The latest developments on COVID-19 in Canada

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

6:30 p.m.

Health Canada and the RCMP have seized more than 1,500 unauthorized COVID-19 test kits from a person in Richmond, B.C.

Police say they were acting on a tip from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre that the test kits were being sold online to unsuspecting B.C. residents.

Only diagnostic tests authorized by Health Canada can be imported or sold, and police say the health agency is monitoring websites for false or misleading claims.

The RCMP say selling or advertising health products that make false or misleading claims to prevent, diagnose, treat or cure COVID-19 is illegal in Canada.

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6:15 p.m.

Alberta reported 190 more cases of COVID-19 today, as the government launched a reopening plan for some businesses and services starting next week.

The total number of cases in the province is at 5,355.

So far, 2,161 people have recovered.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical health officer, says three additional people have died of the illness.

That brings the province’s death toll to 89.

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6:10 p.m.

Twelve more inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 at a medium-security prison in Mission, B.C.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says a total of 120 inmates at the federal institution have tested positive for the virus.

Two more people have died in B.C. for a total of 111 deaths.

There are 25 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the number of those diagnosed in the province to 2,112, while 1,322 have recovered from the virus.

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6:05 p.m.

Alberta is planning to reopen dental offices and golf courses on Monday that were shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The government says boat launches would also start opening next week and campsites would hopefully be open June 1.

Some retail businesses, restaurants, hair salons, museums, daycares and summer camps would also be allowed to open May 14.

The relaunch plan comes with some restrictions including a rule requiring people to wear masks on mass transit.

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5 p.m.

Saskatchewan is clamping down on travel between communities in the far north as the region deals with an outbreak of COVID-19.

Premier Scott Moe says the minister of government relations spoke with the mayor of La Loche, a community 600 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon with an outbreak of cases.

Moe says he’s ordering a ban on non-essential travel between northern communities.

The government also says its sending $20,000 to La Loche to fund public safety and food security.

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3:40 p.m.

Health officials are reporting six new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan.

The province says two of the cases are in Lloydminster, a city on the Saskatchewan-Alberta boundary which is dealing with an outbreak at its hospital.

Officials report only one new infection in La Loche, a Dene community at the centre of an outbreak in the far north.

The province reports a total of 389 cases and says 295 people have recovered.

The death toll remains at six.

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3:15 p.m.

The Saskatchewan government is opening up child-care facilities to parents headed back to work in May.

It says starting Monday, employees can use the school-based child-care spaces initially reserved for the children of essential workers.

Deputy premier Gord Wyant says the government recognizes parents returning to work will need child care.

Saskatchewan is allowing medical services, such as dental offices and physiotherapy clinics, to open Monday. 

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2:27 p.m.

Manitoba is reporting two new COVID-19 cases, bringing the provincial total to 275.

With 220 people recovered, the number of active cases in the province has dropped to 49.

Health officials say almost all personal care homes are ready for tomorrow, when new rules take effect limiting health-care workers to working at no more than one care home.

The province says six of its 127 care homes are still working to finalize their arrangements.

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1:52 p.m.

For the 12th straight day, New Brunswick is reporting no new cases of COVID-19.

The province’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Jennifer Russell, says of the total 118 cases so far, there are only four active cases and no one is in hospital.

Russell cautions there will be new cases in New Brunswick, but health officials are now more prepared for the next wave.

She says provincial officials will be meeting with the business community to discuss a recovery plan.

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1:30 p.m.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault says the province should expect the COVID-19 deaths in the province’s care homes to continue over the next days and weeks as seriously-ill people succumb to the illness.

There were 98 new deaths since yesterday, for a total of 1,859, and Legault said 92 occurred in care homes.

There were also 944 new cases for a new total of 27,538.

Legault said there are concerning situations at three hospitals in the Montreal area, as well as the north-end neighbourhood of Montreal-Nord.

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1:25 p.m.

Treasury Board President Jean-Yves Duclos says nearly 500 members of the Canadian military have now been deployed to 13 long-term care homes in Quebec.

That includes medical technicians, nurses and support staff to aide the facilities.

He said there will be more deployed soon to at least seven additional care homes in the province and the tasks that they are doing will depend on the needs of each individual facility.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier said military members are also on site at five long-term care homes in Ontario.

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1:15 p.m.

Newfoundland and Labrador announced no new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday as officials unveiled the province’s reopening plan, with some measures set to lift on May 11.

Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, chief medical officer of health, says the province has reached a turning point in its fight against the virus, with 30 active cases in the province.

If indicators remain the same, the province will move to the next “alert level” in May, allowing some low-risk activities like golf or hunting to resume, and some businesses like law firms and garden centres to open.

After at least 28 days at level four, more businesses and activities will be permitted to resume at each alert level, while some measures related to care facilities and self-isolation for returning travellers will remain in place for the long term.

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12:50 p.m.

Prince Edward Island is reporting no new cases of COVID-19 today, with the provincial total remaining at 27, and 24 of the cases considered recovered.

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison says there were only six positive cases during the month of April.

She says despite the low numbers, it is still not the time for non-essential travel to the province.

Morrison says the province will allow temporary foreign workers on P.E.I and measures are in place to ensure they are healthy.

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12:35 p.m.

Canada’s chief public health officer says “things have been a little flat” this week on the COVID-19 epidemic curve, and acknowledges it is making everyone excited about when we are going to be able to get out of our houses.

Dr. Theresa Tam cautions that there are still significant challenges in some settings, including long-term care homes.

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11:44 a.m.

Nova Scotia is reporting 12 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the provincial total to 947 confirmed cases.

The province has recorded 28 deaths related to COVID-19.

Ten people are currently in hospital, and three of those are in intensive care.

The province’s top public health official, Dr. Robert Strang, is urging Nova Scotians to “stay the course.”

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11:15 a.m.

Canada’s airports are predicting around $2 billion in lost revenues this year.

Travel restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic have led to a precipitous decline in demand for plane tickets and, by extension, airport services.

The bottom line, according to the industry, is anticipated losses of between $1.8 billion and $2.2 billion this year.

Airports have resorted to terminal closures and layoffs, and at least six regional airports have lost scheduled passenger service altogether.

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10:45 a.m.

Ontario is reporting 459 new COVID-19 cases today, and 86 more deaths — the largest daily death toll so far.

The province has now seen 16,187 cases, an increase of 2.9 per cent over the previous day.

The total includes 1,082 deaths and 10,205 resolved cases.

In the previous day there were 12,928 tests completed, despite a pledge from the province to reach 14,000 tests a day by then.

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10:25 a.m.

Nunavut says it has its first case of COVID-19.

In a news release, the territory’s chief public health officer, Dr. Michael Patterson, says the case was detected in the community of Pond Inlet and the person is said to be in isolation and doing well.

Patterson says the territory’s rapid response team is on the way to help the community of 1,600 manage the situation.

Nunavut is the last Canadian jurisdiction to report a COVID-19 case.

The Canadian Press