 90 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated. So far, more than 87 per cent of Ontarians 12+ have one dose and almost 83 per cent have two doses.
  • There have been 146,494+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,230+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 19,799 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 27,395 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,591,075. There are 9.440 test results pending.
  • There are nine outbreaks in long term care homes. There are 24 resident cases, 25 staff. So far, 4,020 residents have died.
  • There are 677 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; three are closed. There are 69 new student cases reported today; eight staff.
  • Police in Kingston, Ont., say they will be monitoring an area near Queen’s University throughout the night after an unsanctioned street party during homecoming celebrations drew thousands Saturday afternoon.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 35 new cases for a total of 30,486 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 601. There are 258 active cases and there have been 29,627 cases resolved. There are five in hospital, four in ICU. There are nine outbreaks. So far, 1,629,879 have received at least one dose of vaccine. So far, 769,536 are fully vaccinated.
  • Ottawa Public Health is investigating two people who tested positive for COVID-19 and who attended 613Lift gym while contagious.  
  • Quebec reported 532 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today, along with four more deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 303 patients with 76 people in intensive care.
  • On Sunday, New Brunswick reported three new deaths related to COVID-19 and 58 new cases. 
  • In its daily update Sunday, Saskatchewan reported 320 cases and 645 recoveries dropping the active total to 3,967. There was a new record set for COVID patients in the province’s ICU: there are 333 in hospital, with 84 in intensive care. There were also five new deaths reported.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,676,846+ cases with 28,468+ deaths and 1,613,576+ recoveries. There are 34,802+ active cases.
  • Worldwide have been 240,544,370+ cases, 4,897,188+ deaths and 6,613,437,814+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • The city of Chicago, Illinois is in a battle with its police union over a vaccine mandate. There are opposing lawsuits from the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police and Mayor Lori Lightfoot over requirements that city workers, including police officers, get vaccinated or submit to testing at their own expense.

Oct. 15

  • Ontario reported 496 new cases today for a total of 593,933 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,809 deaths, up two. There are 74 new cases in Toronto, 60 in Peel Region, 28 in York, 24 in Hamilton and 40 in Windsor-Essex. There are 265 in hospital. There are 163 in intensive care, 102 on a ventilator. There have been 580,150 cases resolved, up 542.
  • So far, there have been 22,177,830 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,794,769 fully vaccinated. Ontario is now aiming to have 90 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated. So far, more than 87 per cent of Ontarians 12+ have one dose and almost 83 per cent have two doses.
  • There have been 146,495+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,229+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 19,591 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 35,905 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,531,054. There are 14,870 test results pending.
  • There are eight outbreaks in long term care homes. There are 23 resident cases, 23 staff. So far, 4,020 residents have died.
  • There are 696 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; four are closed. There are 69 new student cases reported today; eight staff.
  • Ontario is making COVID-19 vaccine certificate QR codes available for download beginning over the next three days, starting Friday morning with those born between January and April before expanding to more residents. Next are those born May to August on Oct. 16 and finally by those born September to December on Oct. 17.
  • Premier Doug Ford says he is reviewing the idea of a province-wide vaccine mandate for healthcare workers with hospitals and other agencies to see what the impact would be of such a move. The province is making vaccination mandatory for workers in long term care homes.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 45 new cases for a total of 30,427 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 601. There are 276 active cases and there have been 29,505 cases resolved. There are seven in hospital, five in ICU. There are 10 outbreaks. So far, 1,629,879 have received at least one dose of vaccine. So far, 769,536 are fully vaccinated.
  • Forty-seven employees at Ottawa’s Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario have been placed on unpaid leave, and could be fired in two weeks, for failing to comply with its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy.
  • Quebec reported 676 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 418,508 infections. There have been 401,830 recoveries. There has been a total of 11,437 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 301 patients with 79 people in intensive care. The province completed 35,990 tests on Oct.13. So far, 13,273,992 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,088 cases, up 25. There have been 222 deaths. There are 203 active cases and 13,663 recoveries. There are eight in hospital, three in intensive care. So far there have been 593,981 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • In New Brunswick, all members of the legislative assembly will have to provide proof they are fully vaccinated, or have a medical exemption, by Oct, 29, to enter the Legislature. Two more COVID-related deaths and 133 new cases of COVID-19 were announced Thursday in the province.
  • Nova Scotia reported 18 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the active caseload to 199.
  • Public servants in Newfoundland and Labrador will have until Dec. 17 to be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the provincial government. The province reported four new cases today.
  • Manitoba has 92 new cases of COVID-19 and four more people have died from the disease.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,670,234+ cases with 28,367+ deaths and 1,605,876+ recoveries. There are 35,991+ active cases.
  • Fully vaccinated Canadians hoping to drive into the U.S. will be able to do so on Nov. 8 with a negative COVID-19 test.
  • The Public Health Agency of Canada is warning of the potential for a severe influenza season as officials call for people to get their flu shot.
  • The national average home price was $686,650 in September 2021, up 13.9 per cent from the same month last year. The national average price is heavily influenced by sales in Greater Vancouver and the GTA, two of Canada’s most active and expensive housing markets. Excluding these two markets from the calculation in September 2021 cuts over $146,000 from the national average price.
  • Worldwide have been 239,461,735+ cases, 4,878,818+ deaths and 6,572,165,328+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • British health officials said Friday that 43,000 people may have been wrongly told they don’t have the coronavirus because of problems at a private laboratory. The U.K. Health Security Agency said the Immensa Health Clinic Ltd. lab in the central England city of Wolverhampton has been suspended from processing swabs after the false negatives.

Oct. 14

  • Ontario reported 417 new cases today for a total of 593,437 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,807 deaths, up three. There are 69 new cases in Toronto, 43 in Peel Region, 18 in York, 30 in Hamilton and 23 in Windsor-Essex. There are 254 in hospital. There are 158 in intensive care, 101 on a ventilator. There have been 579,608 cases resolved, up 528.
  • So far, there have been 22,148,068 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,775,345 fully vaccinated. Ontario is now aiming to have 90 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated. So far, more than 87 per cent of Ontarians 12+ have one dose and more than 82 per cent have two doses.
  • There have been 146,494+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,229+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 19,518 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 35,421 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,495,149. There are 18,914 test results pending.
  • There are 10 outbreaks in long term care homes. There are 25 resident cases, 25 staff. So far, 4,019 residents have died.
  • There are 696 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; four are closed. There are 117 new student cases reported today; five staff.
  • Ontario’s vaccine verification app for businesses, Verify Ontario, appears to be ready for download ahead of schedule, rolling out on the Google and Apple app stores Thursday afternoon.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 23 new cases for a total of 30,382 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 601. There are 276 active cases and there have been 29,505 cases resolved. There are eight in hospital, five in ICU. There are nine outbreaks. So far, 1,624,990 have received at least one dose of vaccine. So far, 765,871 are fully vaccinated.
  • The Ottawa Senators open the NHL season tonight with Brady Tkachuk on the payroll. The star winger has signed a seven-year, $57.5-million (US) contract.
  • The large outbreaks at École élémentaire catholique Marius-Barbeau and St. Benedict School have ended. There are now large outbreaks in Casselman, where 35 people at the Résidence St-François retirement home are infected and Madawaska Valley Township, where 12 individuals that reside in the Township have tested positive with multiple high-risk contacts also been identified by the Renfrew County health unit.
  • Quebec reported 644 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 417,832 infections. There have been 401,287 recoveries. There has been a total of 11,431 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 298 patients with 76 people in intensive care. The province completed 32,869 tests on Oct.12. So far, 13,259,483 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,088 cases, up 25. There have been 222 deaths. There are 203 active cases and 13,663 recoveries. There are eight in hospital, three in intensive care. So far there have been 592,898 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • As of Nov. 1., Quebec’s bars and restaurants will be able to operate at full capacity.
  • Quebec is ready to pay the proposed increases to daycare workers, both unionized and non-unionized, immediately. The province is offering a 12 per cent increase over three years for qualified educators only. Other child-care workers would receive less. This comes as daycare workers are on strike. The increase can be as much as 17 per cent for those who agree to increase their work week to 40 hours. Currently, the work week ranges from 32 to 36 hours.
  • New Brunswick recorded two more COVID-related deaths Thursday and 133 new cases of COVID-19, the provincial dashboard shows.
  • Manitoba public health officials say there are 107 new COVID-19 cases and two deaths on Thursday.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,670,234+ cases with 28,367+ deaths and 1,605,876+ recoveries. There are 35,991+ active cases.
  • GM Canada has announced that all employees, as well as contractors, vendors and visitors who enter its facilities, will have to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 12. 
  • Worldwide have been 239,461,735+ cases, 4,878,818+ deaths and 6,572,165,328+ vaccine doses have been administered.

