The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada for Wednesday, April 21, 2021

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

8:20 p.m.

Yukon is reporting one new case of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections to 78.

The territory says the case was associated with international travel.

It says the person tested positive on return to Canada and self-isolated before entering Yukon.

It says the case won’t be part of the active count because the person recovered.

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8:11 p.m.

Alberta is reporting 1,699 new COVID-19 cases and a test positivity rate of 9.5 per cent.

Health officials have confirmed another 1,332 variant cases and variants now make up about 59 per cent of the province’s 18,873 active cases.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw, chief medical officer of health, says she remains concerned about the high spread of COVID-19 in Alberta.

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6:40 p.m.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh received the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine today.

The leader got his first dose of the vaccine at the Common Ground family medicine practice in Ottawa.

Before getting the vaccine, he voted electronically on a Bloc Quebecois sub-amendment to the federal budget.

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6:35 p.m.

British Columbia is reporting 862 new COVID-19 cases, for a total of 121,751 infections in the province.

The government says there were seven COVID-19-related deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities to 1,546.

It says there is no new update on the variants of concern. 

It also says more than 1.4 million doses of vaccines have been given, of which 88,335 are second shots.

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4 p.m.

Quebec’s Health Department says a case of a coronavirus variant first detected in India has been found in the province.

It’s the first known case of the B.1.617 variant identified in Quebec.

Health officials say the case was detected in the central region of the province known as Mauricie-Centre-du-Quebec.

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4 p.m.

Saskatchewan is reporting 231 new cases of COVID-19.

It also says there have been four additional deaths due to the virus – all in the Regina health zone.

There are 185 people in hospital because of COVID-19, and 49 of them are in intensive care.

The province says 52 per cent of residents 40 and older have received a first dose of vaccine.

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3:45 p.m.

Nova Scotia is reporting 25 new cases of COVID-19 today and now has a total of 79 active infections.

Nineteen have been identified in the Halifax area, with four related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada, nine close contacts of previously reported cases and six under investigation.

One of the cases under investigation is a staff member at the Ocean View Continuing Care Centre in Eastern Passage, where all residents are being isolated and cared for in their rooms as a precaution and the facility is closed to visitors and designated caregivers.

Officials say three of the other cases are in the northern zone while the remaining three are in the eastern zone, with one of the remaining cases related to international travel and three related to domestic travel from outside Atlantic Canada.

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2:55 p.m.

Students and seasonal workers travelling to Yukon will be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination while they self-isolate, as the territory pushes ahead with its efforts for a less restrictive summer.

Chief medical officer of health Dr. Brendan Hanley says people who fall under those categories must take a rapid test before their vaccination appointment and show they do not have COVID-19.

Hanley says if younger age groups start increasing their vaccination rates, the territory could have fewer restrictions in place for the summer.

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2:15 p.m.

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

Officials say the case involves a man in his 50s and is related to travel within Canada.

As of Wednesday afternoon, 28 per cent of those in the province who are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine have received at least one dose.

Premier Andrew Furey says many of the province’s health-care workers have volunteered to help Ontario, and his government will have details soon about how many will go and when.

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1:55 p.m.

A vaccination clinic for thousands of workers at a southern Alberta beef-packing plant has been postponed due to a delay in a shipment of the Moderna vaccine.

Cargill spokesman Daniel Sullivan says the company is disappointed, but remains ready to help vaccinate its employees.

Alberta Health says it was counting on the Moderna shipment for the clinic, which will open as soon as possible.

Nearly half the 2,200 workers at Cargill’s facility at High River, south of Calgary, contracted the novel coronavirus and two employees died.

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1:35 p.m.

Manitoba is reporting 164 new cases of COVID-19. 

Two earlier cases have been removed due to data correction, for a net increase of 162. 

The province is also reporting one death — that of a man in his 50s in the northern health region.

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1:30 p.m.

New Brunswick says a person in their 60s in the Saint John area has died of COVID-19, marking the 34th death in the province attributed to the novel coronavirus.

Health officials are also reporting seven new cases of COVID-19 today: three are in the Edmundston area, two are in the Saint John area and the Moncton and Miramichi regions each have one new case.

Officials have declared outbreaks at two special-care homes — Pavillon Beau-Lieu in Grand Falls and Murray Street Lodge in Grand Bay-Westfield.

New Brunswick says pregnant women in the province are now able to book appointments for COVID-19 vaccines.

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12:30 p.m.

Nunavut is reporting one new case of COVID-19 today and one recovery.

The new case is in Iqaluit, where an outbreak is ongoing in the city of about 8,000 people.

There are 31 active cases in Iqaluit.

There are also two active cases in Kinngait, a hamlet of 1,500 people about an hour flight from Iqaluit.

Chief public health officer Dr. Michael Patterson says case numbers will continue to fluctuate as contacts are identified.

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11:45 a.m.

The Manitoba government is expanding its COVID-19 vaccine program to prioritize first responders, teachers and other front-line workers. 

Front-line police officers and firefighters of all ages are now eligible to book a shot. 

On Friday, the province will reveal a list of high-risk geographic areas and anyone aged 18 and up who lives in those areas — as well as workers in the areas such as teachers, restaurant workers and grocery store clerks  — will be eligible as well.

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11:15 a.m.

Quebec is reporting 1,217 new cases of COVID-19 today and a 22-patient jump in hospitalizations.

Health officials say 716 people are in hospital with the disease, including 178 people in intensive care, a rise of one from the day prior.

They are also reporting six more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus.

The province says it administered over 54,000 doses of vaccine Tuesday, for a total of 2,503,910.

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10:45 a.m.

Ontario reports 4,212 new cases of COVID-19 and 32 more deaths linked to the virus.

Health Minister Christine Elliott says there are 1,249 new cases in Toronto, 771 in Peel Region, and 386 in York Region.

The Ministry of Health says 2,335 people are in hospital with the novel coronavirus, 790 people are in intensive care and 566 are on a ventilator.

Ontario reports that over 136,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered since Tuesday’s daily update.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21, 2021.

The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said the Quebec case of the variant first detected in India was in the province’s Haute-Mauricie region.