Under Level 3, social gatherings will be limited to single household bubbles; no public gatherings will be permitted; restaurants will be takeout only; non-essential retail will be reduced to contactless pickup or delivery only; gyms, salons and entertainment centres will be closed; and faith services will only be allowed outdoors or virtually.
WATCH | New Brunswick’s new restrictions:
New Brunswick lays out new restrictions to combat Omicron variant
3 hours ago
Duration 2:27
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs announced Thursday that the province is set to move to ‘Level 3,’ the most restrictive level of its COVID-19 winter plan, for 16 days beginning Friday at midnight. 2:27
I tested positive this morning for COVID-19 on a rapid antigen test. <br><br>I’m feeling fine, but will be self-isolating and working from home for the next five days. <a href=”https://t.co/RCXIbzp5nj”>pic.twitter.com/RCXIbzp5nj</a>
The premier’s press secretary, Julie Leggott, said in an email to CBC News that Moe has been routinely using rapid antigen testing to monitor for COVID-19. She said he isn’t experiencing any symptoms.
Moe appeared in person at a news conference on Wednesday and took his mask off while answering questions.
Leggott’s email went on to advise that anyone who was present at the news conference “should self-monitor and rapid test,” and that all Moe’s close contacts from the past 48 hours have been notified in accordance with public health guidance.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe tested positive on a rapid antigen test following an in-person news conference Wednesday. (CBC)
Some provinces are pushing back the start of in-school learning again. Prince Edward Island announced students will not be back in class until at least Jan. 24 as provincial COVID-19 cases have been increasing steadily over the past week.
“Despite our best efforts and preparations, there will be cases of COVID-19 in the schools,” said Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison. “Our aim will be to minimize disruption in learning for students and for P.E.I. families in general.”
Prior to returning to class, all students, teachers and school staff across the province will be required to take two rapid COVID-19 tests at home, about 72 hours apart. For example, if classes resume on Jan. 24, tests would be taken on Jan. 21 and the morning of Jan. 24.
Quebec, however, is sending kids back to school on Monday, and is removing the curfew that has been in effect since Dec. 31. Premier François Legault says he believes case numbers in the province are beginning to stabilize.
In a briefing Thursday, Legault also said vaccination will now be mandatory for big box stores, with the exclusion of grocery stores and pharmacies.
The 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew drew criticism as Legault provided little evidence that curfews are effective at slowing transmission of the virus. Legault said Thursday that he hopes the province will return to where it was before Christmas soon — with everything from movie theatres to gyms and restaurants fully reopened.
WATCH | Quebec on the right track, says premier:
Quebec premier says pandemic projections improving enough to end curfew and reopen schools
2 hours ago
Duration 1:57
François Legault says COVID-19 hospitalizations could begin to drop next week, news that has led to a decision to end the curfew and reopen of schools on Monday. 1:57
-From CBC News, and The Canadian Press last updated at 4:30 p.m. ET
What’s happening across Canada
WATCH | Proposed unvaccinated tax raises many concerns:
Quebec’s proposed unvaccinated tax raises legal, ethical, political concerns
21 hours ago
Duration 2:43
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is among the chorus of voices saying they need more details before they can support Quebec’s plan to implement a tax on residents unvaccinated against COVID-19. 2:43
With lab-based testing capacity deeply strained and increasingly restricted, experts say true case counts are likely far higher than reported. Hospitalization data at the regional level is also evolving, with several provinces saying they will report figures that separate the number of people in hospital because of COVID-19 from those in hospital for another medical issue who also test positive for COVID-19.
For more information on what is happening in your community — including details on outbreaks, testing capacity and local restrictions — click through to the regional coverage below.
In Central Canada, health officials in Quebec on Thursday said COVID-19 hospitalizations had risen to 2,994, an increase of 117. The number of people in intensive care, the province’s health ministry said, stood at 272.
The province also reported 45 additional deaths, as well as 8,793 new lab-confirmed cases.