Oct. 13

  • Ontario reported 306 new cases today for a total of 593,020 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,804 deaths, up 12. There are 68 new cases in Toronto, 18 in Peel Region, 29 in York, 12 in Hamilton and 32 in Windsor-Essex. There are 242 in hospital. There are 153 in intensive care, 102 on a ventilator. There have been 579,080 cases resolved, up 527.
  • So far, there have been 22,119,312 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,756,935 fully vaccinated. Ontario is now aiming to have 90 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated. So far, 87.1 per cent of Ontarians 12+ have one dose and 82.5 per cent have two doses, according to a tweet from Health Minister Christine Elliott.
  • There have been 146,492+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,229+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 19,448 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 23,219 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,459,728. There are 16,051 test results pending.
  • There are nine outbreaks in long term care homes. There are 29 resident cases, 20 staff. So far, 4,019 residents have died.
  • There are 704 schools with a reported case of COVID-19; five are closed. There are 249 student cases reported today; 19 staff.
  • Premier Doug Ford’s government is expected to ease pandemic measures including ending capacity limits in all locations where proof-of-vaccination requirements are in place, such as restaurants, bars and gyms. The move is expected to happen late next week. Pressurehas been building after the province lifted limits on sports arenas where NHL hockey games and NBA basketball games are played.
  • Cornwall’s hospital is scaling back non-urgent surgeries as the city sees a surge in COVID-19 infections mostly among the unvaccinated.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 24 new cases for a total of 30,359 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 601, up three. There are 283 active cases and there have been 29,475 cases resolved. There are seven in hospital, four in ICU. There are 11 outbreaks. So far, 1,624,990 have received at least one dose of vaccine. So far, 765,871 are fully vaccinated.
  • CHEO has been deluged with young patients as viruses kept at bay by pandemic measures re-emerge in the community. July and August each saw more than 6,000 visits to CHEO’s emergency department, setting new monthly records, CBC reports. In September, nearly 6,700 patients arrived at the ER, a figure more in line with the peak virus season, which normally lasts from November until March or April.
  • Quebec reported 512 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 417,188 infections. There have been 400,777 recoveries. There has been a total of 11,429 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 298 patients with 75 people in intensive care. The province completed 26,148 tests on Oct.11. So far, 13,245,909 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,063 cases, up 26. There have been 222 deaths. There are 199 active cases and 13,642 recoveries. There are nine in hospital, three in intensive care. So far there have been 591,979 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Quebec has reversed course and extended the deadline for some 14,000 unvaccinated health-care workers to get their shots. In the meantime, workers in the public system who aren’t vaccinated and have direct contact with patients will have to be tested for COVID-19 three times per week before their shifts, beginning on Monday. The measure could be extended to the private network. All new health-care workers will have to be fully vaccinated. Caregivers and visitors must show their vaccine passport when entering a health-care facility. The policy does not apply to patients. 
  • A survey conducted by CROP for Éduc’alcool last month on the alcohol consumption of Quebecers during the COVID-19 pandemic indicates for the first time that a trend reversal is taking place: more Quebecers reduced their consumption than increased it, but more people exceeded the recommended limits of alcohol intake.
  • Health officials in Nova Scotia reported 24 new cases of COVID-19 today.
  • Another five people have died in New Brunswick, as the province recorded 82 new cases.
  • There are 79 new COVID-19 cases in Manitoba.
  • The Saskatchewan government is in talks with Ontario about the potential transfer of intensive-care patients, according to the head of Saskatchewan’s COVID-19 emergency response. The province is announcing another record breaking day of COVID-related deaths with 11 reported today. Also announced was 327 new confirmed cases. 
  • Alberta has reported an additional 38 people have died from COVID-19. The province has also reported 652 new cases.
  • B.C. health officials announced 605 new cases of COVID-19 and four more deaths on Wednesday.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,657,575+ cases with 28,289+ deaths and 1,601,860+ recoveries. There are 37,426+ active cases.
  • The puck will drop on a new NHL season tonight for most of Canada’s teams. Fans attending the games in Toronto and Edmonton in person will be subject to restrictions designed to slow the spread of COVID-19. The Ottawa Senators open their season at home Thursday night against the Leafs without star winger Brady Tkachuk.
  • Worldwide have been 238,853,205+ cases, 4,868,661+ deaths and 6,527,790,525+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • Britain’s failure to impose a lockdown in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic cost thousands of unnecessary deaths and ranks among the country’s worst public health blunders, the nation’s first comprehensive report on the pandemic has concluded.
  • The United States land and sea border will reopen to non-essential travel in November after a record long closure due to concerns over COVID-19. The White House confirmed Tuesday night that fully vaccinated visitors from Canada and Mexico will be welcomed at land border crossings next month; however, officials would not specify what vaccines would be accepted or if mixed doses will meet eligibility tests.
  • Led by soaring energy prices, the United States has also reported an inflation rate of 5.4 per cent the highest in 13 years.

Oct. 12

  • Ontario reported 390 new cases today (458 Sunday) for a total of 592,714 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,790 deaths, up four. There are 66 new cases in Toronto, 62 in Peel Region, 65 in York, 21 in Hamilton and 21 in Windsor-Essex. There are 155 in hospital. There are 149 in intensive care, 104 on a ventilator. There have been 577,490 cases resolved, up 539.
  • So far, there have been 22,089,455 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,738,052 fully vaccinated. Ontario is now aiming to have 90 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,487+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,229+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 19,291 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 29,755 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,397,444. There are 8,610 test results pending.
  • There are 12 outbreaks in long term care homes. There are 29 resident cases, 21 staff. So far, 4,018 residents have died.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 19 new cases for a total of 30,335 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 598. There are 289 active cases and there have been 29,448 cases resolved. There are six in hospital, three in ICU. There are 11 outbreaks. So far, 1,623,187 have received at least one dose of vaccine. So far, 764,819 are fully vaccinated.
  • Quebec reported 409 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today for a total of 416,676 infections. There have been 400,347 recoveries. There has been a total of 11,422 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 291 patients with 72 people in intensive care. The province completed 19,840 tests on Oct.10. So far, 13,234,834 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 14,037 cases, up 111 over the long weekend. There have been 195 deaths. There are 198 active cases and 13,620 recoveries. There are three in intensive care. So far there have been 591,801 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Nova Scotia reported 99 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend.
  • Newfoundland and Labrador has seen 21 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 over the long weekend.
  • New Brunswick has 109 new cases of COVID-19 and 63 people in hospital with the virus, 27 of them in intensive care.
  • Manitoba reported 349 new COVID-19 cases and 7 deaths on Tuesday, the first update in four days because of the Thanksgiving long weekend.
  • Saskatchewan added two deaths on Tuesday, along with 271 new cases. Hospitals in the province are currently providing care for 348 patients with COVID-19: 268 are receiving inpatient care and 80 are in ICUs.
  • Among the 33 new deaths reported over the Thanksgiving weekend in Alberta was a 14-year old who had “complex, pre-existing medical conditions.” The province also reported 3,358 new cases.
  • B.C. health officials reported 2,090 new cases over a four-day period, as well as 28 additional deaths. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says parents can now register their children, ages five to 11, to receive Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, once it is approved by Health Canada.
  • The chief public health officer for the Northwest Territories has declared a workplace COVID-19 outbreak at the legislature building in Yellowknife. A statement on the territory’s website says there are six confirmed and two probable COVID-19 infections in people who were at the legislature building between Monday and Friday last week. There are 456 active COVID-19 cases in the Northwest Territories, 282 of which are in Yellowknife.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,655,377+ cases with 28,186+ deaths and 1,585,972+ recoveries. There are 41,219+ active cases.
  • The Federal Court of Canada has told Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin that the military grievance process is the appropriate avenue to address his claim that political interference led to his removal as head of the vaccine rollout.
  • Worldwide have been 238,421,217+ cases, 4,860,593+ deaths and 6,506,722,004+ vaccine doses have been administered.

