A timeline of every COVID-19 case in Canada throughout August 2020

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As cases of COVID-19 continue to spread around the world, Canadians are increasingly concerned about their health and safety.

This is a timeline of cases dating from August 1-31. For the latest cases around Canada, you can click here.

Timeline of coronavirus cases in Canada August 2020

Aug. 31

Ontario teachers file complaint over back to school plan

On Monday, Ontario reported 114 new cases of COVID-19. The majority of cases were in Toronto, Peel, and Ottawa with 41, 16 and 21, respectively and another 12 in York Region. Ontario’s other 30 public health units saw five or fewer cases, with 18 reporting no new cases at all. One additional death related to the virus was also reported.

The latest cases come on the same day that Ontario’s four major teachers’ unions said they would file complaints with the labour board that the Government of Ontario was violating its own workplace safety laws with its back to school plan. Union representatives say the Ministry of Labour failed to take adequate safety and health precautions for the return of teachers and staff to their place of work.

In response, Premier Doug Ford said he couldn’t understand what the unions were unhappy with.

"We have done absolutely everything... Every idea possible, we're putting into the classrooms,” said Ford. “If you compare the report card with all the other provinces, it's night and day... My concern is how at the peak of this, when it was running rampant, that PSWs walked into long-term care homes like firefighters walking into the burning buildings, and they don't say a word.”

Ford went on to say that it was the unions were seeking to start fights, but that he is confident the teachers will “do a great job” and that several teachers had approached him recently to apologize for the behaviour of the unions.

Quebec sees dozens of school-related COVID-19 infections

Days after returning to the classroom, the province has confirmed that two schools in Quebec City have had cases of COVID-19 cases. There are 81 students who are currently in isolation for 14 days after three cases of COVID-19 were identified within the schools. The province considers the cases community spread, as the three cases are not related.

Elsewhere in the province, four teachers at a school in the Lower Laurentians tested positive for COVID-19. Grade 10 and 11 students were advised to stay home on Friday, and about 20 teachers were instructed to enter preventative isolation.

Across Quebec, there were 140 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Monday, and two more deaths related to the virus.

Updates from the rest of Canada

In Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, no new cases of COVID-19 were reported. In Nova Scotia, two confirmed COVID-19 cases and two probable cases were identified. A student at Dalhousie University and a student at Arcadia University received indeterminate test results, and are currently self-isolating. Both students are from outside the Atlantic bubble. The two confirmed cases are in the Eastern and Western zones; the first is related to travel, while the second is a student from outside the Atlantic bubble.

Manitoba reported 28 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday. Fourteen of the cases were close contacts of previously identified cases, while one was travel related, and the rest remain under investigation. Two of the cases are from the Interlake-Eastern health region, 13 are in the Prairie Mountain health region, six are in the Southern Health-Santé Sud region, and seven are in the Winnipeg health region. Due to the number of cases in the southern region, Manitoba has implemented travel restrictions to northern parts of the province and remote communities, effective Sept. 3.

British Columbia reported four COVID-19 deaths over the weekend as cases in the province continued to increase to numbers not even seen in spring. An additional 294 cases have been confirmed in B.C., bringing the total number of active cases to 1,107, a record-high. Dr. Bonnie Henry reminded people to remain vigilant and as the colder season approaches, to slow down social interactions as much as possible.

"These more, challenging colder months, we have to close those gaps that we've had here in the summer and flatten our curve again," Henry said said.

Alberta reported COVID case confirmations from over the weekend on Monday and broke down thusly: 133 new cases on Friday, 184 new cases on Saturday and 109 new cases on Sunday.

“Our case numbers over the last three days raise concerns,” chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said.

There are now 1,370 active cases in the province, just nine fewer than Quebec, the country’s worst-hit province, has.

Aug. 30

COVID-19 outbreak declared at hospital in Manitoba’s worst-hit city

Three cases have been linked to a unit of the Brandon Regional Health Centre, according to a press release by Manitoba health officials.

The unit is part of the second floor of the hospital’s Assiniboine Centre in Brandon, Man., where officials have implemented outbreak protocols out of an abundance of caution. The risk of future spread within the facility is still considered “low,” as officials try to identify close contacts as part of their investigation into the outbreak.

The Assiniboine Centre currently provides care for rehabilitation patients and those with other longer term stays, according to CBC, who received confirmation from Prairie Mountain Health.

The three patients were part of the 35 daily cases that Manitoba health officials announced on Sunday, as its concerning case trend continues. There are now a record-high 462 currently infected patients in the province. It marks the 10th time over the past 11 days that Manitoba has set a new record-high for active cases.

Of the most recent patients, 17 were identified in Winnipeg and 12 in Prairie Mountain Health, which remains its epicentre as the only region with additional COVID-19 measures in place.

Brandon has 160 of 243 of Prairie Mountain Health’s active cases. In comparison, Winnipeg has 138 active cases, despite having more than 10 times the population of Brandon.

In general, Prairie Mountain Health continues to deal with outbreaks, such as at its Maple Leaf Foods pork processing facility in Brandon, in communal living settings, which includes Hutterite colonies, and in long-term care homes, along with its most recent hospital outbreak.