Health officials in Ontario on Thursday reported 35 additional deaths linked to COVID-19. Total hospitalizations stood at 3,630 — an increase of 182 — with 500 people in intensive care units, according to data from the province’s public health dashboard. The province, which has limited access to PCR testing, reported an additional 9,909 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Individuals who are fully vaccinated represent 78.1% of Ontario’s total population and account for 181 of Ontario’s 500 ICU admissions. <br><br>There are 9,909 new cases of <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#COVID19</a>.
In a briefing Thursday, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore said he anticipates the spread of Omicron could peak in the next few weeks. That peak is likely to be followed by subsequent increases in hospitalizations and ICU admissions.
“It will be a difficult January, but the sacrifices you are making now means a better February and a better March for all of us,” Moore said.
Moore stressed Ontarians need to continue getting their booster shots to keep hospitalization numbers at bay.
Individuals in Ontario who are immunocompromised are eligible for a fourth dose of vaccine as of Friday, providing they are 84 days out from their third dose.
In Atlantic Canada, officials in Prince Edward Island on Thursday announced that students will be learning remotely for at least another week.
Dr. Morrison now: as of 8am 209 new cases on PEI<br>▶️Total active 1,964<br>▶️192 cases / day average<br>▶️8 people in hospital<br>▶️Still on in ICU<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/PEICovid19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#PEICovid19</a>
“While I know it’s not perfect, it has allowed us to minimize learning loss during these difficult times,” Education Minister Tom Osborne said in a news release.
The province, which did not report any additional deaths on Thursday, has eight people in hospital with COVID-19, including three in the ICU. There were 520 new lab-confirmed cases.
In New Brunswick, hospitalizations increased by six to 94, health officials said Wednesday, with 10 people in intensive care units. The province also saw one additional death and 359 additional lab-confirmed cases.
“The rate of people hospitalized and in ICU continues to most greatly impact people who are unvaccinated,” a statement from the province said.
Nova Scotia health officials on Wednesday reported one additional death and cautioned that the health system in the province is facing extreme strain.
“There are 60 people in hospital who were admitted due to COVID-19 and are receiving specialized care in a COVID-19 designated unit,” a statement from the province said. “That includes five people in ICU.”
Dr. Robert Strang, the province’s chief medical officer of health, cautioned that the situation in Nova Scotia is as serious as it’s ever been.
“If I sound concerned, it’s because I am, deeply,” he said.
Across the North, Nunavut‘s top public health doctor said in a statement Thursday that the territory will lift some COVID-19 restrictions as of next Monday.
“The strict public health restrictions since the end of December have been effective in controlling the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Michael Patterson, Nunavut’s chief public health officer, as the territory reported 12 additional cases.
Health officials in Yukon reported that there are still two patients in hospital, with 56 new confirmed cases.
The Northwest Territories had not yet provided updated information for the day.
In the Prairie provinces, hospitalizations in Manitoba hit another pandemic high Thursday, with 499 COVID-19-related cases in hospital — up 45 in one day. The number of people in ICU rose to 47, and there were nine additional deaths. The province also reported 1,228 additional lab-confirmed cases.
In Saskatchewan,health officials on Thursday said hospitalizations rose slightly for a total of 123, with 11 people in ICU. The province, which had no additional deaths to report, saw 945 additional lab-confirmed cases.
Alberta on Wednesday said COVID-19 hospitalizations rose by 40 to reach 748, with 82 people in the province’s intensive care units. The province, which reported 15 additional deaths from Jan. 7 to Jan. 12, also recorded 6,789 additional lab-confirmed cases.
In British Columbia,health officials on Wednesday reported six COVID-19 deaths. The province also said there were 500 people in hospital — an increase of 31 — including 102 in intensive care. The province reported an additional 2,859 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19.
