Provinces across the country saw COVID-19 case counts fly to new highs Thursday, with highest-ever tallies recorded in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
Quebec recorded a whopping 9,397 new cases Thursday, while Ontario recorded 5,790 new cases.
Ontario’s case count eclipsed the previous high of 4,812, set back in mid-April, while Quebec’s previous high of 6,361 was yesterday.
Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, said this week that record-high daily case counts were expected and will likely continue for several weeks.
This chart shows the latest rise in COVID-19 cases in Canada, as well as hospitalizations, which may not spike until weeks after cases do. (Adam Ciolfi and Wendy Martinez/CBC News)
In Montreal, officials confirmed that one of every five Montrealers getting tested for COVID-19 is positive — and the latest data confirms that 90 per cent of infections in the city involve the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus.
Dr. Mylène Drouin of Montreal public health says 60 per cent of the positive cases in the city are among people between the ages of 18 and 44, noting that contact tracers cannot keep up with the crush of new infections.
People wait in line to receive a COVID-19 test in Montreal on Tuesday. Quebec is in the midst of an explosive rise in cases. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)
Several studies (see the “latest science” section below) suggest the Omicron variant is milder than Delta. But researchers say that good news may be overshadowed by the fact that Omicron spreads much faster than Delta and is better at evading vaccines.
As a result, the sheer number of infections linked to Omicron could still overwhelm hospitals.
-From CBC News and The Canadian Press, last updated at 7:16 p.m. ET
What’s happening elsewhere in Canada
For more details on how COVID-19 is impacting your community — including hospital data and the latest on restrictions — check out the coverage from CBC newsrooms around the country.
WATCH | Omicron predominant in several areas across Canada:
Omicron ‘now predominating’ in several areas across Canada, Tam says
1 day ago
Duration 3:41
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, says modelling shows the country could have a very high number of cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus by the beginning of January. 3:41
In the Western provinces, B.C. reported 2,046 new cases Thursday, a new high, after the province shut down bars, nightclubs and gyms Wednesday and banned gatherings such as weddings. It’s the third day in a row that the province’s COVID-19 case numbers have hit new highs. On Wednesday, a report from an independent COVID-19 modelling group said hospitalizations due to B.C.’s Omicron-fuelled fifth wave will reach unprecedented heights by around mid-January.
Alberta reported 1,625 new cases Thursday. The province’s chief medical officer of health said Albertans should use rapid tests to confirm whether they have COVID-19 if they show symptoms, rather than booking PCR tests. She noted that lab capacity has been strained in Quebec and Ontario, where Omicron is causing case counts to spike.
Saskatchewan reported 194 new cases and one additional death Thursday. The province’s Opposition and a health analyst are both questioning the government’s lack of response to a potential Omicron surge. Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab released new modelling Tuesday predicting that without additional health measures the province’s daily case count will surpass 300 in one month. Opposition NDP Leader Ryan Meili said “there is a shocking disconnect” between what the modelling is showing and the government not implementing additional measures. “It makes zero sense.”
In New Brunswick, officials announced 257 new cases Thursday and another two deaths. The province’s chief medical officer of health is urging people to keep their gatherings small.
Nova Scotia also reported a new high Thursday, with 689 new cases.
One new death and 556 new cases were reported Thursday in Manitoba. The province warned that it has hit its capacity for processing tests and there is now a four-day wait for results. Current case counts are an undercount because of the delay, the government said.
Prince Edward Island on Thursday announced new restrictions and a record 35 new cases. Starting Friday at 8 a.m., wedding and funeral receptions as well as wakes and visitations will no longer be permitted. Organized gatherings such as worship services, wedding and funeral ceremonies, concerts and shows will be capped at 50 people, and schools won’t return to in-person learning until at least Jan. 10. The province has 165 active cases, more than the total number of cases it had during the entire first year of the pandemic.
Newfoundland and Labrador is back in COVID-19 Alert Level 3 as of Thursday morning, the change brought on by a rapid increase in cases, the emergence of the Omicron variant and outbreaks found across three of the province’s regional health authorities. At Level 3, people are asked to stay home as much as possible and to maintain a household bubble of up to 20 people. The province reported 100 new cases Thursday, the highest count since February.
Yukon reported nine new cases Thursday.
WATCH | Doctors, public officials receiving more threats as pandemic frustrations mount:
Ottawa, provinces promise businesses more financial pandemic support
23 hours ago
Duration 2:02
Canada’s federal and provincial governments are promising more financial support is on the way as renewed COVID-19 restrictions threaten businesses and employees. 2:02
Nunavut is tightening COVID-19 public health restrictions in Iqaluit, including restricting travel in and out of the capital city to essential purposes only.