Eight of Manitoba’s 35 recently identified cases are close contacts of previous patients, according to a press release, however community spread has been reported in both Brandon and Winnipeg over the course of August.

Throughout the pandemic, Manitoba has had 1,186 COVID-19 cases. That includes 710 people who have recovered and 14 fatalities.

On July 14, the province came very close to having no active cases. That day, after all of its initial patients had recovered, health officials diagnosed five other people. Since then, Manitoba has seen its curb trend upwards.

On Aug. 12, for the first time, the province surpassed 200 active cases. It’s a mark it hasn’t fallen under since, with Wednesday also being the first day that the province eclipsed the 400-case mark.

Updates from the rest of Canada

Saskatchewan health officials did not identify any new cases of COVID-19 in their latest 24-hour stretch, after labs processed 1,281 tests. It’s the second day this week (Aug. 25) that the province did not record a new patient. Before the recent stretch, the last time it had no new daily cases was on June 7. Instead, in the latest 24-hour stretch, one more patient in Saskatchewan has recovered. There are now 42 active cases in the province, with 17 of those in communal living settings.

Ontario reported 112 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday. It’s now the ninth time over the past 10 days that the province has recorded at least 100 cases of COVID-19. Before the recent stretch, it had stayed below that mark on 14 of its last 18 occasions. Of the most recent cases, 36 were in Toronto, 27 in Peel and 16 in Ottawa. Twenty-nine of Ontario’s 34 public health units reported five or fewer cases, while 17 of them reported no new patients at all. In the latest 24-hour stretch, one more person has died and 78 patients have recovered. It means there are now 1,181 active cases in the province, the most since Aug. 5.

One-hundred and twenty new cases were identified in Quebec. No one has died in the province since Saturday, but Quebec did add three fatalities to its death toll of 5,758; they occured between Aug. 23-28. Sixty-five more people have also recovered, meaning there are now 1,294 active cases in the province.

In Nova Scotia, there are still five active cases in the province, while Newfoundland and Labrador has one. Two more people have recovered from the virus in New Brunswick, which leaves four active cases in that province. As of Prince Edward Island’s latest update on Tuesday, it has three active cases.

Nunavut remains the only jurisdiction to not have had a confirmed positive case throughout the pandemic. The Northwest Territories have zero active cases, and so does Yukon after its two remaining cases were marked resolved on Aug. 13.

Aug. 29

Saskatchewan issues COVID-19 exposure alert for Regina airport

Saskatchewan Health Authority is warning the public of a potential COVID-19 exposure at Regina International Airport.

An individual who tested positive for the virus visited the airport when they were “likely infectious” on Aug. 23 between 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.

“The individual was in several areas of the airport, including visiting the Tim Horton’s business that is located in the secure area of the airport to the left of the screening area, prior to boarding a flight,” wrote a press release by officials. “This person is from a different province and that province will provide further information about the flights.”

It’s unclear at this moment which province the individual is from. As of the time of the alert, no flights involving the Regina airport on Aug. 23 have been added to Saskatchewan’s list of “affected flights,” which lists potential exposure situations in which a confirmed COVID-19 case was on the plane.

Officials are advising individuals who were at the airport during the specific time and data to immediately self-isolate and organize a test if they have had or currently have symptoms of COVID-19.

All others who have not yet experienced symptoms should continue to monitor themselves for 14 days.

On Saturday, health officials also announced four new cases of COVID-19, with two each in the South West and Saskatoon zones. Five more people have recovered in the same timeframe, meaning there are now 43 cases that are considered active in the province. Of those cases, 18 of them are in communal living settings.

Manitoba records its second largest increase in COVID-19 patients, as its active case count continues to soar

Manitoba health officials announced 55 new cases on Saturday, which marks the second largest spike the province has recorded throughout the pandemic.

During the 24-hour stretch leading into Aug. 23, Manitoba testing labs identified 96 new cases.

With the most recent update, it means there are now 444 active cases in the province, which is a new record-high. It marks the ninth time over the past 10 days that the province has set a new record-high for currently infected patients.

Thirty-one of the most recent cases are in the Prairie Mountain Health region, which continues to be the province’s epicentre. One of the cases involves a health-care worker from the Hillcrest Place personal care home in Brandon, according to a press release by officials, who did not hold a press conference Saturday.

The health-care worker wore personal protective equipment and is currently self-isolating. According to CBC, it’s the third care home in Manitoba to have a COVID-19 outbreak in recent weeks.

“While the risk is assessed to be low, the site has initiated outbreak protocols in an abundance of caution,” wrote the press release. “This means the site is putting additional measures in place to further reduce the risk to residents and staff, and is restricting visitation at the facility. The site is moving to Critical (red) on the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System.”

Of the 444 currently infected patients in the province, 235 of them are in Prairie Mountain Health. The region continues to deal with outbreaks, such as at its Maple Leaf Foods pork processing facility in Brandon. Health officials maintain that there is no evidence that the virus is spreading in the facility, but workers have disputed the claim as dozens have fallen ill.

The province is also still dealing with outbreaks in communal living settings, which includes Hutterite colonies.

