More than 110,000 infections and 8,800 deaths

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Total COVID-19 cases in Canada: 111,669 diagnoses, 8,862 deaths and 97,740 recoveries (as of July 21, 6:30 p.m. ET)

• Alberta –  9,728 cases, including 172 deaths (8,363 resolved)

• British Columbia – 3,300 cases, 189 deaths (2,858 resolved)

• Manitoba – 366 cases, 7 deaths (318 resolved)

• New Brunswick – 170 cases, 2 deaths (163 resolved)

• Newfoundland and Labrador – 263 cases, 3 deaths (259 resolved)

• Northwest Territories – 5 cases (5 resolved)

• Nova Scotia – 1,067 cases, 63 deaths (1,003 resolved)

• Ontario –  37,942 cases, 2,753 deaths (33,605 resolved)

• Prince Edward Island – 36 cases (31 resolved)

• Quebec –  57,796 cases, 5,658 deaths (50,298 resolved)

• Saskatchewan – 970 cases, 15 deaths (813 resolved)

• Yukon – 13 cases (11 resolved)

• Nunavut – 2 presumptive cases (2 false positive cases)

• CFB Trenton – 13 cases (13 resolved)

Authorities in Canada are working to contain the spread of COVID-19, which the World Health Organization deemed a pandemic in mid-March.

Canadians have contracted the disease while travelling in other countries from all over the world. Certain cases in Canada, which are linked to travel, have led to human-to-human transmission between close contacts, while community spread has been reported in the majority of Canada’s provinces.

In order to contain the spread, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has restricted Canada’s borders, provinces and territories have declared states of emergencies, while people returning back to Canada must self-isolate for 14 days upon return under the Quarantine Act.

Timeline of coronavirus cases in Canada July 2020

Story continues

July 21

New cases of COVID-19 continued to be reported across Canada on Tuesday, with a disturbing trend of young people being the majority of those cases.

There were 203 new cases of COVID-19 in Ontario, with the majority being people under the age of 39. Peel, Ottawa and Windsor-Essex regions saw increases of 57, 43 and 24 new cases respectively. Peel health officials say that the jump in cases can be attributed to a backlog recently cleared in their testing system, and the real increase is actually 22 from the last 24 hours. There were also 30 new cases reported in Toronto.

Quebec saw 180 new cases in the province, and one death linked to COVID-19. One of the new cases was a child attending a day camp in the Gatineau region. Slightly more than half of the total new cases reported were in the Montreal region.

In Atlantic Canada, one new case emerged. Newfoundland and Labrador reported a travel-related case involving a man in his 20s who had recently returned from Ontario. Prince Edward Island saw no new cases, nor did Nova Scotia, which has had no new cases for six days in a row. New Brunswick had no new reported cases, either.

In Manitoba, no new cases were identified, and the province discussed plans to open casinos and movie theatres as soon as Saturday. Saskatchewan identified eight new cases of the respiratory virus, however the province is moving forward with easing more restrictions this week, including allowing door-to-door solicitors and the resumption of yard and garage sales.

July 20

On Monday, Canada saw some regions report slightly higher daily cases than previous weeks, but deaths related to COVID-19 remained quite low.

Ontario reported 135 new cases of the virus, and one additional virus-related death. The province also announced it would have more regions enter Stage 3, however Toronto, Peel and Windsor-Essex regions will remain in Stage 2 at this time. Quebec reported two deaths related to the virus, as well as 150 newly-reported cases from the last 24 hours. While Quebec had been below the 100 new cases mark previously, the last seven days has all seen the number of new cases between 109 and 166.

Most of Atlantic Canada remained flat and saw no new cases in any of the provinces, however New Brunswick had one newly-reported case of COVID-19 linked to a recent travel case through close contact. Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island have all been without a new case for five days, ten days and six days respectively.

The Haida Nation has also reported its first case of COVID-19, as a resident of Haida Gwaii self-reported a positive COVID-19 test result on Friday. The residents of the island community off the north coast of B.C. had expressed concern earlier when two fishing lodges in the islands reopened recently, despite travel to the islands remaining restricted.

Manitoba saw 18 new cases reported over the weekend and also on Monday, ten of which are tied to three Hutterite communities in the province. There are currently 29 active cases in Manitoba, 20 of which are in those communities. Saskatchewan reported 19 new cases in the province, with patients located in the central, Saskatoon, north and south regions.

British Columbia is sounding the alarm after a surge in cases were reported over the weekend. B.C. saw 102 new cases since Friday afternoon’s announcement, bringing the province’s total to 3,000, including 253 that are still active cases. Alberta reported 368 new cases over the weekend (165 on Friday; 106 on Saturday; and 97 on Sunday). The province now has 1,109 active cases.

July 19

Quebec reports its most cases in a month

Quebec health officials have announced 166 new daily cases of COVID-19, the most since June 19. 

It’s now the fourth straight day that it has recorded over 140 cases, and the eighth straight day it has surpassed 100. 

Before the recent stretch, it had not recorded at least 140 cases since June 25. Between June 26 and July 11, it stayed below 100 daily cases except on two occasions.

The increase in cases comes as Quebec continues to process tests, after officials on July 11 asked anyone who’s been to a Montreal bar since Canada Day to get tested for COVID-19.

Quebec’s testing numbers are reflective of its outputs from two days prior. In its latest 24-hour stretch, the province completed 15,864 tests for COVID-19, which is its highest output since the start of the pandemic, and above its goal of 14,000. 

As of Wednesday evening, at least 45 cases have been linked to 14 venues. Montreal public health officials have yet to provide updated statistics, a move that has drawn criticism over its lack of transparency. 

On Friday, Premier François Legault said that Quebec’s bars will remain open, after they were given the green light on June 25. Officials instead believe that private gatherings are the root of the problem as cases continue to rise in the province. 

On July 9, Quebec decided to enforce new restrictions on bars. It was a move that was implemented after people in Montérégie tested positive for COVID-19, following a visit to a bar in Brossard and a couple of house parties, which have led to at least 20 infections. 

Montreal remains the epicentre with 28,000 total cases, up by 49 since Saturday. But the spread of COVID-19 continues to gain pace in surrounding areas of the city, in some cases in connection to bars and parties. The Montérégie region has 8,395 cases (up by 52), Lanaudière has 4,381 (up by 26), Laurentides region has 3,676 (up by 10), and Laval has 5,904 (up by five).

On Sunday, the province also announced one fatality, increasing the death toll to 5,655.

Among the province’s 57,466 total cases throughout the pandemic are 50,050 people who have recovered, up by 23 since Saturday. Of the 1,761 active cases that remain, there are 251 people in hospital (up by three), which includes 18 in intensive care (up by three)

Ontario reports worst two-day stretch this month, cases rise in Windsor-Essex’s agri-farm sector

Ontario reported 164 new cases, three deaths and 113 resolved cases in its latest 24-hour stretch. 

The announcement comes a day after the province recorded 166 cases, for a two-day total of 330. It’s the most the province has recorded in a two-day stretch since June 29-30, when it logged 414 cases.

Of the recently identified 164 cases, 80 of them were diagnosed in public health units part of the Greater Toronto Area and 37 in Windsor-Essex County Health Unit. Twenty-eight of Ontario’s 34 public health units reported five or fewer cases, while 15 reported no new patients at all. 

The latest cases were identified after labs administered 26,890 tests for COVID-19, which is above Ontario’s seven-day average of 24,972. 

The agri-farm sector in Windsor-Essex continues to produce new cases of COVID-19, with four outbreaks in Kingsville and two in Leamington. Of the 38 patients identified in the region’s latest 24-hour stretch, 19 are part of the agri-farm sector. Nine are the result of community spread, which has been gaining pace in the region. 

The latest update comes a day after the region recorded 47 cases, including 41 in the agri-farm sector. Throughout the pandemic, Windsor-Essex has had 1,964 confirmed cases, with 915 of them in the agri-farm sector, according to local health officials. 

Many of the infections have been among migrant workers, who have been subject to inadequate living and working conditions. Two of the three migrant workers who have died in Ontario throughout the COVID-19 pandemic were in the Windsor-Essex region.

Windsor-Essex’s infection rate of 458.8 per 100,000 people is the highest in Ontario, according to the Ministry of Health. Toronto, where there have been 13,876 cases as of Sunday, has the second-highest with 444.7, while Ontario’s average stands at 253.

Windsor-Essex was one of 10 regions that was not allowed to enter Stage 3 of Ontario’s reopening plan on Friday. Kingsville and Leamington were the final two areas to make the transition to Stage 2 on July 7.

Throughout the pandemic, Ontario has reported 37,604 cases of COVID-19. That includes 33,407 recovered patients and 2,751 victims. For the second straight day, the province’s active case count has risen, this time to 2,751. 

Among those active patients are 101 people in hospital (down by four since Saturday), which includes 34 in intensive care (up by one) and 23 who require a ventilator (up by one). 

According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there are 17 outbreaks among facilities around the province. As of Sunday, 40 residents are infected (up by one), and 60 staff members (down by three).

Manitoba reports 18 cases in a week, just as everyone else recovers

Health officials in Manitoba have identified six new cases of COVID-19, but have not provided additional details on the individuals. 

Health officials said in a tweet that their online data will be updated on Monday, which will include more information.

Throughout this week, Manitoba has identified 18 cases of COVID-19. All of its other patients had recovered by July 14 or died due to the respiratory virus. It had also gone 13 straight days without reporting a new COVID-19 patient. 

According to CBC, seven of Manitoba’s most recent cases have been on at least two Hutterite colonies, which includes five new cases on a colony in the Interlake-Eastern Health region.

Throughout the pandemic, Manitoba has had 343 cases of COVID-19. That includes seven people who have passed away. 

As of Friday, at least 318 people have recovered in Manitoba after contracting the respiratory virus. If no one has recovered since then, it would mean that there are 18 active cases in the province.

One new case in New Brunswick

New Brunswick has reported one new case of COVID-19, which marks its first since July 15.

The latest case involves an individual between 50-59 years old in the Fredericton region. The patient is a close contact of a recently confirmed travel-related case, and is currently self-isolating. 

Throughout the pandemic, New Brunswick has identified 169 cases after completing 48,808 tests. Only four of them remain active, since two people have died after contracting the respiratory virus, and 163 have recovered as of Sunday.

Throughout the rest of the Atlantic provinces, there remain no active cases in Newfoundland and Labrador, after all of its remaining cases were marked resolved on Friday. Nova Scotia has two active cases, but has not identified a new patient for a fourth straight day. 

Prince Edward Island did not provide an update this weekend, but on Friday it announced that it had nine active cases, after its latest was identified July 14.

Alberta, British Columbia, Nunavut, Yukon and the Northwest Territories also don’t provide updated statistics on weekends.

Five new cases in Saskatchewan

Five new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Saskatchewan’s latest 24-hour stretch, increasing the total case count to 943.

For the second straight day, the province has removed cases that were announced on July 11 (three cases today, and one Saturday).

Of the recently identified cases, one is in the Saskatoon region and the other four are in the Central region of the province. 

Among Saskatchewan’s 943 total cases are 799 people who have recovered, up by one since Saturday. 

Of the 129 active cases that remain, 44 of them are in the South and 56 are in the Central region of the province. There are now only four active cases in the Far North, which is home to 340 of Saskatchewan’s cases throughout the pandemic. 

Twelve people are currently in hospital, down by four since Saturday, which includes three patients in intensive care (up by one). 

To date, 81,624 COVID‐19 tests have been performed in Saskatchewan, after health officials completed 1,295 tests in their latest 24-hour stretch.

For the past two weekends, health officials in Saskatchewan did not provide weekend updates, since the spread of COVID-19 had slowed down. But over the course of this week, the province has seen an uptick. 

On Thursday, Saskatchewan recorded a record-high 42 cases, with the vast majority of those cases among Hutterite communities in southwest and west central Saskatchewan. Health officials have not held a press conference since Friday to provide an update or to indicate how many of the recent cases are among colonies.

July 18

Cases continue to rise in Ontario’s Windsor-Essex

Ontario has reported 166 new cases, two fatalities and 132 resolved cases in its latest 24-hour stretch. 

The 166 patients are the most the Ministry of Health has reported since July 9. They were identified after 28,849 tests for COVID-19 were completed, which is above its current seven-day average of 24,806. 

Sixty-eight of those patients were identified in public health units in the Greater Toronto Area. Forty-seven of the patients were diagnosed in the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, which continues to face agri-farm outbreaks with 41 of the recent cases in that sector.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit has now surpassed the Toronto Public Health Unit for the highest infection rate in Ontario, according to the Ministry of Health. They are now 450.1 cases per 100,000 people in Windsor-Essex, compared to 443.9 in Toronto, while the average rate in Ontario is 251.9.