Oct. 11

  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 27 new cases for a total of 30,316 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 598. There are 321 active cases and there have been 29,397 cases resolved. There are four in hospital, two in ICU. There are 11 outbreaks. So far, 1,617,737 have received at least one dose of vaccine. So far, 761,505 are fully vaccinated.
  • Ontario is not updating its COVID-19 statistics today. The province reported 535 new cases Sunday for a total of 591,866 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,790 deaths.
  • Quebec is reporting 480 new COVID-19 cases and five more deaths related to the virus. In a news release Monday, health officials said hospitalizations fell by six to 290, while the number of patients in intensive care dropped by two to 78.
  • Meanwhile, Quebec’s nurses’ order will suspend licences for its members who are not adequately vaccinated against COVID-19 starting Friday. 
  • Toronto Raptor centre Khem Birch will make his pre-season debut Monday night as the Raptors host the Houston Rockets in the fourth of five pre-season games. Birch and his family were infected with COVID-19 and he was forced to quarantine. Birch said he lost his sense of smell and was fatigued after his diagnosis; his wife lost both smell and taste but their daughter was asymptomatic.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,655,377+ cases with 28,186+ deaths and 1,585,972+ recoveries. There are 41,219+ active cases.
  • Worldwide have been 238,011,720+ cases, 4,854,752+ deaths and 6,485,686,802+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • The United States will now accept international travellers immunized with COVID-19 vaccines approved by the World Health Organization and the Food and Drug Administration.
  • Coronavirus infections among schoolchildren in the U.K. have pushed daily caseloads to stubbornly high levels, a setback that underscores how Britain now trails many of its European neighbors on vaccination after staking out an early lead. The U.K. has recorded 34,574 more COVID-19 cases and 38 deaths in the latest 24-hour period, government figures show.
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin said he has a cold and he isn’t suffering from COVID-19, after he was heard repeatedly coughing at a televised meeting with officials. Russia is in the midst of a strong fourth wave.

Oct. 10

  • Ontario reported 535 new cases today for a total of 591,866 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,792 deaths. There are 98 new cases in Toronto, 45 in Peel Region, 63 in York, 39 in Hamilton and 35 in Windsor-Essex. There are 156 in hospital. There are 153 in intensive care, 100 on a ventilator. There have been 578,553 cases resolved, up 512.
  • So far, there have been 22,071,730 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,726,674 fully vaccinated. Ontario is now aiming to have 90 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,487+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,229+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 19,418 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 18,280 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,436,509. There are 9,163 test results pending.
  • There are 12 outbreaks in long term care homes. There are 32 resident cases, 21 staff. So far, 4,018 residents have died.
  • Families can gather indoors today in Ontario to mark Thanksgiving as long as pandemic safety precautions are observed.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 58 new cases for a total of 30,289 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 598. There are 348 active cases and there have been 29,343 cases resolved. There are four in hospital, one in ICU. There are 11 outbreaks. So far, 1,617,737 have received at least one dose of vaccine. So far, 761,505 are fully vaccinated.
  • While food banks are being overwhelmed by an upswing in demand caused by rising food prices and the pandemic, many Ottawa shelters and community organizations that usually offer free meals for Thanksgiving have cancelled. For example, CBC reports, the Ottawa Mission can’t safely host its usual Thanksgiving dinner — which usually feeds anywhere from 2,500 to 3,000 people — for the second consecutive year, so instead it will offer 6,000 takeout dinners.
  • The Ottawa 67’s will be able to officially fill the 8,000-seat arena at TD Place for its OHL season home opener this afternoon — even though it’s expecting less than half that number.
  • Quebec reported 612 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, with 430 of those not fully vaccinated. The province also added three new deaths. There were 296 in hospital; 80 in ICU. The province says 90 per cent (6,724,596 total) of the population has received at least one dose of vaccine, and 85 per cent (6,388,063 total) has received both doses.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 13,926 cases. There have been 222 deaths. There are 200 active cases and 13,504 recoveries. There are three in intensive care. So far there have been 589,776 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • A Montreal-based lawyer is planning to file a legal challenge to suspend Quebec’s sweeping COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all of its health-care workers just days before the new directive takes effect. Meanwhile Quebec’s Health Minister, Christian Dube, says “important measures to reorganize services” will be announced this week for those who are not double-vaxxed by Oct. 15.
  • The Quebec Institute of Public Health (INSPQ) is recommending the COVID-19 Mu variant and its sublineage be included on the SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest list. “Due to the international health situation, the recent increase in the number of cases of the lineage B.1.621 (Mu) in Quebec and its classification as a variant of interest (VoI) by several agencies… the INSPQ recommends that variant B.1.621 (Mu) and its sublineage be included in the list of SARS-CoV-2 in Quebec,” a report from the INSPQ reads. The Public Health Agency of Canada already lists Mu as a variant of interest, but not as a variant of concern (VoC). Mu cases have been detected in B.C. and Ontario and the first case in Quebec Mu was identified on May 18. The INSPQ confirmed 156 cases as of Sept. 16.
  • The Northwest Territories is grappling with an explosion of COVID-19 cases, as residents gather with family and loved ones for Thanksgiving. N.W.T is seeing an average of 43.1 new cases per day based on the last seven days. That works out to 960 new cases per million residents – an infection rate that is higher than any other jurisdiction in Canada. It’s also higher than every U.S. state other than Alaska.
  • New Brunswick Public Health reported 73 new cases of COVID-19 Sunday. There are also two more deaths related to the virus, bringing the province’s total to 74.
  • Saskatchewan reported 507 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday and broke a previous record for most people in intensive care with the illness. On Saturday there were 79 patients in the ICU. One more death was reported. 
  • In Canada, there have been 1,655,377+ cases with 28,186+ deaths and 1,585,972+ recoveries. There are 41,219+ active cases.
  • Worldwide have been 237,685,526+ cases, 4,849,727+ deaths and 6,454,911,783+ vaccine doses have been administered.

