The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada (all times Eastern):
6:20 p.m.
article continues below
Trending Stories
British Columbia is reporting 717 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 93,969.
There are 5,573 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix announced three new COVID-19-related deaths.
Henry and Dix say there are 71 new confirmed COVID-19 variant cases in B.C. as well.
Nearly 600,000 vaccine doses have been administered in B.C., of which 87,180 are second doses.
—
6 p.m.
The Canadian military is on its way to getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
In a letter to military personnel today, acting defence chief Lt.-Gen. Wayne Eyre says the Canadian Armed Forces is planning to receive 150,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine over the next three months.
He says administering those doses will be the primary focus of the military’s health services.
Eyre is “strongly” encouraging all members of the Forces to get vaccinated and says that “operational effectiveness depends on it.”
—
6 p.m.
Alberta is reporting 692 new cases of COVID-19.
There are 285 people in hospital, 53 of whom are in intensive care.
Two more people have died, bringing that total to 1,973.
There are 202 new variant cases, and variants now make up 19 per cent of all active cases.
There have been 512,000 doses of the vaccine administered.
—
5:30 p.m.
Procurement Minister Anita Anand says she does not expect any interruption in the delivery of vaccines to Canada despite export restrictions imposed by the European Union and India.
Canada’s contracts in Europe are with Pfizer and Moderna, neither of which are targeted by the EU restrictions, she says.
Anand says Canada has 1.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine remaining in its contract with the Serum Institute of India.
She says she spoke today to India’s high commissioner to Canada, “who assures us that the contractual commitments that the Serum Institute has made will be observed.”
—
4:30 p.m.
India’s high commission in Canada says it is trying to glean information from its government about a media report that the country is freezing major exports of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which could affect shipments to Canada.
Anshuman Gaur, the deputy high commissioner in Ottawa, says in a text that the 10-hour time difference is complicating the task, but that diplomats are seeking “more clarity” from New Delhi.
A Reuters news report Wednesday said India has halted exports of its AstraZeneca vaccine due to shortages on the subcontinent.
India has already supplied 500,000 doses of a planned two million to Canada, with another one million initially slated for arrival in mid-April followed by a final shipment a month or so later.
Gaur says delivery schedules remain under discussion between the Serum Institute of India, which produces AstraZeneca doses, and its Ontario-based partner Verity Pharmaceuticals.
—
4:15 p.m.
Ontario’s finance minister has delivered his second pandemic-era budget.
The spending plan is aimed at helping the province recover from the COVID-19 outbreak.
It contains $6.7 billion for pandemic-related measures, including $1 billion for the vaccine effort, and an additional $2.3 billion for testing and contact tracing this year.
The plan projects a deficit of $33.1 billion for the year, with the province saying it will take until 2029 to balance the books.
—
3:45 p.m.
British Columbia’s premier says more than 1,400 laid-off tourism and hospitality workers are now set to help with non-clinical work during the province’s COVID-19 immunization campaign.
John Horgan says B.C. has partnered with hard-hit businesses including Air Canada, WestJet, Vancouver International Airport, the Vancouver Canucks and Tourism Whistler to get some of their employees back to work.
Ceres Terminals Canada, which operates the cruise port at Vancouver’s Canada Place, is also providing staff to work in the mass immunization clinics being set up across the province.
Horgan adds the opportunity will be available as long as the province needs the help.
He says B.C. has seen significant success in its vaccination program so far, but recent increases in COVID-19 case numbers mean residents must continue to follow public health rules.
—
3:35 p.m.
Saskatchewan health officials are reporting 190 new COVID-19 cases.
The province says 116 of the infections come from the Regina area, which is battling a spread of more infectious variants.
Of Saskatchewan’s 954 variant cases, 824 are from in and around the capital.
There are 147 people in hospital, with 22 in intensive care.
Another resident in their 80s has died of COVID-19, bringing the province’s pandemic death toll to 420.
To date, around 151,000 vaccinations have been done.