Throughout the pandemic, Manitoba has had 1,151 COVID-19 cases. That includes 693 people who have recovered and 14 fatalities.

On July 14, the province came very close to having no active cases. That day, after all of its initial patients had recovered, health officials diagnosed five other people. Since then, Manitoba has seen its curb trend upwards. On Aug. 12, for the first time, the province surpassed 200 active cases. It’s a mark it hasn’t fallen under since, with Wednesday also being the first day that the province eclipsed the 400-case mark.

Ontario reports its largest spike in daily cases in over a month

Ontario has recorded 148 new cases of COVID-19, which marks the most in a 24-hour stretch since July 24.

Of the most recent cases, 41 of them were identified in Toronto, 32 in Peel, 20 in Ottawa and 19 in Windsor-Essex. Twenty-seven of the province’s 34 public health units reported five or fewer cases, while 18 of them reported no new patients at all. The new cases were identified after labs completed 32,106 tests, the most since Aug. 1.

Of the 148 cases, 53 of them were among people between the ages of 20-39, the most of any age group. There were also 37 cases among those 40-59, and just six among those 80 and older.

It’s now the eighth time over the past nine days that the province has recorded at least 100 cases of COVID-19. Before the recent stretch, it had stayed below that mark on 14 of its last 18 occasions.

No one has died in Ontario’s latest 24-hour period, as the death toll remains at 2,809. A day earlier, the province announced six fatalities, the most in over a month.

One-hundred and three more COVID-19 patients have recovered from the virus since Friday. However, there are still 1,148 active cases in the province, the most since Aug. 5.

Of those currently infected patients, there are 51 people in hospital, which includes 17 in intensive care and five who require a ventilator.

Updates from around Canada

Nova Scotia reported no new cases on Saturday, but there still remain five currently infected patients around the province. Newfoundland and Labrador still has one active case, which was announced on Friday to break its 17-day streak of no new patients. One more person has recovered in New Brunswick, meaning there are now six active cases in the province. As of Prince Edward Island’s latest update on Tuesday, it has three active cases.

Quebec health officials announced that they identified 156 new cases of COVID-19 in their latest 24-hour stretch. Forty-eight cases were also removed from its total case count since there were false positives that were initially reported earlier this week. No one has died in the province since Thursday, but Quebec has added five fatalities to its death toll of 5,755; two of them occurred before Aug. 22 and the other three are from an unknown date,according to a press release by officials. One-hundred and twenty-nine more people have recovered, which means there are now 1,242 active cases in the province.

Nunavut remains the only jurisdiction to not have had a confirmed positive case throughout the pandemic. The Northwest Territories have zero active cases, and so does Yukon after its two remaining cases were marked resolved on Aug. 13.

Aug. 28

Quebec: 20 teachers forced to isolate after a couple test positive; Entire classroom sent home after parent’s diagnosis

More than 20 teachers from a Quebec high school are in self-isolation after two of them tested positive for COVID-19, according to The Canadian Press.

The cluster has resulted in about 500 students in Grade 10 and 11 at Polyvalente Deux-Montagnes, in the Lower Laurentians, having to stay home on Friday. If the school can get replacement staff, it’s likely students will return by Monday. The group of about 20 teachers will instead be in isolation until Sept. 4, and will all be tested for COVID-19.

Schools in Quebec opened on Thursday for the fall semester. However, school board spokesperson Anik Gagnon said to The Canadian Press that the two staff members tested positive for COVID-19 before the first day of classes.

“When we have a case where we have 20 teachers in quarantine, of course it has an impact on our children,” Quebec Premier Francois Legault said. “But it's a very small number compared to the million children going back to school.”

On Montreal’s South Shore, Collège Français sent home an entire class on Thursday after the father of one of its students tested positive for the virus.

Chantal Dubé, the school’s principal, told CBC that she was frustrated, since public health officials took several hours to return her call after she sought out guidance on what next steps she should take.

Ultimately, the school was advised to only send home the child of the infected parent.

This is the second time that Quebec has welcomed students back to classrooms since the start of the pandemic. Elementary schools around Quebec first reopened May 11 (with the exception of those in the Montreal area), which was a first in Canada. High schools, CEGEPs and post-secondary institutions around Quebec were instead forced to stay closed.

During its first reopening stint, the province had 78 cases among students and staff within the first three weeks. In some cases, schools had to close for several days, while a school in Trois-Rivières almost had an entire classroom of about 12 students contract the virus.

The return to school is now mandatory for all Quebec students. Remote learning is only being offered to students who are seriously ill or who live with someone who is at risk of developing severe complications from COVID-19, according to The Canadian Press.

The province’s back-to-school plan continues to face criticism, with one teachers’ federation of about 49,000 members saying there is a “communication problem” at the moment between schools and the provincial government.

On Friday, Quebec officials announced that students can expect sports and other after-school activities to resume Sept. 14 — if everything goes well.

British Columbia once again records a new record-high for daily cases

British Columbia health officials announced that they’ve identified 124 new cases of COVID-19, which marks a new record-high for a single-day spike in the province.