Oct. 8

  • Ontario reported 573 new cases reported today for a total of 590,677 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,786 deaths, up 10. There are 104 new cases in Toronto, 80 in Peel Region, 41 in York, 15 in Hamilton and 35 in Windsor-Essex. There are 271 in hospital. There are 154 in intensive care, 97 on a ventilator. There have been 576,374 cases resolved, up 621.
  • So far, there have been 22,004,768 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,684,356 fully vaccinated. Ontario is now aiming to have 90 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,485+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,229+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 19,080 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 37,118 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,336,566. There are 13,993 test results pending.
  • There are 14 outbreaks in long term care homes. There are 31 resident cases, 24 staff. So far, 4,017 residents have died.
  • The NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators and the NBA’s Toronto Raptors will be able to play in front of full arenas of fans when their seasons start later this month, Ontario Sports Minister Lisa MacLeod announced Friday. indoor capacity limits will be lifted in the arenas beginning Saturday at 12:01 a.m. Proof of vaccination will be required to attend. Concert venues, theatres and cinemas are among the other facilities that will see capacity lifted.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 38 new cases for a total of 30,183 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 598. There are 330 active cases and there have been 29,255 cases resolved. There are seven in hospital, three in ICU. There are 19 outbreaks. So far, 1,617,737 have received at least one dose of vaccine. So far, 761,505 are fully vaccinated.
  • Quebec reported 643 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 for a total of 414,573 infections. There have been 398,033 recoveries. There has been a total of 11,410 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 302 patients with 86 people in intensive care. The province completed 32,393 tests on Oct. 6. So far, 13,190,577 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 13,901 cases, up 41. There have been 222 deaths. There are 198 active cases and 13,481 recoveries. There are three in intensive care. So far there have been 589,776 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Quebec health authorities are lifting capacity restrictions on venues with assigned seating starting Oct. 8 but say it’s too soon to permit larger indoor private gatherings. Anyone attending events at those venues will need to show proof of vaccination and wear a mask. The new rules apply to cinemas, theatres, conferences and graduation ceremonies, and they will also permit Montreal’s Bell Centre to be at full capacity for the Canadiens’ first NHL home game in October. Officials say it remains too early to declare victory in the fight against COVID-19 or to lift the 10-person indoor gathering limit inside private homes in advance of Thanksgiving.
  • Nova Scotia is reporting 25 new cases of COVID-19. Newfoundland and Labrador has eight new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and one death.
  • New Brunswick recorded two more COVID-related deaths and 130 new cases Friday.
  • There are 130 new COVID-19 cases in Manitoba on Friday and two more people have died from the illness.
  • Saskatchewan saw 576 new cases. The province also reported four additional COVID-19-related deaths on Friday, 
  • In Canada, there have been 1,651,236+ cases with 28,141+ deaths and 1,581,546+ recoveries. There are 41,549+ active cases.
  • New modelling presented by PHAC on Friday suggests that if current transmission levels are maintained, the number of new daily cases could decline in the coming weeks. Progress hasn’t been even across Canada, officials say, but overall, numbers give “reason for optimism” said Dr. Theresa Tam, chief public health officer of Canada.
  • Statistics Canada reported today that Canadian employment returned to its February 2020 level in September, increasing by 157,000 jobs, up 0.8 per cent. The employment rate was 6.9 per cent, 0.9 percentage points lower than in February 2020. The labour force participation rate was 65.5 per cent in September, matching the rate observed in February 2020.
  • Worldwide have been 236,917,231+ cases, 4,837,361+ deaths and 6,418,381,132+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • The U.S reported a lower than expected jobs report today with American payrolls rising by just 194,000 in September, compared with the Dow Jones estimate of 500,000, the Labor Department reported Friday. The unemployment rate fell to 4.8 per cent, better than the expectation for 5.1 per cent, and the lowest since February 2020.

Oct. 7

  • Ontario reported 587 new cases reported today for a total of 590,104 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,776 deaths, up five. There are 84 new cases in Toronto, 39 in Peel Region, 44 in York, 33 in Hamilton and 44 in Windsor-Essex. There are 279 in hospital. There are 149 in intensive care, 102 on a ventilator. There have been 575,753 cases resolved, up 586.
  • So far, there have been 21,974,193 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,665,079 fully vaccinated. Ontario is now aiming to have 90 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,485+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,229+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 18,979 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 37,057 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,299,448. There are 16,548 test results pending.
  • There are 13 outbreaks in long term care homes. There are 37 resident cases, 25 staff. So far, 4,015 residents have died.
  • Documents obtained by CBC show that nursing home workers were calling Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development to blow the whistle on unsafe working conditions in the first wave of COVID-19 and little was done.
  • Ontario’s top public health official, Dr. Kieran Moore, says celebrating Thanksgiving indoors and unmasked with a fully vaccinated group is “absolutely appropriate.” He also said the celebrating out of doors is safer especially when vaccination status is uncertain. Ontario’s gathering limits are 100 outdoors and 25 indoors. Moore says if there is a combination of vaccinated and unvaccinated people in the group, attendees may consider keeping masks on indoors, particularly for older people or those with chronic medical conditions.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 29 new cases for a total of 30,145 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 598. There are 339 active cases and there have been 29,208 cases resolved. There are seven in hospital, four in ICU. There are 18 outbreaks. So far, 1,614,421 have received at least one dose of vaccine. So far, 759,546 are fully vaccinated.
  • Ottawa’s medical officer of health expects Halloween to return this year with some precautions. Dr. Vera Etches said trick-or-treating can be done safely since it is outdoors, but certain precautions must be taken to protect children who are not yet vaccinated. She recommends outdoor gatherings only, while keeping them as small as possible, while trick-or-treating one family at a time and wearing a mask. 
  • Quebec reported 624 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 for a total of 413,930 infections. There have been 397,404 recoveries. There has been a total of 11,405 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 297 patients with 88 people in intensive care. The province completed 33,936 tests on Oct. 5. So far, 13,172,330 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 13,860 cases, up 12. There have been 221 deaths. There are 180 active cases and 13,459 recoveries. There are nine in hospital and three in intensive care. So far there have been 588,399 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Quebec Premier François Legault and Health Minister Christian Dubé are defending their decision to impose mandatory vaccinations for health-care workers. Dubé says no vaccination exemptions would be given, even to those citing religious reasons. About 2,500 health-care workers were not fully vaccinated and could face suspension without pay after the government’s Oct. 15 deadline.
  • Nova Scotia is reporting 30 new cases of COVID-19.
  • Newfoundland is reporting seven new cases as the province’s vaccine passport is about to come into effect on Friday.
  • New Brunswick recorded 116 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, as the province’s two regional health authorities suspended all hospital visits.
  • Manitoba reports 132 new COVID-19 cases and another death on Thursday.
  • Sounding like his embattled fellow Tory premier in Alberta, Jason Kenney, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is not bringing in new pandemic restrictions despite rising cases and hospitalizations because the province doesn’t want to punish the vaccinated. Saskatchewan reported a total of 650 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, including more than 200 that had not been entered into the province’s database last month.
  • There are 54 schools in Alberta classified with outbreak designations. Meanwhile, there are 702 schools with an alert status. This news comes as the province releases new modelling suggesting that the brutal fourth wave of infection may have peaked. Experts say if the province leaves restrictions in place and continues to increase vaccination rates, infections and hospitalizations will continue to decline. Meanwhile, the City of Calgary will require all employees to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of by Nov. 1.
  • Alberta reported 1,254 new cases and 13 deaths Thursday.
  • Small- and medium-sized businesses that choose to implement Alberta’s restriction exemption program will be eligible for a one-time grant of $2,000, Premier Jason Kenney announced during a news conference Thursday afternoon. As well, the government is providing assistance for training and is doubling fines, from $2,000 to $4,000, for individuals who mistreat public facing workers trying to enforce the program.
  • B.C. records 624 new cases of COVID-19 and 4 more death. Meanwhile the BC COVID Modelling Group, which consists of experts in epidemiology and mathematics, says cases among children too young to be vaccinated rose steeply in the three regions of the province. Until children under 12 are immunized, “changes to the rate at which they contact others matter disproportionately to COVID-19 spread,” the group said in a report published Thursday. If the Pfizer vaccine is approved for children aged 5 to 11, the professors say it will not only benefit kids, but also have an indirect benefit for adults, including parents, teachers and school support staff.
  • The latest two weeks’ of data showed that B.C. communities where 90 per cent of eligible people are vaccinated have 3.3 times fewer cases than communities with a 70-per-cent immunization rate.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,647,153+ cases with 28,112+ deaths and 1,577,405+ recoveries. There are 41,636+ active cases.
  • U.S. drugmaker Moderna is asking Health Canada to authorize a booster shot of its COVID-19 vaccine. The company submitted data on a booster shot that is half the size of the doses used to give first and second shots of the vaccine so far.
  • Worldwide have been 236,635,576+ cases, 4,831,361+ deaths and 6,383,333,830+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • Pfizer has now formally asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use of its vaccine ion children aged five to 11. The company is expected to make the same request to Health Canada by mid-October.