-From CBC News and The Canadian Press, last updated at 3:30 p.m. ET
What’s happening around the world
An Ivory Coast fan wearing a protective mask reacts as he watches the Africa Cup of Nations soccer match between Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast on a big screen in Abidjan on Wednesday. (Luc Gnago/Reuters)
As of early Thursday afternoon, roughly 319 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus-tracking database. The reported global death toll stood at more than 5.5 million.
In Africa, the continent’s top public health body said it was in talks with Pfizer about securing supplies of its antiviral COVID-19 pills for the continent, the latest to join the race for a drug seen as a potential game changer.
“We are in really close discussions with Pfizer to see what can be done to make the drugs available on the continent and accessible on the continent, that is, the Paxlovid drugs,” said John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
In the Asia-Pacific region, new infections in Indian cities could peak next week after rising rapidly, experts said, as the country reported the highest number of daily cases since late May and Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India had adequate stocks of vaccines across states.
Meanwhile, Tokyo recorded a new four-month high in infections, and experts forecast the spread of the Omicron variant would cause the daily count to triple by month’s end.
A woman walks in front of a public awareness notice about the Omicron variant Jan. 13, 2022, in Tokyo. The words read: the Omicron variant, on the right, and previous variants, on the left. (Eugene Hoshiko/The Associated Press)
South Korea will begin treating coronavirus patients with Pfizer’s antiviral pills on Friday, health officials said, as concern mounts over the spread of Omicron. At least 21,000 of the pills arrived on Thursday to be distributed to some 280 pharmacies and 90 residential treatment centres, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said.
In the Americas, U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday said he was deploying more military health workers to hospitals in six U.S. states, and would give Americans free masks and more free tests to tackle Omicron around the country.
In Europe, French teachers walked off the job on Thursday over what they say is the government’s failure to adopt a coherent policy for schools to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and protect pupils and staff against infection.
Teachers and school personnel take part in a demonstration in Bordeaux, southwestern France, on Thursday during a strike to protest against the government’s change in policy on COVID-19 in schools. (Philippe Lopez/AFP/Getty Images)
Germany’s vaccine committee recommended on Thursday that all children between the ages of 12 and 17 receive a COVID-19 booster as the country reported a new daily record of more than 81,000 coronavirus infections.
Meanwhile, British officials said Thursday the self-isolation period for people in England who test positive for COVID-19 will be reduced from next week to five full days, instead of seven.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid also said that early signs indicate that the rate of hospitalization from the coronavirus in the country is starting to slow. Currently, those infected can be released from self-isolation after seven days if they test negative on both days six and seven.
Javid urged people to continue to self-test for the virus, so that “we can restore the freedoms to this country while we’re keeping everyone safe.”
The U.K. saw record numbers of daily confirmed infections over Christmas and into the new year, topping 200,000 cases on some days, as the Omicron variant spread rapidly. Industries from retail to education, and infrastructure like public transport and postal services, have been severely disrupted because scores of workers had to isolate and could not go to work.
Javid told lawmakers that although hospitals will “remain under significant pressure” over the coming weeks — with almost 17,000 COVID-19 patients in hospitals in England — the current wave of the pandemic has not seen an increase in intensive care patients. Official data showed “encouraging signs” that cases were falling in London and eastern England, he said, but infections were rising elsewhere in the country.
In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday reported two additional deaths and 5,362 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
-From Reuters, The Associated Press and CBC News, last updated at 10:50 a.m. ET
HAMILTON – It remains faint but Bo Levi Mitchell and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats still have a playoff pulse.
Mitchell threw two touchdown passes as Hamilton defeated the Ottawa Redblacks 37-21 in the CFL’s annual Hall of Fame game Saturday afternoon. The Ticats (4-9) earned a second straight win to move to within six points of the third-place Toronto Argonauts (7-6) in the East Division.
Hamilton visits Toronto on Friday night.
“Obviously they’re (wins) huge now,” Mitchell said. “We didn’t do ourselves any favours by getting into this position and not being able to really control our own destiny.
“But right now, we need certain people to win at certain times. Our job is to go out there and try to win the next five, then the next three after that.”