It's the third time since Aug. 17 that it has reported a new record. The update also comes after three straight days of reporting fewer than 70 cases, a mark the province has struggled to fall under over the past few weeks.

The most recent update increases the province’s active case count to 974, which is the most it’s ever had throughout the pandemic. British Columbia has seen its active cases rise on an upward trajectory as of late, considering there were 253 active cases in the province on July 28, and 162 on June 28.

Health officials did not hold a press conference on Friday to discuss the most recent spike, but over the past month they’ve attributed the rise to an increase in private gatherings, such as indoor parties that continue to be a problem, especially among young people.

“COVID-19 requires new ways of living our lives with new precautions and routines for ourselves and our families, whether at home, work, school or when spending time with others,” wrote officials in a press release.

“This includes keeping our numbers of contacts low, especially at indoor parties and events, whether in a hall or in our own home. We have seen transmission from even small events, and the last thing we want to do is pass COVID-19 to those we are closest to.”

Last weekend, B.C. officers imposed several $2,300 fines to party organizers, shortly after the province updated its enforcement policy.

Exposures due to gatherings have been a key concern for B.C. ever since two hotel parties around Canada Day in Kelowna led to dozens of cases around the province, as well as possible exposure warnings for a variety of businesses.

Officials continue to ask B.C. residents to check the growing list of public exposure warnings as part of contact tracing efforts. Currently in B.C., there are 2,796 people who are self-isolating and are being actively monitored by public health, since they were in contact with a known COVID-19 patient.

Along with the most recent cases, officials said that there have been no new fatalities in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch. Instead, 57 more people have recovered. Of the 974 active cases that remain, there are 23 people in hospital, which includes seven in intensive care.

Ontario reports its most fatal day in over a month

Ontario announced that six more COVID-19 patients have died, which is the most in a 24-hour stretch since nine deaths were reported July 17.

Of the most recent group of victims, one person was between 40-59 years old, while the other five were at least 80. Two of the fatalities involved residents of long-term care facilities, according to the Ministry of Health.

Ontario also reported 122 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday. It’s now the seventh time over the past eight days that the province has recorded at least 100 cases of COVID-19. Before the recent stretch, it had stayed below that mark on 14 of its last 18 occasions.

Toronto led the way with 32 new cases, while Peel had 27, Ottawa had 17 and York had 15. Twenty-nine of Ontario’s 34 public health units reported five or fewer cases, while 17 had no new cases at all. The latest patients were identified after labs completed 31,823 tests for COVID-19, the most in a 24-hour stretch since Aug. 1.

Eighty-three more people have also recovered from the virus, meaning there are now 1,103 active cases in the province. It’s the seventh day of the last 10 that the province has seen its active case count increase.

Of those currently infected patients, there are 61 patients in hospital, which includes 18 in intensive care and 12 who require a ventilator.

Throughout the pandemic, Ontario has had 41,935 cases of COVID-19. That includes 38,023 recovered patients and 2,809 deaths.

Newfoundland and Labrador breaks its 17-day no-case streak

Newfoundland and Labrador is no longer COVID-free, with health officials announcing one new patient on Friday.

The case involves a female under the age of 19. It is believed her infections is related to international travel, having recently returned from an undisclosed country in Asia. According to a press release, she was asymptomatic while en route and went into self-isolation upon arrival to Canada.

The last time health officials announced a new case was on Aug. 10. By Aug. 21, all of its remaining patients had recovered, making Newfoundland and Labrador the only province at the time with no active cases of COVID-19.

Throughout the pandemic, N.L. has had 269 total patients, three of whom died.

There is now at least one currently infected patient in all of Canada’s provinces.

Updates from the rest of Canada

With Manitoba health officials announcing 32 new patients on Friday, there are now 418 active cases in the province, which is a new record-high. It’s now the eighth time over the past nine days that the province has set a new record-high for currently infected patients. Eighteen of the most recent cases are in Prairie Mountain, which continues to be the province’s epicentre. It has 223 of Manitoba’s active cases, as the region deals with outbreaks, such as at its Maple Leaf Foods pork processing facility in Brandon, and in communal living settings, which includes Hutterite colonies. Twenty-one more people have also recovered since Thursday.

Quebec health officials announced that they identified 98 new cases of COVID-19 in their latest 24-hour stretch. It breaks its two day streak of reporting more than 100 cases. The province has now recorded fewer than 100 cases on 14 of the last 18 occasions; before the recent stretch, it had not done so since July 11. Thirty cases were also removed from its total case count since there were false positives. They are among 78 cases that will be removed over the upcoming days.

One more person has also died in Quebec, but it occured before Aug. 21. The death toll still remains at 5,750, since one previously recorded fatality was in fact not linked to the virus. There are now 1,268 active cases in the province, since 98 more people have recovered since Thursday. On Friday, officials also announced that patients will now also only have to isolate for 10 days (down from 14) after their first onset of symptoms. However, patients must also not have a fever for at least 48 hours, and no symptoms for at least a day — other than coughing or loss of taste.

Health officials in Nova Scotia have identified two new cases of COVID-19, in the same 24-hour stretch in which two more people have also recovered. The province’s active case count remains at five. The two most recent cases are both in the Northern Zone and are linked to previously reported patients.