Oct. 6

  • Ontario reported 476 new cases reported today for a total of 589,517 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,771 deaths, up 14. There are 84 new cases in Toronto, 39 in Peel Region, 44 in York, 33 in Hamilton and 44 in Windsor-Essex. There are 280 in hospital. There are 156 in intensive care, 103 on a ventilator. There have been 575,167 cases resolved, up 617.
  • So far, there have been 21,948,953 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,649,353 fully vaccinated. Ontario is now aiming to have 90 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,479+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,229+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 18,941 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 39,460 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,262,391. There are 16,552 test results pending.
  • There are 14 outbreaks in long term care homes. There are 40 resident cases, 27 staff. So far, 4,014 residents have died.
  • Ontario remains in Stage 3 of reopening. This means activities such as indoor dining can resume, gyms can open for the first time in months, along with nightclubs, museums, galleries, cinemas and sports facilities for fans. 
  • Ontario is providing $279 million to add 4,000 frontline staff, such as nurses, to long term care homes. This will increase the daily average of care to three hours a day. The government says it will add $1.82 billion a year starting in 2023.
  • Ontario MPP Rick Nicholls is out as deputy speaker at legislature after his refusal to get a COVID-19 vaccination. Nicholls was recently booted from the Tory caucus and sits as an independent. He will not run in the next provincial election slated for June 2022.
  • The Toronto Raptors are two weeks away from being fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 25 new cases for a total of 30,116 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 598, up two. There are 360 active cases and there have been 29,158 cases resolved. There are nine in hospital, three in ICU. There are 16 outbreaks. So far, 1,614,421 have received at least one dose of vaccine. So far, 759,546 are fully vaccinated.
  • Four union locals representing municipal employees have filed grievances over the City of Ottawa’s mandatory vaccination policy. Employees are required to provide their COVID-19 immunization status and be fully vaccinated by Nov. 1. Three locals represent transit and transportation workers: Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) 279, ATU 1760 and Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 5500. And CUPE 503, which represents municipal employees including health-care workers, trades people and librarians, also filed a grievance.
  • Quebec reported 506 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 for a total of 413,306 infections. There have been 396,867 recoveries. There has been a total of 11,400 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 294 patients with 90 people in intensive care. The province completed 32,541 tests on Oct. 4. So far, 13,157,800 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 13,848 cases, up 27. There have been 221 deaths. There are 192 active cases and 13,435 recoveries. There are eight in hospital and three in intensive care. So far there have been 587,199 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Police responded to a rowdy party at an Airbnb in western Quebec on the weekend that was in violation of public health regulations, but the gathering was so big they say they couldn’t break it up. Nine busloads of people descended onto a newly built rental cottage in the quiet city of La Pêche along the Gatineau River. 
  • Health officials in Nova Scotia are reporting the province’s 98th death related to COVID-19 on Wednesday, along with 25 new cases.
  • Newfoundland and Labrador has five new confirmed cases of COVID-19.
  • New Brunswick Public Health reported 71 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday and one death. A high number of COVID-19 transmissions in some areas of New Brunswick has prompted public health to implement “a circuit breaker” for 14 days beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 8. Information about the circuit breaker rules, including a detailed list and map of affected communities, is available online.
  • Manitoba reports 95 new COVID-19 cases and another death on Wednesday. The province is providing COVID-19 booster shots to thousands of health-care workers and anyone who received full courses of the AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
  • The Government of Saskatchewan won’t limit the number of people who gather in homes in order to slow down the spread of COVID-19, following a request to do so from the city of Saskatoon. The province reported 478 new COVID-19 cases and seven more deaths on Wednesday with a record 356 in hospital and 76 patients in ICU. 
  • In Canada, there have been 1,643,420+ cases with 28,050+ deaths and 1,573,010+ recoveries. There are 42,360+ active cases.
  • As expected the Liberal government has announced a vaccine mandate for all federal workers, including the RCMP and military, and for any person wishing to travel by air, rail or marine vessel. Federal workers must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 29 or face leave without pay. Disciplinary action is expected to begin Nov. 15. The policy also applies to those who work from home and outside of the country. Public servants’ vaccination declaration will be tracked and audited by individual departments, and managers can ask for proof of vaccination at any time. Employees who provide false documents will face punishment, including firings. People who have had only one dose will be given 10 weeks to get their next one before they are put on unpaid leave. They won’t be allowed back at work until they are either vaccinated or the policy is no longer in effect.
  • Regarding travel, there will be a period during which people who are in the process of getting vaccinated can show a negative COVID-19 test, but by the end of November, testing will no longer be an option before boarding.
  • For bureaucrats and travellers, there will only be a few exceptions, like a valid medical condition. 
  • The government is almost done with its vaccine passport for international travel, and will cover the costs for provinces that roll out proof-of-vaccination programs.
  • The government is also working on legislation to make it a criminal offence to threaten or harass health-care workers.
  • The president of the Canadian Medical Association, Dr. Katherine Smart, says provinces such as Alberta are “gaslighting” health-care workers over the toll the COVID-19 crisis is taking on the health-care system. She says health-care workers in the country feel their governments are not listening to them as they try to manage the pandemic and feel there’s no end in sight. She says people are tired of health-care being the “political hot potato” between the federal and provincial governments.
  • The CMA joined with the Canadian Nurses Association in an emergency summit. Together, they called on governments to address staffing shortages across Canada and provide “immediate relief” to those working in COVID-19 hot zones.
  • Worldwide have been 236,044,100+ cases, 4,820,945+ deaths and 6,362,799,259+ vaccine doses have been administered.

Oct. 5

  • Ontario reported 429 new cases reported today for a total of 589,041 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,757 deaths, up three. There are 108 new cases in Toronto, 55 in Peel Region, 29 in York, 23 in Hamilton and 15 in Windsor-Essex. There are 277 in hospital. There are 155 in intensive care, 101 on a ventilator. There have been 574,550 cases resolved, up 696.
  • So far, there have been 21,890,185 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,612,380 fully vaccinated. Ontario is now aiming to have 90 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,477+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,229+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 18,897 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 25,441 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,222,931. There are 17,885 test results pending.
  • There are 17 outbreaks in long term care homes. There are 48 resident cases, 37 staff. So far, 4,014 residents have died.
  • Ontario remains in Stage 3 of reopening. This means activities such as indoor dining can resume, gyms can open for the first time in months, along with nightclubs, museums, galleries, cinemas and sports facilities for fans. 
  • Ontario will offer rapid COVID-19 tests to some schools and child-care settings to help ensure students can continue with in-person learning as much as possible. Tests will only be provided to unvaccinated, asymptomatic children who are not considered high-risk contacts of a positive COVID-19 cases. Children 11 and under are not yet eligible to be vaccinated against the novel coronavirus. Local public health units will have discretion in requesting the tests based on factors such as the level of virus transmission and the vaccination rate in the community and the history of COVID-19 in a particular school or child-care facility. Participation is optional and tests will be conducted at home. Children who test negative can continue with in-person classes. Those who test positive will need to undergo lab-based, PCR testing and isolate until the results of a more accurate test is known.
  • Quebec reported 436 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 for a total of  412,800 infections. There have been 396,380 recoveries. There has been a total of 11,397 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 291 patients with 90 people in intensive care. The province completed 21,703 tests on Oct. 3. So far, 13,147,201 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 13,821 cases, up 75 over the weekend. There have been 221 deaths. There are 188 active cases and 13,412 recoveries. There are nine in hospital and three in intensive care. So far there have been 587,109 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,640,606+ cases with 28,001+ deaths and 1,568,285+ recoveries. There are 44,320+ active cases.
  • COVID-19 variants of concern (VOCs), particularly the Delta variant, cause more severe illness than the native strain of the virus, increasing the risk of hospitalization, admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and death, according to a large Canadian study released Tuesday.
  • Worldwide, there have been 235,526,472+ cases, 4,811,527+ deaths and 6,337,686,126+ vaccine doses have been administered.