Out of Windsor-Essex’s 1,926 cases throughout the pandemic, 855 of them are part of the agri-farm sector, according to local health authorities.

Many of the infections are among migrant workers, who have been subject to inadequate living and working conditions. Two of the three migrant workers who have died in Ontario throughout the COVID-19 pandemic were in the Windsor-Essex region.

As of Saturday, there are six agriculture workplace outbreaks — four in Kingsville, two in Leamington — in the region. On July 7, Kingsville and Leamington in Essex County were the final two areas to make the transition to Stage 2 of Ontario’s reopening plan.

According to the Windsor Star, there’s also recently been an increase in community spread in Windsor-Essex. Medical officer of health Dr. Wajid Ahmed attributed the uptick to the area’s denser population, as well as the increase in people who have been gathering at businesses.

Windsor-Essex was one of 10 regions that was not allowed to enter Stage 3 of Ontario’s reopening plan on Friday. 

Throughout the pandemic in Ontario, there have been 37,440 cases of COVID-19, which includes 33,294 people who have recovered and 2,748 victims. There remain 1,398 active cases, which is up by 32 since Friday. 

Of the active cases, there are 105 people in hospital (down by three), which includes 33 in intensive care (up by three) and 22 who require a ventilator (up by one). 

According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there are 17 active outbreaks around the province in facilities. Thirty-nine active cases remain among residents (down by three) and there are 63 among staff (up by one).

Quebec reports most cases in almost a month

Quebec health officials have announced 158 new daily cases of COVID-19, the most since June 19. 

It’s now the third straight day that it has recorded over 140 cases, and the seventh straight day it has surpassed 100. 

Before the recent stretch, it had not recorded at least 140 cases since June 25. Between June 26 and July 11, it stayed below 100 daily cases except on two occasions.

The increase in cases comes as Quebec continues to process tests after officials on July 11, asked anyone who’s been to a Montreal bar since Canada Day to get tested for COVID-19. As of Wednesday evening, at least 45 cases have been linked to 14 venues. Montreal public health officials have yet to provide updated statistics. 

On Friday, Premier François Legault said that Quebec’s bars will remain open, after they were given the green light on June 25.  

“The problem isn’t in bars, it’s in private gatherings,” Legault said, noting that private parties and barbecues are a bigger cause of concern. Under Quebec rules, both indoor and outdoor gathering must be limited to a maximum of 10 people.

Quebec’s testing numbers are reflective of its outputs from two days prior. In its latest 24-hour stretch, the province completed 14,448 tests for COVID-19, which is its highest output since May 27, and above its goal of 14,000. 

On Saturday, the province also announced seven fatalities. Two of them occurred in its latest 24-hour stretch, while the other five occurred before July 10, increasing the death toll to 5,654.

Among the province’s 57,300 total cases throughout the pandemic are 50,027 people who have recovered, up by 88 since Friday. Of the 1,619 active cases that remain, there are 248 people in hospital (down by 12), which includes 15 in intensive care (down by one)

Montreal remains the epicentre with 27,951 total cases, up by 88 since Friday. But the spread of COVID-19 continues to gain pace in other parts of the province, in some cases in connection to bars and parties. The Montérégie region has 8,343 cases (up by 32), Lanaudière has 4,355 (up by 10), Laurentides region has 3,666 (up by 15), and Laval has 5,899 (up by four).

On Saturday, Quebec also became the first province in Canada to require mask-wearing in all indoor public places.

No new cases among the Atlantic provinces

Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick did not report any cases on Saturday.

Alberta, British Columbia, Nunavut, Yukon and the Northwest Territories don’t provide updated statistics on weekends, while Prince Edward Island only does so on rare occasions.

There remain no active cases in Newfoundland and Labrador, after all of its remaining cases were marked resolved on Friday. Nova Scotia has two active cases, but has not identified a new patient for a third straight day. New Brunswick has three active cases, while the last one was identified July 15.

On Friday, Yukon announced two cases involving residents who were diagnosed outside of the province. They will return to the territory after they recover.

Two presumptive cases of COVID-19 were identified in Nunavut on July 15, but officials are still awaiting further additional test results to confirm the diagnoses. Two other cases in Nunavut have already turned out to be false positives throughout the pandemic, as it remains the only Canadian jurisdiction to not have a confirmed positive patient. 

The last case to be identified in the Northwest Territories was on April 5. All five of its patients had recovered by April 20. 

For more on the status of COVID-19 in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, please read our updates from July 17.

One new case in Manitoba

Health officials in Manitoba have identified one new case of COVID-19, but have not provided additional details on the individual.

It marks the 12th patient that Manitoba recorded this week. All of its other patients had recovered by July 14 or died due to the respiratory virus.

Throughout the pandemic, Manitoba has had 337 cases of COVID-19. That includes seven people who have passed away. Health officials said in a tweet that their online data will be updated on Monday.

As of Friday, at least 318 people have recovered in Manitoba after contracting the respiratory virus. If no one has recovered since then, it would mean that there are 12 active cases in the province.

Six new patients identified in Saskatchewan

Six new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Saskatchewan’s latest 24-hour stretch, increasing the total case count to 941.

“One case reported July 11 as positive in the South has been updated to a negative result and removed from the total cases,” according to a press release by health officials. 

Of the recently identified cases, three are in the South, while there’s one each in the North, Central and Saskatoon regions. 

Among the province’s 941 total cases are 798 people who have recovered, up by five since Friday.  

Of the 128 active cases that remain, 47 of them are in the South and 52 are in the Central region of the province. There are now only four active cases in the Far North, which is home to 340 of Saskatchewan’s cases throughout the pandemic. 

Eight people are currently in hospital, down by four since Friday, which includes two patients in intensive care (up by one). 

To date, 80,329 COVID‐19 tests have been performed in Saskatchewan, after health officials completed 1,339 tests in their latest 24-hour stretch.

For the past two weekends, health officials in Saskatchewan did not provide weekend updates, since the spread of COVID-19 had slowed down. But over the course of this week, the province has seen an uptick. 

On Thursday, Saskatchewan recorded a record-high 42 cases, with the vast majority of those cases among Hutterite communities in Southwest and West Central Saskatchewan. Health officials did not hold a press conference Friday or Saturday to provide an update or to indicate how many of the recent cases are among colonies.

July 17

Dr. Bonnie Henry, Dr. Howard Njoo express concern over latest COVID-19 trends

British Columbia health officials have identified 28 new daily cases of COVID-19 — the most since May 8 — as COVID-19 infections linked to parties in Kelowna continue to increase.

Over the last nine days, the province has recorded at least 20 cases on eight different occasions. Before the recent stretch, it had not surpassed that mark since June 3.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, held a last-minute press conference on Friday to discuss the recent news and trends. Eight more cases, for a total of 35, have now been linked to events that occured in Kelowna’s waterfront district between June 25 and July 9.

“This is one of the more concerning issues to us,” Henry said. “We recognize that there have been a number of events that have happened there and we need people to start thinking about how we can socialize safely over the coming weeks.”

Henry said they expect more cases to appear in the upcoming days, since they’re now in the “third-generation” of cases as the virus continues to spread between contacts. Hundreds of people are currently being tracked to see if they’ll develop symptoms.

Officials believe many of the infections stemmed from two private parties at hotel resorts around Canada Day. Anyone who was at Discovery Bay Resort (July 1-5) and Boyce Gyro Beach Lodge (July 1) has been asked to self-isolate. 

Before the patients were notified by health officials of their infections, some of them visited Kelowna  businesses, such as restaurants and bars. On July 10, Interior health issued an advisory to warn people that if they attended gatherings in the Kelowna downtown and waterfront areas from June 25 to July 6, that they may been exposed to COVID-19. 

“People may not recognize that they are ill or that they have mild symptoms but they can still spread the virus to others,” said Henry. “Make sure that we don’t let COVID steal our summer.

“Many new cases are individuals in their 20s and 30s and transmission is directly connected to social events. You need to be aware that while the severity of illness for those in their 20s and 30s is typically much less, your ability to spread to others is just as high.”

Health Minister Adrian Dix said earlier this week that the cases involve people who live in three regions of the province, including the Interior, Fraser and Vancouver Coastal Health regions. The Kelowna cluster has also been linked to the Krazy Cherry fruit farm in Okanagan, where there are now four cases of COVID-19.

Dix said some of the people gathering in Kelowna did not know each other before the hotel party.

On Friday, Canada’s deputy chief public health officer Dr. Howard Njoo said there is “some cause for concern” about the recent increase in cases nationwide.

Over the past week, an average of 350 new cases per day have been identified, compared to a daily average of 300 earlier in the month. On Thursday, over 437 new COVID-19 cases were reported, followed by 405 on Friday.

“This coincides with increasing reports of individuals contacting COVID-19 at parties, nightclubs and bars, as well as increasing rates of transmission among young Canadians in some jurisdictions across the country,” Njoo said at a press conference on Friday.

On July 11, Montreal public health officials asked anyone who has been to a bar in the city since Canada Day to get tested, prompting thousands to come forward. At the time, there were eight cases linked to five bars. There are now 45 cases linked to at least 14 bars, as of an update Wednesday evening.

The province has since added restrictions to bars. It’s a move that was implemented after people in Montérégie tested positive for COVID-19, following a visit to a bar in Brossard and a couple of house parties, which have led to at least 20 infections. 

Across other parts of Canada, such as in Ontario and Alberta, people under the age of 40 continue to make up the majority of daily cases. Health experts have said that increased social gatherings, where physical distancing rules have not been ignored, have been behind some of the spikes.

“I was young once and I can remember when I was younger I thought I was invincible, you can do anything, don’t worry about it, it will be OK,” said Njoo. “I would tell young people, including my own kids…you need to also take some personal responsibility, it’s not only to protect your health but to protect all others in our society.”

No more active cases in Newfoundland and Labrador

Health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador have announced the province now has no active cases of COVID-19. 

All of its 262 cases have been resolved; 259 people have recovered, while three have died. 

It’s the second time throughout the pandemic that all of its cases have been marked resolved. 

On July 10, the province announced one new case of COVID-19, involving a man in his 50s who had recently returned from the United States. The news came after 43 days of no new cases, a stretch in which all of its remaining patients had also recovered by June 18. 

Newfoundland and Labrador is now the only province with no active cases of COVID-19. 

The Atlantic bubble is still in place among Atlantic provinces, allowing residents to travel between jurisdictions without having to self-isolate. As of Friday, Nova Scotia has two active cases out of 1,067 total patients since the pandemic’s start. Prince Edward Island currently has nine (and 36 COVID-19 diagnoses in total), while New Brunswick has three (of 168 cases). None of the Atlantic provinces announced any new cases Friday.

Quebec adds thousands of recoveries with new guidelines, Canada drops to below 5,000 active cases

On Friday, Quebec health officials started to implement new guidelines for defining recoveries, which is in line with what other provinces have followed. Instead of requiring a negative test to declare a recovery, cases will now be marked resolved 14 to 28 days after the patient was initially diagnosed. The duration is based on factors such as if they’re immunocompromised or if they’re at least 80 years old. 

Because of the revision, Quebec added 23,686 recovered patients to its tally of 49,939 on Friday. They are among the province’s 57,142 cases throughout the pandemic. The death toll is 5,647, which is up by one since Thursday, while there now remain 1,556 active cases in Quebec.

As of 11 a.m. on Friday, there have been 109,518 cases of COVID-19 in Canada, which includes 8,837 deaths and 96,623 recoveries. There are 4,058 active cases nationwide, compared to the 27,603 active cases there were a day earlier (down by 85 per cent).

On Friday, Quebec health officials announced 141 new cases of COVID-19, marking the second straight day that it has recorded over 140 cases, and the sixth straight day it has surpassed 100. 

Before the recent stretch, it had not recorded at least 140 cases since June 25. Between June 26 and July 11, it stayed below 100 daily cases except on two occasions.

On Friday, Premier François Legault said that Quebec won’t close bars, a day after officials said they were considering the move. He said of the 141 recently identified cases, 97 of them involve health-care workers.

“The problem isn’t in bars, it’s in private gatherings,” Legault said, noting that private parties and barbecues are a bigger cause of concern. Under Quebec rules, both indoor and outdoor gathering must be limited to a maximum of 10 people.

On July 11, Quebec officials asked anyone who’s been to a Montreal bar since Canada Day to get tested for COVID-19. As of Wednesday evening, at least 45 cases have been linked to 14 venues.