Mitchell finished 20-of-27 passing for 299 yards and an interception. He entered weekend action leading the CFL in passing yards (3,383) and TD strikes (21).
Greg Bell’s 15-yard TD run at 11:30 of the fourth and two-point convert put Hamilton up 36-21 after backup Jeremiah Masoli led Ottawa on two scoring drives. Following a 13-yard TD strike to Andre Miller at 2:53, Masoli found Dominique Rhymes on a 10-yard touchdown pass at 7:43 before Khalan Laborn’s two-point convert cut Hamilton’s lead to 29-21.
“When you’re scoring from (15) yards out on a run play, that makes offence easy,” Mitchell said. “It’s one of those things when you get down there as a quarterback, it takes you sometimes five, eight, 10 plays and now it’s ‘OK, now we have to create some stuff and find something.’
“When you hand the ball off and you’re scoring from (15) yards, it makes the offence really easy.”
Ottawa (8-4-1) would have clinched a playoff spot with a victory.
Ottawa committed six turnovers (three interceptions, two fumbles, once on downs) before an announced Tim Hortons Field gathering of 22,119. Lawrence Woods III also returned a punt 83 yards for a touchdown at 11:51 of the first quarter that put Hamilton ahead 10-3.
“You’ve got to bring your best every single week and this wasn’t our best, all of us, from coaches to the players,” said Ottawa head coach Bob Dyce. “If you don’t play great for four quarters, I don’t care who you’re playing you’re not going to have a successful day.
“We should’ve made the tackle (on Woods), we had him wrapped up it’s that simple. Even though we didn’t make the play on that, there should’ve been extra bodies there to clean it up when he did break the tackle.”
Hamilton also tied the season series with Ottawa 1-1. The teams meet again at TD Place on Oct. 25.
“If we didn’t turn it over today I would’ve said we played really well offensively and that to me is what the biggest difference is,” said Hamilton head coach Scott Milanovich. “Even the turnovers today (interception, fumble), at least they were in their end and we weren’t giving them a short field.
“The biggest play of the game was Woodsie’s return. It got us jump-started, gave us the lead and we were kind of off after that.”
Ottawa starter Dru Brown was 17-of-27 passing for 164 yards and an interception. Masoli entered late in the third and finished 13-of-19 passing for 183 yards with two TDs and two interceptions, but Dyce said Brown will start next weekend against Montreal (10-2-1), which earned a 19-19 tie Saturday night with Calgary (4-8-1).
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame’s ’24 class of S.J. Green, Chad Owens, Weston Dressler, Vince Goldsmith and Vince Coleman, along with builders Ray Jauch and Ed Laverty (posthumously), was honoured at halftime. All were enshrined Friday night.
Steven Dunbar Jr. and Ante Litre had Hamilton’s other touchdowns. Marc Liegghio kicked two field goals, three converts and two singles.
Ottawa’s Lewis Ward booted two field goals and a convert.
Mitchell culminated a five-play, 96-yard march with a 20-yard TD pass to Litre at 13:34 of the third. It followed Jonathan Moxey’s interception.
Liegghio’s single at 7:05 of the third put Hamilton up 22-6.
Mitchell’s 54-yard TD strike to Dunbar at 14:18 of the second staked Hamilton to its 21-6 halftime lead. The advantage was well-deserved as the Ticats had more first downs (12-six), net offensive yards (260-144) and scored on both offence and special teams.
Mitchell was 14-of-20 passing for 210 yards and a TD, but his interception cost Hamilton at least a field-goal attempt. Dunbar had five receptions for 113 yards and the touchdown.
Brown completed 13-of-21 passes for 127 yards.
Liegghio’s missed 47-yard attempt went for the single at 12:45 to put Hamilton ahead 14-6. It followed a Kiondre Smith catch that was ruled incomplete and at the very least cost the Ticats a first down that would’ve kept the drive alive.