Oct. 4

  • Ontario reported 511 new cases reported today for a total of 588,612 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,754 deaths, up two. There are 138 new cases in Toronto, 39 in Peel Region, 21 in York, 25 in Hamilton and 31 in Windsor-Essex. There are 146 in hospital. There are 159 in intensive care, 104 on a ventilator. There have been 573,854 cases resolved, up 488.
  • So far, there have been 21,704,159 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,493,722 fully vaccinated. Ontario is now aiming to have 90 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,477+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,229+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 18,864 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 23,667 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,197,490. There are 9,314 test results pending.
  • There are 19 outbreaks in long term care homes, two in Ottawa, the Peter D. Clark Centre and Residence Saint-Louis. There are 47 resident cases, 35 staff. So far, 4,014 residents have died.
  • Ontario remains in Stage 3 of reopening. This means activities such as indoor dining can resume, gyms can open for the first time in months, along with nightclubs, museums, galleries, cinemas and sports facilities for fans. 
  • The Doug Ford government is stressing avoiding future lockdowns as a key part of the provincial recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in a speech from the throne Monday that sets an agenda for the next eight months ahead of a provincial election. Thanks to Ontario’s high vaccination rates — more than 86 per cent of eligible residents have received at least one dose — the province is entering a “new phase” of the pandemic, and while cases may rise as people head indoors it won’t be cause for panic, the speech said. The province’s economic recovery will be fuelled by growth, not spending cuts or tax hikes. In particular, the speech mentioned building roads, highways and transit.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 31 new cases for a total of 30,048 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 596. There are 405 active cases and there have been 29,047 cases resolved. There are 17 in hospital, 10 in ICU. There are 16 outbreaks. So far, 1,606,633 have received at least one dose of vaccine. So far, 754,481 are fully vaccinated.
  • Quebec reported 402 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 for a total of 412,364 infections. There have been 395,709 recoveries. There has been a total of 11,389 deaths. Hospitalizations stand at 290 patients with 88 people in intensive care. The province completed 22,140 tests on Oct. 2. So far, 13,139,254 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 13,821 cases, up 75 over the weekend. There have been 221 deaths. There are 188 active cases and 13,412 recoveries. There are nine in hospital and three in intensive care. So far there have been 586,977 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Nova Scotia is reporting 86 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend, while Newfoundland and Labrador has 15 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. 
  • COVID-19 has claimed the lives of two more New Brunswickers, and 75 more people have become infected with the virus.
  • Manitoba reports 324 new cases of COVID-19 and two more people have died over the last three days. New public health orders that come into effect Tuesday reduce capacity limits on gatherings that include people who are eligible to receive the vaccine but have not yet been fully vaccinated. Indoor private gatherings will be restricted to two households and outdoor gatherings on private property will be capped at 10 people if any unvaccinated person who is eligible for the shot is in attendance. Indoor public spaces are limited to 25 people or 25 per cent capacity, whichever is lower, if someone who chooses to remain unvaccinated is present. Indoor faith-based gatherings that don’t require proof of vaccination will be reduced to 25 people or 33 per cent capacity, whichever is greater.
  • Saskatchewan reported 445 new COVID-19 cases on Monday with five additional deaths related to the virus. The province also reported Monday that 325 people were being treated in hospital.  
  • The Canadian Armed Forces is preparing to send up to eight critical care nurses and the Canadian Red Cross is sending up to 20 medical professionals, some with ICU experience, to Alberta. The province reports 4,037 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday over the past three days. The province also reported 21 new COVID-19 deaths.
  • B.C. reports 1,986 new COVID-19 cases over three days, along with 10 deaths.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,629,142+ cases with 27,921+ deaths and 1,556,530+ recoveries. There are 44,691+ active cases.
  • Worldwide, there have been 235,013,212+ cases, 4,803,624+ deaths and 6,311,721,570+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • Six months after receiving the second dose of the two-shot vaccine from Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE, many recipients no longer have vaccine-induced antibodies that can immediately neutralize worrisome variants of the coronavirus, a small new study suggests. This may necessitate a booster.

Oct. 3

  • Ontario reported 580 new cases reported today for a total of 588,101 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,752 deaths. There are 138 new cases in Toronto, 39 in Peel Region, 21 in York, 25 in Hamilton and 31 in Windsor-Essex. There are 144 in hospital. There are 163 in intensive care, 107 on a ventilator. There have been 573,366 cases resolved, up 616.
  • So far, there have been 21,704,159 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,493,722 fully vaccinated. Ontario is now aiming to have 90 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,475+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,230+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 18,815 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 32,220 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,173,823. There are 10,888 test results pending.
  • There are 18 outbreaks in long term care homes, two in Ottawa, the Peter D. Clark Centre and Residence Saint-Louis. There are 35 resident cases, 33 staff. So far, 4,014 residents have died.
  • Ontario remains in Stage 3 of reopening. This means activities such as indoor dining can resume, gyms can open for the first time in months, along with nightclubs, museums, galleries, cinemas and sports facilities for fans. 
  • An advocacy group representing strippers will argue in Ontario court this week that provincial pandemic measures affecting strip clubs have targeted the workers and violated their charter rights.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 64 new cases for a total of 30,017 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 596. There are 413 active cases and there have been 29,008 cases resolved. There are 18 in hospital, 10 in ICU. There are 14 outbreaks. So far, 1,606,633 have received at least one dose of vaccine. So far, 754,481 are fully vaccinated.
  • Quebec reported 499 more people have tested positive for COVID-19, along with one more death. There are 88 people in intensive care.
  • New Brunswick is announcing two more deaths related to COVID-19 on Sunday, along with 93 cases.
  • Saskatchewan reported 354 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday with three additional deaths related to the virus.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,629,142+ cases with 27,921+ deaths and 1,556,530+ recoveries. There are 44,691+ active cases.
  • Canada could see a rise in so-called “breakthrough” infections among fully vaccinated people by Christmas time, prompting the need for a booster shot for the broader public, says the president of Moderna.
  • Meanwhile Pfizer has submitted preliminary data from a vaccine trial on children aged five to 11 to Health Canada for review and approval.
  • Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins has received his COVID-19 vaccine and will be eligible to play in all games. Wiggins faced the possibility of not being allowed into Golden State’s home building at Chase Center for games starting Oct. 13. The NBA had said it “reviewed and denied” Wiggins’s request for a religious exemption and that he would not be able to play in Warriors home games until he fulfilled the vaccine mandate. 
  • Worldwide, there have been 234,788,562+ cases, 4,799,881+ deaths and 6,290,955,791+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • The United States has surpassed 700,000 deaths with the total now at 700,982+. The case count stands at 43,669,745+.

Oct. 1

  • Ontario reported 668 new cases reported today (647 Wednesday) for a total of 586,817 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,743 deaths, up 20 over two days. There are 138 new cases in Toronto, 39 in Peel Region, 21 in York, 25 in Hamilton and 31 in Windsor-Essex. There are 278 in hospital. There are 163 in intensive care, 117 on a ventilator. There have been 572,105 cases resolved, up 635.
  • So far, there have been 21,704,159 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,493,722 fully vaccinated. Ontario is now aiming to have 90 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,471+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,230+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 18,622 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 35,927 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,112,093. There are 14,067 test results pending.
  • There are 19 outbreaks in long term care homes, two in Ottawa, the Peter D. Clark Centre and Residence Saint-Louis. There are 53 resident cases, 43 staff. So far, 4,012 residents have died.
  • Ontario remains in Stage 3 of reopening. This means activities such as indoor dining can resume, gyms can open for the first time in months, along with nightclubs, museums, galleries, cinemas and sports facilities for fans. 
  • Ontario is making COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for long-term care workers. Ontario has seen a recent rise in outbreaks at long-term care facilities. The workers need to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 15. About 86 per cent of staff are fully vaccinated.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 61 new cases for a total of 29,891 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 596. There are 391 active cases and there have been 28,904 cases resolved. There are 19 in hospital, 10 in ICU. There are 18 outbreaks. So far, 1,606,633 have received at least one dose of vaccine. So far, 754,481 are fully vaccinated.
  • Ottawa’s English-language Catholic school board has released its own mandatory COVID-19 vaccination and testing policy, and staff who fail to abide by it could be fired. The OCSB says 93.5 per cent of its 6,117 workers are fully vaccinated. Of the remaining workers, seven have received medical exemptions and 391 have either not submitted attestations, aren’t fully vaccinated or may be on some kind of leave, the board said.
  • Ottawa Public Health (OPH) said it closed École élémentaire catholique Marius-Barbeau in the Heron Gate area south of downtown out of an abundance of caution. According to Ottawa Public Health’s dashboard, 12 schools are experiencing outbreaks. Just five of the 70 cases linked to these outbreaks are staff. Barrhaven’s St. Benedict Catholic Elementary School was the first this school year to be closed by an outbreak, one of the largest school outbreaks of the pandemic.
  • Quebec reported 643 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 for a total of 410,823 infections. There have been 393,595 recoveries. There has been a total of 11,377 deaths, up six. Hospitalizations stand at 310 patients with 84 people in intensive care. The province completed 35,307 tests on Sept. 29. So far, So far, 13,099,811 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 13,716 cases, up 19. There have been 220 deaths. There are 167 active cases and 13,329 recoveries. There are nine in hospital and five in intensive care. So far there have been 583,848 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Nova Scotia is reporting 77 new cases over two days.
  • Newfoundland has announced two new deaths on Friday along with 41 new cases over the past two days.
  • Manitoba reported 193 new cases over the past two days. The province is moving to limit the size of gatherings where unvaccinated people are present.
  • Saskatchewan’s vaccine passport comes into effect today. The province has seen 470 new cases and five more deaths.
  • Alberta reports 1,630 new cases of COVID-19 and 14 new deaths today.
  • British Columbia is making masks mandatory for all students and staff in schools across the province.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,620,137+ cases with 27,819+ deaths and 1,547,960+ recoveries. There are 44,358+ active cases.
  • The federal government has no supply of Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot Janssen COVID-19 vaccine to share with the provinces, Health Minister Patty Hajdu said today. Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia have requested tens of thousands of doses of the vaccine as a way of increasing vaccine uptake. Health Canada has approved the viral vector vaccine but says it is not as effective as its mRNA vaccine equivalents from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
  • Statistics Canada says real gross domestic product edged down 0.1 per cent in July following a 0.6 per cent increase in June. Total economic activity in July was approximately two per cent below the pre-pandemic level of February 2020. Preliminary data indicates August saw a 0.7 per cent increase.
  • Worldwide, there have been 233,833,601+ cases, 4,784,678+ deaths and 6,249,457,224+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • The European Union’s drug regulator on Friday identified a possible link between rare cases of blood clotting in deep veins with Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine and recommended the condition be listed as a side-effect of the shot.
  • The U.S. Supreme Court says Justice Brett Kavanaugh has tested positive for COVID-19.
  • Merck & Co. said Friday that its experimental COVID-19 pill reduced hospitalizations and deaths by half in people recently infected with the coronavirus and that it would soon ask health officials in the U.S., Canada and around the world to authorize its use. If cleared, Merck’s drug would be the first pill shown to treat COVID-19, a potentially major advance in efforts to fight the pandemic. All COVID-19 therapies now authorized in the U.S. require an IV or injection.