Quebec’s testing numbers are reflective of its outputs from two days prior. In its latest 24-hour stretch, the province completed 14,344 tests for COVID-19, which is its highest output since May 27, and above its goal of 14,000. 

Montreal remains the epicentre with 27,863 total cases, up by 76 since Thursday. But the spread of COVID-19 continues to gain pace in other parts of the province, in some cases in connection to bars and parties. The Montérégie region has 8,311 cases (up by 33), Lanaudière has 4,345 (up by 12), Laurentides region has 3,651 (up by seven), Laval has 5,895 (up by nine).

Of the 1,556 active cases that remain in Quebec, there are 260 people in hospital (down by 17) and 16 in intensive care (down by four). 

Infant tests positive in B.C. hospital outbreak

Among British Columbia’s 28 latest cases is an infant who is linked to an outbreak at a Vancouver hospital, St. Paul’s, in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Dr. Bonnie Henry said the infant is not exhibiting symptoms at the moment. 

Vancouver Coastal Health is still investigating how the virus was introduced in the setting. Henry could not share now people have contracted the virus, but that “there’s a very small number, so less than 10 people, who were in the exposed group.”

The maternity ward is unaffected and remains operational, but the NICU has been shut down, while patients have been transferred to a temporary satellite unit. The NICU provides 24-hour care for premature babies and other newborns with serious health problems. 

Among the latest cases is also a worker from Alberta at BC Hydro’s Site C dam project in northern B.C.

The latest update increases the province’s total case count to 3,198. That includes 2,802 people who have recovered, up by 13 since Thursday.

There are now 207 active cases in the province, which includes 18 people in hospital (up by three), and two in intensive care (down by one). No new deaths were recorded, as the death toll remains at 189.

Alberta once again reports a triple-digit case increase

Alberta health officials have identified 105 new cases of COVID-19, which marks the second straight day that it has recorded triple-digits. Before the recent stretch it had surpassed 100 daily cases since May 1. 

It’s also the sixth straight day that the province has recorded more than 80 cases.  Before the recent stretch, it had not eclipsed the 80-case mark since May 10. 

“One of the most significant areas of risk are social gatherings, especially where people are not following social distancing,” said Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer earlier this week. “I’m concerned about reports of people that feel that public health measures are no longer important.”

The most recent cases were identified after Alberta health officials completed 6,479 tests for COVID-19, for a total of 566,972.

Among the province’s 9,219 total cases throughout the pandemic are 8,193 patients who have recovered, up by 51 since Thursday.

Two new deaths were also reported, involving a woman in her 80s linked to the Father Lacombe Nursing Home outbreak in Calgary and a woman in her 90s linked to the Good Samaritan Southgate Care Centre outbreak in Edmonton. The death toll now stands at 167. 

There are now 859 active cases in the province, up by 52. The Calgary zone is home to 385 of those active cases (up by 23) and the Edmonton zone has 213 (down by four). Sixty-eight people are in hospital (down by one), which includes 13 in intensive care (up by five).

Yukon records its first case since April

Two Yukon residents have tested positive for COVID-19 while travelling in another province, according to a press release by Dr. Catherine Elliott, the territory’s acting chief medical officer of health. 

The individuals acquired the virus outside Yukon and currently have mild symptoms as they recover in self-isolation. They will return to the territory once they are no longer infectious. 

Elliott did not specify which province the two travellers are in.

“We were anticipating that we would have cases among Yukoners and these two cases do not change the risk for Yukon. These persons were not infectious while in Yukon,” Elliott said.

The cases will be added to Yukon’s total, since all provinces and territories have an agreement to report on the case count based on permanent residency.

It marks the first case to be added to Yukon’s case count since April 20.  All of its first 11 patients had recovered by May 1. 

Two presumptive cases of COVID-19 were identified in Nunavut on July 15, but officials are still awaiting further additional test results to confirm the diagnoses. Two other cases in Nunavut have already turned out to be false positives throughout the pandemic, as it remains the only Canadian jurisdiction to not have a confirmed positive patient. 

The last case to be identified in the Northwest Territories was on April 5. All five of its patients had recovered by April 20. 

Ontario records its second highest testing output, sees encouraging results

Ontario recorded 111 more cases, nine fatalities and 101 recoveries in its latest 24-hour stretch. 

It’s the fourth time in the past month that Ontario has recorded 111 new cases, which is the second-lowest mark since March 25. The smallest increase was recorded Wednesday (102).

The latest patients were identified after Ontario completed 31,163 tests for COVID-19, which is its second highest testing output, leading to a 0.4 per cent positive test rate. 

Of the recently identified 111 patients, 53 of them were between 20-39 years old, the most of any age group. Fifty-nine of the cases were identified in the Greater Toronto Area, and 21 in the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, which has faced outbreaks among farm and migrant workers for months.

Throughout the pandemic, Ontario has recorded 37,274 cases of COVID-19. That includes 33,162 people who have recovered, and 2,746 victims.

There are now 1,366 active cases in Ontario, up by one since Thursday. Among those patients are 108 people in hospital (up by two), which includes 30 in intensive care (up by three) and 21 who require a ventilator (up by one).

According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there are 18 active outbreaks across the province in facilities. There remain 36 active cases among residents (down by nine), while there remain 62 among staff.

Five cases among a Hutterite colony in Manitoba

Health officials in Manitoba have identified five new cases of COVID-19 on a Hutterite colony in the Interlake-Eastern health region.

The latest cases were announced through a press release. Health officials said an investigation is ongoing. The reason for transmission has not yet been announced. The five cases involve two men (one in his 60s, one in his 30s) and three women (in their 60s, 30s and 20s).

They join the other six cases that have been identified this week, for a total of 11, which are the only active cases of COVID-19 in the province. Throughout the pandemic, 336 cases of the respiratory virus have been diagnosed in Manitoba: 318 have recovered so far and seven have died.

Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief public health officer, wouldn’t confirm Thursday if any of the six people who tested positive in recent days are from Hutterite colonies.

Cases among Hutterites communities have also been identified in Saskatchewan, which reported a record-high 42 cases on Thursday, with the vast majority among Hutterites.

Saskatchewan identifies 13 new cases of COVID-19

Thirteen new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Saskatchewan’s latest 24-hour stretch, increasing the total case count to 936. 

The news comes a day after the province recorded a record-high 42 cases, with the vast majority of those cases among Hutterite communities in southwest and west central Saskatchewan. Health officials did not hold a press conference Friday to provide an update or to indicate how many of the recent cases are among colonies. 

Of the 13 latest patients, eight are in the Central region, two in the Regina region, while one each is in the Far North, North and South regions. 

Among the province’s 936 total cases are 793 people who have recovered. 

“There are two new recoveries, one in the Far North and one in the South,” said a press release by officials. “However, three cases were removed from recovered status and reactivated.  This can happen if public health determines an individual has relapsed or developed additional symptoms.”

Of the 128 active cases that remain, 49 of them are in the South and 51 are in the Central region of the province. There are now only four active cases in the Far North, which is home to 340 of Saskatchewan’s cases throughout the pandemic. 

Twelve people are currently in hospital, up by one since Thursday, which includes one patient in intensive care (down by one). 

To date, 78,990 COVID‐19 tests have been performed in Saskatchewan, after health officials completed 139 tests in their latest 24-hour stretch.

On Friday, Saskatchewan Health Authority also issued an advisory to notify people that a person visited a couple of Regina businesses while they were infectious with COVID-19. The individual visited Costco Regina on July 6 between 3-4 p.m., and a KFC on 3998 Albert St. South that same day between noon-2 p.m.

Anyone who attended the businesses during the listed times should be self-monitoring for symptoms for 14 days after their visit or seek a testing referral. 

Two domestic flights have also been added to Saskatchewan’s list of “affected flights,” which involve a confirmed case of COVID-19; AC 8629 Toronto-Saskatoon on July 9 and WS605 Toronto-Regina on July 6. 

People who were on the flights are being asked to self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days. 

July 16

Saskatchewan reports its largest ever increase in cases

Health officials have identified 42 new cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan, marking the biggest single day increase to its total case count since the start of the pandemic. 

Previously, the most daily cases Saskatchewan had reported was on May 4 with 32 infections. 

Of the most recent patients, 31 of them were identified in the South, six in the Central region, four in the Saskatoon region and one in the North. Warren Kaeding, Saskatchewan’s minister of rural and remote health, said the vast majority of new cases are related to a growing outbreak among Hutterite communities in southwest and west central Saskatchewan.

“The Saskatchewan Health Authority is working closely with Hutterian Safety Council, local moderate leadership, local municipalities and the business community to control the further spread of the virus. Of course, this includes aggressive testing and contact tracing, which has detected these positive cases and will likely find many more in the days ahead,” Kaeding said.

“They’ve done a lot of their own limitations… I have talked to community leadership, and they certainly appreciate the efforts that Hutterites are doing to minimize the risk to outside of their communities and into the surrounding communities.”

On Wednesday, Saskatchewan Health Authority updated its list of 14 rural municipalities and areas that have increased risk of COVID-19 transmission, with cases “on a number of Hutterite communities in these municipalities.” Health officials in Saskatchewan and Alberta have asked people to not discriminate against Hutterite communities, with some cases in Alberta also linked to colonies as a result of interprovincial travel.

Due to the recent increase in cases, officials have implemented visitor restrictions at Cypress Regional Hospital and at long-term care homes in southwest and west central Saskatchewan. The Swift Current hospital will only allow family members for compassionate reasons, while visitation for long-term care homes will be restricted to outdoor visits and end-of-life care.

Kaeding said that at the moment stricter measures are not needed, but they may be considered moving forward. In April, the government restricted travel to and from the Far North due to an increase in cases. Kaeding said northern communities requested the restrictions, but Hutterite colonies haven’t.

“If we were not getting the cooperation, the tremendous cooperation we have been with Hutterites in particular, we would maybe have to consider something like that,” said Kaeding.

Initially, in mid-June, there was resistance to testing and the implementation of adequate COVID-19 protocols after outbreaks were declared in two Hutterite colonies inside the rural municipality of Maple Creek. But that has since changed, with colonies inviting health officials into their communities.

“The big change was coming to them instead of having to bring everybody to us,” which “has been one of the reasons why we’re finding the cases which we need to know about,” said Scott Livingstone, the health authority’s chief executive officer.

The most recent update of 42 infections increases the province’s total case count to 923. That includes 794 people who have recovered, up by three since Wednesday. 

Of the 114 active cases that remain, 49 of them are in the South and 40 are in the Central region of the province.

There are now only four active cases in the Far North, which is home to 339 of Saskatchewan’s cases throughout the pandemic. The La Loche community, which was the province’s epicentre, has zero active cases as of Wednesday evening.

Eleven people are currently in hospital, up by three since Wednesday, while there remain two patients in intensive care. 

To date, 78,851 COVID‐19 tests have been performed in Saskatchewan, after health officials completed 2,157 tests in their latest 24-hour stretch.

More cases linked to Montreal bars as Quebec considers its options

Quebec health officials announced 142 new cases of COVID-19, which is the most it has reported since the province also recorded the same amount of daily cases on June 25. 

On Thursday, ten fatalities were added to its death toll of 5,646. Nine of the deaths occurred in the past 24 hours, while the other victim died before July 8. 

The increase in cases comes as Montreal and surrounding areas continue to fight the spread of COVID-19 in connection to bars, which were allowed to reopen June 25. 

On July 11, Montreal public health officials asked anyone who has been to a bar in the city since Canada Day to get tested, prompting thousands to come forward. At the time, there were eight cases linked to five bars. There are now 45 cases linked to at least 14 bars, as of an update Wednesday evening, according to Aaron Derfel of the Montreal Gazette.  

“At this moment, we haven’t ruled out closing the bars,” Quebec Premier François Legault said.

A decision on closing bars and nightclubs is expected to come in the upcoming days, not weeks, said health minister Christian Dubé, who noted he’s “a little worried” about the uptick in cases. In the meantime, Dubé wants to establish a clear connection between the rise in cases and the questioned establishments.

Montreal remains the epicentre with 27,787 total cases, up by 258 since a week ago today. But the spread of COVID-19 continues to gain pace in other parts of the province in connection to bars and parties. The Laurentides region has 3,644 cases (up by 72) and Montérégie has 8,278 (up by 190).

Last week, officials added restrictions on bars to help control the spread. For example, they can only operate at 50 per cent of their capacity, customers must be seated, and last call is at midnight. Health officials are currently having trouble with contact tracing, since bars did not have customer registries in place until Friday.

“We tightened the rules,” Legault said. “But yes, I have concerns.”

