More than 4,500 active patients, 9,000 deaths nationwide

Yahoo News Canada is committed to providing our readers with the most accurate and recent information on all things coronavirus. We know things change quickly, including some possible information in this story. For the latest on COVID-19, we encourage our readers to consult online resources like Canada’s public health website, World Health Organization, as well as our own Yahoo Canada homepage.

4,593 active COVID-19 cases in Canada: 122,087 diagnoses, 9,026 deaths and 108,484 recoveries (as of Aug. 17, 10:30 a.m. ET)

  • Alberta – 1,036 active cases (12,053 total cases, including 221 deaths, 10,796 resolved)

  • British Columbia – 629 active cases (4,358 total cases, 196 deaths, 3,533 resolved)

  • Manitoba – 205 active cases (697 total cases, 9 deaths, 483 resolved)

  • New Brunswick -15 active cases (186 cases, 2 deaths, 169 resolved)

  • Newfoundland and Labrador – 2 active cases (268 total cases, 3 deaths, 263 resolved)

  • Northwest Territories – 0 active cases (5 total cases, 5 resolved)

  • Nova Scotia – 3 active cases (1,072 total cases, 64 deaths 1,007 resolved)

  • Ontario – 920 active cases (40,745 total cases, 2,789 deaths, 37,036 resolved)

  • Prince Edward Island – 5 active cases (41 total cases, 36 resolved)

  • Quebec –  1,584 active cases (61,151 total cases, 5,720 deaths, 53,847 resolved)

  • Saskatchewan – 193 active cases (1,580 total cases, 22 deaths, 1,365 resolved)

  • Yukon – 0 active cases (15 total cases, 15 resolved)

  • Nunavut – 0 active cases (4 false positive cases)

  • CFB Trenton – 0 active cases (13 total cases, 13 resolved)

Authorities have been working to contain the spread of COVID-19, with Canadians having contracted the virus from travel to other countries, human-to-human transmission, as well as community spread.

Of the over 120,000 cases that been diagnosed nationwide, at least 107,000 of them have been resolved, meaning those people are no longer considered infectious. As cases of COVID-19 decline across the country, Yahoo News Canada will focus on reporting “active cases” to put into context our current situation.

Timeline of coronavirus cases in Canada August 2020

Aug. 17

Ontario reported 99 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24-hour reporting period, keeping it just below the goal of fewer than 100 new cases daily. The province also reported 83 recoveries, brining the number of people who have recovered from COVID-19 in Ontario to 37,036. This means there is a 90.9 per cent recovery rate in the province. The majority of new cases were people between the ages of 20 and 39.

Aug. 16

Ontario is reporting 81 new cases of COVID-19 and no new deaths related to the virus. The total number of cases now stands at 40,646, which includes 2,789 deaths and 36,953 cases marked as resolved.

Saskatchewan has now recorded 22 deaths of people who were diagnosed with COVID-19, as on Sunday, the province announced another person with the virus had died — the second one this weekend. Alongside the death, the province is also reporting 15 new cases, bringing the provincial total of COVID-19 cases recorded in the province to 1,580.

Thirty-six new cases of COVID-19 were announced in Manitoba on Sunday. The update brings the total number of active cases in the province to 205. Meanwhile, two cases of COVID-19 previously identified in Manitoba have been removed. One was confirmed to be an out-of-province case, while another was deemed to not be a case of COVID-19, the bulletin said.

New Brunswick reported two new cases of COVID-19 Sunday. The two new cases are in the Moncton area and are related to international travel. They affect one individual under the age of 10 and one between 10 and 19. They are self-isolating. Both are related to two cases that were announced Saturday in the Moncton area. 

Quebec is reporting 67 new COVID-19 infections and one death linked to the virus. The province’s Health Department reports 149 patients in hospital, with 25 in intensive care.

Aug .15

Quebec is reporting 80 new cases of COVID-19 and one additional death linked to the novel coronavirus. The Health Department did not register a death in the past 24 hours, but did add one that occurred between Aug. 8 and Aug. 13. The number of hospitalizations dropped by two to 149. Of those, the number of patients in intensive care remained unchanged at 25. Authorities say 53,709 people have recovered from the disease. There were 111 recoveries.

Ontario is reporting a slight uptick in the number of new COVID-19 cases as it records more than 100 new infections for the first time in four days. Health officials confirmed an additional 106 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Saturday after 92 new cases were reported on Friday and 78 new cases were reported on Thursday. The province also stated that one more person has died of COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths in Ontario to 2,789.

The government of Saskatchewan is reporting the 21st death from COVID-19 in Saskatchewan as of Saturday. The person was in the south central zone and was in the 80 to 89 age range according to Saturday’s update. The government said there were 25 new cases of COVID-19 in the province as of Saturday. Of the 189 active cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan, 123 are in communal living settings. The province said nine more people recovered in Saturday’s update, bringing the provincial recovery total to 1,356.

A Manitoba man in his 80s with COVID-19 has died, marking the province’s ninth fatality connected to the illness. The man was from the City of Portage la Prairie health district and was in intensive care, the province said in a news bulletin on Saturday. Twenty new cases of the illness were also announced in Manitoba on Saturday, bringing the province’s active caseload to 211.

Four new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in New Brunswick on Saturday. Two of the cases, individuals between 40-49, are located in the Moncton region and are related to international travel. The other two cases are individuals under the age of 10 and are located in the Fredericton region. They are close contacts of a previously identified case.

Nova Scotia reported two new positive COVID-19 tests on Saturday, bringing the total number of active cases in the province to three. The new cases are in the Nova Scotia Health Authority’s northern zone, an area that includes Colchester-East Hants, Cumberland and Pictou areas.

Aug. 14

Manitoba records its largest spike in COVID-19 cases

Forty new cases of COVID-19 were identified in Manitoba’s latest 24-hour stretch, which marks the province’s biggest increase in cases throughout the pandemic.

Health officials also reported 40 new cases on April 2, but according to online data by Manitoba Health, there were in fact 33 cases identified in that 24-hour period.

There are now 246 currently active patients in the province, which is a new record-high. Earlier this week, Manitoba surpassed the 200-active case mark for the first time.

Of the 40 latest cases, 25 of them were identified in Prairie Mountain Health region, 10 in the Winnipeg health region, and five in Southern Health.

Chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin said there are some travel-related cases in Winnipeg, but that the majority of cases in that region and the Prairie Mountain Health region appear to be linked to close contacts. There is also evidence of community spread in Winnipeg, as well as in Brandon in Prairie Mountain Health, which means that officials are unable to identify a clear source of infection.

“We’ve seen cases earlier this month that have had 25 plus contacts,” said Roussin. “So these are indications that we’re starting to lose track of our fundamentals.”

Roussin encourages people to wear masks and limit gatherings, instead of relying on the government to impose restrictions.

“This virus is another year or two at least. So we can’t continually rely on massive shutdowns to get through this.”

The Brandon area currently has 90 active cases of COVID-19, with 39 cases linked to a business in Manitoba’s second largest city. Previous reporting has identified that business as the Maple Leaf Foods pork processing facility, which continues to remain open as health officials claim that there is still no indication COVID-19 is being spread within the facility.

