The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada

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

6:40 p.m.

Alberta’s chief medical health officer is reporting six new COVID-19 deaths over the past 24 hours, as well as 415 new cases of the virus.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw says in a series of tweets that the new cases were identified from 7,761 tests, for a test positivity rate of 5.3 per cent.

The province notes on its website that 30 of the latest cases have been identified as the virus variant first seen in the  United Kingdom.

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4:25 p.m.

Prince Edward Island is ushering in “circuit breaker measures” to interrupt the chain of transmission in the province as it reports six new cases of COVID-19. 

The province’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Heather Morrison, says gatherings must be limited to the immediate household, plus a circle of 10 contacts. 

Organized gatherings will be limited to 50 people, and wedding and funeral receptions are prohibited. 

Sports games and tournaments must be cancelled, and in-person dining is barred. 

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2:50 p.m.

Saskatchewan is reporting five new COVID-19-related deaths today and 162 new cases.

All of the people who died were in their 80s or older, according to the province’s daily pandemic update, and were in the Regina, Saskatoon and South East health zones.

The update says 1,548 cases are considered active in Saskatchewan, with 151 people in hospital.

It says 5,211 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered in the province on Friday, for a total of 75,501 since immunizations began.

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2:20 p.m.

Manitoba is reporting 88 new COVID-19 infections as of this morning, as well as four new virus-related deaths.

Officials say two of those who died were in their 80s and two were in their 90s.

All were from the Winnipeg health region.

The government says there are 1,208 active COVID-19 cases in Manitoba, with 189 people in hospital.

Manitoba has recorded 893 COVID-19 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

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2 p.m.

Four new cases of COVID-19 are being reported in Nova Scotia today as stricter rules are ushered in to stop the spread of the virus.

Provincial health officials say three of the cases are in the Halifax region and are all close contacts of previously identified patients, while the fourth case in eastern Nova Scotia is related to travel outside Atlantic Canada.

The latest cases come as new measures to control the virus take effect in Halifax and some neighbouring municipalities.

Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer Dr. Robert Strang says while the number of new cases is low, he remains concerned that some recent infections do not have an obvious origin.

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12:20 p.m.

New Brunswick is reporting two new confirmed cases of COVID-19 today.

Health officials say the new infections are both in the Edmundston region and both patients are between the ages of 70 and 79.

New Brunswick currently has 41 active cases of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, with one patient hospitalized in intensive care.

All areas of the province remain at the orange level of New Brunswick’s pandemic response plan, which seeks to prevent the resurgence of transmission through a number of restrictions.

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11:20 a.m.

Quebec is reporting 858 new COVID-19 cases and 13 deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus, including five deaths in the past 24 hours.

The Health Department reported 599 hospitalizations today, a drop of 21 patients. There are also seven fewer people requiring intensive care, bringing the total to 112.

Quebec administered 15,902 doses of COVID-19 vaccine on Friday for a total of 418,399.

The latest numbers come one year after the first case of COVID-19 was declared in Quebec.

The province has reported 287,003 confirmed infections and 10,385 deaths since the pandemic began.

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11 a.m.

Ontario’s COVID-19 case count is nearing the 300,000 mark. 

The province reported 1,185 new infections today for a total of 299,754 since the onset of the pandemic. 

Ontario also reported 16 new virus-related deaths over the past 24 hours. 

Health Minister Christine Elliott says Toronto saw 331 new cases in the past 24 hours, nearby Peel Region recorded 220 and York Region logged 119.

Hospitalizations in the province declined by three to 680, with 276 patients in intensive care and 182 on a ventilator.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 27, 2021

The Canadian Press