Throughout the pandemic, there have been 57,001 cases of COVID-19 in Quebec. That includes 26,253 recovered patients, up by 156 since Wednesday. Of the 25,102 active cases that remain, there are 277 in hospital (down by eight), while 20 patients remain in intensive care. 

Quebec’s testing numbers are reflective of its outputs from two days prior. In its latest 24-hour stretch, the province completed 12,041 tests for COVID-19. The province is below its goal of 14,000, but it’s the most health officials have completed since June 5. 

With mass testing underway in Montreal, which has led to lines as long as five hours, three new testing sites are set to open this week.

Alberta reports its largest spike in cases in months

Alberta health officials have identified 120 new cases of COVID-19, which marks the most cases and the first time it has recorded triple-digits since May 1. 

It’s also the fifth straight day that the province has recorded more than 80 cases.  Before the recent stretch, it had not eclipsed the 80-case mark since May 10. 

“One of the most significant areas of risk are social gatherings, especially where people are not following social distancing,” said Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer. “I’m concerned about reports of people that feel that public health measures are no longer important.”

Hinshaw said that the majority of the new cases involve people under the age of 40.

Among the province’s 9,114 total cases throughout the pandemic are 8,142 patients who have recovered, up by 15 since Wednesday. Two new deaths were also reported, as the death toll reached 165.

There are now 807 active cases in the province; 362 of them are located in the Calgary zone (up by 50), and 217 in the Edmonton zone (up by 23). Sixty-nine people are in hospital (up by five), which includes eight in intensive care (down by one).

On Thursday, Hinshaw announced that the Calgary-Centre and Calgary-Elbow are under “watch” for COVID-19, since the areas have risen above 50 active cases per 100,000 people.

At the Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton, there are now 53 cases linked to the “full facility outbreak,” which was declared July 8. Seventeen patients are currently in hospital in connection to the outbreak, while eight have been discharged. Nineteen staff members have also tested positive, while seven people have died.

According to the CBC, who received confirmation from Alberta Health Services, two people linked to the outbreak weren’t staff or patients but “tested positive in the community.”

B.C. continues to report more than 20 cases of COVID-19

Twenty-one new cases of COVID-19, including three epi-linked cases, have been identified in British Columbia’s latest 24-hour stretch. 

It marks the seventh day of the last eight that the province has recorded at least 20 cases. Before the recent stretch, it had not surpassed the 20-daily case mark since June 3.

The latest update increases the province’s total case count to 3,170. That includes 2,789 people who have recovered, up by 36 since Wednesday.

There are now 192 active cases in the province, which includes 15 people in hospital (up by one ), and three in intensive care (down by two). No new deaths were recorded, as the death toll remains at 189. 

Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, said there are now four cases linked to the Krazy Cherry fruit farm in Okanagan. Twenty-seven cases have also been linked to events that occured in Kelowna’s waterfront district between June 25 and July 9.

Health officials said the initial infections are believed to have stemmed from two private parties held around Canada Day, involving people mainly in their 20s and 30s. Some of the infected patients went to other local businesses, before they were contacted by public health teams, prompting exposure warnings to the public.

Ontario sees 111 more cases

The province reported on Thursday that 111 more cases of COVID-19 had been recorded. There were also five more deaths. This brings the total number of COVID-19 cases and related deaths up to 37,163 and 2,737 respectively.

It’s the third time in the past month that Ontario has recorded 111 new cases, which is the second-lowest mark since March 25. The smallest increase was recorded Wednesday (102).

Ontario’s seven-day case average is now 116 out of 24,376 tests, the lowest it’s been since March 28, when an average of 2,606 tests were being performed.

Of the recently identified 111 patients, 64 of them were between 20-39 years old, the most of any age group. Seventy of the cases were identified in the Greater Toronto Area.

Ontario also reported 141 more recoveries, bringing the total number of people who have recovered from COVID-19 to 32,920, or 89 per cent of reported cases.

There are now 1,365 active cases in Ontario, the fewest since March 30. Among those patients are 106 people in hospital (down by nine since Wednesday), which includes 27 in intensive care (down by four) and 20 who require a ventilator (down by two).

According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there are 19 active outbreaks across the province in facilities. There remains 45 active cases among residents (down by four), and 62 among staff (down by 55).

One new case in Manitoba

A man in his 30s in Manitoba’s Southern health region has tested positive, increasing the province’s total case count to 331.

Six active cases remain in Manitoba, since 318 people have recovered and seven people have died after contracting the respiratory virus as of Thursday.

An additional 734 tests were completed on Wednesday, bringing the total number of tests performed since early February to 73,042. 

July 15

B.C. continues to report more than 20 daily cases

Twenty-one new cases of COVID-19, including two epi-linked cases, have been identified in British Columbia’s latest 24-hour stretch. 

It marks the sixth day of the last seven that the province has recorded at least 20 cases. Before the recent stretch, it had not surpassed the 20-daily case mark since June 3.

“We are concerned about the increase in new cases in recent days as COVID-19 continues to silently circulate in our communities,” said a press release by Adrian Dix, minister of health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer.

“While early on, many of our long-term care and assisted living facilities were impacted, most of the new cases are in the broader community… We need to minimize the number of cases, manage new cases as they emerge and modify our activities accordingly.”

Earlier this week, health officials linked at least 13 positive cases to events that occured in Kelowna’s waterfront district between June 25 and July 9.

Dix said the initial infections are believed to have stemmed from two private parties held around Canada Day, involving people mainly in their 20s and 30s. Some of the infected patients went to other local businesses, before they were contacted by public health teams, prompting exposure warnings to the public.

“People have to show good judgement with respect to events,” said Dix. “Whether we are going to a party when we travel or when we go to a party at home, the same concerns, the same risks apply.”

Of the 3,149 cases that have been diagnosed throughout the pandemic, 2,753 people have recovered, up by 23 since Tuesday. 

No new deaths were recorded, as the death toll remains at 189 in British Columbia. 

Of the 207 active cases that remain, there are 14 people in hospital, which includes five in intensive care.

Since June 24, the province has been in Stage 3 of its reopening plan, which has a focus on inter-provincial travel.

Alberta continues to see spike in COVID-19 cases

Alberta health officials have identified 82 new cases of COVID-19, marking the fourth straight day that the province has recorded more than 80 cases. 

Before the recent stretch, it had not eclipsed the 80-case mark since May 10. The most recent patients were identified after health officials completed 6,374 tests for COVID-19.

Among the province’s 8,994 total cases throughout the pandemic are 8,127 patients who have recovered, up by 79 since Tuesday. No new deaths were reported, as the death toll remains at 163.

There are now 704 active cases in the province; 312 of them are located in the Calgary zone (up by 32), and 194 in the Edmonton zone (up by 13). There are now 64 people in hospital (up by nine), which includes seven in intensive care (down by six).

Over the course of this week, officials in Alberta have expressed concern about the rise in cases. As of Wednesday, 42.3 per cent of Alberta’s active cases are 20-39 years old.

On Wednesday, Misericordia Community Hospital announced that two additional staff members have tested positive in relation to the facility’s outbreak, for a total of 19. Seventeen patients at the hospital are also currently infected. Throughout the course of the outbreak, 52 people have been infected, while six have died.

One positive case has also been identified at the Edmonton Remand Centre. The inmate has been isolated, while there is currently no evidence of transmission of COVID-19 within the facility, according to Alberta Health Services. The inmate arrived at the facility on June 30, where he started a 14-day quarantine period. After exhibiting symptoms on July 11, he was tested, leading to a positive diagnosis.

Since June 12, Alberta has been in Stage 2 of its reopening plan, which has allowed more recreational activities to resume, among other eased restrictions.

Two presumptive cases linked to Nunavut mine

Two presumptive cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Nunavut, involving employees at the Mary River Mine.

If confirmed positive by further testing, it would mark the first COVID-19 cases in the territory.

“The individuals and their contacts are asymptomatic and were immediately placed in isolation. Additional swabs were taken and sent for confirmatory testing at a southern lab, with results expected early next week,” said Dr. Michael Patterson, Nunavut’s chief public health officer in a press release.

“At this time, there is no evidence of transmission within the Mary River Mine site.”

Patterson said that no Nunavut residents have worked at Mary River Mine since March, therefore the risk of spread of COVID-19 remains “very low” in communities across the territory.

According to a statement from Baffinland Iron Mines, which runs Mary River, an employee initially tested negative when they arrived at the mine on July 7, but a second test led to a positive diagnosis.

A second employee tested positive shortly after. Baffinland Iron Mines says that the transmission of the virus did not occur on site, and is instead the “result of a localized southern cluster.”

The test swabs will be sent to a lab in Hamilton, Ont., to confirm the results.

Earlier this month, a presumptive case of COVID-19 involving a fly-in worker was announced in connection to Mary River Mine. It was officially ruled negative on July 10, after a test at a lab in Ontario. Patterson said on Monday that the case will remain “presumptive”, since the mine was using test cartridges that weren’t compatible with verified labs used by the territory’s government.

In April, Nunavut’s first presumptive case was also ruled negative. The territory remains the only jurisdiction to not have a confirmed positive case throughout the pandemic.

There are no active patients in Canada’s three territories. All 16 cases in Yukon and the Northwest Territories have been marked as resolved. The last confirmed positive case to be identified in Canada’s three territories was on April 20.

Ontario sees lowest increase in cases since March

There were 102 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Ontario on Wednesday, which is the fewest number of new cases reported in a day since March 25. There were also nine more deaths related to COVID-19 reported by the province.

There are now 37,052 cases of COVID-19 that have been diagnosed in Ontario, with 32,920 recovered (88.8 per cent) and 2,732 deaths (7.4 per cent). There are 1,400 active cases that remain in the province, the fewest since March 31.

Testing capacity has continued to improve, with Ontario completing 23,769 tests in the most recent reporting period.

The majority of new cases in the province continue to come from the Greater Toronto Area: there were 49 new cases in Toronto, 14 in Peel Region and five in York Region. Windsor-Essex also reported an additional 15 cases on Wednesday. Thirty-one of Ontario’s 34 public health units reported five or fewer cases, including 19 regions that reported zero new cases, said Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott in a tweet.

Nova Scotia reports first case in a week

Health officials in Nova Scotia have identified one new case of COVID-19, the first in the province since July 8.

The latest patient is in the Central Zone, and his reason for transmission remains under investigation. The individual is the only patient in Nova Scotia in hospital with COVID-19.

Of its 1,067 cases throughout the pandemic, only two remain active as of Wednesday; 1,002 patients have recovered, while 63 have died after contracting the respiratory virus.

One new case among migrant workers in New Brunswick

For the second straight day, health officials have identified a new case of COVID-19 in New Brunswick. 

Before the recent stretch, no new cases were identified since July 9. 

The latest patient is a temporary foreign worker between 20-29 years old in the Moncton region, who has been self-isolating, according to a press release by health officials. 

Throughout the pandemic, 168 cases have been identified in New Brunswick. One-hundred and sixty-three of the patients have recovered and two have died, while three cases remain active. 

As of Wednesday, 47,271 tests have been completed, with health officials administered 344 tests in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch. 

No new cases in Prince Edward Island as mass testing continues

Health officials in Prince Edward Island did not report a new COVID-19 patient on Wednesday, after three straight days of adding to its total case count. 

P.E.I. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison said that health officials have completed 1,321 tests for COVID-19 since a medical worker at Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s emergency department tested positive late Sunday. 

The health-care worker, who is a male in his 40s, tested positive after a patient of his was diagnosed. The woman in her 80s lives alone, and is currently at home self-isolating. 

At least 500 hospital staff were tested out of the 1,321 completed tests. Contact tracing from the medical worker at QEH identified 101 patients. Seventy-six of them have been tested, 16 are scheduled to be tested Wednesday, while six are out of province.

Morrison said officials have still been unable to reach three patients, but messages have been delivered to each of them. 

The health-care worker travelled outside the Atlantic Bubble and arrived in the province on July 2 on WestJet flight 654 from Toronto to Charlottetown. He tested negative before going to work on July 4.  He was work-isolating, meaning he had to be in isolation while not at work, and wearing personal protective equipment while he was.

There are currently nine active cases of COVID-19 in P.E.I. Five of them are linked to a cluster connected to a man who travelled to Nova Scotia; two of them are part of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital cluster; and the other two cases involve essential workers who travelled outside of the Atlantic region.

Before July 4, when the first of the nine cases was identified, the province hadn’t identified a new patient since April 28. By May 8, it had no active cases since all 27 of its patients recovered. 

There have now been 36 total patients in P.E.I. throughout the pandemic.

No new cases in Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba

On Wednesday, Newfoundland and Labrador reported no new cases of COVID-19, after 307 more people were tested since Tuesday. 

