The latest news on COVID 19 developments in Canada for Dec. 7 2020

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

7 p.m.

Yukon is reporting three new cases of COVID-19 in the territory, all of them in Whitehorse and linked to a previous case.

The new cases bring the total number of COVID-19 infections in Yukon to 57.

The territory has nine active cases.

There has been one death in Yukon since the pandemic began.

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6:57 p.m.

B.C.’s top doctor is extending restrictions on social interactions, events, group exercise and other activities until Jan. 8 in order to curb ongoing transmission of COVID-19 across the province.

That means there should be no visiting or hosting others outside your so-called core bubble at home over the holidays.

The announcement by Dr. Bonnie Henry came as she announced another 35 people have died after contracting the novel coronavirus, pushing the death toll in B.C. to 527.

Henry says she knows the restrictions over the holidays are difficult, but we must find ways to connect with family safely in order to save lives.

She adds that people can celebrate the encouraging news that B.C. is set to receive its first vaccine available to the most vulnerable people as early as next week.

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5:50 p.m.

Alberta is reporting 1,735 new cases of COVID-19.

The daily number is down slightly from yesterday, when it was 1,836.

The province also says another 16 residents have died from the novel coronavirus.

It says 609 people are in hospital, with 108 in intensive care.

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5:20 p.m.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says his province is nearing the finish line in its battle against COVID-19 and is ready to receive doses of Pfizer’s vaccine.

He says it has an ultra-low-temperature freezer that’s required to store the product and that Saskatchewan’s vaccine distribution plan will be revealed Tuesday.

Moe says vaccinations will happen in a staggered approach as the province receives more doses throughout 2021.

He says the plan is to start with inoculating health-care workers and vulnerable residents, like seniors living in long-term care homes.

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4:05 p.m.

The Manitoba government is offering money to help pay for the streaming of arts performances, fitness classes and other activities so that staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic might be a bit easier.

The province says $3 million in grants will be available for programming that is free for people to view at home and can be set up this winter.

One event already in the works is a pre-recorded variety show at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Company.

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3:30 p.m.

Quebec says the first doses of COVID-19 vaccine could be administered in the province as early as next week.

Health Minister Christian Dube says the province plans to give its first doses of the Pfizer vaccine to about 2,000 people in long-term care homes.

Dube says Quebec also expects to receive enough Pfizer vaccines between Dec. 21 and Jan. 4 to vaccinate between 22,000 and 28,000 people over that period.

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3:08 p.m.

Nova Scotia is reporting eight new cases of COVID-19 and now has 90 active cases.

Health officials say four of the new cases are in the Halifax area, including a case reported at Ian Forsyth Elementary School in Dartmouth.

The other three cases are close contacts of previously reported cases.

Two other cases are reported in the western zone, including one at Berwick and District School and one related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada, while the remaining two cases are in the eastern zone.

One of the eastern zone cases is travel-related while the other is under investigation.

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2:40 p.m.

Health officials in Saskatchewan are reporting another 274 new infections of COVID-19.

The province’s seven-day average for new daily cases sits at 264.

The Ministry of Health says a person in their 60s who tested positive for the virus died, bumping the provincial death toll up to 60.

There are 143 patients in hospital with COVID-19, eight more than the day before.

Of those in hospital, 26 people are receiving intensive care.

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1:45 p.m.

Manitoba is reporting 325 new COVID-19 cases and 12 additional deaths. 

Chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin says the health-care system continues to face a heavy workload and people must stay home as much as possible. 

Roussin is also urging snowbirds and other winter travellers to cancel all non-essential travel this season.

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1:30 p.m.

One of the largest school divisions in Saskatchewan is moving to remote learning as classrooms deal with a spike in COVID-19 infections.

Regina Public Schools says students will take classes from home next week, the final week before schools break for the holidays.

It says students will continue learning remotely when the break ends on Jan. 4, and the plan is to have them to return to classrooms Jan. 11. 

The division say the change impacts all of its schools and students in all grades.

Teachers, in the meantime, will continue working in schools.

The division says staffing levels are strained and it’s sending students home as a proactive measure.

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12:50 p.m.

Newfoundland and Labrador public health officials say the Pfizer vaccine will be arriving in the province next week.

Premier Andrew Furey says he expects 1,950 doses of the Pfizer vaccine to arrive in St. John’s next week, with another shipment expected later in the month.

Furey says two thermal shippers for the vaccine should arrive in the province on Wednesday or Thursday of this week.

In the meantime, Furey says the province will not be rejoining the so-called Atlantic bubble and all visitors to the province will be required to self-isolate for 14 days whether they’re from Atlantic Canada or not.

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12:30 p.m.

Halifax police have charged a gym in Bedford, N.S., for failing to comply with recently instituted COVID-19 rules.

Officers say they received a call this morning about a facility that was staffed and had customers training inside, which goes against recent measures that ordered the closure of all fitness establishments in the region.

The business, which was not named in the news release, was given a ticket for failing to adhere to the Emergency Measures Act, which carries a fine of $7,500.

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12:15 p.m.

Public Health officials in New Brunswick are reporting two new cases of COVID-19.

The cases involve one person in their 40s in the Fredericton region and a person in their 70s in the Edmundston area.

Both cases are self-isolating and under investigation.

There are currently 81 active cases in the province and there have been 536 cases since the pandemic began.

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11:50 a.m.

Up to 249-thousand doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine will arrive on Canadian soil before the end of the month.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the first doses will be delivered next week.

Health Canada is set to approve the vaccine for use in Canada any day now.

The United Kingdom became the first country to approve the vaccine last week.

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11:25 a.m.

Health officials in Prince Edward Island are reporting four new cases of COVID-19.

The new cases are a woman in her 20s, two men in their 20s and a man in his 30s.

Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Heather Morrison, says all four cases are close contacts with other cases announced over the weekend.

There are currently 14 active cases, and there have been 84 cases on the Island since the pandemic began.

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11:10 a.m.

Nunavut is reporting three new cases of COVID-19.

It says the infections are in Arviat, bringing that community’s active case total to 49.

Located along the west coast of Hudson Bay, Arviat has been the worst hit by the pandemic since the territory recorded its first case in November.

The community remains under lockdown measures.

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11:08 a.m.

Quebec is reporting 1,577 new cases of COVID-19 today and 22 additional deaths linked to the virus, three of which took place in the last 24 hours.

Health officials say provincewide hospitalizations increased by 40 for a total of 818.

Of those, 105 people are in intensive care, an increase of three compared to the day before.

Quebec has now reported 153,176 COVID-19 cases and 7,277 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

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10:45 a.m.

Ontario is reporting 1,925 new cases of COVID-19 today, and 26 deaths related to the virus.

That’s a record high for new cases of the novel coronavirus in the province, topping yesterday’s daily total by one.

Health Minister Christine Elliott says there are 601 new cases in Toronto, 512 in Peel Region, and 167 in York Region.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 7, 2020.

The Canadian Press