One new case has been diagnosed in New Brunswick involving an individual between 10 and 19 years old in the Saint John region. The reason for infection is believed to be travel related. There are now seven active cases, as one person has recovered since Thursday.

As of Prince Edward Island’s latest update on Tuesday, there are three active cases in the province.

Saskatchewan health officials announced two new cases, with one each in the Far North West and Saskatoon zones. Sixteen more people have recovered from the virus, meaning there are now 44 active cases in the province. Of those currently infected patients, 20 of them are in communal living settings.

One-hundred and fifty-eight new cases were recorded in Alberta, but there were no fatalities in its latest 24-hour stretch, as the death toll remains at 237. There are now 1,185 active cases in the province, since 131 more people have recovered. The Calgary zone has 435 of those currently infected patients, while the Edmonton zone has 544. The City of Edmonton was taken off the province’s “watch” list on Friday, since it had no longer has been 50 cases per 100,000 residents. However, there are still four areas that remain under watch in that zone: Edmonton-Northgate, Edmonton-Northeast, Edmonton-Castle Downs and Edmonton-Abbotsfield.

Aug. 27

Ontario reported 118 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in the last 24-hour reporting period on Thursday, as well as one death related to the virus. With only 77 cases marked as resolved during the same time period, the total number of active cases in the province increased by 40 to 1,070. Minister of Health Christine Elliott said 28 of Ontario’s 34 health units reported five or fewer new cases, with 18 health units reporting no new cases at all.

Many students in Quebec returned to school today as the province announced 111 new cases of COVID-19. The province also identified one new COVID-19-related death, plus two deaths related to the virus that took place before August 20. Five more people entered hospital with COVID-19, bringing the total number of people hospitalized to 115, including 15 in intensive care, which is three more than yesterday.

In Canada’s easternmost provinces, no new cases of COVID-19 were reported. Nova Scotia officials said during a press conference on Thursday that there were three clusters of cases in the Northern zone over the past two weeks, but no links between the clusters and no evidence of community spread. One more person in New Brunswick has recovered, bringing the total number of active cases in the province to seven. Newfoundland and Labrador marked the seventeenth straight day without any new cases, and there are no known active cases in the province. Prince Edward Island continues to have three active cases.

Manitoba reported another death related to COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the provincial total to 14. A woman in her 90s at Bethesda Place nursing home in Steinbach is the latest person to pass away with the virus in Manitoba. There were also 21 new cases reported, and 21 recoveries, keeping Manitoba at 408 active cases of COVID-19.

In Saskatchewan, there were five new cases of COVID-19 reported, and seven recoveries, bringing the province to 58 active cases at this time. Of the 58 active cases, 29 are in communal living situations.

British Columbia announced 68 new cases in the province and one death, a person in long-term care. The province currently has 906 active cases. A total of 204 people died of COVID-19 in B.C. since the start of the pandemic.

Alberta announced that two more people died of COVID-19 in the latest 24-hour stretch of reporting. An addition 108 new cases were also confirmed. The victims were a man in his 90s and a man in his 70s. The province currently has 1,158 active cases, more even than Ontario.

Aug. 26

On Wednesday, Ontario reported 88 new cases of COVID-19, but for the first time this week, reported more recoveries than new cases, reducing the number of active cases in the province to 1,030. Two additional deaths related to COVID-19 were also reported. These latest numbers come as Ontario reveals it will be receiving $381 million from the federal government to implement its back-to-school plan.

In Quebec, there were 142 new cases of COVID-19 reported, as well as one additional death related to the virus. Of the new cases, 40 positive tests are currently under investigation as authorities say some may have been contaminated.

Across the Maritimes, the only new COVID-19 case identified in the last 24 hours comes from Nova Scotia, and is related to a previously identified case. New Brunswick saw its number of active cases drop to eight, while Newfoundland and Labrador saw its sixteenth day without any new cases. Prince Edward Island remains at three active cases.

There are 25 new cases of COVID-19 that have been reported in Manitoba, for a total of 408 active cases in the province. Public health officials are warning visitors to a GoodLife Fitness in Brandon and cafes in Brandon and Wasagaming to be aware of potential exposure to the virus. Click here for a full list of dates and locations that Manitobans should be aware of for possible contamination events.

Saskatchewan reported its 24th death related to the virus on Wednesday. There were also three new cases, in addition to thirty recoveries, brining the total number of active cases to 60. The government has said 24 of these cases are in communal living situations, which is the terminology being used to identify cases in Hutterite colonies. All new cases are in the Saskatoon area.

British Columbia reported no new deaths but 62 new cases of COVID-19 in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch. No new outbreaks were detected either, but exposures continue to happen in the community, including a restaurants whose patrons have been asked to self-monitor for symptoms, and on flights, according to Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix.

Alberta also announced no new deaths, but the province did have 127 new cases of COVID-19 in its latest 24-hour stretch of reporting. There are currently 1,176 active cases in Alberta, with 625 in Edmonton and 362 in Calgary.