The United Food and Commercial Workers union Local 832, which represents about 2,000 employees at Maple Leaf Foods plant, called for a halt to production until all staff are tested, according to The Canadian Press. This week, Maple Leaf announced it has partnered with the City of Brandon in order to make masks available to everyone in the community.

Throughout the pandemic, Manitoba has had 643 cases of COVID-19. That includes 389 individuals who have recovered and eight deaths.

On July 14, the province came very close to having no active cases. That day, after all of its initial patients had recovered, health officials diagnosed five other people. Since then, Manitoba has seen its curb trend upwards.

Over 500 people may have been exposed to COVID-19 at Toronto strip club after employee tests positive

Toronto Public Health officials are warning that approximately 550 individuals may have been exposed to COVID-19 at strip club Brass Rail Tavern. 

An employee of the venue, located at 701 Yonge St., has recently tested positive for the respiratory virus. Officials are now warning that people who attended the strip club between these dates and times may have been exposed:

  • Aug. 4 from 7:00 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. (Aug. 5)

  • Aug. 5 from 8:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. (Aug. 6)

  • Aug. 7 from 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. (Aug. 8)

  • Aug. 8 from 7:00 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. (Aug. 9)

Anyone who did visit during these times and dates is being asked to monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms for the 14 days after their last visit. They do not need to self-isolate, unless they do develop symptoms. 

Toronto Public Health has been notifying individuals directly who provided their name and contact information in the establishment’s contact tracing log. Contact tracing logs were one of the additional new health measures that were introduced July 31 for restaurants and bars, when Toronto and Peel joined most of the province in Stage 3 of reopening. 

Dr. Vinita Dubey of Toronto Public Health said to CTV News Toronto said that upon inspection, the Brass Rail Tavern wasn’t following physical distancing protocols between tables, as well as for staff and patrons, and its visitor log was incomplete. In some cases, Dubey suggested that some patrons didn’t provide their real contact info upon entry.

“We have issued them a notice of non-compliance and we will be going back today for another inspection,” Dubey said.

Brass Rail Tavern did not respond to Yahoo News Canada’s request for comment in time for publication. They remain open as of Friday.

According to Toronto Public Health, there is currently no risk to anyone who attended Brass Rail Tavern outside of these times and dates. Toronto Public Health has followed up with all known close contacts of the employee and asked these individuals to self-isolate for two weeks and also get tested. It’s unclear how many close contacts the employee had at this moment.

“I just hope the result of all the follow up that Toronto Public Health is doing proves that nobody contracted the virus from that person,” Toronto Mayor John Tory said.

Brass Rail Tavern is now working with Toronto Public Health to ensure that all COVID-19 Stage 3 reopening procedures are in place.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford also commented on the situation at his latest COVID-19 briefing on Friday. He suggested the approximately 550 people should get tested.

“You got to practice social distancing, you got to put on a mask,” Ford said. “I know it sounds ironic … but you have to, it’s like any other business … we’re going to treat them like any other business.”

Nova Scotia is no longer COVID-19 free

Health officials in Nova Scotia have identified one new case of COVID-19, involving an individual in the province’s northern zone.

It’s the only active case in the province, and no other information on the patient has been made available at this time.

All of Nova Scotia’s other remaining patients had recovered by Aug. 10. The latest case is also the first one to be announced by health officials since Aug. 2.

There are now no provinces in Canada with zero active cases. All three territories are COVID-19 free, after Yukon’s remaining two patients recovered by Thursday.

Throughout the pandemic, Nova Scotia has had 1,072 patients. That includes 64 people who have died after contracting the respiratory virus, and 1,007 resolved cases. Currently, there is no one in hospital.

COVID-19 updates from provinces, territories around Canada

Ontario reported 92 new cases of COVID-19 and one additional death on Friday. Toronto has included its data from the past two days, which has resulted in 30 new cases. Seventeen more patients were also identified in Peel, while all the other 32 public health units reported fewer than 10 new patients. Eighty-three more people have recovered from the virus, meaning there are now 899 active cases in the province, while the death toll stands at 2,788.

Eighty-seven new cases of COVID-19 were identified in Quebec, while the province has now recorded fewer than 100 cases on four of the last five occasions. Before the recent stretch, it had not done so since July 10. Three more deaths were also added to its death toll, but they occurred between Aug. 7-12. There are now 1,688 active cases in the province, since 157 more patients have recovered from the virus.

No new cases were identified in Newfoundland and Labrador or New Brunswick, but they have two and nine active cases, respectively. Prince Edward Island health officials did not provide an update Friday, but as of Thursday there are five active cases in the province, which were all identified this week.

Saskatchewan identified 30 new cases in its latest 24-hour stretch, all among “communal living settings.” Twenty-two more people have also recovered, meaning there are now 174 active cases in the province. Of those active cases, 108 of them are in communal living settings throughout Saskatchewan.

Eighty-four new cases of COVID-19 were identified in Alberta, while a woman in her 60s from the south zone, who was not living in a continuing care facility, has passed away. The update increases the death toll to 221, while there is still the same amount of active cases as a day before. Of those 1,336 patients, 497 are in the Edmonton zone and 305 are in the Calgary zone. In positive news, the outbreak at the Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton has been declared over, after it was linked to 58 cases, including 11 patient deaths. 

British Columbia health officials announced 84 new cases of COVID-19, as its concerning upward trend continues. The province has now recorded at least 70 cases over each of the past three days; before the recent stretch, it had not done so since April 25. There are now 629 active cases in the province, which is the most since May 7. One new outbreak has also been declared in the acute care section of a long-term care facility in New Westminster, B.C.

No new cases were reported across Canada’s three territories, while Nunavut remains the only jurisdiction to not have had a confirmed positive case throughout the pandemic. The Northwest Territories have zero active cases, and so does Yukon after its two remaining cases were marked resolved on Thursday.

Aug. 13

B.C. reports its worst ever two-day stretch, “upward trajectory that is concerning”

British Columbia health officials announced 78 new COVID-19 patients on Thursday, a day after they had recorded 85 cases. 

The 163 cases are the most the province has ever reported in a two-day stretch since the start of the pandemic. 

In B.C., there have been 4,274 total cases of COVID-19. Of those, 3,500 people have recovered, while 578 are now considered active, the most since May 8.

On Thursday, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry shared data that illustrates the worrisome trends that have been developing in the province over the last few weeks.

“What this shows us is that we are on an upward trajectory that is concerning,” said Henry. “But it’s not a predictive model, it doesn’t tell us what’s going to happen. It tells us what can happen. Right now we have it within our ability to make the changes we need to bend that curve back down.”

Credit: B.C. Ministry of Health
Credit: B.C. Ministry of Health

Henry said that the province is most likely near the 70 per cent normal contact rate scenario. According to CBC, officials advised residents to keep contacts to 60 per cent or lower when the province entered Phase 3 of its reopening plan in late June.

The province’s top doctor advises people to continue to wear masks, stay away from others when sick, and to not attend areas with large numbers of people in order to limit contacts.