Chief medical officer of health Janice Fitzgerald opened the first media briefing in a week by asking people in Newfoundland and Labrador to be more understanding of people who have contracted COVID-19.

“I know people are scared, but it is impossible to know the personal circumstances of those around us. People who are unfortunate enough to contract this disease need our support and our understanding, not our judgment and disdain,” Fitzgerald said.

“If people who test positive for COVID-19 feel vilified, then others will most certainly feel reluctant to come forward if they have symptoms.”

The plea comes after a person tested positive last Friday, after returning home from the United States. It marked the province’s first case after a 43-day stretch with no new cases, in which all of its patients had recovered. Throughout the pandemic, Newfoundland and Labrador health officials have identified 262 cases of COVID-19, while only one remains active as of Wednesday.

In Manitoba, health officials didn’t identify any new cases of COVID-19. A day earlier, it had announced five new cases, ending a 13-day streak of no new patients.

Throughout the pandemic, 330 people in Manitoba have contracted the respiratory virus. Only five of the cases remain active, since 318 have recovered and seven have died as of Wednesday.

Three more deaths related to COVID-19 in Quebec

The death toll due to COVID-19 in the province has reached 5,636, with three more deaths reported on Wednesday. One of the victims died in the past 24 hours, while the other two deaths occured before July 7.

There are also 56,859 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the province, with 129 new cases announced Wednesday. That includes 26,097 people who have recovered, up by 72 since Tuesday.

Of the recently identified cases, 72 of them are from Montreal, 31 from Montérégie and 10 from Laurentides.

Officials in Montreal are calling for anyone, particularly young people, who have been to bars in the last month to get tested for COVID-19. A handful of bars reported outbreaks over the weekend. So far, around 3,000 people have been tested in Montreal in the last two days.

Quebec’s testing numbers are reflective of its outputs from two days prior. In its latest 24-hour stretch, the province completed 9,601 tests for COVID-19.

Five new cases in Saskatchewan

Health officials in Saskatchewan have identified five new cases of COVID-19 in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch. 

Three of the cases were diagnosed in the Central region, one in Saskatoon region and the other in the South. 

Throughout the pandemic, there have been 881 reported cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan. Six more people have recovered since Tuesday for a total of 791 resolved cases. 

Of the 75 active cases that remain, 35 of them are located in the Central region. There are now only six cases in the Far North, which is home to 339 of Saskatchewan’s cases throughout the pandemic. 

Eight people are currently in hospital, up by two since Tuesday, while there remains two patients in intensive care. 

To date, 76,694 COVID‐19 tests have been performed in Saskatchewan, after health officials completed 920 tests in their latest 24-hour stretch.

July 13

Quebec introduces mandatory masks indoors as cases fall

Premier François Legault announced on Monday that masks are now mandatory for everyone in indoor spaces throughout the provinces. Businesses that don’t enforce patrons to wear masks could face fines of $400-$6,000. Masks are also mandatory on public transit.

The regulations come as the province announces 100 new cases today, as well as three newly-reported deaths related to COVID-19. Quebec has seen a slight increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in recent days. The total number of cases in the province is now 56,621.

P.E.I. healthcare worker tests positive for COVID-19

A health care worker at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown is the latest person in the province to test positive for the virus. Another P.E.I. resident tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the total number of active cases in the province to eight.

Officials say the man in his 40s tested positive on Sunday night after being infected by a patient. The patient was a woman in her 80s who was taken to hospital by ambulance on July 4 and came into contact with the health care worker. The worker was tested after contact tracing indicated he may have been exposed to the virus.

Ontario announces Stage 3 as cases continue to decline

There were 116 new cases of COVID-19 identified in Ontario on Monday, as well as three new deaths reported in connection with the virus.

The majority of new cases came from the Greater Toronto Area. There were 34 new cases reported in Toronto, 38 in Peel region, and six in York region. Twenty-nine of Ontario’s 34 public health units reported five or fewer cases. Ontario has reported fewer than 200 new cases every day since June 30.

Premier Doug Ford announced on Monday that most of Ontario’s public health regions would be entering Stage 3 of the reopening plan. This will include allowing movie theatres, gyms, indoor dining establishments and sporting events, provided they enforce social distancing and have fewer than 50 people indoors.

July 12

Anyone who visited a Montreal bar since Canada Day should be tested

Montreal public health officials are asking that anyone who has been to a bar in the city since July 1, be tested for COVID-19. 

The request comes after at least eight cases of COVID-19, among “contagious clients or employees,” have been linked to at least five Montreal bars.

“I’m very much afraid that what we are seeing is only the tip of the iceberg,” said Dr. David Kaiser, a physician with Montreal Public Health on Saturday.

“The pandemic is not behind us in Montreal and community transmission is very present.”

Health officials did not name the five bars, but they’ve been in touch with owners to let them know among the patients. According to Aaron Derfel of the Montreal Gazette, two of the bars include Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue’s Annies Bar and La Voûte nightclub in Old Montreal.

Health officials are having trouble with contact tracing, since bars did not have customer registries in place until Friday. The patients in question visited the bars before then. 

“We know that there is a lot of contact between the different establishments and we wanted to get out in front of that quickly,” said Kraser.

On Thursday, Quebec officials announced that they’re limiting the capacity of bars and nightclubs across the province as infections start to climb, particularly on Montreal’s South Shore. All bars must now be cleared by 1 a.m., while last call will be at midnight, instead of 3 a.m.

Establishments can only operate at 50 per cent of their capacity and customers must be seated. Voluntary customer registers have also been implemented to help with contact tracing, a move that comes weeks after the Quebec government allowed the reopening of almost all economic activity sectors, including bars on June 25.

The province initially announced it would crack down on venues last week, after several people in Montérégie tested positive for COVID-19, following a visit to a bar in Brossard and a couple of house parties, which have led to at least 20 infections. 

Public health authorities asked anyone who was at the Mile Public House bar in the Brossard mall, between 8 p.m. and 3 a.m. June 30, to get tested.

Dr. Horacio Arruda, director of Quebec public health, said on Thursday that case counts from gatherings at bars are still being determined, but about 66 cases are from the Montérégie area, and about 25 cases are from other locations.

“If we don’t act, those 66 are going to generate another 120, it’s going to be more and more,” said Arruda.

In a press release Saturday, Montreal health officials said they’re “seeing an increase in the proportion of cases among young people aged 15 to 39.”

Quebec reports 114 new cases

Health officials in Quebec have identified 114 new cases of COVID-19, which marks the second highest increase to its total since June 25. 

Seven more victims have also been added to its death toll of 5,627. Three patients have died since Saturday’s update, while the other four occurred before July 4. 

Of Quebec’s 56,521 cases throughout the pandemic, there are 25,862 people who have recovered, up by 89 since Saturday. Of the 25,032 active cases that remain, there are 306 people in hospital (down by seven), which includes 20 patients in intensive care (down by two).

Montreal remains the epicentre with 27,603 total cases (up by 48), but the spread of COVID-19 continues to gain pace in other parts of the province. The Laurentides region has 3,598 cases (up by 14) and Montérégie has 8,150 (up by 33).

Quebec’s testing numbers are reflective of its outputs from two days prior. In its latest 24-hour stretch, the province completed 10,608 tests for COVID-19.

One new case in Prince Edward Island

Health officials in Prince Edward Island have identified one new case of COVID-19, involving a woman in her 80s from Queens County.

According to a press release, she is at home and is in self-isolation. Her reason for transmission does not appear to be connected to the province’s cluster of five cases (linked to a resident who didn’t self-isolate after returning from Nova Scotia) or the Whisperwood Villa, a seniors care home that has undergone widespread testing after an employee tested positive.

There are now seven active cases in P.E.I., with officials announcing five cases over the July 4-5 weekend. Before the recent stretch, the province hadn’t identified a new case since April 28. By May 8, it had no active cases since all 27 of its patients recovered. 

There have now been 34 total patients in P.E.I. throughout the pandemic.

Zero cases for at least three provinces Sunday

Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and New Brunswick did not report any cases on Sunday.

There remains one active case in Newfoundland and Labrador, which was announced on Friday, after 43 straight days without a positive diagnosis. Nova Scotia has three active cases, but has not identified a new patient for a fourth straight day. Manitoba last reported a new case of COVID-19 on June 30, while there remains four active cases in the province. New Brunswick has one active case, which was identified July 9.

There are currently no active cases in Canada’s three territories. All 16 cases in Yukon and the Northwest Territories have been marked as resolved. The last case to be identified in Canada’s three territories was on April 20, while Nunavut has yet to confirm a positive diagnosis.

Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, Nunavut, Yukon and the Northwest Territories don’t provide updated statistics on weekends.

For the latest on how each province and territory plans to reopen amid the COVID-19 pandemic, you can read here.

Ontario sees first increase to active cases in almost two weeks

Ontario reported 129 new cases, three deaths and 112 recovered patients in its latest 24-hour stretch. 

There are now 1,470 active patients in the province, up by 14 since Saturday. It’s the first increase in active cases that Ontario has reported since July 1. 

Of the recently identified patients, 54 of them are between 20-39 years old, the most of any age group. Eighty-one of the cases are from the Greater Toronto Area. They were identified after Ontario health officials completed 25,726 tests.

Throughout the pandemic, the province has recorded 36,726 cases of the respiratory virus. That includes 32,534 people who have recovered and 2,719 victims. 

Of the active cases that remain, there are 116 people in hospital (down by 12 since Saturday), which includes 29 people in intensive care (down by two), and 19 people who require a ventilator (up by one). 

According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there are 23 active outbreaks around the province. In those facilities, there are 76 infections among residents (down by four) and 144 among staff (up by one).

July 11

Zero new cases across various provinces on Saturday

Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and New Brunswick did not report any cases on Saturday.

There remains one active case in Newfoundland and Labrador, which was announced on Friday, after 43 straight days without a positive diagnosis. Nova Scotia has three active cases, but has not identified a new patient for a third straight day. Manitoba last reported a new case of COVID-19 on June 30, while there remains four active cases in the province. New Brunswick has one active case, which was identified July 9.

There are currently no active cases in Canada’s three territories. All 16 cases in Yukon and the Northwest Territories have been marked as resolved. The last case to be identified in Canada’s three territories was on April 20, while Nunavut has yet to confirm a positive diagnosis.

Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, Nunavut, Yukon and the Northwest Territories don’t provide updated statistics on weekends, while Prince Edward Island only does so on rare occasions.

For the latest on how each province and territory plans to reopen amid the COVID-19 pandemic, you can read here.

Active cases continue to decline in Ontario

Ontario reported 130 new cases of COVID-19, six fatalities, and 267 recovered patients in its latest 24-hour stretch. 

There remains 1,456 active cases in the province, the fewest since March 31. 

Of the recently identified patients, 49 of them are between 20-39 years old, the most of any age group. Ninety-one of the cases are from the Greater Toronto Area. They were identified after health officials completed 29,522 tests for COVID-19, the most since June 27.

Throughout the pandemic, health officials have identified 36,594 cases of the respiratory virus. That includes 32,422 people who have recovered and 2,716 victims. 

Of the active cases that remain, there are 128 people in hospital (up by 11 since Friday), which includes 31 people in intensive care (down by three), and 18 people who require a ventilator (down by six). 

According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there are 23 active outbreaks around the province, up by one since Friday. In those facilities, there are 80 infections among residents (down by 57) and 143 among staff (down by 61).

Quebec falls back under 100 daily cases

After two straight days of reporting over 100 daily cases, Quebec health officials announced 91 newly diagnosed patients in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch. 

Eight more victims have been added to its death toll of 5,620. Four patients have died since Friday’s update, while the other four occurred before July 3. 

Of Quebec’s 56,407 cases throughout the pandemic are 25,773 people who have recovered, up by 98 since Friday. Of the 25,014 active cases that remain, there are 313 people in hospital (down by four since Friday), which includes 22 patients in intensive care (down by two).

Montreal remains the epicentre with 27,555 total cases (up by 26), but the spread of COVID-19 continues to gain pace in other parts of the province. The Laurentides region has 3,584 cases (up by 12), Montérégie has 8,117 (up by 29), and Laval has 5,866 (up by seven).

Quebec’s testing numbers are reflective of its outputs from two days prior. In its latest 24-hour stretch, the province completed 12,033 tests for COVID-19, which is below its goal of 14,000, but the most it has performed since June 5.

July 10

B.C. continues to report a spike in cases

Twenty-five new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in British Columbia’s latest 24-hour stretch, the most since May 8. 

For the third straight day it has reported over 15 daily cases, which it had not done since May 14-16. 