Aug. 25

No new daily cases in Saskatchewan for the first time in over two months

Saskatchewan health officials announced that for the first time since June 7, the province has not identified a new COVID-19 patient in a 24-hour testing period.

Saskatchewan labs completed 388 new tests for the virus, all of which came back negative. It’s the fewest tests its labs have administered in a day since June 9.

Since the last time it reported no new cases, the province has seen its COVID-19 situation fluctuate. On July 7, it had its fewest active cases throughout the pandemic with 16.

In July, Saskatchewan went through its worst stretch, which included a day where it recorded a record-high 60 daily cases. On July 28, the province had its most ever active cases with 322, as it dealt with outbreaks in communal living situations, which included Hutterite colonies.

As of Tuesday, there are now 88 active cases in the province, since eight more people have recovered in Saskatchewan’s latest 24-hour stretch. One more person in their 70s has also died in the Central region, which increases the death toll to 23.

On both Aug. 17 and Aug. 18, the province came very close to reporting no new cases. Health officials only reported one new case on both those days, despite completing 1,974 combined tests. Since then, the province has not recorded a double-digit increase to its total case count, as its active case count has also declined each day. On Aug. 24, the province dipped below 100 active cases for the first time since July 15.

Of the 88 currently infected patients that remain in the province, 57 of them are among communal living settings. Four patients are currently in hospital.

Updates from the rest of Canada: B.C. and Manitoba record new record-highs for active cases

British Columbia reported 58 new cases of COVID-19 in its latest 24-hour stretch. It’s the first time since Aug. 17 that it has recorded fewer than 60 new cases. Despite the smaller increase compared to days prior, its active case count still hit a new record-high; there are now 925 currently infected patients in the province, up by 12 since Monday. There have also been two new health-care facility outbreaks in the Fraser Health region, according to a press release by officials.

B.C. residents are being asked to continue to check the growing list of public exposure warnings as part of contact tracing efforts. Currently in B.C., there are 2,675 people who are self-isolating and are being actively monitored by public health, since they were in contact with a known COVID-19 patient. In recent weeks, the province has seen its COVID-19 case curb trend upwards. Health officials have attributed the rise to an increase in large gatherings, especially among young people who have not been following COVID-19 precautions.

With Manitoba health officials announcing 25 new patients on Tuesday, there are now 399 active cases in the province, which marks the sixth-straight day that it has set a new record-high mark. Of those currently infected patients, 203 of them are in Prairie Mountain Health, as the region continues to deal with outbreaks, such as at its Maple Leaf Foods pork processing facility in Brandon, and in communal living settings, which includes Hutterite colonies. On Tuesday, Manitoba also reported a death related to COVID-19, in connection to an outbreak in a nursing home south of Winnipeg. The woman was in her 90s.

Meanwhile in Quebec, the province reported 62 new cases of COVID-19. It’s now the 13th time over the past 15 days that the province has recorded fewer than 100 cases; before the recent stretch, it had not done so since July 11. On Tuesday, Quebec announced three fatalities, but its death toll (5,746) only increased by two, since officials said one that of the province’s previously reported deaths turned out to be unrelated to the virus. Since 89 more patients have recovered since Monday, there are now 1,207 active cases in the province.

There were 100 new cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in Ontario over the previous 24-hour period, officials announced on Tuesday. Toronto led the way with 26 new cases, while Peel had 25, Ottawa had 16 and York had 12. The remaining 30 public health units reported fewer than five cases, while 18 of them reported no new patients at all. There were also two newly-reported deaths related to the virus, bringing the province’s death toll to 2,800. Throughout Ontario, there are now 1,059 active cases, since 75 more patients have recovered.

In the Maritime provinces, there was one new case of COVID-19 reported in New Brunswick. The case in the Moncton area is related to travel, and the person is self-isolating. There are now 10 active cases in the province.

Newfoundland and Labrador has reported no new cases for the fifteenth straight day, while it remains the province with no active cases. There are still three active cases in Prince Edward Island, health officials announced as part of their weekly update. Nova Scotia currently has four active cases, down from seven on Monday.

One more person in Alberta has died after contracting COVID-19, increasing the death toll to 235. The individual was a man in his 80s in the Edmonton Zone, who was not in continuing care or part of a known outbreak. Seventy-seven new cases were also reported by health officials on Tuesday, but that also 114 more patients have recovered. There are now 1,134 active cases in the province, with the Edmonton zone being home to 608 of them.

Nunavut remains the only jurisdiction to not have had a confirmed positive case throughout the pandemic. The Northwest Territories have zero active cases, and so does Yukon after its two remaining cases were marked resolved on Aug. 13.

Aug. 24

Montreal issues a new mass testing advisory after ‘symptomatic’ patients attend Latin dance events

Montreal Public Health is urging anyone who’s been to a Latin dance event since July 31 to get tested for COVID-19.

In a public advisory, Montreal health officials said there have been three confirmed cases of COVID-19 among people who have attended several Latin dance events. Two of those individuals were “contagious” and “symptomatic” when they attended events in Montreal on Aug. 14 on St. Catherine Street, and Aug. 15 at Frédéric-Back Park, said public health director Mylène Drouin.