Credit: B.C. Ministry of Health
Credit: B.C. Ministry of Health

Most new patients in B.C. are now linked to local cases and known clusters, compared to earlier stages of the pandemic when there was a higher proportion of people who were believed to have been infected due to international travel.

The age demographics have also changed.

“We started to see a rapid increase in the last few weeks in younger people,” said Henry. “That’s reflected in some of the numbers that we’re seeing as well as the discussion we’ve had over the last few weeks of exposure events, particularly social events, parties and get-togethers where younger people are coming together and the virus is being spread.”

Credit: B.C. Ministry of Health
Credit: B.C. Ministry of Health

The portion of cases has shifted among age demographics. During Phase 1 of B.C.’s reopening plan, there was a spike in cases in association with long-term care homes. In Phase 2, health officials saw an increase in cases linked to workplaces, since there were outbreaks among areas such as poultry plants and correctional facilities. Now in Phase 3, there’s been a spike in cases related to increased social gatherings, and subsequently among younger people.

Among those between 20-39, “other known exposures” have been behind the spike during Phase 3 of the province’s reopening plan. Henry said that it refers to places like bars, clubs, parties and social events.

Credit: B.C. Ministry of Health
Credit: B.C. Ministry of Health

“I want to make it clear that this weekend, if you have banquet halls or private parties that take place, you will see Environmental Health Officers, and people in public health. It’s our expectation that the limits on the number of people at parties will be in place this weekend,” said B.C. health minister Adrian Dix. “We are going to ensure that expectations are followed everywhere. Should it not be followed, inevitably, consequences must follow.”

In B.C., all event organizers are ordered to limit all public gatherings larger than 50 people, which includes those both indoors and outdoors.

Exposures due to gatherings have been a key concern for B.C. ever since two hotel parties around Canada Day in Kelowna led to dozens of cases around the province, as well as possible exposure warnings for a variety of businesses. Officials continue to ask B.C. residents to check the growing list of public exposure warnings as part of contact tracing efforts.

There are currently 1,878 people who are in self-isolation and are being actively monitored because they’ve been exposed to someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

On Thursday, Henry also shared data that showed how racialized people have been hit harder by the pandemic than white people in terms of work stability and health-care, among other factors.

“What this shows all of us is that this pandemic has created incredible uncertainty, anxiety and many challenges, but the challenges have not been shared equally,” Henry said. “We know it has differentially impacted those of lower economic status, people in racialized communities and we now have to look at how we can support communities across B.C.”

For more data on how the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected people of colour, please click here.

Updates from the rest of the provinces

Ontario announced 78 new cases of COVID-19, but the Ministry of Health also noted that Toronto Public Health’s statistics were not part of the daily update. The region has had the most cases throughout the pandemic of the province’s 34 public health units. The update continues Ontario’s trend of reporting fewer than 100 cases, which it has now done on 10 of the last 11 daily reports. For the third day of the last four, no deaths were added to Ontario’s total COVID-19-related death toll of 2,787. The province’s active case count is now 891, since 99 additional patients have recovered from the respiratory virus. According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there are now only three long-term care residents with active cases of COVID-19 and 34 staff members, while 14 LTCs have active outbreaks. 

Quebec has broken its three-day stretch of reporting fewer than 100 cases, after health officials identified 104 new COVID-19 patients. Before the recent stretch, it had not recorded fewer than 100 cases since July 10. No one has died in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch, but officials have added six more fatalities from days prior. One-hundred seventy-one more people have also recovered in Quebec, meaning there are now 1,761 active cases throughout the province.

There remain no active cases in Nova Scotia, after all of its patients recovered by Aug. 10. Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador also did not report any new patients on Thursday, but there remain five and two active cases in the provinces, respectively.

For the third straight day, New Brunswick announced new COVID-19 patients. The two latest cases involve temporary foreign workers who arrived in Moncton and began immediately self-isolating upon arrival, according to a press release. One of the cases is in their 30s, and the other in their 50s. Health officials also announced that the case reported on Wednesday is now considered recovered, which means there are now nine active cases in the province.

Manitoba’s upward case trends continues, this time with 25 new cases of COVID-19. Twelve of the cases are in the Prairie Mountain Health region, seven in Winnipeg health region and six in Southern Health. There are now 218 active cases in the province, which is a record-high.

Saskatchewan reported 27 new cases of COVID-19, with 22 of them of them among Hutterite communities throughout the province. Eleven more people have recovered, meaning there are now 166 active cases in the province, which is still up by 16 compared to Wednesday. Of those currently infected patients, there are 40 in the Regina zone, 36 in South West, and 29 each in the South Central and Saskatoon zones. Ninety-five of the active cases are among Hutterite colonies.

Alberta reported 76 new cases and three more fatalities, two of which were at long-term care or senior facilities. There are now eight less active cases in Alberta compared to Wednesday; of those 1,036 patients, there are 475 in Edmonton and 314 in Calgary. Eight-one more patients have recovered in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch.

No new cases were reported across Canada’s three territories, while Nunavut remains the only jurisdiction to not have had a confirmed positive case throughout the pandemic. The Northwest Territories have zero active cases, and so does Yukon after its two remaining cases were recently marked resolved.

Aug. 12

B.C. reports its most daily cases since April as its ‘concerning’ trend continue

British Columbia reported 86 new patients on Wednesday, which marks its largest spike in cases since April 25, and its third largest throughout the pandemic.

It’s part of a “concerning” trend for B.C., as it continues to watch its COVID-19 curb trend upwards.

There are now 531 active cases in the province, compared to the 201 there were on July 12, and the 187 there were on June 12. The 531 cases is also the most the province has had since May 9.

Of the latest patients announced Wednesday, officials said in a press release that the majority are young people in the Lower Mainland and that their exposures have been at events in the community. A “significant number” are also linked to travel from out of the province.

“We are watching the cases climb, which is concerning,” said B.C. health officials through their press release. “We need everyone to recommit to using the skills we’ve learned. Keep gatherings small, have a designated ‘contact keeper,’ limit time with others, maintain physical distance and always stay home if you’re feeling unwell.”

B.C. health officials did not hold a press conference to discuss the spike in cases on Wednesday, but over recent weeks they’ve attributed the curb to increased private and worrisome gatherings among younger people in the province.

“We know that when alcohol is involved for many the precautions that we would normally take can diminish,” said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry on Monday. “So if your friends invite you to a party and it doesn’t feel right, don’t go. There’s no better excuse than a global pandemic.”

Exposures due to gatherings have been a key concern for B.C. ever since two hotel parties around Canada Day in Kelowna led to dozens of cases around the province, as well as possible exposure warnings for a variety of businesses. Officials continue to ask B.C. residents to check the growing list of public exposure warnings as part of contact tracing efforts.

While they didn’t hold a press conference to explain the spike in cases, Henry and health minister Adrian Dix joined B.C. Premier John Horgan on Wednesday to announce that they’re hiring 500 more health-care workers to help with contact tracing.

Along with the spike in cases on Wednesday, B.C. reported a fatality in its latest 24-hour stretch. It breaks its 11-day streak of not having to increase its death toll, which now stands at 196.