—
3 p.m.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he’ll communicate with the “highest levels” of European leaders to make sure COVID-19 vaccine doses continue to be sent to Canada.
The European Union is imposing stricter controls on exports of the vaccines produced within its boundaries to try to accelerate a slow vaccination campaign there.
In question period in the House of Commons, Conservative health critic Michelle Rempel Garner asked Trudeau whether he could “absolutely guarantee” shipments to Canada wouldn’t be affected.
Trudeau didn’t answer directly but said he expects Canada will work with the EU to make sure the vaccines keep flowing.
Shipments of vaccines made in Europe by Pfizer and Moderna have not been affected by previous European export controls.
—
2:35 p.m.
Health officials in New Brunswick are reporting 12 new cases of COVID-19 in the province today.
Ten of the cases are in the Edmundston region in the northwest of the province, and most are considered travel-related or close contacts of previously reported cases.
There are two new cases in the Moncton area.
With confirmed variant cases in the Edmundston area, a mass testing clinic will be held Thursday and Friday to determine if there has been further spread in the region.
There are now 63 active cases in New Brunswick, and three patients are hospitalized.
—
2:30 p.m.
About 65 per cent of all adults in Yukon have received their first shot of COVID-19 vaccine, but the territory’s chief medical health officer says there is some hesitancy.
Dr. Brendan Hanley says health officials are working to reassure those who have expressed concern about the vaccine and its potential side-effects.
Hanley says he’s hopeful their outreach efforts will reduce concerns.
Yukon has no current infections, but has had 72 cases since the pandemic began and one death.
—
2:25 p.m.
The European Union adjusted its export controls on COVID-19 vaccines today to add new tests to ensure Europe isn’t being disproportionately affected by any production slowdowns and drug companies are honouring their contracts with the EU.
Canadian shipments of vaccines will still require an authorization from Europe, and a European Commission source said those “should be granted” as long as they don’t pose a threat to Europe’s supply.
A new test for “reciprocity and proportionality” is being added that will look at receiving countries for whether they’re far ahead of Europe in vaccinating their citizens, and whether the shipments are disproportionate to what Europe is getting.
Canada is lagging slightly behind Europe on its vaccination rate thus far, with the European Union giving out almost 14 doses for every 100 people and Canada about 11, though recently Canada has been vaccinating faster than Europe has.
Canada has no COVID-19 vaccine production in place at the moment and is reliant almost entirely on Europe for its current supply of vaccines.
More than 90 per cent of the almost seven million doses of vaccines exported to Canada have come from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna batches produced in Europe. Only 500,000 doses have come so far from outside Europe: a delivery of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine made at the Serum Institute of India.
—
2:15 p.m.
Conservative health critic Michelle Rempel Garner says the federal government needs to roll out a concrete plan to help provinces deal with a potential bottleneck in COVID-19 vaccine supply.
The demand follows media reports that India is freezing major exports of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and the European Union is finalizing emergency legislation that would give it broad powers to curb vaccine shipments abroad for six weeks amid supply shortages at home.
The federal government says it does not believe vaccine shipments to Canada would be affected by export restrictions being considered by the EU.
Rempel Garner says verbal assurances don’t cut it, and she’s calling for written guarantees from the EU and other countries on whether Canada will be impacted by export restrictions.
She says provincial plans for lifting lockdowns hinge on a steady ramp-up in dose deliveries.
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet says he is not concerned about overall vaccine supply into Canada.
—
1:40 p.m.
Manitoba is reporting 80 new cases of COVID-19 today and no new deaths.
Thirty-seven of the cases are in the northern health region.
Members of the military are landing in Manitoba this week to help the vaccination effort in 23 northern First Nations.
Officials say the effort will accelerate the pace of immunizations so that 100,000 First Nations people can get doses in 100 days.
Immunizations in the province have now been expanded to people 65 and older, and First Nations people 45 and older.
—
1:10 p.m.
Nova Scotia is reporting five new cases of COVID-19 today.
All are in the Halifax area with three close contacts of previously reported cases and the other two related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada.
