The latest news on COVID-19 in Canada

The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada (all times Eastern):

6:15 p.m.

British Columbia has reached past a new milestone for COVID-19 infections in province.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says 1,130 cases have been detected over the last two days bringing the total number of infected to 20,368 since the pandemic started.

Four more people have died for a total death toll of 288.

There are now 41 active outbreaks in health facilities, including a new outbreak at Nanaimo Regional Hospital.

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6 p.m.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says indoor group sports and fitness classes in major centres will have to stop for a two-week period to try to slow a soaring rate of COVID-19 cases in the province.

Kenney says amateur singing, dancing and theatre groups will also have to take a break when enhanced pandemic measures begin Friday.

The restrictions apply to Edmonton, Calgary, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, Fort McMurray and Red Deer.

The United Conservative government is also making bars, lounges and pubs stop serving alcohol by 10 p.m. and close at 11 p.m. in areas of the province under enhanced watches.

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4 p.m.

Public health officials say Ontario could see as many as 6,500 new cases of COVID-19 daily by mid-December unless steps are taken to limit the spread of the virus.

The new modelling released today shows the province will reach 2,500 new daily cases by that time if the growth rate is at three per cent, or 6,500 if growth is at five per cent.

Dr. Adalsteinn Brown, one of the experts behind the projections, says a five per cent growth rate is in line with the current situation, or even “slightly optimistic.”

Ontario has regularly been breaking records in its daily tallies, including today when it recorded 1,575 new cases of the virus.

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3:55 p.m.

Yukon is confirming a new case of COVID-19 in Whitehorse, bringing the total number of cases in the territory to 24 since the start of the pandemic.

Deputy chief medical officer of health Dr. Catherine Elliott says an investigation into the latest case is underway and public health officials have reached most of the person’s contacts.

The territory is also asking people who were at two locations in Whitehorse and who have symptoms to get tested for the illness.

The locations are Save-On-Foods before 1 p.m. on Nov. 6 and A&W restaurant between 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 8.

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3 p.m.

Saskatchewan is reporting 111 new cases of COVID-19.

Health officials say 49 people are in hospital, one more than on Wednesday. 

Officials say there are 13 people in intensive care, up from 11. 

There are more than 1,400 cases active cases provincewide. 

The Saskatchewan Health Authority has restricted visitor access to long-term care homes in Regina except for specific compassionate reasons because of the rise in cases. 

Many of the new infections in recent days are located in and around Regina and Saskatoon. 

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1:40 p.m.

Manitoba has matched its deadliest day as the province enters a second lockdown period in an effort to get surging infections under control.

Health officials say there have been nine more deaths — matching the record set the day before — and 474 new cases of COVID-19.

There are 227 people in hospital with 34 people in intensive care.

Dr. Brent Roussin, the chief public health officer, says restrictions that came into effect today are the strictest public health orders yet.

Private gatherings are limited to five people, and everyone is asked not to socialize outside their households.

Churches can’t hold in-person services and non-essential stores and restaurants are limited to curbside pickup and delivery.

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1:30 p.m.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault says he is considering temporarily closing schools to reduce COVID-19 transmission.

The premier says the province had to close 324 schools in the past two days following COVID-19 outbreaks.

He says closing schools is a last resort but his government is considering either advancing or prolonging the winter break to keep children home.

Legault says Quebec is suffering through a strong second wave of COVID-19 and that the next few weeks are going to be tough.

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1:15 p.m.

Nunavut has shut down two communities after announcing its first cases of COVID-19.

The territory’s chief public health officer says all schools and non-essential services in Rankin Inlet and Sanikiluaq are closed.

Officials say travel to and from Rankin Inlet is not recommended after a positive case was announced in the community Wednesday.

Officials also say all contacts with two positive cases in Sanikiluaq have tested negative and an additional 27 residents in the community of 880 have also tested negative.

There are currently three active cases of COVID-19 in Nunavut.

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1 p.m.

Nova Scotia’s premier says the next two weeks with be “absolutely critical” for the province as health officials deal with a small but sudden spike in COVID-19 cases.

Stephen McNeil says he’s concerned that Nova Scotians are becoming complacent about health protocols, given that the province has only 19 active cases among the 1,134 positive cases recorded since the pandemic was declared in March.

No new cases were reported today, but the premier has said he is concerned by the fact that more than a dozen cases have been reported since Nov. 3.

The province has recorded 65 deaths since April, though 1,050 people infected with the virus have recovered.

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1 p.m.

New Brunswick says a COVID-19 outbreak tied to a special care home in Moncton is over.

Health officials say it’s been 28 days since the last person connected to the outbreak at Notre-Dame Manor tested positive.

Officials say the outbreak involved a total of 44 cases, including 22 residents and six staff members.

Public health is reporting one new case of COVID-19 today in the Saint John region and a total of 13 actives cases in the province.

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11:15 a.m.

Quebec is reporting 1,365 new COVID-19 cases and 42 more deaths, including nine that occurred in the past 24 hours.

Health officials say hospitalizations increased by ten, to 583, and 86 people were in intensive care, a rise of two.

Officials say 843 more people recovered from the disease, for a total of 101,407.

The province has reported 119,894 COVID-19 infections and 6,557 deaths linked to the virus since the beginning of the pandemic.

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11 a.m.

Ontario has again reached a daily record for new COVID-19 cases.

The province is reporting 1,575 new cases in its daily update and 18 new deaths related to the virus.

Health Minister Christine Elliott says there are 472 new cases in Toronto, 448 in Peel Region, 155 in York Region and 91 in Ottawa.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2020.

The Canadian Press