Through a press release, officials said there are no health-care facility or community outbreaks. Of its 531 active cases, there are eight people in hospital, which includes five in intensive care.

Manitoba reports its most ever active cases of COVID-19, first time over 200

Manitoba health officials have identified 16 new cases of COVID-19, which includes 10 in the Winnipeg region, four in Prairie Mountain Health, and one each in the Southern and Interlake-Eastern health regions.

The update increases its active case count to 202, which is the most the province has ever had throughout the pandemic. It’s also the first time that it has surpassed 200 active cases.

On July 14, the province came very close to having no active cases. That day, after all of its initial patients had recovered, health officials diagnosed five other people. Since then, Manitoba has seen its curb trend upwards.

In its latest seven-day stretch, Manitoba has reported a double-digit increase on six occasions, which included its second-highest ever increase with 35 cases on Aug. 8. Before the recent stretch, it had not had a similar one-week stretch since late-March and early-April.

As of late, the province has been dealing with a Maple Leaf Foods pork processing facility outbreak in Brandon, which has contributed to the spike in cases in the Prairie Mountain Health region. As of the last last update on the facility, at least 22 workers have tested positive.

The Prairie Mountain Health region has the most active cases throughout the province with 86. The Winnipeg region has 28. According to a press release by officials on Wednesday, the majority of Winnipeg’s latest cases are related to travel and close contacts, while the majority of Prairie Mountain Health cases are linked to previously announced cases in Brandon.

In July, officials were also dealing with outbreaks among Hutterite colonies, but decided to stop naming colonies as part of their case updates due to stigmatization problems.

Throughout the pandemic, Manitoba has had 578 cases of COVID-19. That includes 368 people who have recovered and eight fatalities. Of the 202 active cases, there are currently five people in hospital, which includes three in intensive care.

Testing numbers show an additional 1,554 laboratory tests were completed on Tuesday, bringing the total number of tests completed since early February to 105,661.

‘Not the news I want to share with Islanders’: Prince Edward Island is no longer COVID-19 free

Prince Edward Island has identified its first cases of COVID-19 in almost a month, increasing its total count since the pandemic started to 41.

Chief medical officer Dr. Heather Morrison announced five new cases on Wednesday, which are now the only active cases in the province. The last time it had identified a case was on July 14, and by July 28 all of its remaining patients had recovered.

“Although these new cases are not unexpected, this is not the news I want to share with Islanders on this beautiful day,” Morrison said.

The latest patients involve five male essential workers in their 30s and 40s, who are all in the same industry, but not in healthcare. They arrived to P.E.I. from outside Canada on July 30 and have been in self-isolation since their arrival.

Morrison said the workers did not come from the United States, but did not want to provide their country of origin because of confidentiality reasons. The cases are not related to the Canadian Premier League, seasonal residents or the Atlantic Bubble.

“I remain especially concerned about people coming to P.E.I. from outside of Canada,” said Morrison. “We know the prevalence of COVID-19 continues to rise in some countries.”

Contact tracing efforts are currently underway, but Morrison said that it’s believed that they have had few, if any, contacts since arriving in Canada. There remains no evidence of community transmission in Prince Edward Island and the risk of contracting the virus remains “low.”

Nova Scotia is now the only province to not have any active cases of COVID-19. P.E.I. is still the only province that has not recorded a COVID-19-related death.

Case updates from the rest of Canada

Ontario reported 95 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. It’s a jump from the mere 33 cases reported the previous day, but still on trend with where officials want to be; over the past 10 days, the province has recorded fewer than 100 new cases on nine occasions. Before the recent stretch, it had not consistently stayed below 100 since March. Christine Elliott said 28 of the province’s 34 public health units reported five or fewer cases, while Toronto had the most with 19 new cases. One additional death was also reported by the province related to COVID-19, ending the province’s two-day streak of reporting no new fatalities. There now remain 912 active cases in Ontario, as 134 more patients have recovered since Tuesday.

Quebec reported fewer than 100 cases for the third straight day, this time with 95. Before the recent stretch, the province recorded at least 100 cases each day since July 10. One more person has died in its latest 24-hour stretch, but Quebec announced that 11 more fatalities have been added to its death toll of 5,709. Ten of the victims died in the spring at the private seniors’ residence Place Kensington, but were not registered due to a data delay. As of Wednesday, there are now 1,834 active cases of COVID-19 in Quebec, as 135 more people have recovered.

There continue to be no active cases in Nova Scotia. No new cases were identified in Newfoundland and Labrador, but there remain two active cases of COVID-19 in the province.

For the second straight day, New Brunswick identified a new case. The latest patient is an individual in their 60s in the Fredericton zone. According to a press release, they are past the 14-day contagious period and no longer symptomatic, The case is linked to yesterday’s case and the reason for infection is believed to be travel related. Throughout the province, there are eight active cases, with the other six being in the Moncton zone.

Saskatchewan announced five new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, but also 20 more recoveries. It means that there are now 150 active cases in the province, with the most in the Regina (38), Saskatoon (28), South Central (27) and South West (20) regions.

Alberta reported 121 new cases, and one new fatality. The victim was a resident at Edmonton’s Good Samaritan Southgate Care Centre. The long-term care facility has seen 29 of its residents die since the start of the pandemic due to the respiratory virus. There are now 40 more active cases in Alberta compared to Tuesday; of those 1,044 patients, there are 470 in Edmonton and 312 in Calgary. On Wednesday, chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said that of the more than 316,000 tests that were completed among symptomatic patients, only 0.1 per cent have come back positive. Hinshaw is also now urging all teachers and staff members to get tested for COVID-19 before the upcoming school year. 

No new cases were reported across Canada’s three territories, while Nunavut remains the only jurisdiction to not have had a confirmed positive case throughout the pandemic. The Northwest Territories have zero active cases, while Yukon has two. 

Aug. 11

On Tuesday, Ontario reported 33 new cases of COVID-19, which marks the smallest increase to its total case count since March 18. Ontario’s health minister Christine Elliott said the low number “includes routine data clean-up by Toronto Public Health, which removed 21 cases, such as duplicates, that had previously been included in daily case counts.” For the second day in a row, Ontario also did not record any new fatalities, as the death toll remains at 2,786. There are currently 962 active cases in the province, as 75 more patients have recovered.

For the second straight day, Quebec is reporting fewer than 100 cases, this time with 91. Before the recent stretch, it had recorded at least 100 cases every day since July 10. It’s also now the sixth straight day that the province has reported fewer than 140 cases. Between July 15 and Aug. 4, the province surpassed that mark 17 out of 21 times. In addition, one more death has been reported in the province for a total of 5,697. As of Tuesday, there are 1,886 active cases in the province, as 94 more cases were deemed resolved since yesterday.

Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island continue to have zero active cases of COVID-19, after the former announced that all of its remaining patients recovered by Monday. Newfoundland and Labrador did not report a new patient, but there still remain two active patients in the province. New Brunswick was the lone Atlantic province to identify a new case, this time involving an individual in their 40s in the Fredericton region. There are seven active cases throughout New Brunswick, with the six others in the Moncton region. 

