Canada added roughly 8,400 new coronavirus cases on Thursday to end 2020, as both Ontario and Quebec broke single-day case records.
The staggering total comes after Alberta’s announcement of “about 1,200 new cases” on Thursday. New lab-confirmed cases in the country totals at exactly 7,211, but shoots up to a record-breaking 8,400 after factoring Alberta’s announcement.
The country now has over 579,000 cases in total and at least 15,605 deaths after adding 133 more fatalities from COVID-19. More than 489,000 people have since recovered from the virus, while over 18.4 million tests have been administered to date, without counting Alberta’s data.
The year is also ending with new travel rules set to come in place in the next few days that require all incoming travellers to Canada to have received a negative COVID-19 test result in the last 72 hours.
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According to a statement, any new arrivals would need to show a negative COVID-19 test to their airline before boarding, and would have to accept quarantine in a facility if officials aren’t satisfied with their plan complete the mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival.
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said in a statement, however, that the new procedure was not meant to be a replacement for the quarantine.
“As the global situation evolves, we continue to work with our partners to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 into Canada at all international ports of entry,” said Hadju.
Canada’s chief public health officer, Theresa Tam, said she is deeply concerned Canadians are still travelling for non-essential reasons, ignoring advice not to do so.
“I am asking Canadians to reassess any travel plans,” she said.
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Coronavirus: Canada’s top doctor says country remains on trajectory for ‘even stronger’ COVID-19 resurgence in coming months – Dec 22, 2020
Her statement comes as Ontario’s minister of finance, Rod Phillips, resigned Thursday after returning from a vacation in the Caribbean, a decision that went against the province’s advice to avoid non-essential travel and one he said he regrets.
Ontario added 3,328 cases Thursday, setting a new single-day record for the province, besting Wednesday’s total of 2,923 cases.
The province also announced 56 more deaths from the virus. There are currently 1,235 people in hospital with the virus, the most since the pandemic began, with 337 of them in intensive care.
Quebec passed 200,000 coronavirus cases on Thursday after adding 2,819 cases for the day — a single-day record for the province.
The province also reported 62 more deaths, 22 of which occurred in the last 24 hours. There are currently 1,175 hospitalizations in the province, 165 of them in intensive care.
Out east, New Brunswick reported its ninth death from the virus, an individual in their 40s, and three more cases. The province currently has 28 active cases.
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As COVID-19 vaccine rolls out, majority of Canadians optimistic about 2021: Ipsos poll
Nova Scotia announced three new cases on Thursday and said that restaurants and licensed establishments can re-open for dine-in services next week after being closed since mid-November.
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The province currently has 22 active cases and received its first shipment of the Moderna vaccine Thursday, a day after New Brunswick.
Meanwhile, two Canadian Coast Guard vessels have been put under lockdown near the coast of Dartmouth, N.S., after they were exposed to a COVID-19 positive contractor. Testing of the crew has begun on both vessels.
Newfoundland and Labrador and P.E.I. did not report any more cases or deaths.
Manitoba reported 187 new cases of the coronavirus on Thursday and six deaths. The province currently has 337 hospitalizations related to the virus and 4,505 active cases.
Saskatchewan added 190 new cases Thursday and one more death but noted its active cases are lowering. There are now 2,699 active cases in the province, the lowest amount since Nov. 22. There are currently 142 people in hospital.
Alberta reported an estimated 1,200 cases, with 921 people currently in hospital, 152 of whom are in ICU.
2:01 Coronavirus: People flying into Canada will soon be facing tough new measures
Coronavirus: People flying into Canada will soon be facing tough new measures
British Columbia reported 681 more lab-confirmed cases and eight more deaths Thursday as well, which pushed its caseload and fatalities to 51,524 and 901, respectively.
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None of the territories released new data Thursday, but the Northwest Territories did begin its rollout of its first doses of the Moderna vaccine.
There are currently 83,192,664 coronavirus cases around the world and 1,813,229 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
— With files from Global Staff and the Canadian Press
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks announced Tuesday that defenceman Alex Edler will sign a one-day contract in order to officially retire as a member of the NHL team.
The signing will be part of a celebration of Edler’s career held Oct. 11 when the Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Canucks selected Edler, from Ostersund, Sweden, in the third round (91st overall) of the 2004 NHL draft.
He played in 925 career games for the Canucks between the 2006-07 and 2020-21 seasons, ranking fourth in franchise history and first among defencemen.
The 38-year-old leads all Vancouver defencemen with 99 goals, 310 assists and 177 power-play points with the team.
Edler also appeared in 82 career post-season contests with Vancouver and was an integral part of the Canucks’ run to the 2011 Stanley Cup final, putting up 11 points (2-9-11) across 25 games.
“I am humbled and honoured to officially end my career and retire as a member of the Vancouver Canucks,” Edler said in a release. “I consider myself lucky to have started my career with such an outstanding organization, in this amazing city, with the best fans in the NHL. Finishing my NHL career where it all began is something very special for myself and my family.”
Edler played two seasons for Los Angeles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He did not play in the NHL last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Billie Jean King will become the first individual female athlete to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey announced Tuesday that their bipartisan legislation had passed the House of Representatives and would be sent to President Joe Biden for his signature.
The bill to honor King, the tennis Hall of Famer and activist, had already passed unanimously in the Senate.
Sherrill, a Democrat, said in a statement that King’s “lifetime of advocacy and hard work changed the landscape for women and girls on the court, in the classroom, and the workplace.”
The bill was introduced last September on the 50th anniversary of King’s victory over Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes,” still the most-watched tennis match of all-time. The medal, awarded by Congress for distinguished achievements and contributions to society, has previously been given to athletes including baseball players Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente, and golfers Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson and Arnold Palmer.
King had already been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. Fitzpatrick, a Republican, says she has “broken barriers, led uncharted paths, and inspired countless people to stand proudly with courage and conviction in the fight for what is right.”
SURREY, B.C. – Premier David Eby says new account control measures for young Instagram users introduced Tuesday by social media giant Meta are the “minimum” expected of tech companies to keep kids safe online.
The parent company of Instagram says users in Canada and elsewhere under 18 will have their accounts set to private by default starting Tuesday, restricting who can send messages, among other parental controls and settings.
Speaking at an unrelated event Tuesday, Eby says the province began talks with social media companies after threatening legislation that would put big tech companies on the hook for “significant potential damages” if they were found negligent in failing to keep kids safe from online predators.
Eby says the case of Carson Cleland, a 12-year-old from Prince George, B.C., who took his own life last year after being targeted by a predator on Snapchat, was “horrific and totally preventable.”
He says social media apps are “nothing special,” and should be held to the same child safety standards as anyone who operates a place that invites young people, whether it’s an amusement park, a playground or an online platform.
In a progress report released Tuesday about the province’s engagement with big tech companies including Google, Meta, TikTok, Spapchat and X, formerly known as Twitter, the provincial government says the companies are implementing changes, including a “trusted flagger” option to quickly remove intimate images.
— With files from The Associated Press
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024
