Canada added 546 new novel coronavirus infections on Wednesday, bringing the country’s total case count to 134,197.
Provincial and territorial health authorities also reported another two deaths associated with COVID-19.
Since the pandemic began, the virus has claimed 9,155 lives in Canada.
The new cases mark a small decrease from the 608 new cases reported on Tuesday.
In Ontario, 149 new cases of the respiratory illness were reported, but health authorities said no new deaths had occurred.
More than 3,188,600 tests for COVID-19 have been conducted in Ontario, and 39,332 have recovered after falling ill.
Meanwhile, in Quebec, 180 new infections were detected, bringing the provincial case count to 64,056.
Health authorities also confirmed one more person had died, pushing the death toll to 5,771.
So far 1,799,623 have been tested for the virus in Quebec, and 56,400 have recovered.
Sixteen new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Manitoba, but health authorities said the death toll remained at 16.
More than 149,100 tests for the respiratory illness have been administered, and 945 of the province’s confirmed cases are considered to be resolved.
Saskatchewan recorded one new case of the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, but no new deaths.
Since the pandemic began, 152,529 people have been tested for the virus and 1,587 have recovered after falling ill.
Further west in Alberta, 98 new COVID-19 infections were reported, and officials said one more person had died.
The new fatality brings Alberta’s death toll to 248.
Thus far, the province has tested 1,052,446 people for the virus, and 13,154 have recovered.
British Columbia saw 100 new cases of the virus on Wednesday, but no new deaths.
The province has administered 408,306 tests for COVID-19, and so far 5,086 people have recovered after becoming infected with the virus.
In Prince Edward Island, two new cases of the virus were identified, marking three straight days of new infections for the province.
The island has now seen 55 confirmed cases of the virus and more than 28,400 have been tested for COVID-19.
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland did not report any new cases of the virus on Wednesday, and health authorities in each province said no new deaths had occurred.
Nova Scotia, which has seen 1,086 cases of the novel coronavirus, has conducted 82,178 tests.
Since the pandemic began 1,018 people have recovered in Nova Scotia.
In New Brunswick, health officials have administered 64,761 tests, and 188 cases are considered to be resolved.
Of the 270 confirmed cases in Newfoundland, 266 are considered recovered.
Thus far, the province has administered 33,892 COVID-19 tests.
No new cases in the territories
Health officials in the Northwest Territories did not report any new cases of the novel coronavirus on Wednesday.
All 15 of the territory’s confirmed cases have been resolved, and 4,101 tests have been administered.
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.
Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”
However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.
McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.
He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.
The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