No new cases were reported across Canada’s three territories, while Nunavut remains the only jurisdiction to not have had a confirmed positive case throughout the pandemic. The Northwest Territories have zero active cases, while Yukon has two. 

Manitoba health officials announced four new cases of COVID-19, with one in the Winnipeg region and three in Prairie Mountain Health region. “Of the total cases, many are linked to known clusters in Brandon or are close contacts of previously announced cases,” but some are community transmission, according to a bulletin by officials. The Brandon region is currently dealing with a Maple Leaf Foods pork processing facility outbreak. As of Tuesday, there are 194 active cases in the province, after six more patients recovered from the respiratory virus.

Twenty-nine new cases of COVID-19 were identified in Saskatchewan, with 11 of in a “communal living setting outside” of the City of Saskatoon. The increase to its total case count is the largest this month. There now remain 165 active cases in Saskatchewan, as 29 more people have recovered. There is only one active case in the Far North West region, after it was home to 346 cases throughout the pandemic.

Alberta identified 85 new cases of COVID-19 and three additional fatalities in its latest 24-hour stretch. One of the victims was a resident at the Edmonton’s Good Samaritan Southgate Care Centre. The long-term care facility has seen 28 of its residents die since the start of the pandemic due to the respiratory virus. Throughout the province, there are now 1,004 active cases of COVID-19, which is down by 90 compared to a day prior. Of those patients, 401 are in the Edmonton zone and 322 are in the Calgarzy zone.

British Columbia reported 46 new cases of COVID-19, but no new fatalities for the 11th straight day as the death toll remains at 195. The Krazy Cherry Fruit. Co. outbreak in the province’s Interior Health region has been declared over. Throughout B.C., there are 472 active cases of COVID-19. Officials are also urging residents to check COVID-19 exposure warnings as part of contact tracing efforts that have been amplified as of late due to a spike in cases over the past month.

Aug. 10

‘The number of people in self-isolation is disturbing’: British Columbia officials advice against large gatherings

Health officials in British Columbia continue to warn against large gatherings where alcohol is involved, as the province tries to contain the spread of COVID-19.

“Our task this summer was to renew B.C. without reactivating the virus. … The number of cases is climbing, the number of people in self-isolation is disturbing,” said B.C. health minister Adrian Dix.

“We need to say ‘enough’ to private parties where alcohol is being used and physical distancing is impossible.”

As of Monday, there are 1,765 people who are being monitored with daily check-ins, since they were in contact with a previously identified case. Of the 131 patients that were identified over the weekend in B.C., the “vast majority” were on the list as part of contact tracing efforts, said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry. 

Names continue to be added to the list as COVID-19 exposure warnings add up across the province. Most recently, a “night rave” prompted a public warning in Surrey, B.C., for people who attended the gathering on July 31, Aug. 1 and Aug. 2. 

Last week, three police officers in Vancouver tested positive after breaking up an “out of control” party of more than 100 people.

“What I can tell you is that parties and gatherings with young people that many of whom you don’t know — even if there are fewer than 50 people — are a concern,” said Henry, as officials continue to see a spike in cases among those under 40 years old.

“We know that when alcohol is involved for many the precautions that we would normally take can diminish. So if your friends invite you to a party and it doesn’t feel right, don’t go. There’s no better excuse than a global pandemic.”

Exposures due to gatherings have been a key concern for B.C. ever since two hotel parties around Canada Day in Kelowna led to dozens of cases around the province, as well as possible exposure warnings for a variety of businesses.

As of Aug. 10, there are 445 active cases in B.C., compared to the 187 there were on July 10.

On Monday, health officials also provided their weekend update. No one died of COVID-19 in British Columbia between Friday and Sunday, but the province did record 131 new cases of COVID-19.

It now marks the 10th straight day that B.C. has not recorded a COVID-19-related fatality. Of the recently recorded cases, 51 were identified on Friday, 37 on Saturday and 44 on Sunday.

The update increases the province’s total case count to 4,065. That includes 3,425 people who have recovered, and 195 victims. There are now nine people in hospital and three in intensive care. Henry also announced two new healthcare outbreaks, at the George Derby Centre, and the New Vista Care Centre. Both centres in the Fraser Health region.

Nova Scotia reports no more active cases of COVID-19

There are no more active cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia, after its final patient’s diagnosis was marked resolved.

Throughout the pandemic, the province has had 1,071 cases of COVID-19. That includes 64 people who have died after contracting the virus and 1,007 recovered patients.

The province previously had no active cases after all its initial patients had recovered by July 26. But between July 31-Aug. 2, four new patients were identified by health officials.

Nova Scotia once again joins Prince Edward Island as the only two provinces with no active cases of COVID-19. There are also no active cases in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, which remains the only jurisdiction to not record a confirmed positive case throughout the pandemic.

Ontario goes back to reporting more than 100 cases of COVID-19

After a week of reporting fewer than 100 cases of COVID-19, Ontario announced 115 new patients on Monday.

It marks the biggest increase to Ontario’s total case count since Aug. 2.

Of the most recent patients, 20 were identified in Ottawa, 19 in Peel, 16 in Toronto, 12 in Windsor-Essex and 11 in Niagara Region. At the end of July, health officials in Ottawa said they’re seeing a spike in cases related to private indoor gatherings. On Monday, Windsor-Essex joined the rest of Ontario by moving into Stage 3 of the province’s reopening plan.

Along with the new cases, the Ministry of Health announced that 102 patients have recovered from the respiratory virus. The death toll still stands at 2,786, since no one died with COVID-19 in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch.

There are now 994 active cases of COVID-19 in Ontario. That includes 49 people in hospital, 25 who are in intensive care and 14 who require a ventilator. The Ministry of Health on Monday noted that about 36 hospitals did not submit data on Aug. 8, therefore an increase might be seen in the days ahead.

According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there are 18 outbreaks among facilities in the province. In those LTCs, there are four active cases among residents and 34 among staff.

Quebec reports fewer than 100 new cases for the first time in a month

For the first time since July 10, Quebec is announcing that it has identified fewer than 100 cases of COVID-19 in a 24-hour stretch.

Health officials identified 98 new cases, but also added 58 other cases to the province’s total case count due to a data transfer adjustment, according to a press release.

Over the past month, Quebec has seen a spike in cases in relation to its reopening plan, such as outbreaks connected to bars and large private gatherings.

It’s now the fifth straight day that the province has reported fewer than 140 cases. Between July 15 and Aug. 4, the province surpassed that mark 17 out of 21 times.

In late June and early July, Quebec enjoyed a stretch in which it became common to report fewer than 100 new COVID-19 patients daily.

Throughout the pandemic, Quebec has had 60,627 cases. That includes 5,696 people who have died, which is an increase of one since Sunday. For the first time since July 27, Quebec has updated its recovery stats, after experiencing a technical issue. There are now 53,041 resolved cases, an increase of 2,155.

Of the 1,890 active cases that remain, there are 157 people in hospital, which includes 21 in intensive care.

Death toll continues to grow in Alberta in connection to long-term care home

Five more deaths and 257 new cases of COVID-19 were identified in Alberta between Friday and Sunday, according to chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw. 

