The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada (all times eastern):
6:30 p.m.
British Columbia passed a grim marker in its fight against COVID-19 Monday as the death toll in the province surpassed 1,000, with 22 more deaths recorded over the weekend.
The province’s top doctor says now is not the time to ease up on efforts to curb the spread.
Dr. Bonnie Henry says 1,475 new cases have been detected over the last three days, while outbreaks are ongoing in 50 long-term care homes and 10 acute care units.
The number of active infections in B.C. has dipped to 5,220 and nearly 60,000 people had been vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Sunday.
Henry says the province has used almost all of its doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, but a new shipment will arrive later this week.
—
6 p.m.
Alberta is reporting 639 new cases of COVID-19 and 23 additional deaths.
There are 811 people in hospital, and 130 of those are in intensive care.
The province says that as of yesterday, 46,791 health-care workers and residents in care homes have received vaccinations.
Premier Jason Kenney says paramedics and emergency medical technicians are now on the list of those eligible for shots.
—
3:55 p.m.
With no new cases of COVID-19 for two weeks, Nunavut says it will lift lockdown measures in Arviat and Whale Cove.
Starting tomorrow, schools, businesses and government offices can open in both communities.
Travel to and from those communities will also be unrestricted, but chief public health officer Dr. Michael Patterson says non-essential travel is still not recommended.
Patterson says it will still take until the end of January for Arviat’s outbreak to officially be declared over.
Arviat, a community of about 2,800, had Nunavut’s biggest outbreak of COVID-19, with 222 cases.
Arviat has been under a strict lockdown since Nov. 18.
—
2:45 p.m.
Saskatchewan is reporting 412 new cases of COVID-19.
Health officials say eight more residents have died.
All of them were 30 and older.
There are 197 people in hospital, with 31 people receiving intensive care.
As of today, the province reports more than 8,900 doses of vaccine having been administered.
—
1:45 p.m.
Nova Scotia is reporting five new cases of COVID-19 today and now has 26 active cases.
Two cases are in the Halifax area and are related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada, including a student at Dalhousie University in Halifax who lives off campus.
Two cases are in the northern health zone and the remaining case is in the western zone and is also related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada — a student who lives on campus at Acadia University in Wolfville.
—
1:45 p.m.
New Brunswick is reporting 21 new cases of COVID-19.
Health officials say the province has 204 active infections and that one person is in hospital with the disease.
Chief medical officer of health Dr. Jennifer Russell says the province has reported a total of 800 cases since the pandemic began.
She says more than 1,700 New Brunswickers are in isolation because of contact with positive cases of COVID-19.
—
1:35 p.m.
Manitoba is reporting 133 new COVID-19 cases and three additional deaths.
Chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin says the numbers have dropped in recent days and show that public health restrictions are working.
The province last week decided to extend restrictions on public gatherings and store openings until Jan. 22.
—
12:30 p.m.
The latest figures from the Public Health Agency of Canada indicate that as of Sunday night, there have been 660,289 reported cases of COVID-19 since the outset of the pandemic, including 16,950 deaths.
There were 84,567 active infections, with a daily average of 7,672 new cases across Canada from Jan. 1 to Jan. 7.
During the same period, an average of 4,336 people with COVID-19 were being treated in hospital, including 811 in intensive care.
The federal agency says COVID-19 is spreading rapidly among all ages groups, but says the infection rate remains highest for people aged 80 and older, who are also at the highest risk from the disease.
—
12 p.m.
Ontario’s cabinet is to consider new measures tonight to fight skyrocketing rates of COVID-19, but a curfew is not one of them.
The discussion over additional restrictions is to take place as the province reported more than 5,000 deaths from the virus.
Premier Doug Ford says residents can expect an announcement on Tuesday regarding new measures.
Senior government sources with knowledge of the measures being considered are confirming that an overnight curfew has not been recommended by public health officials.
—
11 a.m.
Quebec is reporting 1,869 new cases of COVID-19 and 51 more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus, including 18 within the previous 24 hours.
Health authorities said today hospitalizations rose by 56, to 1,436, and 211 people were in intensive care, a rise of eight.
The province says 8,400 doses of vaccine were administered yesterday, for a total of 92,452.
Quebec has reported 230,690 cases of COVID-19 and 8,737 deaths linked to the virus since the beginning of the pandemic.
—
10:30 a.m.
More than 5,000 Ontarians have died from COVID-19.
The province reported 29 additional deaths this morning attributed to the novel coronavirus, along with 3,338 new infections.
That brings the total number of reported deaths linked to the virus to 5,012.
The province says 1,563 people are hospitalized with the disease, with 387 people in intensive care and 268 on ventilators.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 11, 2021.
The Canadian Press