The latest news on COVID 19 developments in Canada on Nov. 25, 2020

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

7 p.m.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says public health measures to date haven’t been enough to stop the province’s spread of COVID-19. 

Starting Friday, the province is suspending team sports across all age groups. 

Masks will be required to be worn during all indoor fitness activities.

Capacity for casinos, bingo halls and theatres will be limited to 30 people, and it will be the same for worship services, funerals and wedding receptions. 

No more than four people will be allowed to sit at a table in a bar or restaurant, and large retailers will have to limit their capacity to 50 per cent.

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6:30 p.m.

B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the pandemic has dramatically amplified the overdose crisis in the province, with street drugs that are even more poisonous and people who are dying alone.

She appealed to those using illicit drugs to ensure their personal safety, to have their drugs checked or go to a doctor for a safe supply.

Henry announced another 738 new cases of COVID-19 and 13 more deaths, for a total of 371 people.

There are now 294 people in hospital and 61 of those are in intensive care.

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4 p.m.

Nova Scotia is reporting 16 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the number of active cases to 102.

Health officials say all of the new cases are in the central health zone, which includes Halifax.

Nova Scotia has had 1,243 positive cases of novel coronavirus and 65 deaths, while 1,076 cases are now resolved.

One person is currently in hospital.

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3:20 p.m.

Prince Edward Island has confirmed one new case of COVID-19, bringing the number of active cases to two.

Chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison says the individual is a woman in her 20s who recently travelled to the Island from within Atlantic Canada.

P.E.I. has had a total of 70 positive cases of COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic, with 68 recoveries as of Tuesday.

All cases have been travel-related.

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2:35 p.m.

The Northwest Territories has extended its public health emergency until Dec. 8. 

The public health emergency allows the territory to maintain preventive public health measures. 

Under current measures, anyone travelling to the Northwest Territories must self-isolate for 14 days. 

There are 15 recovered cases of COVID-19 and no active cases. 

It has been 13 days since the territory’s last confirmed case.

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2:35 p.m.

Saskatchewan is reporting 164 new cases of COVID-19, with many of the new cases in and around its capital, Regina.

The seven-day average of daily cases is 214.

Health officials say 111 people are in hospital, with 19 in intensive care.

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2:30 p.m.

Ontario residents are being urged to celebrate the upcoming winter holidays only with the people they live with, regardless of the COVID-19 situation in their region.

The government is issuing its initial guidance today, saying it knows Ontarians are already making their holiday plans.

It says those who live alone can join another household to celebrate, but everyone else should stick to their own household as well as following any public health guidelines for their area.

Premier Doug Ford says Ontarians just “can’t take any chances” when it comes to COVID-19.

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1:55 p.m.

Manitoba is reporting 349 new COVID-19 cases and nine additional deaths today. 

Chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin says restrictions on gatherings and store openings implemented in recent weeks appear to be working. 

He says the province had projections a few weeks ago of up to 800 cases a day by now, and instead the daily numbers are relatively steady.

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1:45 p.m.

New Brunswick is reporting three new cases of COVID-19.

The province now has 94 active infections, with one person in hospital. 

Chief medical officer of health Dr. Jennifer Russell says the COVID-19 hot spots in Atlantic Canada right now are Saint John and Moncton in New Brunswick, and Halifax in Nova Scotia.

During a briefing today in Fredericton, she advised against any non-essential travel into those three regions.

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12:45 p.m.

Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting one new case of COVID-19 today.

The new case involves a woman in her 40s who is connected to a growing cluster of cases in the western region of the province.

Health officials are warning rotational workers in the province of a COVID-19 outbreak at the Imperial Oil Cold Lake worksite in Alberta.

Newfoundland and Labrador has reported 324 COVID-19 infections, 25 of which are considered active.

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12:15 p.m.

Nunavut is reporting 11 new cases of COVID-19, which brings the territory’s active case count to 153.

Health officials said today there were eight new cases in Arviat and three new cases in Whale Cove.

Chief public health officer Dr. Michael Patterson says there are over 300 people in isolation in Arviat. 

No one in Nunavut is hospitalized because of COVID-19 and Patterson says those infected have mild to moderate symptoms.

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11:40 a.m.

The Manitoba Human Rights Commission says it’s getting between 50-100 calls a month from people who say being forced to wear a mask during the pandemic is a violation of their rights. 

Acting executive director Karen Sharma says the calls represent a sharp increase in her agency’s workload. 

She says the province’s mandatory mask-wearing order is not a human rights issue, except potentially for people with disabilities.

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11 a.m.

Quebec is reporting 1,100 new COVID-19 cases and 28 more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus, including 12 that occurred in the past 24 hours.

Health authorities said today the number of hospitalizations remained stable at 655 and 93 people were in intensive care, a drop of three.

The province says it conducted 24,067 COVID-19 tests on Nov. 23, the last day for which testing data is available. 

Quebec has reported 135,430 COVID-19 infections and 6,915 deaths linked to the virus since the start of the pandemic.

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10:45 a.m.

Ontario is reporting 1,373 new cases of COVID-19 and 35 more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus.

Health officials said today 11 fewer people are hospitalized with COVID-19, for a total of 523.

The number of patients in intensive care remains at 159, and 15 more people are on a ventilator, for a total of 106.

The numbers come as the Ontario government is expected to spell out its guidelines for celebrating the winter holidays.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2020.

The Canadian Press