The province recorded 108 new cases on Friday, 101 on Saturday and 48 on Sunday. The patients were identified after Alberta completed 26,357 tests for the respiratory virus. 

Of the five deaths, two of them occurred at Edmonton’s Good Samaritan Southgate Care Centre, which has been home to one of the worst outbreaks in the province. Since mid-June, there have been 27 fatalities and 113 cases among staff and residents at the long-term care facility. 

Throughout the pandemic, there have been 11,687 cases of COVID-19 in Alberta. That includes 10,384 who have recovered and 213 victims. Of the 1,090 active cases that remain, there are 388 in the Edmonton zone and 365 in the Calgary zone. Sixty-six people are also currently in hospital, which includes 14 in intensive care.

One more case in Newfoundland and Labrador

Health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador have identified one new case of COVID-19, involving a male in the Eastern Health region between 20-39 years old.

The latest case is linked to the patient that was reported on July 7; a crew member from the television show Hudson & Rex, who recently returned from Toronto.

Throughout the pandemic, the province has had 268 cases of COVID-19, which includes three victims and 263 recovered patients. Newfoundland and Labrador previously had no active cases of COVID-19, after all its initial patients recovered by Aug. 5. But since Aug. 7, health officials have identified the two new patients, which remain the only active cases in the province.

Cluster in Manitoba continues to grow

Sixteen new cases of COVID-19 were identified in Manitoba, with 11 of them in the Prairie Mountain Health region and five in Southern Health. 

The cluster in Brandon located in Prairie Mountain, has also grown to 64, according to chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin. Most of the cases in the area are linked to close contacts who have tested positive, said Roussin. 

There are 22 people who work at the Maple Leaf Foods pork processing facility who have tested positive. Some are part of the general cluster in Brandon. 

“We are seeing early signs of community transmission,” said Roussin. “Everywhere in Manitoba should be taking caution, but that area should be taking extra caution.”

Throughout the pandemic, Manitoba has had 558 cases of COVID-19. That includes 354 people who have recovered. Of the 196 active cases that remain, there are six people in hospital, which includes three in intensive care. 

An additional 1,364 laboratory tests were completed on Sunday, bringing the total number of tests completed since early February to 103,782.

Five new cases in Saskatchewan

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

Three of the patients are in the Regina zone, while one each is in the Saskatoon and South Central zones. 

Throughout the pandemic, Saskatchewan has had 1,450 cases of COVID-19. That includes 1,265 resolved cases, after eight more people recovered since Sunday. 

Of the 165 active cases that remain, there are 13 people in hospital, which includes five in intensive care. The Central West zone of the province has the most active cases with 40, followed by South Central (27) and South West (23). The Far North West has one active case, after it was home to 346 cases throughout the pandemic. 

In the province’s latest 24-hour stretch, 1,297 tests were performed, for a total of 113,045.

Aug. 8

On Saturday, Ontario reported 70 new cases of COVID-19, making it the sixth day in a row where fewer than 100 new cases were reported. Fifteen of Ontario’s 34 public health units reported no new cases, while 14 others reported between one and five new cases.

Quebec reported 126 new cases of COVID-19, as well as four deaths in the last reporting period, in addition to a newly-reported death that occurred on July 31 related to COVID-19. The number of people in hospital increased by three to 155, and the number of people in intensive care increased by four to 23.

Nova Scotia reported no new cases of COVID-19, but extended the province’s state of emergency to August 23. Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island also did not report any new cases.

In Manitoba, there were 16 new cases of COVID-19 reported. The majority of the new cases appear to be linked to a cluster in Brandon. There were 12 new cases in the Prairie Mountain health region, and four in the Southern health region. There were 24 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Saskatchewan on Saturday. The majority of the cases (11) are located in the Regina area. The government says that eight of the 24 new cases and 112 of the 168 active cases are people living in communal settings.

Alberta and British Columbia do not report on weekends at this time.

Aug. 7

Ontario reported 88 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, and no additional deaths related to the disease. It’s the fifth day in a row the province has reported fewer than 100 new cases in the previous 24 hour period. In Quebec, there were 108 new cases of COVID-19 reported and no new deaths. There are 152 patients in hospital, 13 fewer than the previous day.

One new case of COVID-19 was reported in Newfoundland and Labrador. A crew member from the television show Hudson & Rex tested positive, the province says, after flying from Toronto. She is in the Eastern health region and between the ages of 20 and 39.

No new cases were reported in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick or Prince Edward Island.

There are 17 new cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba. Ten of those cases are in the Prairie Mountain health region, five are in the Winnipeg health region, and the remaining cases are in the Southern health region. Public health officials are also advising anyone who visited a Tim Hortons on the Trans-Canada Highway at 18th Street in Brandon on August 1 to be aware of potential exposure to the virus, although the risk is low.

Aug. 6

Manitoba announced 30 new COVID-19 patients, which marks the second largest single-day jump in cases since the start of the pandemic, according to CBC. Eighteen of the cases are connected to a cluster at a pork processing facility in Brandon. As of Thursday, there are 118 active cases in Manitoba.

For the fourth day in a row, Ontario is reporting fewer than 100 new daily cases of COVID-19, this time with 95. It has not had such a long streak below 100 since March. The latest patients were primarily identified in Toronto (30), Ottawa (19), and Chatham-Kent (10), while 15 of the 34 public health units in the province reported zero new patients. Along with the recent cases, one more person has died in Ontario, increasing the death toll to 2,783. There now remain 1,120 active cases in the province.

Quebec reported 133 new cases, but zero new fatalities as the death toll remains at 5,687. For the third time in the past four days, the province has been below 140 daily cases. Before the recent stretch, it had surpassed 140 cases on 16 of the last 18 occasions. In its latest 24-hour testing period, Quebec also completed 16,293 tests, which means for the first time after three straight days it has met its goal of at least 14,000. The active case count in Quebec is now 3,560.

Nova Scotia reported no new patients on Thursday, as its active case count remains at two. Newfoundland and Labrador is also reporting no new patients, a day after announcing that it has no more active cases in the province.

New Brunswick identified two new cases of COVID-19, increasing its active case count to six. The news comes a day after the province identified four patients, ending a 15-day streak of no new cases in the province. The latest patients involve two temporary foreign workers who arrived in Moncton and began immediately self-isolating.

In Saskatchewan, there was one new death reported in relation to COVID-19, as well as 11 people who were diagnosed with the virus. The fatality was a person in their 70s in the Regina region.

British Columbia’s number of active cases has doubled in the last month, Dr. Bonnie Henry reported. There were 47 new cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of active cases to 371, with 11 in hospital. Five of those are in critical care. Meanwhile Alberta has seen a downward trend in the number of cases, with fewer than 100 new cases reported each day for the last week. There were 56 new COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hour reporting period, and two deaths related to the virus. One of the deaths was at the Good Samaritan Society Southgate Care Centre in Edmonton, where 25 people have died with COVID-19. There remain 36 active resident cases at the centre, and 20 staff members with COVID-19.

Aug. 5

Newfoundland and Labrador announced that all of its remaining patients have recovered, meaning there are no more active cases in the province. A new case also hasn’t been identified in N.L. for 10 straight days. Throughout the pandemic, the province has had 266 cases, which includes three victims and 263 recovered patients. N.L. now joins Prince Edward Island as the only other province with no active cases of COVID-19.