Sept. 30

  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 55 new cases for a total of 29,830 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 596, up one. There are 387 active cases and there have been 28,847 cases resolved. There are 17 in hospital, 10 in ICU. There are 19 outbreaks. So far, 1,602,331 have received at least one dose of vaccine. So far, 751,671 are fully vaccinated.
  • Quebec reported 655 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 for a total of 410,180 infections. There have been 392,915 recoveries. There has been a total of 11,371 deaths, up two. Hospitalizations stand at 311 patients with 91 people in intensive care. The province completed 33,551 tests on Sept. 28. So far, So far, 13,080,192 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 13,697 cases, up 16. There have been 220 deaths. There are 161 active cases and 13,316 recoveries. There are nine in hospital and six in intensive care. So far there have been 583,848 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Quebec’s political parties are clashing over whether the COVID-19 vaccine passport should be used in the National Assembly. The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) and the Liberal Party (PLQ) want to impose it in parliament, but the Parti Québécois (PQ) and Québec Solidaire (QS) disagree.
  • Quebec facilities with assigned seating will be able to operate at full capacity as of Oct. 8. The new rules apply to cinemas, theatres, conferences and graduation ceremonies, as well as Montreal’s Bell Centre in time for the Habs first home game next month.
  • Ontario is not updating its COVID-19 numbers today because of the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.  
  • The Ontario government has sued a couple and two adult children, alleging they illegally issued and banked cheques under the Support for Families program, which aimed to offset the cost of children learning at home during the pandemic. The province is alleging embezzlement of $11 million. In addition, Sanjay Madan, who is a former provincial bureaucrat is accused of taking millions more in kickbacks in an alleged fraud worth more than $30 million.
  • A Kingston, Ont., sports pub, J.A.K.K. Tuesdays, can no longer serve alcohol as Ontario’s alcohol licensing agency, the AGCO, has removed its licence for breaking pandemic rules. The pub publicly shared on Facebook that it wouldn’t enforce the province’s proof-of-vaccine rules.
  • Public Health says there are a record 99 new cases of COVID-19, along with two more deaths in New Brunswick. 
  • Saskatchewan hit a devastating marker Thursday when the province recorded 601 new COVID-19 cases. The province also reported 10 deaths. Meanwhile Nadine Wilson, a Saskatchewan Party MLA, has resigned from the governing caucus “as a result of misrepresenting her vaccination status.” The remaining 47 MLAs in the caucus are fully vaccinated.
  • Nationally, the average COVID-19 death rate per 100,000 people for the last seven days was 0.7, according to online aggregate data from Monday. Alberta’s rate was 2.3, while Saskatchewan’s was 2.6. Over the last 14 days, the national average of COVID-19 deaths was 1.2, with 4.1 for Alberta and 4.0 for Saskatchewan.
  • Some family physicians in Alberta say they are dealing with an increasing number of aggressive, misinformed and untrusting patients who want a note exempting them from getting a COVID-19 vaccine. The Canadian Press has more.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,620,137+ cases with 27,819+ deaths and 1,547,960+ recoveries. There are 44,358+ active cases.
  • Worldwide, there have been 233,434,862+ cases, 4,777,581+ deaths and 6,220,064,129+ vaccine doses have been administered.

Sept. 29

  • Ontario reported 495 new cases reported today for a total of 585,502 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,723 deaths, up eight. There are 138 new cases in Toronto, 39 in Peel Region, 21 in York, 25 in Hamilton and 31 in Windsor-Essex. There are 292 in hospital. There are 172 in intensive care, 123 on a ventilator. There have been 570,790 cases resolved, up 760.
  • So far, there have been 21,704,159 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,493,722 fully vaccinated. Ontario is now aiming to have 90 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,465+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,503+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,228+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 18,569 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 36,404 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,037,378. There are 19,128 test results pending.
  • There are 17 outbreaks in long term care homes, two in Ottawa, the Peter D. Clark Centre and Residence Saint-Louis. There are 54 resident cases, 39 staff. So far, 4,011 residents have died.
  • Ontario remains in Stage 3 of reopening. This means activities such as indoor dining can resume, gyms can open for the first time in months, along with nightclubs, museums, galleries, cinemas and sports facilities for fans. 
  • An increase in cases of myocarditis and pericarditis, a rare heart condition in young adults who have received the COVID-19 Moderna vaccines has prompted Ontario to recommend the Pfizer-BioNTech shots for those aged 18 to 24 “out of an abundance of caution.”
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 41 new cases for a total of 29,775 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 595. There are 381 active cases and there have been 28,799 cases resolved. There are 17 in hospital, 10 in ICU. There are 21 outbreaks. So far, 1,598,505 have received at least one dose of vaccine. So far, 749,373 are fully vaccinated.
  • For the second year in a row, public health officials are urging Ottawa residents to take COVID-19 precautions during the Thanksgiving long weekend and limit large gatherings.
  • Quebec reported 594 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 for a total of 409,525 infections. There have been 392,267 recoveries. There has been a total of 11,369 deaths, up seven. Hospitalizations stand at 306 patients with 91 people in intensive care. The province completed 32,794  tests on Sept. 27. So far, So far, 13,063,398 vaccine doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 13,681 cases, up 21. There have been 220 deaths. There are 161 active cases and 13,292 recoveries. There are eight in hospital and five in intensive care. So far there have been 582,616 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • New Brunswick will offer a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose to seniors in long-term care homes and other communal settings who have already received two doses of a vaccine. The province reported 84 new cases and one death.
  • Nova Scotia reports 41 new cases. Newfoundland, which reported 16 new cases, is leaving the Atlantic bubble and PEI will now test all people arriving on the island. as the province reports
  • Manitoba confirmed 114 new cases Wednesday. 
  • Saskatchewan is reporting 394 new cases and three more deaths.
  • Alberta reported 1,682 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, along with 34 deaths.
  • The British Columbia Centre for Disease Control reported 813 new cases and 11 more deaths on Wednesday.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,615,859+ cases with 27,754+ deaths and 1,543,328+ recoveries. There are 44,777+ active cases.
  • The country’s largest mental health teaching hospital, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, is formally pushing for countrywide drug decriminalization.
  • A report released Wednesday shows that more than 60 per cent of Canadian businesses say that widespread labour shortages are limiting their growth. The report, produced by the Business Development Bank of Canada, combines the findings of two surveys one that polled 1,251 Canadian entrepreneurs in May 2021 and a survey of 3,000 Canadian employees conducted in June 2021. Its findings suggest 49 per cent of business owners have had to delay or have been unable to deliver orders to clients due to a lack of labour.
  • The Canadian Medical Association is urgently calling on the provincial and federal governments to work together in Alberta and Saskatchewan to: increase vaccination rates through mandatory vaccination in health care settings; institute effective public health measures such as ‘firebreakers’ or ‘circuit breakers’ to aggressively control COVID-19 cases; increase the mobility of health workers between provinces and support the safe transportation of patients to other jurisdictions who have ICU capacity. 
  • Worldwide, there have been 232,872,867+ cases, 4,767,576+ deaths and 6,168,975,972+ vaccine doses have been administered.