B.C.’s provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry did not hold a press conference Friday to explain the latest spike in patients.

Along with the recent cases, one more person has died in the Vancouver Coastal Health region after contracting COVID-19, increasing the death toll to 187. Out of the province’s 3,053 cases throughout the pandemic, there are 2,679 people who have recovered, up by 12 since Thursday. 

There are now 187 active cases that remain in B.C., the most since June 18. Sixteen people are in hospital (down by one), including five in intensive care (up by one). 

No new community of health-care facility outbreaks have been declared in the past 24 hours in B.C. In total, two long-term care or assisted-living facilities and one acute care facility have active outbreaks.

B.C. health officials have not yet indicated how many tests they completed in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch. 

Since June 24, the province has been in Stage 3 of its reopening plan, which has a focus on inter-provincial travel.

Alberta reports most daily cases since May

Alberta health officials have identified 77 new cases of COVID-19, the most in a 24-hour stretch since May 10. 

Alberta’s chief medical officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw did not hold a press briefing Friday to explain the jump in cases. 

The latest update increases Alberta’s total case count to 8,596. That includes 7,844 people who have recovered from the respiratory virus, up by 70 since Thursday. 

The death toll has fallen back to 160. According to CTV News, who received confirmation from Alberta Health, “one of the deaths reported at the Misericordia has been determined to not have COVID-19 as a contributing cause of death.” 

The Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton is experiencing a full facility outbreak, which has now resulted in five deaths.

Around the province, there are now 592 active cases of COVID-19. The Calgary zone has 228 active cases (up by eight since Thursday), while the Edmonton zone has 203 (down by 12). Fifty people are in hospital (up by four), which includes nine people in intensive care (up by two). 

To date, health officials have completed 514,970 tests for COVID-19 in Alberta, after performing 7,801 tests in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch.

Since June 12, Alberta has been in Stage 2 of its reopening plan, which has allowed more recreational activities to resume, among other eased restrictions.

Newfoundland and Labrador reports first case in 43 days

One new case of COVID-19 has been identified in Newfoundland and Labrador, the first since May 28. It’s also the only active patient in the province, since all of its other cases were marked resolved on June 18.

The case involves a man in his 50s, who recently returned from the United States, according to CBC, who received confirmation from the provincial government. He is currently in the Eastern Health region, and did not travel through the Atlantic provinces while returning from his trip.

“While on route to Newfoundland and Labrador, the individual was not symptomatic nor considered infectious. The individual self-isolated upon return to the province as per public health guidelines,” according to a statement by the Department of Health and Community Services to CBC.

The individual wasn’t symptomatic on his return to the province, therefore “the risk to the public is low at this time,” according to public health officials. 

Newfoundland and Labrador have had 262 total cases throughout the pandemic. Three people have died with COVID-19, and 258 people have recovered from the virus.

Another false positive in Nunavut

A presumptive case of COVID-19 in Nunavut has been ruled negative, as the territory remains the only jurisdiction in Canada without a patient throughout the pandemic. 

A fly-in worker at the Mary River iron mine on the northern tip of Baffin Island originally tested positive on June 30, but it was on the low end of the infection spectrum. 

The territory’s chief public health officer, Dr. Michael Patterson said that the worker is originally from Western Canada. All of the individual’s eight contacts will no longer have to isolate.

This is the second time that Nunavut has reported a false positive, after reporting a case in the spring. 

There are no active patients in Canada’s three territories. All 16 cases in Yukon and the Northwest Territories have been marked as resolved. The last case to be identified in Canada’s three territories was on April 20.

Ontario reports seven more COVID-19-related deaths

On Friday, Ontario reported that there were 116 new cases of COVID-19 in the province, bringing the total number of cases to 36,464. There were also seven deaths reported in Ontario related to COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 2,710.

According to the most recent recovery numbers, 88.2 per cent of people (32,155) who have had the virus in the province have recovered. Health officials resolved an additional 178 cases since Thursday.

Of the recently identified cases, 56 of them are between the ages of 20-39, the most of any age group. The Greater Toronto Area is also home to 77 of the 116 latest patients.

There remains 1,599 active cases in the province, the fewest since March 31. That includes 117 people in hospital (down by six since Thursday), 34 in intensive care (up by three) and 24 who require a ventilator (up by one).

According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there are 22 active outbreaks among long-term care facilities in the province, after 292 have been resolved. One-hundred thirty-seven residents are currently infected (down by five), along with 204 staff (down by seven).

Second straight day of at least 100 new cases in Quebec

Quebec health officials announced 100 new cases on Friday, marking the second straight day that the province has recorded triple-digits. Before the recent stretch, it went four straight days with lower than 100 new cases. 

Three more people have died, but only two of them occurred in the past 24 hours. The other victim died before July 2, increasing the death toll to 5,612. 

Of Quebec’s 56,316 cases throughout the pandemic, there are 25,675 people who have recovered, up by 59 since Thursday. Among the 25,029 active cases that remain, there are 317 people in hospital (up by nine), which includes 24 patients in intensive care (down by three).

Montreal remains the epicentre with 27,529 total cases (up by 32), but the spread of COVID-19 continues to gain pace in other parts of the province. The Laurentides region has 3,572 cases (up by 15), Montérégie has 8,088 (up by 31), Outaouais has 618 (up by three) and Capitale-Nationale has 1,873 (up by eight).

Quebec’s testing numbers are reflective of its outputs two days prior. In its latest 24-hour stretch, the province completed 10,452 tests for COVID-19, which is below its goal of 14,000, but the most it has performed since June 5.

Two new cases in Saskatchewan’s Central region

Saskatchewan health officials have identified two new cases of COVID-19, increasing its total case count to 815. 

Both of the patients are located in the Central region. 

Of the province’s total cases, there are 757 people who have recovered, an increase of seven since Thursday. Of the 43 active cases, 21 are in the Far North region (down by four). Four people are in hospital (down by one), while there remains one person in intensive care.

To date, 72,560 COVID‐19 tests have been performed in Saskatchewan, after health officials completed 803 tests in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch.

July 9

B.C. reports most cases in a 2-day stretch since May, possible COVID-19 exposure at strip club worsens

Twenty new cases have been announced by B.C. health officials, a day after 18 cases were reported. 

The 38 cases mark the most new patients the province has recorded in a two-day stretch since May 9. 

“Things can quickly escalate once again if we let our guard down,” said B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry on Thursday.

No new COVID-19 fatalities were reported in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch, as the death toll remains at 186. There are now 175 active cases in the province, since 2,667 (up by seven since Wednesday) have recovered from COVID-19 out of B.C.’s 3,028 total patients throughout the pandemic. 

Moving forward, Henry said they’ll be notifying the public how many cases there are that involve people who don’t permanently live in the province. So far, there have been 51 non-resident cases, primarily involving visitors and temporary foreign workers. 

There are currently two active outbreaks in long-term care homes, and one in the acute care unit of a hospital. There are no community outbreaks, but health officials continue to warn people of possible COVID-19 exposures in the public. 

Vancouver Coastal Health has expanded its COVID-19 notification about a possible exposure at strip club No5 Orange on July 1,3,4 and 7. Originally, one person who tested positive attended the club on Canada Day, but health officials have since identified a second case linked to No5 Orange, involving an individual who attended the venue on those dates. 

Vancouver Coastal Health has closed the establishment to review its safety plan and ensure there is no further risk to the public. People who attended the club on those dates are being asked to monitor themselves for 14 days for symptoms.

Ontario reports its most cases this month, spike in Windsor-Essex

Ontario recorded 170 new cases of COVID-19 and three deaths in its latest 24-hour stretch.

It’s the most daily cases the province has reported since June 29. The patients were identified after the Ministry of Health completed 26,326 tests, which is above its current seven-day average of 21,569.

The majority of the cases were reported in the Windsor-Essex region, with 86 new cases in that area. New cases were also reported in Toronto (27), Peel Region (28), York Region (7) and Durham Region (5). All other regions had zero or less than five daily cases.

Health Minister Christine Elliott said that targeted testing of temporary foreign workers on farms is continuing, in order to contain outbreaks, particularly in the Windsor-Essex region. Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. David Williams, said that the most of the cases are from two or three farms, and at least 76 of them involve workers.

Of the 170 reported cases around the province, 95 of them were between the ages of 20-39 years old, the most of any age group.

Of Ontario’s 36,348 cases throughout the pandemic, there are 31,977 people who have recovered, an increase of 172 since Wednesday, while the death toll stands at 2,703. Of the 1,668 active cases that remain, there are 123 people in hospital, which includes 31 in intensive care (down by four since Wednesday) and 23 who require a ventilator (down by three).

According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there are 25 current outbreaks in facilities across the province (down by one). One-hundred forty-two residents are currently infected (down by two), as well as 211 staff members (down by six).

On Monday, Kingsville and Leamington joined all other areas of the province in moving into Stage 2 of Ontario’s reopening plan, allowing services such as restaurants, hair salons and shopping malls to reopen with restrictions.

Quebec records its most cases since late-June

Quebec health officials announced 137 new cases on Thursday, the most in a single day since June 25. It’s also the first time since July 4 that the province has surpassed 100 daily cases.

Of the six COVID-19-related deaths reported on Thursday, two of the victims passed away in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch, while four occurred before July 1.

Of Quebec’s 56,216 cases throughout the pandemic, there are 25,616 people who have recovered, up by 82 since Wednesday. Among the 24,991 active cases that remain, there are 308 people in hospital (down by 23), while 27 patients remain in intensive care.

Montreal remains the epicentre with 27,497 total cases (up by 36), but the spread of COVID-19 continues to gain pace in other parts of the province. The Laurentides region has 3,557 cases (up by 12), Montérégie has 8,057 (up by 52), Outaouais has 615 (up by six) and Capitale-Nationale has 1,865 (up by four).

Quebec’s testing numbers are reflective of its outputs two days prior. In its latest 24-hour stretch, it completed 9,278 tests for COVID-19, which is below its goal of 14,000.

On Thursday, Quebec officials announced that they’re limiting the capacity of bars and nightclubs across the province as infections start to climb, particularly on Montreal’s South Shore. All bars must now be cleared by 1 a.m., while last call will be at midnight, instead of 3 a.m.

The province initially announced it would crack down on venues, after several people in Montérégie tested positive for COVID-19, following a visit to a bar in Brossard and a couple of house parties.

Dr. Horacio Arruda, director of Quebec public health, said that case counts from gatherings at bars are still being determined, but about 66 cases are from the Montérégie area, and about 25 cases are from other locations.

“If we don’t act, those 66 are going to generate another 120, it’s going to be more and more,” said Arruda.

On June 25, the Quebec government allowed the reopening of almost all economic activity sectors, including bars. Festivals and major events, as well as sleepaway camps are still not allowed to continue as normal, as well as sports that involve close-contact fighting.

Three more fatalities in connection to Alberta hospital outbreak

Health officials in Alberta have identified 37 new patients in their latest 24-hour stretch, while three more people have died after contracting COVID-19.

The three fatalities are in relation to the “full facility outbreak” at Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton. Six people have now passed in connection to the outbreak, up by three since Wednesday.

The most recent fatalities involved men in their 70s, 80s and 90s, according to CBC.

There are now 16 patients at the facility in connection to the outbreak, but no new cases were identified in the past 24 hours. One additional staff member has been infected, for a total of 16.

On Wednesday, Misericordia Hospital declared a “full facility outbreak,” which won’t allow them to accept new patients for any reason. Surgeries and outpatient appointments have also been postponed or rescheduled to other locations, while the emergency department has been closed until further notice.

Across the province, there are now 8,519 total cases of COVID-19. That includes 161 people who have passed away and 7,774 recovered patients, an increase of 58 since Wednesday.

Of the 584 active cases that remain, there are 220 in Calgary (down by 10 since Wednesday) and 215 in Edmonton (down by 17). Forty-six people are currently in hospital (down by four), while there remains seven in intensive care.

To date, health officials have completed 507,169 tests for COVID-19 in Alberta, after performing 6,966 tests in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch.

New patient in New Brunswick just as every other case is marked resolved

New Brunswick health officials have identified one new case of COVID-19, just as all of its previous 165 had been resolved. 

The latest case involves an individual between 40-49 years old in the Fredericton region. According to a press release, it is a travel-related case. 

It is now the province’s only active case of COVID-19, and the last one that has been identified since June 23.

On Wednesday, there was a single active case in the Campbellton region, but that person has since recovered. Of New Brunswick’s 166 cases throughout the pandemic, 163 have recovered, and two people have died. There is no one currently in hospital. 

