The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada

The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada (all times Eastern):

8:10 p.m.

Alberta has recorded its highest daily number of COVID-19 cases, with 406.

The province says 3,372 cases are active and 113 people are in hospital.

Three more people have died from the illness, bringing that total to 296.

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8 p.m.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is isolating at home after one of his cabinet ministers tested positive for COVID-19.

A spokesman for Kenney says the premier went into self-isolation after learning that Municipal Affairs Minister Tracy Allard was infected.

Deputy press secretary Harrison Fleming says Allard had been isolating since the weekend because a close contact tested positive.

He says Allard received her positive test result this afternoon and Kenney immediately went into isolation as a precaution.

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7 p.m.

B.C. health officials are reporting 203 new COVID-19 infections, the highest daily number so far.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says there are now 1,766 active cases, including 70 people in hospital.

An outbreak has also been declared at a French-language school in Kelowna after three people tested positive.

Two more people have died from COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 256.

Cases have been reported at five more care facilities around Metro Vancouver, while outbreaks have been declared over at five other sites in the same area.

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1:35 p.m.

Manitoba health officials are reporting one new death and 135 new COVID-19 cases.

The death is the latest at Parkview Place, a Winnipeg care home that has had an outbreak.

The man was in his 80s.

Most of the new cases are in Winnipeg, where tighter restrictions have been imposed on public gatherings, bars and restaurants.

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12:15 p.m.

Health officials in New Brunswick are reporting the fourth COVID-19 death in the province since the beginning of the pandemic.

Public health officials say a person between 70 and 79 years of age died today in the Campbellton region as a result of underlying complications, including novel coronavirus.

Officials also report six new cases, all in the Campbellton area.

The number of confirmed cases in New Brunswick is now 319, of whom 223 people have recovered. There are 92 active cases.

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11:20 a.m.

Quebec is reporting 1,072 new cases of COVID-19 and 19 additional deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus.

Health authorities said today the number of hospitalizations remained stable at 565, while the number of patients in intensive care decreased by six compared with the prior day, to 94.

The province says there are four public long-term care homes and nine private seniors residences where more than 25 per cent of residents have COVID-19.

Quebec has reported a total of 96,288 cases of COVID-19 and 6,074 deaths linked to the virus.

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10:50 a.m.

Ontario is reporting 790 new cases of COVID-19 today and nine new deaths due to the virus.

Health Minister Christine Elliott says 321 of the new cases are in Toronto, while 157 are in neighbouring Peel Region, 76 are in York Region and 57 are in Ottawa.

In total, 260 people are hospitalized in Ontario due to COVID-19, including 71 in intensive care.

The province says 49 people are on ventilators.

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10:19 a.m.

The Manitoba government is boosting fines for people who ignore public health orders during the pandemic.

The provincial cabinet has approved a new maximum fine of $5,000 — nearly double the current penalty —for certain offences.

The province’s chief public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, warned last week that penalties might be strengthened.

He has said a recent spike in cases in the Winnipeg region has been caused in part by people going out to social gatherings, sometimes while symptomatic.

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8:07 a.m.

Another hospital in downtown Toronto has declared an outbreak of COVID-19 among its staff.

Unity Health says there are five active coronavirus cases among emergency room staff at St. Michael’s Hospital.

The hospital is one of four in Toronto that have declared COVID-19 outbreaks in recent days.

The others are St. Joseph’s Health Centre, Toronto Western Hospital and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct 21, 2020.

The Canadian Press