For the third day in a row, Ontario reported fewer than 100 new cases of COVID-19. The province reported 86 new cases of the virus, with the majority coming from the Toronto, Ottawa, Chatham-Kent, Peel and York regions.

In Quebec, the province saw 155 new cases, bringing the total number of diagnosed cases in the province to 60,000. There were also two deaths. A recent antibody test of donated blood determined that the number of infected people in Quebec could actually be closer to 124,800, based on 2.23 per cent of adult blood donors showing antibodies for the virus.

Four new cases were reported in New Brunswick, breaking the province’s 15-day streak of no new cases. All four are in the Miramichi region, and involve temporary foreign workers who have been in self-isolation since their arrival. No new cases have been reported in Prince Edward Island or Nova Scotia.

Two new cases in Winnipeg were reported by Manitoba health officials, involving a male and a female under the age of 40. It increases the province’s active case count to 94. 

Eight new cases were identified in Saskatchewan, with three of them in the North East area of the province, but health authorities also announced 36 more recoveries.

In Alberta’s latest 24-hour stretch, there were two more deaths related to COVID-19 and 94 new cases, which continues a trend of fewer than 100 cases. British Columbia announced 47 new cases, which includes one epi-linked case, increasing its active case count to 351. 

Aug. 4

On Tuesday, Ontario reported four new deaths related to the COVID-19 virus in the province, brining the total number who have died to 2,782. Ninety-one new cases were also reported, which means that for the last two days, less than 100 new cases were reported in Ontario. Quebec announced that it had identified 123 new cases and two new virus-related deaths, as it prepares to expand social measures this week, allowing groups of up to 250 people to gather both indoors and outdoors.

There were nine new cases of COVID-19 reported in Saskatchewan on Tuesday. In Alberta, a detention centre in Edmonton saw a third inmate test positive for COVID-19.

British Columbia announced 146 new cases of COVID-19 since Friday, but no new deaths. Dr. Bonnie Henry called the increase “not unexpected,” as part of the increases over the last few days and weeks have been blamed on gatherings since Canada Day. B.C. currently has 319 active cases. Eight are in hospital, including four in intensive care.

Aug. 3

Manitoba public health officials have identified seven new cases of COVID-19. The update brings the total number of cases found in the province to 442, but no other details about the new cases were released.

Two more people have died of COVID-19 in Quebec, health authorities announced Monday, as confirmed cases rose by 123 in the province.

There are 172 people being treated for COVID-19 in Quebec hospitals as of Monday, the same number reported 24 hours earlier. Of those in a hospital, 18 are in intensive care, up one from the 17 reported Sunday. 

Nova Scotia is reporting that two more cases of COVID-19 have been resolved and there are only two known active cases remaining in the province.

No new cases were discovered among 215 tests completed at the QEII Health Sciences Centre’s microbiology lab on Sunday, according to a news release Monday from the Department of Health.

New Brunswick is reporting two recoveries, leaving no active cases of the novel coronavirus in the province on Monday. The province has completed 53,243 tests to date, and reported a total of 170 COVID-19 cases. There have been 168 recoveries in the province and two deaths.

Saskatchewan is reporting 17 new cases of COVID-19. Four new cases are located in the north, five in the central regions, six in the south and two in the Regina area.

Ontario did not provide a COVID-19 update on August 3 due to the holiday.

Aug. 2

Another 100+ increase in daily cases for Ontario, primarily among six regions

Ontario reported 116 new cases, one death and 122 recently recovered patients in its latest 24-hour stretch. 

It’s now the third straight day that the province has recorded at least 100 daily cases, after two straight days of being below that mark. Before the recent stretch, it had not recorded fewer than 100 cases since March 24. 

The most recent patients were recorded primarily among six public health units: 20 in York, 16 in Ottawa, 15 in Chatham-Kent, 14 in Peel, 13 in Windsor-Essex, and nine in Toronto, according to the Ministry of Health. Twenty-seven of the province’s 34 public health units reported five or fewer cases, while 16 of them reported zero. 

The patients were identified after the province completed 30,443 tests for COVID-19 in its latest 24-hour stretch.

It’s unclear what’s behind the most recent jump spike in York, but the region only trails Toronto and Peel for total cases throughout the pandemic. Earlier this week, Ottawa health officials said they’re seeing an increase in cases related to private house gatherings.

In total, Ontario has had 39,449 cases of COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic. That includes 2,778 victims and 35,359 recovered patients. 

Of the province’s 1,312 active cases of COVID-19, there are 72 people in hospital (down by one since Saturday), which includes 26 people in intensive care (down by one), and 14 who require a ventilator (up by two). 

According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there are 20 active outbreaks among facilities in the province, (up by one). In those facilities, there remain 10 residents who are currently infected as well as 37 staff members.

Quebec adds another 140+ increase to its case count, while recoveries stat still faces technical issue

Quebec health officials announced 141 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday. 

It’s now the third straight day that the province has recorded over 140 daily cases, after registering two straight days below that mark. 

Canada’s worst-hit province has now reported at least 140 cases on 16 of the last 18 occasions. Before the recent stretch, it had not identified more than 140 cases since June 25. 

Quebec’s streak of at least 100 daily cases also continues, now entering its 22nd straight day. It’s part of a worrisome trend, considering between June 26 and July 11, it stayed below 100 daily cases except on two occasions.

In July, Quebec dealt with outbreaks relating to bars and private house parties, along with day camps. The province is also currently dealing with an outbreak at a hospital St-Eustache, Que., which has prompted mass testing efforts.

On Monday, the province will start to allow public gatherings of 250-people, which is up from the previous limit of 50.

Throughout the pandemic, Quebec has identified 59,599 cases of COVID-19. That includes 50,886 people who have recovered from the virus, a number that hasn’t changed since July 27 due to a technical issue. Three deaths were also added to its death toll of 5,681 on Sunday; one occurred in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch and two occurred before July 25.

Of the province’s now 3,035 active cases of COVID-19, there are 172 people in hospital (down by five since Saturday) and 17 in intensive care (down by one). 

Quebec’s testing numbers are reflective of its outputs from two days prior. In its latest 24-hour stretch, the province completed 16,178 tests, which is above its goal of 14,000. 

Montreal remains the epicentre with 28,904 total cases (up by 61), but the spread of COVID-19 also continues to gain pace in surrounding areas of the city. The Laurentides region has 3,920 (up by 23), the Montérégie region has 8,825 cases (up by 19), the Laval region has 6,069 (up by 12), and Lanaudière has 4,512 (up by four).

A man wears a face mask as he browses on his phone in a shopping mall in Montreal, Sunday, August 2, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada and around the world. The Quebec government has made the wearing of masks and face coverings mandatory in all public spaces as of July 18 and will increase the number of people allowed to gather indoors and outdoors to 250 people as of August 3. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
A man wears a face mask as he browses on his phone in a shopping mall in Montreal, Sunday, August 2, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada and around the world. The Quebec government has made the wearing of masks and face coverings mandatory in all public spaces as of July 18 and will increase the number of people allowed to gather indoors and outdoors to 250 people as of August 3. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Four cases in Nova Scotia this week after everyone else recovers

Nova Scotia has identified two new cases of COVID-19 in the Central zone, increasing its active case count to four. 

