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The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada (all times eastern):
6:30 p.m.
British Columbia’s COVID-19 infection rate remains below 500, with 469 new cases reported Wednesday and six more deaths.
There are 4,305 active cases and another 6,820 people are under public health monitoring after being exposed to known infections.
While only another 2,000 initial vaccine doses have been given, there are now 14,316 people who have been given a second shot.
Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry say in a joint statement that they’d like people to stay home this Family Day long weekend, to show their family and friends they care about not spreading COVID-19.
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6:05 p.m.
Alberta health officials are reporting 339 new cases of COVID-19 in the province and six new deaths from the virus.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province’s chief medical officer of health, says testing has confirmed another 16 variant cases.
She says of the 16 cases, two of them are linked to a school, but she would not identify the school or what zone it is in.
There are 421 people in hospital being treated for COVID-19, including 77 in intensive care.
Hinshaw says while the hospitalization numbers are well below the province’s peak in December, it is about five to seven times higher than the total during the spring and summer.
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2:40 p.m.
Saskatchewan is reporting 180 new cases of COVID-19.
Health officials say two residents aged 70 and older have died, bringing the death toll to 348.
There are 196 people in hospital, with 28 patients receiving intensive care.
To date, officials have administered more than 45,000 doses of vaccine.
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2:25 p.m.
Health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador are reporting 53 new cases of COVID-19 and 32 presumptive positive cases.
The numbers set a new record for the highest daily total of cases reported in the province.
Official say most of the cases are in the eastern region of the province, which includes the metro St. John’s area, where authorities have been working to contain community spread of the virus.
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, the province’s chief medical officer of health, also announced a raft of new health measures for the St. John’s metro area, including the closure of all kindergarten to Grade 12 schools in the region for the next few weeks.
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2:05 p.m.
The Newfoundland and Labrador English School District has suspended in-class instruction for all kindergarten to Grade 12 schools in the St. John’s metro area.
In a release today, the school board says the new measures will be in place until Feb. 26 for all schools in the St. John’s area, as well as schools in a few surrounding areas like Bell Island and Witless Bay.
The board says the move comes on the advice of public health officials as they work to contain community spread of COVID-19 in the capital region.
The release says the changes will take place beginning Thursday.
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1:45 p.m.
Nunavut is reporting one new case of COVID-19 for a total of six active cases in the territory — all in Arviat.
Chief public health officer Dr. Michael Patterson says all individuals are doing well and isolating at home.
Contact tracing is ongoing.
Patterson says there may not be a surge of cases as there was in November, but household transmission is occurring.
He urges Arviat residents to continue to follow public health measures.
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1:35 p.m.
Manitoba is reporting 57 additional COVID-19 cases and six deaths.
The provincial government recently announced that, due to the declining numbers, some restrictions will be loosened on Friday.
Restaurants, gyms, tattoo parlours and many other facilities will be allowed to reopen under strict capacity limits.
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1 p.m.
Officials in Ontario health units with low COVID-19 transmission say visitors from other areas aren’t welcome at newly reopened businesses.
The provincial government moved health units in Hastings Prince Edward, Renfrew County and the Kingston area to the least-restrictive category of the government’s pandemic management system today.
Other health units remain under a stay-at-home order, and Kingston’s top doctor says his region’s new category isn’t an invitation for other Ontarians to visit.
Hastings Prince Edward’s medical officer issued an order stating businesses can only accept customers from regions not under stay-at-home orders, among other rules.
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11:35 a.m.
Nova Scotia is reporting one new case of COVID-19 today and now has nine active cases.
Health officials say the new case is in the Halifax area and is related to a previously reported case.
One person is currently in hospital and is in intensive care.
The province has administered 20,013 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, while 5,900 people have received their second dose as required.
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11:15 a.m.
Quebec is reporting 989 new cases of COVID-19 today and 34 more deaths linked to the virus.
Eight of those deaths have come within the past 24 hours.
Health officials say hospitalizations dropped by 22, to 918, and 148 people were in intensive care, a rise of three.
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10:30 a.m.
Ontario reports 1,072 new cases of COVID-19 today and 41 more deaths linked to the virus.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says 393 of the new cases are in Toronto, 196 in Peel Region, and 125 are in York Region.
Ontario says nearly 13,500 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered since the province’s last update.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 10, 2021.
The Canadian Press