The territory says starting at noon today the city’s swimming pool, theatre and hair and nail salons must close. Restaurants are limited to takeout food only. Indoor gatherings in homes are limited to five people plus household members.
In the Northwest Territories, people identified as a contact of someone who has COVID-19 by a public health official in the N.W.T. must isolate for 10 days regardless of their vaccination status. The new public health order came into effect Wednesday at 5 p.m.
-From The Canadian Press and CBC News, last updated at 6:26 p.m. ET
The latest science
Two new British studies provide some early hints that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus may be milder than the Delta version.
Scientists stress that even if the findings of these early studies hold up, any reductions in severity need to be weighed against the fact that Omicron spreads quickly is more able to evade vaccines, so infections could still overwhelm hospitals. Some experts also say more people are likely to have some level of immunity at this stage of the pandemic, either through vaccination or a previous infection.
Still, the studies seem to bolster earlier research that suggests Omicron may not be as harmful as Delta, said Manuel Ascano Jr., a Vanderbilt University biochemist who studies viruses.
“Cautious optimism is perhaps the best way to look at this,” he said.
A woman wears a mask as she sits at St. Paul’s Underground station in London on Dec. 16, 2021. The U.K. recorded the highest number of confirmed new COVID-19 infections Wednesday since the pandemic began, and England’s chief medical officer warned the situation is likely to get worse as the Omicron variant drives a new wave of illness during the Christmas holidays. (Alberto Pezzali/The Associated Press)
An analysis from the Imperial College London COVID-19 response team estimated hospitalization risks for Omicron cases in England, finding people infected with the variant are around 20 per cent less likely to go to the hospital than those with Delta, and 40 per cent less likely to be hospitalized for a night or more.
A separate study out of Scotland, by scientists at the University of Edinburgh and other experts, suggested the risk of hospitalization was two-thirds less with Omicron than Delta. But that study pointed out that the nearly 24,000 Omicron cases in Scotland were predominantly among younger adults, who are much less likely to develop severe cases.
Data out of South Africa, where the variant was first detected, have also suggested Omicron might be milder there.
In other science news, a third dose of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines significantly increased the immune response to the Omicron variant, according to a new study by University of Oxford researchers.
The laboratory study, which hasn’t been peer reviewed yet, compared antibody levels in blood samples from people who received two doses of vaccine with samples from those who received a third dose.
While two doses provided much less protection against Omicron than earlier variants, levels of neutralizing antibodies rose sharply after a third dose, the study found.
U.S. health regulators on Thursday authorized the second pill against COVID-19, providing another easy-to-use medication to battle the rising tide of omicron infections.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorization of Merck’s molnupiravir comes one day after the agency cleared a competing drug from Pfizer. That pill, Paxlovid, is likely to become the first-choice treatment against the virus, thanks to its superior benefits and milder side effects.
The COVID-19 treatment pill molnupiravir, developed by Merck & Co Inc. and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP, is pictured in a photo obtained by Reuters in May. (Merck & Co. Inc./Reuters)
As a result, Merck’s pill is expected to have a smaller role against the pandemic than predicted just a few weeks ago. Its ability to head off severe COVID-19 is much smaller (30 per cent) than initially announced and the drug label will warn of serious safety issues, including the potential for birth defects.
What’s happening around the world
As of early Thursday, more than 277.9 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University’s case-tracking tool. The reported global death toll stood at more than 5.3 million.
In the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates has recorded its highest daily number of coronavirus cases since August. The tourism hub on Thursday reported 1,000 new infections — a drastic surge from record lows just weeks ago, before the spread of Omicron.
In the Americas, Ecuador is making vaccination mandatory. The government said Thursday that only Ecuadorians with a medical condition that could be complicated by vaccination will be exempt. About 33,600 people in Ecuador have died from COVID-19.
The U.S. Supreme Court says it will hold a special session to weigh challenges to two Biden administration policies covering vaccine requirements for millions of workers and affecting large employers and health-care workers. The high court said it will hear arguments in the cases on Jan. 7, an extraordinarily fast timeline.
In South Carolina, where COVID-19 cases are rising and only about half of eligible residents are fully vaccinated, hospitals are concerned an Omicron surge would worsen a staffing crunch among doctors, nurses and other frontline workers. Hospitals in some regions are already contending with high vacancy rates, especially among specialty nurses and lower-wage jobs like emergency room registration clerks, according to hospital officials.