Both are related to travel outside of Canada, while one is linked to the two cases that were reported on July 31 in the Central zone.

Before the four cases were identified this week, Nova Scotia had zero active COVID-19 patients. It had also not recorded a new case since July 15, while all of its remaining patients had recovered by July 26. 

Throughout the pandemic, the province has had 1,071 cases of COVID-19. That includes 64 victims and 1,003 people who have recovered. 

In its latest 24-hour stretch, the province completed 334 tests for COVID-19, which allowed them to identify the two most recent patients.

Eighteen new cases in Manitoba

Health officials announced 18 new cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba, increasing the province’s total case count to 435.

In a tweet, Manitoba announced that their online data will be updated Monday, which should provide more information on the 20 patients that were identified over the weekend.

As of Friday, 337 people have recovered and eight people have died. If no one has recovered since then, it would mean that there are 90 active cases in the province.

Saskatchewan continues to identify cases in ‘communal living settings’ after record-high testing

For the first time Saskatchewan has administered at least 2,000 tests in a 24-hour timeframe,

Of the 2,104 COVID-19 tests that were performed, health officials identified eight new cases of COVID-19, but did not mention if any of them were among “communal living settings” or Hutterite colonies.

Throughout the pandemic, there have been 1,342 reported cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan. That includes 1,070 people who have recovered, up by 16 since Saturday. Of the 254 active cases of COVID-19 that remain, there are 18 people in hospital (up by four), which includes seven people in intensive care (up by one).

As of Sunday, the South region has 87 active cases, the Central region has 76 and the North has 48. The Far North has five active cases, after being home to 348 patients throughout the pandemic.

Aug. 1

Ontario starts to trend over 100 daily cases once again

Ontario reported 124 new cases, two deaths and 163 recently recovered patients in its latest 24-hour stretch. 

It’s now the second straight day that the province has recorded over 100 daily cases, after two straight days of being below that daily mark. Before the recent stretch, it had not recorded below a triple-digit increase since March 24. 

The latest patients were identified after the province completed 33,282 tests for COVID-19 in its latest 24-hour stretch, which is its second highest amount over the course of the pandemic.

Of the most recently identified patients, 33 were in Peel, 17 in Ottawa, and 16 in both Toronto and Windsor-Essex, according to the Ministry of Health. Twenty-eight of the province’s 34 public health units reported five or fewer cases, while 16 of them reported zero. 

It’s unclear what’s behind the jump in cases in Peel, but the region only trails Toronto for total cases throughout the pandemic.

Earlier this week, Ottawa health officials said they’re seeing a spike in cases related to private house gatherings, while Windsor-Essex continues to deal with agri-farm outbreaks and community spread. Windsor-Essex, the only region still in Stage 2 of the province’s reopening plan, continues to have the highest infection per 100,000 people in Ontario (543.7), after taking the top spot from Toronto two weeks ago.

“We can’t take our eye off the ball for a second. It will come back and bite us in the backside with a second wave like we’ve never seen before,” said Premier Doug Ford on July 29, after the province reported fewer than 100 daily cases for the first time in months.

In total, Ontario has had 39,333 cases of COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic. That includes 2,777 victims and 35,237 recovered patients. 

Of the province’s 1,319 active cases of COVID-19, there are 73 people in hospital (down by five since Friday), which includes 27 people in intensive care (down by two), and 12 who require a ventilator (down by three). 

According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there are 19 active outbreaks among facilities in the province, up by two. In those facilities, 10 residents are currently infected (up by one) as well as 37 staff members.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford makes an announcement outside a hospital in Ajax, Ont., on Tuesday, July 28, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
Ontario Premier Doug Ford makes an announcement outside a hospital in Ajax, Ont., on Tuesday, July 28, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Quebec once again starts to trend over 140 cases, completes record-high testing output

Quebec health officials announced 146 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday. 

It’s now the second straight day that the province has recorded over 140 daily cases, after registering two straight days below that mark. 

Canada’s worst-hit province has now reported at least 140 cases on 15 of the last 17 occasions. Before the recent stretch, it had not identified more than 140 cases since June 25. 

Quebec’s streak of at least 100 daily cases also continues, now entering its 21st straight day. It’s part of a worrisome trend, considering between June 26 and July 11, it stayed below 100 daily cases except on two occasions.

In July, Quebec dealt with outbreaks relating to bars and private house parties, along with day camps. The province is also currently dealing with an outbreak at a hospital St-Eustache, Que., which has prompted mass testing efforts.

Throughout the pandemic, Quebec has identified 59,458 cases of COVID-19. That includes 50,886 people who have recovered from the virus. Four deaths were also added to its death toll of 5,678 on Saturday, but they all occurred before July 24. No one died in Quebec’s latest 24-hour stretch.

Of the province’s now 2,894 active cases of COVID-19, there are 177 people in hospital (down by 15) and 18 in intensive care (up by three). 

Quebec’s testing numbers are reflective of its outputs from two days prior. For the second straight time, the province completed a record-high amount, this time with 17, 994 tests for COVID-19, which is above its goal of 14,000. 

Montreal remains the epicentre with 28,843 total cases (up by 71), but the spread of COVID-19 also continues to gain pace in surrounding areas of the city. The Laurentides region has 3,897 (up by 10), the Montérégie region has 8,806 cases (up by 27), the Laval region has 6,057 (up by five), and Lanaudière has 4,508 (up by 11).

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, Prince Edward Island, Nunavut, Yukon and the Northwest Territories don’t provide updated statistics on weekends.

There remain four active cases in Newfoundland and Labrador, which were all identified last week. Nova Scotia has two active cases, which were recorded on Friday. New Brunswick has two active cases, while the recent one was identified July 20.

For more on other jurisdictions, please see our updates from this past week.

Two new cases in Manitoba

Health officials announced two new cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba, increasing its total case count to 417.

Officials said in a tweet that their online data will be updated Monday, which should provide more information on the recently identified patients. 

As of Friday, 337 people have recovered and eight people have died. If no one has recovered since then, it would mean that there are 72 active cases in the province.

Saskatchewan continues to identify cases in ‘communal living settings’ after record-high testing

Fifteen new cases were identified in Saskatchewan’s latest 24-hour stretch, which includes nine “from multiple communal living settings across the province.”

One case also involves a Saskatchewan resident who tested out of the province. 

In the province’s latest 24-hour stretch, a record-high 1,807 COVID-19 tests were performed, for a total of 100,317.

Throughout the pandemic, there have been 1,334 reported cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan. That includes 1,054 people who have recovered, up by 46 since Friday. Of the 262 active cases of COVID-19 that remain, there are 14 people in hospital (down by one), while there remain six in intensive care.

As of Saturday, the South region has 95 active cases, the Central region has 80 and the North has 47. The Far North has five active cases, after being home to 348 patients throughout the pandemic.

Timelines of cases prior to August:

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