The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada

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

6:40 p.m.

British Columbia health officials say 46 people died from COVID-19 over the weekend, the highest number they have yet reported.

The figure brings the total number of deaths in B.C. to 441 and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says about 80 per cent died in long-term care facilities.

She says the deaths reflect the challenges COVID-19 is creating and, as we face a “significant storm surge” in cases, she says we need to push back against the virus by continuing to reduce our contacts and stick with our households.

Henry also announced a total of 2,364 new cases, including all those diagnosed between Friday and Monday and another 277 historical cases added in a data correction.

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5:45 p.m.

Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu says Johnson & Johnson has submitted its COVID-19 vaccine candidate for Health Canada’s approval.

It’s the fourth potential vaccine sent for assessment in Canada and the first that would require one dose to confer immunity instead of two.

Health Canada has been examining vaccine candidates from Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca since October, when those companies sent partial data on their drugs for what’s called a “rolling review.”

If the Johnson & Johnson vaccine meets Health Canada’s standards for safety and effectiveness, the Canadian government says it has a deal to buy 10 million doses and an option on up to 28 million more.

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5:45 p.m.

Alberta is reporting a new record of daily COVID-19 cases.

The province says there are 1,733 new infections — 13 fewer than Ontario announced today.

Alberta’s previous high was 1,731 new cases on Saturday.

The province says there have also been eight new deaths and 453 people are in hospital, with 96 of those in intensive care.

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3:20 p.m.

Health Canada has confirmed that it should be ready to approve another vaccine for COVID-19 before the end of December.

Last week, Dr. Supriya Sharma, the chief medical adviser at Health Canada, said the emergency review of Pfizer’s vaccine was the most advanced and that Canada should be ready to greenlight it when the U.S. does. 

That is expected to happen around Dec. 10.

Today, a spokesman said other vaccines should also be approved at the same time they are given emergency authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Moderna today applied for that U.S. approval and the FDA will meet Dec. 17 to consider it, a time frame Health Canada said Canada will also be on track to meet.

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2:10 p.m.

Nova Scotia is reporting 16 new cases of COVID-19, bringing its total of active cases to 138.

Fifteen of the cases are in the central zone, which includes Halifax, and the other is a school-based case connected to the Northeast Kings Education Centre in Canning, N.S., that was reported on Sunday.

Premier Stephen McNeil says there continues to be strong public interest in the asymptomatic pop-up rapid-testing locations around the province.

Health officials say 628 tests were administered at the rapid-testing pop-up site in Dartmouth yesterday with six positive results.

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2:05 p.m.

Manitoba health officials are reporting 342 new COVID-19 cases and 11 additional deaths. 

The government enacted strict measures on business openings and public gatherings more than two weeks ago, yet the test positivity rate remains at 13 per cent. 

The province’s chief public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, says people have to reduce the number of contacts they have if the numbers are to come down.

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1:25 p.m.

The Northwest Territories has confirmed one new case of COVID-19.

But the new case will not be included in the territory’s tally of infections because the individual contracted the virus before arriving.

Chief public health officer Dr. Kami Kandola says one close contact of the non-resident worker, who entered the territory on an exemption, has been identified and is in isolation.

Kandola says all high-risk essential workers are now being tested for COVID-19 upon entry to the territory.

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1:20 p.m.

Nunavut will start lifting lockdown measures on Wednesday as more people recover from COVID-19.

The territory reported four new cases today, bringing the total to 181, and the chief public health officer says 73 people have recovered.

Dr. Michael Patterson says only Arviat, which has 86 active cases, will remain in lockdown for at least another two weeks and travel to the community will still be restricted.

The territory-wide lockdown was put in place on Nov. 18 and Patterson says restrictions will be reintroduced if another outbreak occurs.

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1:10 p.m.

Yukon is offering extra help to tourism-dependent businesses struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tourism and Culture Minister Jeanie McLean says $1 million will go to tourism operators and food and beverage businesses that rely on visitors for at least 60 per cent of their revenues.

McLean also announced a total of $300,000 for culture and tourism non-profit organizations.

She says the two newly created programs are part of a broader funding package for the Yukon tourism industry that will roll out over three years. 

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12:52 p.m. 

Public health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador reported one new case of COVID-19 today.

The woman is a close contact of a previously identified travel-related case.

Another infection announced Sunday has been found to be travel-related.

Newfoundland and Labrador now has 36 active cases of COVID-19, with 338 cases confirmed since the onset of the pandemic.

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12:44 p.m.

Public Heath officials in New Brunswick are reporting six new cases of COVID-19 today.

There are two cases in the Moncton region, two in the Saint John region, one in the Bathurst region and one in the Fredericton region.

The total number of confirmed cases in New Brunswick is 501, including 374 recoveries and seven deaths. 

The number of active cases is 120 with no one currently hospitalized due to the virus. 

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12:12 p.m.

The COVID-19 pandemic and a resulting drop in commuter traffic is prompting another refund for Manitoba drivers.  

The province says it plans to offer rebates of an average of $100 per policy-holder by early in the new year, subject to approval from the Public Utilities Board.

Another refund worth an average of $150 was offered earlier this year. 

The province says a sharp drop in traffic has resulted in fewer collision claims to Crown-owned Manitoba Public Insurance.

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11:10 a.m.

Quebec is reporting 1,333 new COVID-19 infections and 23 more deaths linked to the novel coronavirus.

The province’s Health Department says there are 693 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, 28 more than the previous day.

Ninety-four people are in intensive care, an increase of two.

Officials say eight deaths were recorded in the previous 24 hours, 14 others were from the last week and one occurred on an unknown date.

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10:40 a.m.

Ontario is reporting 1,746 new cases of COVID-19. 

Eight more people have died due to the virus in the province.

Tougher public health restrictions under the provincial framework take effect in five regions today, with Windsor-Essex moving to the strictest level short of a lockdown.

Haldimand-Norfolk is moving to the orange level, while Hastings Prince Edward, Lambton and Northwestern are going into the yellow level.

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10:30 a.m.

A spokeswoman for the American biotech company Moderna says the first 20 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine will be shipped to the United States next month.

Global deliveries, including to Canada, to begin in the first quarter of 2021.

It applied to Health Canada for approval in October.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 30, 2020.

The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version said Ontario reported seven death on Monday.