Ward’s 30-yard kick at 9:15 had pulled Ottawa to within 13-6.
Liegghio’s 19-yard field goal at 5:13 pushed Hamilton’s lead to 13-3. It followed the defence stopping Ottawa’s Dustin Crum on third-and-one, giving the Ticats possession at the Redblacks 40.
Liegghio’s 47-yard field goal opened the scoring at 2:42 before Ward tied in with a 24-yard boot at 8:44.
UP NEXT
Redblacks: Host the Montreal Alouettes (10-2-1) next Saturday, Sept. 21.
Tiger-Cats: Visit the Toronto Argonauts (7-6) on Friday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024.
TORONTO – Needing three points to keep their playoff push alive, Toronto FC’s Jonathan Osorio and Deandre Kerr stepped up with first-half goals against Austin FC on Saturday with goalkeeper Sean Johnson doing his bit at the other end.
A 76th-minute goal by Austin’s Owen Wolff made for a nervy ending but TFC hung on for a 2-1 win.
While Toronto (11-15-3) remains on the Major League Soccer playoff bubble in eighth place in the Eastern Conference (the eighth- and ninth-place teams in each conference square off in a wild-card playoff with the winner facing the top seed in the conference), other results went their way.
Seventh-place Charlotte, 10th-place Atlanta and 11th-place Philadelphia all lost while ninth-place D.C. United tied.
Toronto midfielder Alonso Coello called it “a game we had to win.”
“It’s a big win … To see that fight tonight was important,” added coach John Herdman.
Austin (9-12-7) came into the game in 11th place in the West, two points below ninth-place Minnesota. The Texas side has won just one of its last six league games (1-4-1).
Austin outshot Toronto 7-6 (6-2 edge in shots on target) in the first half but found itself trailing 2-0 at the break as Toronto took advantage of its chances and the visitors didn’t in their first-ever visit to BMO Field, before an announced crowd of 25,538.
Toronto had a dream start, catching Austin on the counterattack in the seventh minute. A sliding Austin player dispossessed an onrushing Kerr, who had been set free by a long ball from Coello, but the ball bounced to Osorio, who beat goalkeeper Brad Stuver with a rising shot.
It was the Toronto captain’s second goal of the season in league play and his 65th for TFC in all competitions. Only Sebastian Giovinco (83) and Jozy Altidore (79) scored more in Toronto colours.
TFC went ahead on another counterattack in the 30th minute after an Austin giveaway. Osorio found Richie Laryea outpacing his marker and the wingback unselfishly sent a perfect low cross across goal for Kerr to knock home for his third of the season.
Wolff, the son of Austin head coach Josh Wolff, made it interesting with his late strike. The 19-year-old U.S. youth international, controlling a long ball, beat defender Raoul Petretta and then waited out Johnson before slotting it home for his first of the season.
Toronto survived a nervy six minutes of stoppage time as Austin pressed for the equalizer. Austin outshot Toronto 14-9 (8-3 in shots on target) and had 52.5 per cent possession.
The win evened Toronto’s home record at 7-7-0, while Austin slipped to 3-8-3 on the road.
It was a costly evening for Austin with defender Brendan Hines-Ike, midfielder Jhojan Valencia and star attacker Sebastian Driussi allpicking up cautions to miss Wednesday’s game with Los Angeles FC due to yellow-card accumulation.
Toronto defender Shane O’Neill will miss Wednesday’s game against visiting Columbus for the same reason. Toronto could be short mid-week, too. The hope is veteran centre back Kevin Long, who missed Saturday’s game after tweaking his hamstring in training, will be good to go.
Toronto has five games remaining, including three more at home as it looks to return to the post-season for the first time since 2020 when it lost to Nashville after extra time at the first hurdle.
It is a challenging road.
TFC hosts Columbus, the New York Red Bulls and Inter Miami while playing away at the Colorado Rapids and Chicago Fire. All but Chicago are in playoff positions.
