The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada for Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021

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

7:15 p.m. 

British Columbia is reporting another 435 cases in what health officials say is progress on pushing back the COVID-19 virus.

A joint statement from provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix says there were four more deaths, for a total of 1,263 fatalities since the pandemic started.

The statement says 155,585 doses of vaccine have been distributed and 12,802 of those are second doses.

There’s been one new community outbreak at the Highridge/Singh group home in Kamloops, within the Interior Health authority.

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5:40 p.m.

Alberta is reporting 195 new cases of COVID-19 and 12 additional deaths.

There are 427 people in hospital, with 78 of those in intensive care.

Chief medical health officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw says one new COVID-19 variant case has been detected.

That brings the total variant cases in the province to 104.

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4:25 p.m.

Saskatchewan says it will use age to determine who in the general public will be first in line to be vaccinated against COVID-19 once more supply becomes available. 

The Ministry of Health has released its plan for a mass vaccination campaign slated to start between April and June.

The province is currently working on immunizing those considered most at risk from the novel coronavirus, including seniors in long-term care, critical health-care workers and those over 70.

Officials say the next phase of the plan will inoculate people with intellectual disabilities in group homes and those in emergency shelters. 

At the same time, it will begin giving shots to those in the general population who are 60 to 69.

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2:35 p.m.

New Brunswick is reporting 15 new cases of COVID-19 today and one more COVID-related death.

Health officials say the 21st person to die from COVID-19 is a resident in their 80s at the Manoir Belle Vue long-term care home in Edmundston.

Officials say 10 of the newly reported cases are in the Edmundston region, two are in the Moncton region and three cases are in the Saint John area.

The province says there are 183 active reported infections and seven patients are in hospital with the disease, including two in intensive care.

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12:45 p.m.

Newfoundland and Labrador health officials are reporting 30 new cases of COVID-19 and introducing a suite of heightened public health restrictions in St. John’s.

Chief medical officer of health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says community transmission has been confirmed in the capital city and authorities expect to confirm more infections in the coming days.

Fitzgerald says bars, lounges, gyms, cinemas and fitness studios in the metro region must close for the next two weeks.

She says retail stores and restaurants can remain open at reduced capacity as long as social distancing and mask protocols are in place.

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11:45 a.m.

Canadians who show up at the land border without a COVID-19 test result in hand will still be allowed in the country.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada can’t stop its citizens or permanent residents from coming into the country via car.

But he says the negative tests required at the land border as of next Monday will be mandatory.

He says fines of up to $3,000 could be put in place for those who don’t have the test.

Most non-essential travellers coming back to Canada do have to quarantine for 14 days.

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11:40 a.m.

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

Public health officials say the case is in the Halifax area and related to travel outside Atlantic Canada.

The province says it has nine active reported infections.

Officials say they had administered 18,826 doses of COVID-19 vaccine as of Monday, 5,642 of which were second doses.

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11:35 a.m.

Ottawa is tweaking financial support programs in place to help people through the pandemic.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says those who received emergency benefits and made up to $75,000 in taxable income won’t have to pay interest on 2020 tax debt until next year.

And he says people who applied for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit based on their gross income, rather than net income, won’t have to repay the benefit as long as they are otherwise eligible.

Thousands of Canadians received letters last year telling them they’d have to pay back the CERB because they were ineligible due to the way they’d calculated their income.

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11:30 a.m.

Starting next Monday, people entering Canada by car will have to have proof they’ve taken a COVID-19 test.

The test must have been taken within 72 hours of a return to Canada.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement during a briefing outside his Rideau Cottage home.

The decision to require tests at the land border as of Feb. 15 follows testing requirements already in place for air travellers.

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11:10 a.m.

Prince Edward Island is reporting one new case of COVID-19 today.

Chief medical officer of health Dr. Heather Morrison says the latest case involves a man in his 30s who tested positive in another province.

She says that person will isolate outside P.E.I.

There are now four active reported cases of COVID-19 in Prince Edward Island.

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Quebec is reporting 826 new COVID-19 cases and 32 more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus, including five in the previous 24 hours.

Health officials said today hospitalizations dropped by 29, to 940, and 145 people were in intensive care, a drop of 15.

The province says it administered 2,816 doses of COVID-19 vaccine Monday, for a total of 262,594.

Premier François Legault is scheduled to hold a COVID-19 briefing this afternoon alongside his health minister and the director of public health.

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10:30 a.m.

Ontario says there are 1,022 new cases of COVID-19 in the province and 17 more deaths linked to the novel coronavirus.

Health Minister Christine Elliott says that of those new cases, 343 are in Toronto, 250 are in Peel Region, and 128 are in York Region.

Ontario is also reporting that more than 12,000 doses of a vaccine were administered since the last daily report.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 9, 2021.

The Canadian Press