Amelie and Ludo Khayat hold each other during a visit at the COVID-19 intensive care unit of the la Timone hospital in Marseille, France on Thursday. (Daniel Cole/The Associated Press)
In the Asia-Pacific region, officials in Thailand say an Israeli tourist who was the subject of a nationwide police manhunt after breaking out of quarantine while apparently infected with the Omicron variant has been detained. The 29-year-old man will be charged with breaking quarantine regulations, deported and banned from Thailand for life following his release from hospital detention, authorities said.
South Korea has set a new record for daily COVID-19 deaths as it struggles to resolve a shortage of hospital beds amid weeks of surging cases. Officials said Thursday that 109 people died in the last 24-hour period.
In Europe, two countries in the Balkan region, Albania and Serbia, where less than half of people are fully vaccinated, have reported their first two cases of the Omicron variant.
Around 1.2 million people in England were likely infected with COVID-19 last week, representing 1 in 45 of the population and a new pandemic record as the Omicron variant spreads rapidly, official estimates showed on Thursday.
WATCH | U.K. breaks daily record with 100,000 new cases:
Doctors, public officials receiving more threats as pandemic frustrations mount
23 hours ago
Duration 1:56
Doctors, public officials and politicians across Canada are increasingly becoming the victims of personal attack and scorn as frustrations grow over the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. And it’s not just groups upset by restrictions that are engaging in abusive behaviour, as those frustrated with slow booster rollouts take part also. 1:56
Italy is planning to tighten restrictions to try to curb a sharp rise in COVID-19 infections, including making mask wearing mandatory outdoors again, the prime minister’s office said on Thursday.
Australia has reintroduced curbs such as indoor mask-wearing, capacity limits and QR code check-ins to cover most of the population as daily infections hit a record.
-From The Associated Press, Reuters and CBC News, last updated at 6:22 p.m. ET
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Joel Eriksson Ek scored two goals and added three assists as the Minnesota Wild grounded the Winnipeg Jets 8-5 in NHL pre-season action on Friday.
Kirikk Kaprizov had two power-play goals for the Wild, who scored seven goals in the second period to break open a tight game.
Ben Jones, Mats Zuccarello, Liam Ohgren and Marat Khusnutdinov also scored for the Wild who got a 36-save performance from netminder Marc-Andre Fleury. Thirteen players had at least one point for the Wild in the lopsided win.
Cole Perfetti, Mason Appleton, Nikita Chibrikov, Brayden Yager and Morgan Barron scored for the Jets, who had two power-play goals.
The teams were tied 1-1 after the first period and the Wild took an 8-2 lead into the final frame.
Connor Hellebuyck allowed eight goals in two periods of play, stopping 21 of 29 shots. Thomas Milic stopped all six shots he faced in the final period.
UP NEXT
Jets: Host the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.
Wild: Host the Dallas Stars on Sunday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2024.
WINNIPEG – Zach Collaros threw a career-high six touchdown passes to ignite the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in a 55-27 victory over the Edmonton Elks that extended their win streak to seven games and clinched a playoff spot for the eighth consecutive season.
Winnipeg’s first four series of the game resulted in TD catches by Nic Demski, Keric Wheatfall and Brady Oliveira, plus a field goal by Sergio Castillo.
The explosion of points had the team’s third straight sellout crowd of 32,243 at Princess Auto Stadium cheering wildly as the CFL West Division-leading Blue Bombers improved to 9-6.
The Elks dropped to 5-10 and have a flicker of a chance to still make the CFL playoffs.
Collaros completed 21 of 26 pass attempts for a season-high 432 yards with the six touchdowns and no interceptions. His career best for passing in a game is 439 yards.
Edmonton quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who got the start ahead of Tre Ford, had a tough night against Winnipeg’s stifling defence. He was 19-of-34 passing for 223 yards with three TDs and no picks.
Winnipeg led 17-0 after the first quarter, 34-6 at halftime and 41-20 heading into the fourth.
Demski had a pair of TD receptions for 40 and 11 yards, while Kenny Lawler added two majors with catches of six and seven yards.
Lawler finished with a game high of 130 yards off eight catches and Demski had four receptions for 117 yards.
Wheatfall took a pass and turned it into a 61-yard major and Oliveira grabbed a short toss and deked and dashed 33 yards into the end zone.
Winnipeg defensive end TyJuan Garbutt scooped up a fumbled Edmonton pass attempt and ran 62 yards for a TD.
Castillo connected on field goals from 39 and 33 yards and made seven converts.
Edmonton kicker Boris Bede booted an 18-yard field goal at 10:10 of the second quarter to get the visitors on the board. He added a 24-yarder as time expired on the first half and made three converts.
Eugene Lewis, Tevin Jones and Dillon Mitchell each had TD catches for the Elks.
Edmonton’s fortunes turned early.