“As we know, the younger we are, the symptoms aren’t always as noticeable,” said Drouin in French at a press conference on Monday.

Latin dance events in Montreal have been attended by hundreds of people in that timeframe, both outdoors and indoors. Drouin estimates that they could be dealing with up to 500 attendees that are affected by the public advisory.

Officials have not yet been able to identify where the indoor events took place, while it is currently against Quebec’s COVID-19 restrictions to dance in indoor public spaces, such as bars.

Other Latin dance events in Park Lafontaine and Verdun could also be linked to the outbreak, said Drouin, as she prompted those attendees to get tested. Latin Groove Dance School wrote on its Facebook page that one of its dancers tested positive for the virus, after having visited restaurants and attending their outdoor dance activities in Park Lafontaine and Verdun.

There is currently no registry of attendees, which is making it difficult for health officials to contact those who were at the events.

"We are better to act quickly to avoid more of a spread," Drouin said. "When we are not able to do contact tracing, they become events we call 'super spreaders.'"

Under COVID-19 restrictions in Quebec, dancing is not permitted in any indoor public space, however outdoor events are still allowed. Drouin said people who attend outdoor dancing events should wash their hands regularly, wear masks, and stick to the same dancing partner, preferably someone from the same household.

“Banning these kinds of events would not help. It’s a bit like bars, it would only lead to more people doing it in an undesired context,” said Drouin. “If the rules are followed, the risk is lowered.”

On July 9, Quebec initially imposed restrictions that would not allow indoor dancing after it experienced outbreaks in relation to bars, especially in and around the Montreal area. A few days later on July 11, officials asked anyone who’s been to a bar in the city since Canada Day to get tested, prompting thousands to come forward, and dozens of related cases.

British Columbia reports its largest one-day spike, another record-high for active cases

British Columbia health officials announced that they’ve identified 269 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend. That includes 109 daily cases that were identified in the 24-hour stretch between Friday and Saturday, which is a record-high one-day spike.

The latest update also increases the province’s active case count to 913, surpassing its previous record-high of 824, which was set on Friday. British Columbia has seen its active cases rise on an upward trajectory as of late, considering there were 295 active cases in the province on July 24, and 162 on June 24.

The recently identified cases are part of a concerning trend. The province has now reported at least 70 cases on 11 of the last 13 occasions. Before the recent stretch, the last time the province had recorded at least 70 cases was on April 25.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the recent spike in cases is partially the result of revamped testing efforts involving known contacts of previously identified patients. As of late, labs have been processing 4,000-5,000 tests a day, which has resulted in a “relatively low” positivity rate, despite high daily case numbers.

However, private gatherings such as indoor parties continue to be a problem, especially among young people. After updating their fining system on Friday, B.C. law enforcement imposed several $2,300 fines to party organizers over the course of the weekend, according to CBC.

Henry and health minister Adrian Dix both said that they don’t plan on easing restrictions, which are currently capped at 50-people for both indoor and outdoor gatherings. They also don’t believe that shutting down banquet halls, restaurants and bars will help limit the spread. Instead, when restrictions are in place, they can provide a safe space to socialize.

“We do know that if we just shut things down — and we've seen that happen in other countries around the world — that [gatherings] do tend to go underground, where they are less controlled,” said Henry. “They can cause more challenges, more difficulties, and people are less likely to report if they're feeling ill.”

Exposures due to gatherings have been a key concern for B.C. ever since two hotel parties around Canada Day in Kelowna led to dozens of cases around the province, as well as possible exposure warnings for a variety of businesses. Officials continue to ask B.C. residents to check the growing list of public exposure warnings as part of contact tracing efforts. Currently in B.C., there are 2,594 people who are self-isolating and are being actively monitored by public health, since they were in contact with a known COVID-19 patient.

Along with the 109 cases that were identified between Friday and Saturday, there were 81 new cases between Saturday and Sunday, and 79 between Sunday and Monday. B.C. health officials also announced one more person has died over the weekend, involving a long-term care resident in the Fraser Health region. One more LTC outbreak was also declared in that same region, increasing the number of health-care outbreaks around B.C. to 10. In positive news, the Fraser Valley Packers outbreak has been declared over.

Throughout the pandemic, there have been 5,184 cases in British Columbia. That includes 4,068 who have fully recovered and 203 fatalities.

Updates from the rest of Canada

Alberta reported four more fatalities and 258 new cases of COVID-19 from over the weekend. Two of the victims were residents of the Good Samaritan Southgate Care Centre in the Edmonton Zone, which has now recorded 31 fatalities related to the virus. Alberta’s chief medical officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw said that many of the province’s cases are now being linked to social gatherings, and that doesn’t only include parties. There are now 75 active and two recovered cases linked to the Bible Pentecostal Church in north Edmonton, which has 150 members. During last Tuesday’s update, there were only 15 cases linked to the church. Throughout the province, there are now 1,172 active cases of COVID-19, while 234 people have died.

