The latest developments on COVID-19 in Canada

The latest news on the COVID-19 global pandemic (all times Eastern):

5:46 p.m.

Alberta is reporting 81 new cases of COVID-19.

The province’s chief medical health officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw says the total number of cases is now at 1,732.

She also says there have been two additional deaths, bringing the total fatalities in the province to 46.

She says 877 people with COVID-19 have recovered.

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5 p.m.

British Columbia is reporting 11 new COVID-19 deaths, bringing the province’s total to 69.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says B.C.’s total number of cases has increased to 1,490, up 45 from Saturday.

Henry says 137 people are in hospital, with 58 of those in intensive care.

She says there remains 20 long-term care facilities with COVID-19 outbreaks.

Henry says a COVID-19 outbreak at the federal Mission Institution is causing concerns, with 35 positive cases and eight people now in hospital.

Henry says all efforts are underway to contain the outbreak at the prison.

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3:47 p.m.

One of Ontario’s top health officials says the province may be approaching the peak of the COVID-19 crisis.

Dr. Barbara Yaffe, the associate chief medical officer of health, says the number of new cases each day has been relatively stable of late.

She says the experts modelling the outbreak have said the peak is likely to come this week.

Yaffe’s comment came just hours after Premier Doug Ford announced the legislature will be recalled tomorrow to extend the province’s state of emergency by another 28 days.

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3:45 p.m.

The Saskatchewan government says residents who suspect price gouging may be happening during the COVID-19 pandemic should call the province’s consumer protection tip line.

Justice Minister Don Morgan says businesses are prohibited from raising their prices to excessive amounts and those which do could be prosecuted.

The Ministry of Health announced two new cases of COVID-19 bringing the current total to 300 cases.

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2:10 p.m.

Manitoba officials say there are four new cases of COVID-19 in the province as they extend public health orders until the end of the month.

There has been a total of 246 positive and probable cases of coronavirus in the province.

Eight people are currently in hospital, and four are in intensive care while four people have died.

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin says it’s clear efforts are working to flatten the curve.

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1:45 p.m.

There are two more confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Brunswick, bringing the total number of known cases to 116.

Chief medical officer of health Dr. Jennifer Russell says the two new cases are in the Fredericton and Campbellton regions.

The province will now test for a broader range of symptoms including fever above 38 degrees Celsius, a new or worsening cough, a runny nose or headache.

Seventy-four people have recovered from the illness.

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1:15 p.m.

Quebec is reporting 32 more COVID-19 deaths today, bringing the provincial total to 360.

Premier Francois Legault says there are 13,557 confirmed cases of the virus in the province, an increase of 711 cases in one day.

There are 879 cases requiring hospitalization, of which 226 are in intensive care.

Legault says 40 privately owned long-term care homes were inspected across the province over the weekend after 31 deaths were reported at a Montreal-area private residence.

He says the situation is stable in the residences, and most are providing adequate care, but four or five are being monitored.

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12:55 p.m.

Prince Edward Island is reporting no new cases of COVID-19 keeping the province’s total of confirmed cases at 25.

Chief public health officer, Dr. Heather Morrison, says 23 of the Island’s 25 cases are considered recovered.

Morrison says 175 negative tests were conducted over the Easter weekend.

She says the numbers are a reinforcement that social and physical restrictive measures are working, but stresses the province needs to “keep going.”

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12:45 p.m.

There are two more confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador, both in the Western Health region.

The province has confirmed 244 cases of the illness and 133 people have recovered.

Nine people are in the hospital due to the illness and three are in intensive care.

The province has expanded its testing protocols by including a wider range of symptoms.

It is also testing symptomatic staff and attendees at hospitals, long-term care homes, correctional facilities, home support workers and other centres.

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12:35 p.m.

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam says deaths from COVID-19 will continue to rise even as the number of cases overall in Canada may go down.

Tams says that’s because of outbreaks in long-term care facilities.

She says close to half of the deaths being tracked are linked to long-term care facilities.

Tam says all jurisdictions are trying to deal with those outbreaks but as people learn more about how to respond, new measures are being put in place.

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12:20 p.m.

The federal government is providing $50 million to help farmers and food processors cover the costs associated with mandatory quarantine rules for workers coming in from outside the country.

Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau says the labour shortage on farms is acute and depends on foreign temporary workers.

But rules designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 mean this year’s incoming workers must quarantine for 14 days.

Bibeau says employers are committed to making sure workers follow those rules but they do come at a cost.

She says the money is designed to help offset those and will give employers $1,500 per worker to help put quarantine measures in place.

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12:05 p.m.

Nova Scotia is reporting 29 new cases of COVID-19 and the province’s third death as a result of the virus.

Health officials say a man in his 80s died today in Halifax as a result of complications related to COVID-19.

As of today, Nova Scotia has 474 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

While most cases have been connected to travel or a known case, there is now community spread in the province.

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10:40 a.m.

Ontario is reporting 421 new COVID-19 cases today and 17 new deaths.

That brings the province to a total of 7,470 cases, including 291 deaths and 3,357 that have been resolved.

It’s an increase of six per cent over Sunday’s total number of cases, continuing a relatively low growth rate of the past several days.

The number of patients in hospital — 760 — rose slightly, but rates of patients in intensive care and on ventilators remained relatively stable.

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7:30 a.m.

Toronto Mayor John Tory says the city will open two more child care centres for children of essential and critical service workers.

The city has opened four other child care centres to help out those who are helping on the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The centres will open downtown where there has been the most demand.

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The Canadian Press