New case linked to cluster in P.E.I.

One new case of COVID-19 has been identified in Prince Edward Island, and is linked to a cluster of cases that appeared over the weekend. 

There are now six active cases in P.E.I., with officials announcing five cases over the July 4-5 weekend. Before the recent stretch, the province hadn’t identified a new case since April 28. By May 8, it had no active cases since all 27 of its patients recovered. There are now 33 total patients in P.E.I. throughout the pandemic.

The latest case is a man in his 20s from P.E.I., who is isolated at home with mild symptoms. He originally tested negative, but started to develop symptoms Wednesday, prompting another test that resulted in a COVID-19 diagnosis, said chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison. 

“It is a close contact, so not community spread,” said Morrison. “And a close contact could include a partner, roommate or close friend. It’s also why we continue with self-isolation for 14 days as a close contact, even if the initial test is negative.”

The cluster of five cases (originally reported July 4) is linked to a man in his 20s who visited Nova Scotia, but didn’t self-isolate upon his return. During his trip, he came into contact with a man who travelled to the United States, but didn’t self-isolate upon his return; his positive diagnosis was announced Monday by Nova Scotia health officials. 

An employee at the Whisperwood Villa seniors home is one of the five cases part of the cluster in P.E.I. Initial testing of all staff and residents came back negative, but Morrison said everyone is currently being retested, a process that is expected to stretch into Friday. 

Of the six active cases in P.E.I., five are part of a cluster. The other involves an essential worker who travelled outside of the Atlantic region, but has self-isolated since his return.

Five new cases in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan health officials have identified five new cases of COVID-19, increasing its total case count to 813. 

Two of the cases were recorded in the South region, and one each in the Saskatoon, Far North and Central regions. 

Of the province’s total cases, there are 750 people who have recovered, an increase of four since Wednesday. Of the 48 active cases, 25 are in the Far North region. Five people are in hospital (up by two), while one person is in intensive care (up by one). 

To date, 71,757 COVID‐19 tests have been performed in Saskatchewan.

July 8

Edmonton hospital declares ‘full facility outbreak’

The Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton has declared a “full facility outbreak” related to COVID-19, after 20 patients and 15 staff members tested positive as of Wednesday morning. 

Three patients have also died after contracting the respiratory virus in connection to the outbreak. According to CBC, who received confirmation from Alberta Health Services, the victims were two men in their 70s and a man in his 80s.

The outbreak first started June 20, and by Monday there were 18 cases among patients, 14 among staff and two deaths. Because of the continued spread of the virus within the facility, the hospital is now imposing stricter restrictions.

No patients will be admitted to the hospital and procedures, such as surgeries and outpatient appointments, will be postponed or rescheduled to other locations. In order to reduce the risk of COVID-19, all adult and child services at the hospital are temporarily closed to incoming patients, including the emergency department. Instead, people will be directed to other city hospitals if they require care.

Arrangements for labouring mothers will be made at Grey Nuns Community Hospital.

Those already admitted within the hospital will continue to receive treatment, while visitors won’t be allowed entry except in end-of-life situations. 

Those who have tested COVID-19 positive are currently being treated in two units in Misericordia, which is run by Catholic health provider Covenant Health.

“Activating the full facility outbreak is necessary at this time to protect patients, staff and physicians. We acknowledge the challenges these additional restrictions create for patients, families, staff and physicians,” said Dr. David Zygun, Medical Director, AHS Edmonton Zone, in a press release.

Ongoing transmission means that this is a necessary step to protect patients, staff and physicians and to ensure that the outbreak can be managed as efficiently and effectively as possible.”

Alberta reports one more death, 46 new cases

Health officials in Alberta have identified 46 new patients in its latest 24-hour stretch, while one more person has died after contracting COVID-19.

The recent update increases its case count to 8,436. That includes 158 people who have passed away and 7,716 recovered patients, an increase of 57 since Tuesday.

Of the 608 active cases that remain, there are 230 in Calgary and 232 in Edmonton. Fifty people are currently in hospital, which includes seven in intensive care.

To date, health officials have completed 500,203 tests for COVID-19 in Alberta.

Second strip club in Vancouver warns of possible COVID-19 exposure

Health officials are warning people that they may been exposed to COVID-19 if they visited Vancouver’s No5 Orange strip club on Canada Day.

“There has been a community exposure event at the No5 Orange nightclub in the Vancouver Coastal Health region. Public health teams have issued an alert for anyone who may have been at the premises on July 1,” said a press release by B.C. health officials on Wednesday. 

The strip club in Vancouver closed Monday after it was made aware of a staff member who had tested positive. The patient is “doing well,” and the club has since been cleared to reopen after “a thorough inspection and talks with multiple officers at Vancouver Coastal Health,” according to No5 Orange’s Instagram account.

People who attended No5 Orange on Canada Day are being asked to monitor for symptoms for 14 days as a precaution. 

“There is no known risk to anyone who attended No5 Orange outside that date. There is no ongoing risk to the community. At this time, there is no evidence that this exposure is linked to recent ones at Brandi’s Exotic Show Lounge or the Hotel Belmont,” said a press release by Vancouver Coastal Health.

It’s the second strip club in Vancouver that has reported a possible COVID-19 exposure to the public. Brandi’s, which has seen been allowed to reopen, had to close its door after multiple guests tested positive following their visits between June 21-25. 

Strip clubs have been permitted to open under British Columbia’s Phase 2, which allowed businesses that serve liquor and food to reopen. Bars and restaurants are able to run at any capacity, just as long as a two-metre physical distance can be maintained between guests.

All businesses have been required to develop a COVID-19 safety plan for hygiene protocols and physical distancing. It’s unclear at this moment what are all the precautions that have been taken by No5 Orange, since its COVID-19 safety plan has not been posted to its website, even though it’s mandatory under a B.C. public health order.

According to the Vancouver Sun, No5 Orange installed Plexiglass around the stage to protect dancers. Staff also scan IDs at the front door to help with contact tracing.

Three more deaths in B.C., total case count surpasses 3,000

Eighteen new cases have been identified, and three more people have died in British Columbia’s latest 24-hour stretch. 

All three recent victims were at the Holy Family Hospital long-term care home in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, increasing B.C.’s death toll to 186. 

There are now 3,008 cases of COVID-19 throughout the pandemic in British Columbia, but that includes 2,660 people who have recovered from the virus. Of the remaining 162 active cases, there are 17 people in hospital, including three in intensive care. 

Ontario reports most daily deaths in almost two weeks, active cases continue to decline

Ontario reported nine fatalities, 118 new cases and 202 recently recovered patients in its latest 24-hour stretch. 

There are now 1,673 active cases in the province, the fewest since March 31.

The recent update to its death toll, which stands at 2,700, is the largest the province has recorded since June 25. 

According to the Ministry of Health, five of the deaths involved residents in long-term care facilities. Of the nine fatalities, eight involved people who were at least 80 years old, and the other was a person between 40-59 years old. 

Among the recently identified 118 new cases are 35 people between the ages of 40-59 years old, the most of any age group. There are also 34 people between the 20-39. Of the province’s newest cases, 93 of them are located in the Greater Toronto Area. The latest patients were identified after the province completed 22,832 tests, which marks the first time this week that it’s performed over 20,000 tests. 

Throughout the pandemic, Ontario has identified 36,178 cases of COVID-19, which includes 31,805 people who have recovered. Of the 1,673 active patients, there are 123 people in hospital (down by eight since Tuesday), which includes 35 people in ICU (up by one) and 26 who require a ventilator (up by two). 

According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there are 26 active outbreaks among facilities around the province (down by four). There remain 144 active cases among residents (down by 16) and 217 among staff (down by 32).

Quebec continues to report victim backlog

Quebec health officials announced 82 new cases of COVID-19 in its latest 24-hour stretch, to go along with 13 fatalities. 

Of the victims, six died in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch, while the other seven passed before June 30, raising Quebec’s death toll to 5,603. 

There are now 56,079 total cases of COVID-19 in Quebec since the start of the pandemic. That includes 25,534 people who have recovered, an increase of 76 since Tuesday. Of the 24,942 active cases that remain, there are 331 people in hospital (down by 16), including 27 in intensive care (up by one). 

Montreal now has 27,461 cases and 3,415 deaths throughout the pandemic, but trends have been worsening around the province. According to Steve Faguy of the Montreal Gazette, the Montreal region has seen a 4.5 per cent increase in COVID-19 cases from June 7 to July 7. The Laurentides region (which now has 3,545 total cases) has seen an increase of 14.1 per cent. The Monteregie (8,005), Outaouais (609) and Capitale-Nationale (1,865) regions have also seen increases of at least nine per cent. 

Quebec’s testing numbers are reflective of its outputs two days prior. In its latest 24-hour stretch, it completed 7,154 tests for COVID-19, which is below its goal of 14,000.

Nova Scotia case involving truck driver

One new case of COVID-19 has been identified in Nova Scotia, involving a truck driver who travelled outside of Canada as an essential worker. 

Of the province’s 1,066 cases, five are now considered active. Sixty-three people have died, while 998 patients have recovered. Nova Scotia had no active cases, but health officials have identified five since June 30. 

There is currently one person in hospital, but their infection is considered resolved. 

On Tuesday, the QEII Health Sciences Centre’s microbiology lab completed 475 tests.

Two new cases in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan health officials have identified two new cases of COVID-19, one in the Saskatoon region and the other in the North. 

Of the province’s now 808 cases, there are 749 people who have recovered, an increase of nine since Tuesday. Of the 47 active cases, 28 are in the Far North region. Three people are in hospital, while no one is in intensive care. 

To date, 70,875 COVID‐19 tests have been performed in Saskatchewan.

July 6

Saskatchewan reports nine new cases

There are nine more cases of COVID-19 in the province, officials announced on Monday. There were three cases in the far north region, one in the north region, one in the central region, two in the Saskatoon area and two in the south region, officials said. Currently, the province has 59 active cases. The death toll remains at 14.

Quebec continues decline in new cases

The province continues to see strong recovery from COVID-19, as its new daily cases remain below 200. Seventy-four new cases were identified on Monday, and three deaths related to COVID-19 were also reported.

Health Minister Christian Dubé reminded owners of bars and nightclubs on Monday that they must comply with regulations, after a spike in Montreal’s South Shore neighbourhood was seen last week.

“If the rules are not respected, we will close your venue,” said Dubé.

Nova Scotia identifies new travel-related case

An individual who was passing through the United States on their way to Prince Edward Island via Nova Scotia was identified as being positive for COVID-19 when they arrived. They are now in a 14-day quarantine period in the province.

This latest case brings Nova Scotia to 1,065 cases of COVID-19, including 63 people who have died, and four cases that are considered currently active.

No newly-reported deaths in Ontario

On Monday, the province reported that the death toll related to COVID-19 remained flat at 2,689. It’s the first time there have been zero reported deaths in a day for Ontario since March.

The Ministry of Health did report 154 new cases, however, a slight increase compared to the amount of cases Ontario had recorded a day before. Most of the new cases were in the Toronto and Peel regions. Today, 29 of Ontario’s 34 public health units reported fewer than five new cases, including Windsor-Essex, which was recently the focus of scrutiny due to a farm-related outbreak. Only Toronto, Peel and York regions reported more than ten new cases.

The number of Ontario residents who require hospital care continues to decline. There are 118 people in hospital with the COVID-19 virus, with 36 in intensive care and 21 requiring ventilators.

There are 34 long-term care homes in the province with an active outbreak, one fewer than the day before.

July 5

Two new cases in P.E.I. linked to man who didn’t self-isolate

Two more COVID-19 cases have been identified in Prince Edward Island, and are linked to a man in his 20s who didn’t self-isolate after returning to the province.

There are now five active cases in P.E.I., with officials announcing three cases on Saturday. Before this weekend, the province hadn’t identified a new case since April 28. By May 8, it had no active cases since all 27 of its patients recovered. 

The two new patients are also in their 20s, and are close-contacts of an asymptomatic individual who travelled to Nova Scotia, where he was in contact with a someone who was recently in the U.S.

Chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison said that the man made the trip to Nova Scotia for personal reasons on June 26, and returned June 29, but didn’t self-isolate. 

“They were supposed to be self-isolating because they had returned from Nova Scotia, and, certainly, that was prior to the [Atlantic] bubble,” Morrison said.

“Their contacts were very limited … they had five close contacts identified and those are the ones that we tested yesterday and two came back positive.”

The Atlantic bubble came into effect Friday, July 3. It allows the residents of the four Atlantic provinces to visit other places within the region without self-isolating for 14 days. 