The province currently has a total of 24 active infections.
As of Tuesday, health officials say 71,733 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, with 21,648 people having received their required second shot.
—
1 p.m.
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says the Canadian Armed Forces will support Indigenous Services in its vaccination efforts in 23 remote Indigenous communities in Manitoba.
He says up to 200 military personnel will be deployed to provide assistance and administer vaccines.
He says the CAF logistics professionals will help with establishing vaccination clinics as well as transporting community members to and from clinics where required.
Sajjan says the military members will start delivering vaccines in Indigenous communities in Manitoba on March 29 and the operation will continue until at least the end of June.
—
12:55 p.m.
Public health restrictions are loosening once again in Newfoundland and Labrador as the province reports one new case of COVID-19.
Effective midnight Saturday, the entire province will move to Alert Level 2, allowing households to keep a so-called “steady 20” group of consistent contacts.
Health officials put the province in lockdown on Feb. 12 as a COVID-19 outbreak spread through the St. John’s area.
There are now just three active cases across the province, with one of those patients in hospital due to the disease.
—
11:50 a.m.
Quebec is reporting 783 new cases of COVID-19 today and eight more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus.
Health officials say hospitalizations dropped by 11, to 508, and 118 people were in intensive care, a rise of five.
Officials say Quebec surpassed the mark of one million vaccine doses administered in the province, after giving 31,025 shots Tuesday.
—
10:35 a.m.
Ontario reports 1,571 new cases of COVID-19 today and 10 more deaths linked to the virus.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says 459 of those new cases are in Toronto, 309 are in Peel Region and 143 are in York Region.
The province says that more than 72,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered since Tuesday’s update.
—
10:20 a.m.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority has lowered the age for booking vaccinations.
It says residents 65 and older can now book a shot.
The health authority says those living in the Far North can also do so if they’re 50 and older.
Residents deemed clinically vulnerable or with underlying health conditions are also eligible but will have to wait for a letter first.
Priority health-care workers can also get vaccinated.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2021.
EDMONTON – Jake Allen made 31 saves for his second shutout of the season and 26th of his career as the New Jersey Devils closed out their Western Canadian road trip with a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.
Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist and Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier also scored for the Devils (8-5-2) who have won three of their last four on the heels on a four-game losing skid.
The Oilers (6-6-1) had their modest two-game winning streak snapped.
Calvin Pickard made 13 stops between the pipes for Edmonton.
TAKEAWAYS
Devils: In addition to his goal, Bratt picked up his 12th assist of the young season to give him nine points in his last eight games and now 15 points overall. Nico Hischier remains in the team lead, picking up an assist of his own to give him 16 points for the campaign. He has a point in all but four games this season.
Oilers: Forward Leon Draisaitl was held pointless after recording six points in his previous two games and nine points in his previous four. Draisaitl usually has strong showings against the Devils, coming into the contest with an eight-game point streak against New Jersey and 11 goals in 17 games.
KEY MOMENT
New Jersey took a 2-0 lead on the power play with 3:26 remaining in the second period as Hischier made a nice feed into the slot to Bratt, who wired his third of the season past Pickard.
KEY RETURN?
Oilers star forward and captain Connor McDavid took part in the optional morning skate for the Oilers, leading to hopes that he may be back sooner rather than later. McDavid has been expected to be out for two to three weeks with an ankle injury suffered during the first shift of last Monday’s loss in Columbus.
OILERS DEAL FOR D-MAN
The Oilers have acquired defenceman Ronnie Attard from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenceman Ben Gleason.
The 6-foot-3 Attard has spent the past three season in the Flyers organization seeing action in 29 career games. The 25-year-old right-shot defender and Western Michigan University grad was originally selected by Philadelphia in the third round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Attard will report to the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.
UP NEXT
Devils: Host the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
Oilers: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2024.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns, and Kareem Hunt pounded into the end zone from two yards out in overtime to give the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs a 30-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.
