The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada

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

8:15 p.m.

As of Oct. 26, federal Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller says there were 362 active cases of COVID-10 in First Nations communities — the highest active case number since the pandemic began in mid-March. 

In addition, he says there are currently 28 cases among Inuit in Nunavik, Quebec. 

Since the start of the pandemic, Miller says there have been a total of 1,254 cases of COVID-19 in Indigenous communities and 50 deaths.

6:50 p.m.

B.C. is reporting 217 new cases of COVID-19 for a total of 2,322 active infections in the province.

The number of people in hospital has ticked up to 84, but no one else has died after contracting the illness.

More than 5,100 people are now under public health surveillance after exposure to a known case.

Infections have been detected at Fellburn Care Centre and St. Michael’s Centre in Burnaby, meaning outbreaks are ongoing at 21 assisted-living or long-term care homes and two acute-care facilities.

In a statement, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry repeated her expectation that masks are worn in indoor public spaces, including shopping malls, grocery stores, community centres and health-care facilities.

She says public spaces indoors are different from schools, offices and businesses that have established learning groups and work cohorts supported by comprehensive COVID-19 safety plans.

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5:30 p.m.

Canada has reached another grim milestone in the COVID-19 pandemic, surpassing 10,000 deaths connected to the novel coronavirus.

Alberta reported another two deaths from COVID-19 today to bring the national tally to 10,001.

Canada crossed the threshold of 5,000 deaths on May 12, a little over two months after the first death was reported.

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2:30 p.m.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault says his government plans to adopt a decree on Wednesday that will subject gym owners and their patrons to fines should they flout public health orders.

On Monday, a coalition claiming to represent more than 200 fitness-related centres called on the province to allow them to reopen.

Some threatened to reopen Thursday in violation of Legault’s order.

The premier said Monday that gyms, bars and entertainment venues in the province’s biggest cities will remain closed until Nov. 23 to reduce COVID-19 transmission.

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2 p.m.

Manitoba has tallied its highest daily number of COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began.

Health officials reported 184 new infections on Tuesday and three more deaths.

The latest victims include a woman in her 60s connected to an ongoing outbreak at the Parkview Place long-term care home in Winnipeg, and a man and a woman, both in their 80s, connected to an outbreak at St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg.

The death at Parkview Place is the 19th linked to the care home, where dozens of staff and residents have tested positive for COVID-19.

Outbreaks have been declared on three separate wards at St. Boniface Hospital, where 22 patients and nine staff had tested positive for the virus as of Monday.

Manitoba has had a total of 4,532 cases and 58 deaths. 

Some 2,238 cases are active.

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12:15 p.m.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is acknowledging that the COVID-19 pandemic, in his words, “really sucks.”

He says his six-year-old son asked him recently whether COVID-19 is forever.

Staying apart, telling children they can’t trick-or-treat, accepting restrictions that harm business, and giving up on gatherings are all incredibly difficult.

Trudeau says the pandemic is a chance to show who Canadians really are — people who sacrifice for each other.

And he says a vaccine is coming, and so are a spring and summer after the impending winter.

No person, institution or government is perfect, but Trudeau says everyone has to do their best to protect everyone else.

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12:20 p.m.

Health officials in New Brunswick are reporting three new cases of COVID-19, bringing the number of active cases in the province to 55.

The cases are in the Campbellton region and involve two people between 50 and 59 years of age and one person between 80 and 89.

Public Health says two of the cases were identified as a result of mass testing on Sunday of 1,135 people in Dalhousie.

New Brunswick has had 334 confirmed cases, with 273 people having recovered, and there have been six deaths.

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12 p.m.

Dr. Howard Njoo says we know a lot more now than we did last spring about how to contain the spread of COVID-19 but the challenge is to do those things.

He says it’s clear that gatherings over the Thanksgiving weekend are contributing to the current increases in sickness.

During the first wave of the pandemic, the unknowns made it hard to be sure how to protect ourselves.

Canada’s deputy chief public health officer says we now know that physical distancing, staying out of crowded indoor places and practising good hygiene are critical.

Njoo says if we don’t do those things, the virus that causes COVID-19 spreads and puts vulnerable people at risk.

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11:50 a.m.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada’s COVID Alert app is up to 4.8 million downloads.

But, he says, Canada is notching record numbers of new COVID-19 cases, and each victim is important.

So Trudeau says more people need to download the app and take basic precautions like wearing face masks and reducing their contacts with others.

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11:15 a.m.

Ontario is reporting 827 new cases of COVID-19 today, and four new deaths due to the virus.

Health Minister Christine Elliott says 355 cases are in Toronto, 169 in Peel Region, 89 in York Region and 58 in Ottawa.

The province has conducted 23,945 tests since the last daily report, with an additional 22,636 being processed.

In total, 312 people are hospitalized in Ontario due to COVID-19, including 75 in intensive care.

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11:10 a.m.

Quebec is reporting 963 new cases of COVID-19 and 19 more deaths linked to the novel coronavirus.

The Health Department said today four of the deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, 14 date back to last week and one death was from an unknown date.

The number of patients in hospital declined by 16 to 527 while the number of intensive-care patients dropped by two to 91.

Quebec has reported a total of 101,885 COVID-19 cases and 6,172 deaths linked to the virus since the beginning of the pandemic.

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10:55 a.m.

Nova Scotia is reporting one new case of COVID-19.

Health officials say the case is in the central health zone, which includes Halifax, and is related to travel outside the Atlantic region.

The province has six active cases of novel coronavirus.

In total, Nova Scotia has confirmed 1,102 cases, while 1,031 cases have been resolved and there have been 65 deaths.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2020.

The Canadian Press