On Winnipeg’s first series of the game, Lawler fumbled a catch the Elks recovered but a review deemed Lawler had been down by contact.
Three plays later, Collaros fired the ball to Demski in the end zone at 3:04 and Castillo hit the convert to begin spinning the numbers on the scoreboard.
Edmonton’s first four possessions ended with three punts and a turnover on downs.
Collaros used the turnover for a TD pass to Wheatfall and 17-0 lead at 12:49 of the first quarter.
At that point in the game, Bethel-Thompson had completed one of three passes for nine yards. Collaros was 6-of-7 for 143 yards.
Oliveira made his run to the end zone at 1:09 of the second quarter, followed by Garbutt’s fumble-recovery TD at 6:45 to make it 31-0.
Three field goals ended the first half.
Lewis, Lawler and Jones provided three touchdowns for the third-quarter scoring that cut Winnipeg’s lead to 41-20.
Demski added his second TD of the game 23 seconds into the fourth, followed by Lawler’s stretching grab in the end zone at 7:06 to boost the lead 55-20.
Mitchell recorded his 37-yard TD catch as time expired.
UP NEXT
Elks: Host the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday, Oct. 5.
Blue Bombers: Visit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Friday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2024.
TORONTO – Xavier Edwards made franchise history on Friday by becoming the first Miami Marlins player to record three triples in a single game. His achievement helped the Marlins crush the fading Toronto Blue Jays 15-5 at Rogers Centre.
Edwards emerged as Miami’s hero early in this contest, smacking his first triple in the second inning and finishing the contest 3-for-5 with four RBIs. In addition to setting a franchise record, the 25-year-old became the first Major League Baseball player with three triples in a single game since 2014.
“It’s definitely cool to get an opportunity to run at full speed and get to open it up,” Edwards said of his impressive evening.
The Marlins (60-100) broke through early, plating three runs in the first inning off Jays’ starter Jose Berríos. Miami built some heavy momentum and never slowed down, recording 17 hits.
Jonah Bride was also an integral part of the Marlins victory. The Marlins infielder hit two homers, his 10th and 11th of the season, and drove in three RBIs to secure Miami’s lead.
The Blue Jays (74-86) came up short in their 12-hit effort, which included Ernie Clement’s solo homer in the fourth inning, his 12th of the season. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added two singles and an RBI, bringing him one hit shy of 200 on the season, while Alejandro Kirk extended his hitting streak to 18 games.
“We didn’t pitch well at all,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “I think effort and compete — that was there. (We’ll) move on to tomorrow.”
Berríos (16-11) took the loss, allowing six earned runs on six hits in just three innings of work, marking his shortest start of the season. The right-hander also struck out four batters and yielded three walks.
“Frustrating that that’s his last outing for the year,” said Schneider, summarizing Berríos’ season. “But I think, looking at his overall body of work, he should be really proud of the things that he did on and off the field.”
The Marlins quickly extended their lead in the second inning as Otto Lopez singled, Kyle Stowers walked, and Nick Fortes advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt. Edwards capped off the Marlins rally with a two-run triple off Berríos.
The Blue Jays responded against Marlins starter Adam Oller (2-4) in the bottom of the third, as Nathan Lukes doubled off the right-field wall, scoring Leo Jiménez from second. Spencer Horwitz singled up the middle, driving in George Springer and Lukes two batters later.
Oller earned the win for the Marlins, pitching five innings and allowing four earned runs on eight hits while striking out three.
The Marlins poured it on with five runs in the seventh inning. Griffin Conine homered, Edwards picked up his third triple of the night, and Jake Burger, after driving in a run earlier, doubled for his team-leading 76th RBI of the season.
The Rogers Centre roof opened an hour before first pitch, revealing cloudy skies. Announced attendance was 31,597, and the game lasted three hours, seven minutes.
SCHUMAKER LEAVES THE TEAM
Midway through Friday’s game, the Marlins announced manager Skip Schumaker would miss the remaining two games of the season due to a family medical issue. Bench coach Luis Urueta will manage in Schumaker’s place.
MARLINS MAKE A MOVE
Before the game, Miami placed reliever Declan Cronin (3-4) on the 15-day injured list with left knee patellar tendinitis and activated right-hander Mike Baumann (3-1) from the paternity list.
ROTATION SHUFFLE
Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt (10-14) will not pitch in Sunday’s series finale against the Marlins, Schneider announced Friday. With the Jays eliminated from playoff contention, the Jays skipper said he prefers to rest Bassitt and let other pitchers see some action.
UP COMING
The Blue Jays send right-hander Yariel Rodríguez (1-7) to the hill for the second leg of this three-game series on Saturday. The Marlins have not yet announced a starting pitcher for Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2024.