Sept. 28

  • Ontario reported 466 new cases reported today for a total of 585,007 cases. The province has seen a total of 9,715 deaths, up 11. There are 138 new cases in Toronto, 39 in Peel Region, 21 in York, 25 in Hamilton and 31 in Windsor-Essex. There are 315 in hospital. There are 180 in intensive care, 127 on a ventilator. There have been 570,030 cases resolved, up 819.
  • So far, there have been 21,704,159 vaccinations delivered in Ontario. There are 10,493,722 fully vaccinated. Ontario is now aiming to have 90 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated.
  • There have been 146,461+ cases of infection by the Alpha (B1117) variant, 1,502+ by the Beta (B1351) variant, 5,229+ by the Gamma (P1) variant and 18,508 cases of the Delta (B1617) variant.
  • Ontario completed 23,785 tests in the past 24 hours for a total of 18,000,974. There are 19,835 test results pending.
  • There are 17 outbreaks in long term care homes, two in Ottawa, the Peter D. Clark Centre and Residence Saint-Louis. There are 52 resident cases, 37 staff. So far, 4,011 residents have died.
  • Ontario remains in Stage 3 of reopening. This means activities such as indoor dining can resume, gyms can open for the first time in months, along with nightclubs, museums, galleries, cinemas and sports facilities for fans. 
  • Tonight 30,000 fans will be seated in the stadium when the Toronto Blue Jays play the New York Yankess with a playoff berth on the line. The larger crowd size is a recent decision by the province for stadium sports. Sporting events, meeting and event spaces, concerts, theatres, cinemas are now able to operate at 50 per cent capacity or up to 10,000 people.
  • Ontario’s science advisory table says, in its latest projections, that the fourth wave has been effectively flattened thanks to public health measures, and that the test positivity rate in Ontario appears to be declining. “New cases, hospitalizations and ICU occupancy are not increasing,” it wrote in a report released today.
  • The science table, as usual, outlined different scenarios for the coming months. It says in a status quo scenario, in which there are no changes in behaviour or policy, cases would begin to increase in October and would surpass 1,500 new cases a day by November. If transmission is reduced by 25 per cent or more, cases would track steadily downwards, though they are not projected to hit zero in the next two months even in that best-case scenario.
  • The science table projects ICU occupancy to range from 200 beds to more than 300 beds by the end of October. At the peak of the third wave, close to 900 ICU beds were being used by COVID-19 patients.It also points out that children under the age of 11, who have yet to be vaccinated, account for an increasing number of cases — and says young people will likely take up an increasing portion of ICU beds. 
  • The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario says that Dr. Patrick Phillips — who is based in the rural community of Englehart, about 45 kilometres south of Kirkland Lake — is “incompetent” and that he has engaged in “disgraceful, dishonourable” conduct, including deliberately spreading misinformation about the pandemic. He has been has barred a family doctor from providing exemptions for COVID-19 vaccines and face masks and faces a disciplinary hearing.
  • Ottawa Public Health is reporting 16 new cases for a total of 29,734 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The death total is 595. There are 412 active cases and there have been 28,727 cases resolved. There are 17 in hospital, 10 in ICU. There are 23 outbreaks. So far, 1,598,505 have received at least one dose of vaccine. So far, 749,373 are fully vaccinated.
  • Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties announced 90 per cent of its eligible population is fully vaccinated, saying it’s the first health unit in the province to do so.
  • Cornwall is seeing an increase in cases, outpacing other parts of the region and most of the province, according to Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, medical officer of health for the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU). In parts of Cornwall, 74.9 per cent of eligible residents have at least one dose and 67.3 per cent have two. The seven-day average test positivity rate in those areas is between seven and 7.6 per cent, where Ottawa Public Health is reporting 2.3 per cent in the capital, which is closer to the provincial average.
  • Quebec reported 469 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 for a total of 408,931 infections. There have been 391,583 recoveries. There has been a total of 11,362 deaths, up six. Hospitalizations stand at 321 patients with 94 people in intensive care. The province completed 22,068 tests on Sept. 26. So far, So far, 13,051,466 doses have been administered.
  • In the Outaouais, there have been 13,660 cases, up 96. There have been 220 deaths. There are 175 active cases and 13,265 recoveries. There are 11 in hospital and five in intensive care. So far there have been 582,377 vaccine doses administered in the region.
  • Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé is announcing that seniors living in residences will be offered a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. It is possible a third dose could soon be offered to more Quebecers. About 250,000 seniors are eligible for a third dose. Right now there are 140 active COVID-19 cases in Quebec seniors’ homes.
  • Quebec says there are 17,642 unvaccinated health-care workers. They will be suspended Oct. 15. Nearly half of those unvaccinated employees are front-line workers in direct contact with patients.
  • New Brunswick is announcing two more deaths and 68 new cases.
  • Nova Scotia reports one new death and 32 new cases on Tuesday.
  • Newfoundland and Labrador has 14 new confirmed cases and PEI is reporting two new cases.
  • There are 42 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Manitoba on Tuesday. Two more deaths from the illness were also reported.
  • There are 449 new cases, 10 more deaths and 311 in hospital in Saskatchewan.
  • Alberta is reporting 1,246 new cases and 18 deaths as the province prepares to protect hospitals from protesters. 
  • British Columbia is moving forward with booster shots for vulnerable populations inn care homes and assisted living residences. The province is also expressing concern about a growing number of cases in school aged children. As of this week, around 30 people out of 100,000 aged nine to 11 in B.C. are getting COVID and 22 out of 100,000 aged five to eight are getting the virus. The next highest group are 18 to 39-year-olds at a rate of 15 out of every 100,000. The Vancouver School Board is extending its mask mandate to apply to all students from kindergarten to Grade 12. It’s the first school board in the province to go beyond the provincial guidelines for masking in schools for grades 4-12.
  • Another 652 cases were reported in British Columbia on Tuesday, along with two more deaths.
  • In Canada, there have been 1,612,368+ cases with 27,699+ deaths and 1,538,244+ recoveries. There are 46,425+ active cases.
  • The National Advisory Committee on Immunization is recommending booster shots for residents of long term care homes
  • By Tuesday morning, 80.14 per cent of the eligible Canadian population over the age of 12 had been fully vaccinated and 86.75 per cent had received one dose.
  • Worldwide, there have been 232,428,536+ cases, 4,758,529+ deaths and 6,143,891,362+ vaccine doses have been administered.
  • Russia has reported its highest one day COVID-19 death toll on Tuesday with 852 coronavirus-related deaths recorded in the past 24 hours, according to the country’s coronavirus response center. The country is in he midst of a surge with only with 47 million Russians having received a first dose of a vaccine. There are 110 million adults in Russia. It has registered 7,464,708 cases across the country, while the total number of coronavirus-related deaths stands at 205,531, according to official figures. The actual is believed to be much higher.

The path of the pandemic from July 30 to Sept. 28

More Stories