The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada for Monday, Feb. 15, 2021

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

6:40 p.m.

Alberta is reporting 251 new cases of COVID-19 for a total number of 5,222 active cases.

The province says 356 people are in hospital with the infection and 58 of those are receiving intensive care.

Alberta has had a total of 129,075 cases since last March and 1,782 people have died.

The province also reports 146,603 doses of vaccine had been administered as of Sunday.

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3:40 p.m.

A Quebec coroner’s inquest into long-term care deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic’s first wave is on hold after a lawyer requested a postponement or a publication ban due to the possibility of criminal charges stemming from the deaths.

A lawyer representing Herron Residence argued the inquest could prove prejudicial to the owners and management of the home in the Montreal suburb of Dorval, as the Crown hasn’t decided whether charges will be laid in the case.

Lawyers representing some families of the 47 residents who died and others acting for media organizations opposed the publication ban request, citing public interest and the right to know what happened.

Coroner Gehane Kamel, who is presiding over the inquiry into seven Quebec homes, will render a decision on the requests Tuesday.

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2:45 p.m.

Saskatchewan is reporting 143 new cases of COVID-19.

There are 183 people in hospital with the disease, including 22 in intensive care.

The province says it is providing limited data today because of the Family Day holiday.

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2:15 p.m.

Ontario’s Health Department is developing a web portal for booking COVID-19 vaccination appointments.

A spokesperson for the department says a customer service desk will be available for people who aren’t comfortable booking online.

The booking system will be part of Ontario’s vaccine rollout, which was updated Sunday to include adults over 80 years old among the demographic groups next in line for a shot.

Public health units are also developing mobile vaccination clinics, but the ministry says planning is dependent on vaccine supply.

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1:45 p.m.

Nunavut is reporting zero new cases of COVID-19 today.

The territory has reported a total of 311 cases of COVID-19, 299 of which are considered resolved.

There are 11 active reported cases.

Health officials say they have administered 6,205 vaccine doses.

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12:45 p.m.

Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting seven new cases of COVID-19.

Chief medical officer of health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says six of the new cases are in the eastern health region and the other is in the western zone.

Fitzgerald says 21 presumptive positive cases from rapid testing are yet to be confirmed.

The province says it has 298 active reported cases and one person in hospital with the disease.

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11:45 a.m.

New Brunswick is reporting its 23rd COVID-19-related death.

Health officials said today a resident in their 80s of the Manoir Belle Vue long-term care facility in Edmundston has died as a result of underlying complications including COVID-19.

Officials are reporting one new case of COVID-19 today, involving a person in their 50s in the Edmundston region.

The province says it has 140 active reported cases and six patients in hospital with the disease, including two in intensive care.

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11:15 a.m.

Quebec is reporting 728 new cases of COVID-19 today and 16 more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus, including five in the previous 24 hours.

Health officials say hospitalizations dropped by one, to 804, and 136 people were in intensive care, a rise of four.

Quebec says it administered 912 doses of COVID-19 vaccine Sunday, for a total of 294,886. Health Minister Christian Dube says 90,000 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are expected this week.

The province has reported a total of 277,518 COVID-19 cases and 10,229 deaths linked to the virus. Quebec has 9,855 active reported cases of COVID-19.

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10:30 a.m.

Nova Scotia is reporting one new case of COVID-19 today.

Health officials say the new case was identified in the health region that includes Halifax and that the individual is isolating.

Premier Stephen McNeil says the recently low daily case count is proof the province’s public health orders are working.

The province says it completed 1,620 COVID-19 tests yesterday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 15, 2021.

The Canadian Press