The only previous meeting between Toronto and Austin was in May 2023, when Zardes scored a 91st-minute winner to give Austin a 1-0 win over visiting Toronto, which was then mired at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. That loss prompted a post-game outburst from Italian star Federico Bernardeschi about TFC’s drab play.
Then-coach Bob Bradley benched Bernardeschi for the next game.
Current coach John Herdman made four changes to his starting 11 with Bernardeschi and Osorio returning from suspension and Coello and Kerr also slotting in. Coello, who had missed the last eight league games with a hamstring injury, was impressive in his 59-minute return.
Both Toronto and Austin suffered home losses last time out going into the international break. Toronto was beaten 3-1 by D.C. United while Austin lost 1-0 to Vancouver.
—
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024.
MONTREAL – CF Montreal is back in the win column after securing a 2-1 Major League Soccer win over Charlotte FC on Saturday night at Stade Saputo.
Montreal’s form had suffered of late, with just one win in MLS since July, but Laurent Courtois’ squad showed a level of poise and control over the tempo of the game that had not been seen since the beginning of the season.
“What we’ve changed in the last few weeks or months in terms of our methodology or coaching, is nothing. We did the exact thing, We had the exact same words, and we expressed them the exact same way,” said Courtois. “Today, everything just clicked.”
Caden Clark scored for the first time as a Montreal (7-12-9) player in the 23rd minute, in addition to Bryce Duke’s goal three minutes later that ended up being the winner, while Tim Ream found the back of the net for Charlotte (10-10-8).
Montreal had the first major scoring chance of the match after 15 minutes of play. With a free kick roughly 25 metres away from goal, Gabriele Corbo sent a near-perfect shot smashing off the crossbar.
Montreal would continue to dictate the tempo in the opening phase, finding first blood just seven minutes later.
Following a phenomenal triple-save from Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina, the ball fell to Clark who volleyed the ball into the wide-open net, picking up his first goal for the club.
“I think you don’t lose the feeling (of scoring), everything happens for a reason, you just can’t lose yourself in the chaos,” said Clark, who had missed a full season due to injury and was briefly without a club, but was grateful for Courtois’ confidence in him.
“(To have a coach’s confidence) is huge and is something I’ve had both ends of so you just can’t take advantage of that in the wrong way. I’m going to keep my discipline with the game plan and keep my head right.”
With momentum completely on their side, the home side doubled the lead just three minutes later. Montreal continued to build up play on the left flank and found a streaking Raheem Edwards in behind the defence who cut the ball back to Duke, sending the Stade Saputo crowd into a frenzy.
Just after the half-hour mark, Charlotte pulled one back through a set piece — something Montreal has struggled defending all season — as Ream rose above everyone at the back post to score his first with his new club.
The second half began in a similar fashion to the end of the first, with Charlotte pressing high up the pitch and forcing several turnovers in dangerous areas. After surviving the pressure, Montreal began to regain control of the game near the hour mark, enjoying the lion’s share of the possession while Charlotte looked to hit back on the counterattack.
“I think when we conceded that goal we were like ‘here we go again.’ 2-1 is a tough lead before halftime … and at the beginning of the half we kind of shot ourselves in the foot and they pressed a bit more, they moved a bit more forward and that opened some gaps,” said captain Samuel Piette.
“I was happy with that, it shows character. At the end of the day, we just wanted the three points and that’s what we got.”
As the game progressed, Charlotte pushed harder to find an equalizer but to no avail. With only one shot on target conceded, the second-worst defence in the league put up an impressive front and confidently rebuffed every single Charlotte attack.
“I’m a big fan of the back five’s performance in their discipline, competitiveness, and synchronization with balls in behind,” said Courtois.
“We can’t explain sometimes in a game it’s not there, they’re capable and today they showed it. Let’s see tomorrow.”
UP NEXT
Both teams are back in action on Sept. 18 away from home as Montreal will look to avenge a 5-0 rout against the New England Revolution while Charlotte visits Orlando City SC.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024.
