The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada for Monday, April 19, 2021

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

8:05 p.m.

Yukon’s chief medical officer of health confirmed a new COVID-19 case in the territory today.

Dr. Brendan Hanley says the person is from rural Yukon and had travelled within the country.

This brings the total number of cases in the territory to 77.

Last week, the territory confirmed its first case of the P.1 variant, which is the strain first identified in Brazil.

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5:55 p.m.

Alberta is reporting 1,391 new cases of COVID-19 and three additional deaths due to the virus.

The province says 1,160 cases of variants have also been identified in the last 24 hours.

Variants currently make up almost 57 per cent of the province’s 18,424 active cases.

There are 460 people in hospital due to COVID-19, and 104 are in intensive care.

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3:35 p.m.

Saskatchewan is reporting 243 new cases of COVID-19.

The province says there have been no new deaths due to the virus.

It says there are 200 people in hospital because of COVID-19, and 43 of them are in intensive care.

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2:50 p.m.

Dr. Allison Furey, wife of Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey, has stepped up to help Ontario battle its soaring COVID-19 case numbers.

The premier told reporters today that his wife has been working on the front lines in a St. John’s COVID-19 assessment unit, and that she’s eager to help out in Ontario.

Furey says he spoke with Ontario’s deputy health minister, Helen Angus, early this morning about how Newfoundland and Labrador could help the province meet its need for health-care workers.

He told reporters today he expects officials to work out a plan for sending workers to Ontario within the next 24 hours.

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2:15 p.m.

Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting three new cases of COVID-19.

Health officials say two new cases are linked to travel within Canada, and the other is a close contact of a previously identified infection.

There are now 25 active reported cases of COVID-19 in the province.

Public health says contact tracers are still working to chase down the source of one of those infections, which was announced last Thursday.

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1:45 p.m.

Nunavut’s chief public health officer says all those currently infected with COVID-19 in Iqaluit are adults.

Dr. Michael Patterson also says about three-quarters of them are in their 20s and 30s. 

Nunavut is reporting six new cases of COVID-19, all in Iqaluit, bringing the city’s total to 28 cases.

Patterson declared an outbreak in the city on April 16, after its first case was reported on April 14. 

The city of about 8,000 people, the only place in Nunavut with active cases, is under a strict lockdown with schools, non-essential businesses and government offices closed.

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1:35 p.m.

Manitoba is lowering the age eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines. 

Anyone 40 and over can now get the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

The change follows similar moves by Ontario and Alberta on the weekend. 

Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna doses are available for First Nations people in Manitoba aged 34 and up and for others aged 54 and up.

The province reported 108 new COVID-19 cases and no new deaths today.

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1:30 p.m.

New Brunswick is reporting nine new cases of COVID-19 today.

Health officials say the hard-hit Edmundston region has six new cases while the Moncton, Fredericton and Bathurst areas each have one new case.

There are 158 active reported cases in the province and 21 patients are hospitalized with the disease, including eight in intensive care.

New Brunswick has administered more than 200,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, with 27.5 per cent of the eligible population 16 and over having received at least one dose.

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1:15 p.m.

Nova Scotia is reporting 15 new cases of COVID-19 today and now has 63 active cases.

Eight of the cases are in the Halifax area, six are in the eastern zone and one is in the western area of the province.

Seven of the 15 cases are related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada, five are close contacts of previously reported cases and three are under investigation.

As of Sunday, the province has administered 207,563 doses of COVID-19 vaccine with 32,496 people having received their required second dose.

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12 p.m.

Prince Edward Island is increasing travel restrictions in an effort to control the number of COVID-19 cases in the province.

All non-resident travel to the Island from outside Atlantic Canada is on hold until at least May 17.

The province is reporting three new cases of COVID-19 today — all involving people who arrived from outside the Atlantic region.

Rotational workers and truck drivers who arrive in the province will need to isolate until they receive a negative COVID-19 test even if they are vaccinated.

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11:30 a.m.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh wants Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to consider invoking the federal Emergencies Act given the dire pandemic outlook in Ontario.

In a letter to Trudeau, Singh says such a declaration could help ensure a more co-ordinated delivery of vaccines to those who need them most.

Singh says it would also allow workers to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by taking paid sick days and time off to get vaccinated.

The NDP leader says in Toronto, the wealthiest neighbourhoods have higher rates of vaccination than neighbourhoods where racialized and working-class people live — areas that have higher levels of COVID-19 positivity.

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11:20 a.m.

Manitobans 40 and older will soon be able to get the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

A government source has told The Canadian Press the province is lowering the minimum age eligibility following similar moves by Ontario and Alberta.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, says an announcement is to be made today.

Currently, the AstraZeneca vaccine in Manitoba is available to those 65 and older and to people between 55 and 64 with certain underlying medical conditions.

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11:15 a.m.

Alberta says residents born in 1981 or earlier will be eligible to get the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

Premier Jason Kenney announced last night the province would lower the minimum age to receive the shot to 40 from 55.

Bookings for the younger age cohort are to start tomorrow.

Health Minister Tyler Shandro says lowering the age offers roughly 575,000 more Albertans access to a COVID-19 vaccine.

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11 a.m.

Quebec is reporting 1,092 new COVID-19 cases today and 15 more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus, including two in the past 24 hours.

Despite the notable drop in new, daily infections, health officials reported 686 hospitalizations, a rise of three, and 183 people in intensive care, a rise of eight.

The province says it administered 40,433 COVID-19 vaccine doses Sunday; nearly 2.4 million Quebecers have received at least one dose.

New restrictions between Ontario and Quebec went into effect today, limiting travel between the provinces in order to reduce the spread of virus variants.

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10:50 a.m.

Ontario is reporting 4,447 new cases of COVID-19 today and 19 more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus.

Health Minister Christine Elliott says there are 1,299 new cases in Toronto, 926 in Peel Region and 577 in York Region.

The Health Department is reporting that 2,202 people are hospitalized with the disease, although the government notes that more than 10 per cent of hospitals did not submit data.

There are 755 people in intensive care and 516 on ventilators.

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10:45 a.m.

Nunavut is reporting six new cases of COVID-19 today, all in Iqaluit.

The capital city of about 8,000 people declared an outbreak April 17, two days after its first case was reported.

There are now 28 active reported cases of COVID-19 in Nunavut, all in Iqaluit.

Since the first case was reported last week, there have been 263 COVID-19 tests in Iqaluit, 235 of which have come back negative.

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10:30 a.m.

Canada hit the 10-million milestone this morning for total COVID-19 vaccines administered and is closing in fast on getting a first dose to one in four Canadians.

With Ontario reporting almost 67,000 new vaccinations this morning, Canada surpassed the 10-million mark.

About 9.1 million people have now received at least one dose, including about 915,000 who have received both required doses.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 19, 2021.

The Canadian Press