DeAndre Hopkins had two touchdown receptions for the Chiefs (8-0), who drove through the rain for two fourth-quarter scores to take a 24-17 lead with 4:17 left. But then Kansas City watched as Baker Mayfield led the Bucs the other way in the final minute, hitting Ryan Miller in the end zone with 27 seconds to go in regulation time.
Tampa Bay (4-5) elected to kick the extra point and force overtime, rather than go for a two-point conversion and the win. And it cost the Buccaneers when Mayfield called tails and the coin flip was heads. Mahomes and the Chiefs took the ball, he was 5-for-5 passing on their drive in overtime, and Hunt finished his 106-yard rushing day with the deciding TD plunge.
Travis Kelce had 14 catches for 100 yards with girlfriend Taylor Swift watching from a suite, and Hopkins finished with eight catches for 86 yards as the Chiefs ran their winning streak to 14 dating to last season. They became the sixth Super Bowl champion to start 8-0 the following season.
Mayfield finished with 200 yards and two TDs passing for the Bucs, who have lost four of their last five.
It was a memorable first half for two players who had been waiting to play in Arrowhead Stadium.
The Bucs’ Rachaad White grew up about 10 minutes away in a tough part of Kansas City, but his family could never afford a ticket for him to see a game. He wound up on a circuitous path through Division II Nebraska-Kearney and a California junior college to Arizona State, where he eventually became of a third-round pick of Tampa Bay in the 2022 draft.
Two year later, White finally got into Arrowhead — and the end zone. He punctuated his seven-yard scoring run in the second quarter, which gave the Bucs a 7-3 lead, by nearly tossing the football into the second deck.
Then it was Hopkins’ turn in his first home game since arriving in Kansas City from a trade with the Titans.
The three-time All-Pro, who already had caught four passes, reeled in a third-down heave from Mahomes amid triple coverage for a 35-yard gain inside the Tampa Bay five-yard line. Three plays later, Mahomes found him in the back of the end zone, and Hopkins celebrated his first TD with the Chiefs with a dance from “Remember the Titans.”
Tampa Bay tried to seize control with consecutive scoring drives to start the second half. The first ended with a TD pass to Cade Otton, the latest tight end to shred the Chiefs, and Chase McLaughlin’s 47-yard field goal gave the Bucs a 17-10 lead.
The Chiefs answered in the fourth quarter. Mahomes marched them through the rain 70 yards for a tying touchdown pass, which he delivered to Samaje Perine while landing awkwardly and tweaking his left ankle, and then threw a laser to Hopkins on third-and-goal from the Buccaneers’ five-yard line to give Kansas City the lead.
Tampa Bay promptly went three-and-out, but its defence got the ball right back, and this time Mayfield calmly led his team down field. His capped the drive with a touchdown throw to Miller — his first career TD catch — with 27 seconds to go, and Tampa Bay elected to play for overtime.
UP NEXT
Buccaneers: Host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Darcy Kuemper made 16 saves for his first shutout of the season and 32nd overall, helping the Los Angeles Kings beat the Nashville Predators 3-0 on Monday night.
Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist and Anze Kopitar and Kevin Fiala also scored. The Kings have won two of their last three.
Juuse Saros made 24 saves for the Predators. They are 1-2-1 in their last four.
Kopitar opened the scoring with 6:36 remaining in the opening period. Saros denied the Kings captain’s first shot, but Kopitar collected the rebound below the goal line and banked it off the netminder’s skate.
Fiala, a former Predator, made it 2-0 35 seconds into the third.
The Kings held Nashville to just three third-period shots on goal, the first coming with 3:55 remaining and Saros pulled for an extra attacker.
Elsewhere in the NHL on Monday:
—
DEVILS 3 OILERS 0
EDMONTON, Alta. (AP) — Jake Allen made 31 saves for his second shutout of the season and 26th of his NHL career, helping the New Jersey Devils close their western Canadian road trip with a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.
Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist and Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier also scored. The Devils improved to 8-5-2. They have won three of their last four after a four-game skid.
Calvin Pickard made 13 saves for Edmonton. The Oilers had won two straight.