Morrison said on Saturday that the province administered 406 swab tests, which is a record high for P.E.I. 

That included the testing of 129 residents and 140 staff at the Whisperwood Villa,  a privately owned nursing and community-care home in Charlottetown. Each test came back negative, but everyone will be tested again this week. All but four or five staff and two residents were tested yesterday, said Morrison. 

The wide-spread testing at the seniors home was completed after an employee tested positive. The woman in her 20s, who has shown symptoms, is a close contact of the man who recently travelled to Nova Scotia. 

“At this point there is no evidence of community spread of COVID-19 in our province, and the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in the province remains low,” said Morrison.

The other case that was identified by health officials on Saturday involves an essential worker in his 50s, who recently travelled outside of the region, but has self-isolated since returning. There are now 32 total cases in the province, and five of them are active.

Nova Scotia currently has three active cases, with the last one reported July 2. Health officials in both provinces are now working together to limit and track the spread of the virus.

Ontario matches its fewest daily deaths in months

For the second time this week, Ontario has reported two daily fatalities related to COVID-19. 

Before the recent stretch, it had not recorded two or fewer deaths since March 30. According to the Ministry of Health, one of the fatalities involved a long-term care home resident and the other was a person who was 40-59 years old. 

The update increases Ontario’s death toll to 2,689.

On Sunday, the province also announced 138 new cases of COVID-19, after completing 23,792 tests. Among the recently identified patients, 60 of them are between 20-39 years old, the most of any age group. The Greater Toronto Area is home to 87 of the 138 new cases.

Of its 35,794 cases throughout the pandemic, 31,266 have been marked as resolved, an increase of 183 since Saturday. Of the 1,839 active cases that remain in Ontario, there are 139 people in hospital (down by 11), which includes 39 people in intensive care and 23 who require a ventilator (down by three).

Only one death in past 24 hours in Quebec

Quebec reported 79 new cases and eight fatalities, increasing its total to 55,863 and 5,574, respectively. 

Of the deaths, one occurred in the past 24 hours, while the other seven patients died before June 27. 

Health officials have not yet indicated how many people have recovered from the virus as of Sunday. On Saturday, they said at least 25,280 cases have been resolved.

Of the active cases that remain in the province, there are 371 people in hospital (down by four since Saturday), which includes 26 people in intensive care (down by one). 

The Montreal region has 27,417 of those cases (up by 17) and 3,406 deaths (up by two). According to CTV News, the highest daily increase in cases of any Quebec region was in Monteregie, which identified 22 new cases for a total of 7,928. 

Quebec’s testing numbers are reflective of its outputs two days prior. In its latest 24-hour stretch, it completed 7,902 tests for COVID-19, which is below its goal of 14,000.

July 4

Quebec reports its most daily cases this week

There are now 24,938 active cases of COVID-19 in Quebec, after health officials reported 102 new cases, 122 recoveries and six deaths. 

Of the fatalities, three occurred in the province’s latest 24 hour stretch, while three occurred before June 26. 

The 102 new cases are the most the province has announced since June 25, which was also the last time Quebec reported triple-digits for daily cases. 

Of the active cases that remain in the province, there are 375 people in hospital, which includes 27 people in intensive care. Of the 55,784 cases throughout the pandemic in Quebec, 25,280 have been resolved, while the death toll stands at 5,566. The Montreal region has 27,400 of those cases and 3,406 deaths. 

Quebec’s testing numbers are reflective of its outputs two days prior. In its latest 24-hour stretch, it completed 7,917 tests for COVID-19, which is below its goal of 14,000.

P.E.I. reports first cases in months

Prince Edward Island health officials have identified three new cases of COVID-19, marking the first day the province has recorded any cases in months.

One of the cases involves an employee at a seniors home. 

P.E.I. last announced a case on April 28, and by May 8, it had no active cases since all 27 of its original patients recovered.  

“This is disappointing news, but we’ve said consistently that we need to be prepared for more cases, and we are,” said chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison on Saturday. 

Morrison said that the cases are not related to either seasonal residents or the Atlantic bubble, which has allowed the residents of the four Atlantic provinces to visit other places within the region without self-isolating as of Friday.

The three new patients involve a man in his 50s who is an essential worker. He recently travelled outside of the region, but has self-isolated since returning.

“Any Canadian citizen is able to travel back to their home … regardless of where they live,” said Premier Dennis King.

The two other cases involve a man and a woman in their 20s, and officials believe they are related, said Morrison.

The man returned from P.E.I. from Nova Scotia on June 29, and had contact with someone from the United States. The other case involves an employee of the Whisperwood Villa seniors home in Charlottetown. 

The Whisperwood Villa employee did not have provide direct personal care to any of the residents. As of Saturday, no residents are showing new symptoms of COVID-19, while everyone at the facility is being tested for COVID-19. Morrison also advised anyone who visited June 30 to be tested. 

“She did wear appropriate PPE while working, and does not provide direct personal care to residents. She left work as soon as she wasn’t feeling well,” said Morrison, while noting that she is currently still experiencing symptoms.

King said contact tracing is underway, and that he will wait for the results before changing COVID-19 restrictions in the province. It’s currently in Phase 4 of its reopening plan, which started June 26.

Whisperwood Villa has cancelled indoor and outdoor visits until further notice, along with communal dining. Temperature checks will also increase to twice a day. 

Of the Atlantic provinces, Newfoundland and Labrador is the only one with no active cases. There remains one in New Brunswick and three in Nova Scotia.

Ontario reports its fewest daily cases this week

Ontario reported 121 new cases, 174 recoveries and five COVID-19 related fatalities in its latest 24-hour stretch. 

It’s the second fewest daily cases the province has recorded since March 25, only behind the 111 patients it reported June 26. 

Of the 121 recently identified cases, 72 of them were identified in the Greater Toronto Area. In Ontario, 48 of the patients were between the ages of 40-59, the most of any age groups. There were also 43 patients between the ages of 20-39. 

Of the province’s 35,656 cases throughout the pandemic, there are now 1,886 that are currently active, since 31,083 have been resolved. The death toll now stands at 2,687. 

Of the active cases, there are 150 people in hospital (down by five since Friday), which includes 39 in intensive care (down by one) and 26 who require a ventilator (up by one). 

According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there are 36 active outbreaks around the province. Among the active cases, there are 165 residents (down by two), and 263 staff members (down by 24). Throughout the pandemic, 1821 residents have died (up by four), and seven staff. 

July 3

Thirteen new cases in B.C., outbreak declared over

British Columbia’s most fatal long-term care outbreak has been declared over by Fraser Health officials.

COVID-19 was first detected at the facility on March 31, after a staff member had tested positive. The outbreak didn’t result in fatalities, and and was declared over in mid-April. The respiratory virus was identified at the facility for a second time on April 28, leading to 25 reported deaths out of 51 resident cases.

Fifteen staff members have also tested positive throughout the pandemic.

On Friday, British Columbia health officials announced 13 new cases of COVID-19, but no new fatalities in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch. 

Of its 2,947 cases throughout the pandemic, 177 people have died, while 2,608 people have recovered. 

Six previously reported cases have been removed from B.C.’s total, since they were identified as residents of another province and will be reported in their home province. 

Of the remaining 162 active cases, there are 19 people in hospital and two in intensive care. 

No new health-care facility or community outbreaks have been declared in the past 24 hours.

Outbreak continues to grow in Alberta’s South zone

The South zone now has 73 active cases, after 24 new cases were identified since Thursday.

The spread of COVID-19 has been strongest in the County of Warner, which has 39 cases after adding 18 new patients. Health officials are investigating whether a funeral for three teen girls is one of the main reasons for the spread of the virus, according to CTV News.

On Friday, 57 new cases of COVID-19 were announced throughout the province, increasing Alberta’s total to 8,259.

No new fatalities were reported in its latest 24-hour stretch, with the death toll remaining at 155. Of its total cases, which were identified after 470,809 completed tests, there are 7,532 people who have recovered from the virus.

Of the 572 active cases that remain in the province, 216 are in the Calgary zone (down by six since Thursday) and 240 (up by seven) are in the Edmonzon zone. Forty-two people are in hospital (down by two), which includes nine in intensive care (up by one). 

Ontario sees lowest increase in deaths in months

For the first time since late March, only two COVID-19-related deaths were reported by the province.

On Friday, health officials also announced 165 new cases of COVID-19.

“Locally, 31 of the province’s 34 public health units — every unit except Toronto, Peel and York — are reporting five or fewer cases, with 14 of them reporting no new cases at all,” Christine Elliott, Ontario’s deputy premier and minister of health, said on Twitter.

Elliott also touted that with 179 more people considered recovered from the virus, there are 14 fewer active cases in the province today than yesterday.

Many of the active cases in the province are in long-term care facilities: there are currently 44 active outbreaks in Ontario’s LTCs, with 167 active cases among residents and 287 active cases among staff.

Another area of focus for the province has been a greenhouse in the Windsor-Essex area, which was shut down on Thursday. Almost 200 migrant workers have tested positive for the virus at the facility. The medical officer for the region issued a Section 22 order under the Health Protection and Promotion Act. The order forces the workers to be isolated, and prohibits work at the greenhouse until further notice.

Saskatchewan’s epicentre adds another case 

One new case of COVID-19 has been identified in Saskatchewan, increasing its total to 796. 

The latest patient is in the Far North, which is home to 40 of the province’s 71 active cases. 

Four people are in hospital, including three in intensive care. Of its total cases, there are 711 patients who have recovered from the respiratory virus. 

To date, 67,791 COVID‐19 tests have been performed in Saskatchewan.

Quebec sees slight increase in cases, deaths

After a declining trend in the number of cases reported in Quebec, there was a slight increase on Friday. There are 89 cases that have been identified today, and 19 deaths related to COVID-19. It’s the most new cases in a week, and the second-most deaths in the same period.

New Brunswick releases information about travel-related case

While no new cases were reported by the province on Friday, health officials did announce they had case information for an individual who was identified as positive for COVID-19 on June 29.

Previously it was announced the individual had travelled on June 18, but in fact they were on the June 19 Air Canada flight AC 295 from Winnipeg to Vancouver. Anyone sitting in rows 19 to 25 could potentially have been affected. Anyone who was on flight AC 122 from Vancouver to Toronto on June 21 in rows 31 to 37 is also said to be at risk of exposure.

Those who may be at risk are advised to self-isolate for 14 days. Anyone on the flights outside of the affected rows should monitor for symptoms.

July 2

Ontario farm hit hard by COVID-19

Migrant workers at an Ontario farm are experiencing an outbreak in the Windsor-Essex region. There are 191 workers on the farm who are currently infected with COVID-19.

Premier Doug Ford, who refused to name the business, said migrant workers “hid” to avoid being tested, which has hindered health officials’ efforts to address the outbreak.

“All the workers went and hid,” he said. “That’s why my emphasis to the workers is nothing’s going to happen. We’re here, Ontario is here, to help you.”

Ford said there were fears among migrant workers at the farm that they wouldn’t be paid, or sent back to their home countries if they tested positive. Only three or four workers at the farm co-operated with health officials who showed up to do more testing.

On Thursday, a total of 153 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Ontario. There have also been four more deaths.

Case identified among temporary foreign workers in Nova Scotia

One new case of COVID-19 has been identified in Nova Scotia, marking the third straight day that health officials have diagnosed a patient. 

“The new case is an individual who is in Nova Scotia as a temporary foreign worker. They have been self-isolating since arriving in the province, as required. The likely source of infection for this case, as well as the two previously announced this week, is from travel outside of Canada,” said a press release by health officials. 

Before the recent stretch, all of its initial 1,061 cases had been resolved, leaving no active COVID-19 patients in the province. 

The latest update increases its total case count to 1,064, which includes 63 people who have died, and 998 recovered patients. To date, Nova Scotia health officials have also performed 53,994 negative test results.

Presumptive case identified in Nunavut

After a false positive case earlier this year, the territory may have its first case of COVID-19 since the pandemic began in Canada.

On Thursday, a worker at Mary River Mine on Baffin Island was tested as part of routine screening of all workers, and was identified as a probable case. Confirmation is likely to come early next week.

One more death in Saskatchewan

A person with COVID-19 has died in the province, bringing the provincial total number of COVID-19-related deaths to 14. There were also ten new cases reported on Thursday, as the total number of cases diagnosed in the province reached 795.

Quebec reports 14 more deaths

There were 69 new daily cases reported on Thursday by Quebec health officials, the third fewest since late-March. Fourteen more deaths were also announced, increasing the death toll to 5541. In hospital, 411 people are under care for COVID-19 including 32 in intensive care.

Timelines of cases prior to July