Manitoba health officials announced that there are now 395 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, which means for a fifth straight day, the province has set a new record-high for currently infected patients. Of the province’s active cases, 148 of them are among communal living settings, which includes Hutterite colonies. The increase comes as 49 new cases were announced on Monday, with 35 of them in the Prairie Mountain Health region. However, of those 49 recently announced patients, 25 of them were identified in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch. The other 24 were supposed to be added to Sunday’s tally, which was already a record-high daily increase of 72; the new record for largest single-day spike is now 96.

Ontario health officials announced on Monday that they’ve diagnosed 105 new cases of COVID-19, while there’s also been one more virus-related fatality to increase the death toll to 2,798. Toronto led the way with 30 new patients, while Ottawa had 24, Peel had 21 and York had nine. There were five or fewer cases in 30 of Ontario’s 34 public health units, with 19 reporting no new cases at all. The province also reported 78 recoveries, bringing the total number of active cases to 1,036.

Sixty-eight new cases of COVID-19 were identified in Quebec. It’s now the 12th time over the past 14 days that the province has recorded fewer than 100 cases; before the recent stretch, it had not done so since July 11. Four more deaths were also added to its death toll of 5,744, but only two of them occurred in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch. There are now 1,236 active cases in the province, since 79 more people have recovered.

After announcing a new case on both Saturday and Sunday, health officials in Nova Scotia said they haven’t diagnosed a new patient in their latest 24-hour stretch. There remain seven active in the province.

New Brunswick health officials also notified the public that they haven’t identified a new case, after watching the province’s total case count increase by one over the weekend. There are currently nine active cases in New Brunswick. Prince Edward Island did not provide an update on its COVID-19 data, but as of Tuesday it has four active cases. Newfoundland and Labrador continues to be the only province with no active cases of COVID-19, after its final two cases were marked resolved Aug. 21.

Three new cases of COVID-19 were identified in Saskatchewan, all in the province’s North West zone. However, its total case count went up by two, since one patient has been deemed to be an out-of-province. Ten more people have also recovered, meaning there are now 98 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.

Nunavut remains the only jurisdiction to not have had a confirmed positive case throughout the pandemic. The Northwest Territories have zero active cases, and so does Yukon after its two remaining cases were marked resolved on Aug. 13.

Aug. 23

For second straight day, Manitoba sets record for most new cases

Manitoba health officials identified 72 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, breaking a new record for the largest single day spike the province has recorded throughout the pandemic.

The previous record was 42 cases, set on Saturday. Of the 72 new cases, 45 are in the Prairie Mountain Health Region, where new restrictions are set to come into effect Monday. Masks will be mandatory in public places and group sizes will be limited to 10 people both indoors and outdoors.

The province's chief public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, said that 47 of the cases are in communal-living settings, some of which include Hutterite colonies.

"These testing campaigns are indicative of the fact that these communities are being co-operative and working with public health to try to limit the spread of the virus," said Roussin, as he urged Manitobans to not stigmatize.

"Let's remember that Hutterite colonies were among the first Manitoba groups to step up and sew masks, to bring food to food banks, to supply hospitals with masks and other things. And they've been there in the past, as well, in the same way," said health minister Cameron Friesen

For a fourth straight day, Manitoba has now also watched its active case also hit a record-high, this time with 356 currently infected patients.

Throughout the pandemic, Manitoba has had 944 COVID-19 cases. That includes 576 people who have recovered and 12 fatalities.

On July 14, the province came very close to having no active cases. That day, after all of its initial patients had recovered, health officials diagnosed five other people. Since then, Manitoba has seen its curb trend upwards. On Aug. 12, for the first time, the province surpassed 200 active cases. It’s a mark it hasn’t fallen under since, with Sunday also being the first day that the province has eclipsed 300.

Updates from the rest of Canada

Health officials in Ontario reported more than 100 new cases of COVID-19 for the second day in a row. The 115 new infections bring the total number of confirmed cases in the province to 41,402. Meanwhile, people continue to recover from the novel coronavirus with 108 cases now listed as resolved by the ministry of health in the last 24-hour period. No deaths were reported.

Quebec public health officials announced that 74 more people have tested positive for COVID-19. There were no deaths recorded during the last 24 hours, but one death due to the disease was reported in Lanaudiere on an unknown date.

New Brunswick reported one new case, bringing the number of active cases in the province to nine. The latest case is an individual in their 40s in Zone 3 (Fredericton region). The province says the case is related to travel and the individual is self-isolating.

Nova Scotia reported two new cases and one death. The province says the death was a man over the age of 80 from the northern zone. He was not a resident of a long-term care home and his case is connected to a traveller coming from outside the Atlantic bubble.

Saskatchewan has reported three new cases, bringing the provincial total to 1,600. The new cases are located in the north central, Regina and the south west regions.

Aug. 22

Forty-two new cases of COVID-19 were announced in Manitoba on Saturday, marking the province's highest single-day increase in new cases of the illness. Twenty-four of Saturday's new cases are in the southwestern Prairie Mountain Health region, the province said in a news bulletin. Starting Monday, people in that area will have to wear masks in public places and restrict gathering sizes to 10.

Health officials in Ontario reported just over 100 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday. The 108 new infections bring the total number of COVID-19 cases in Ontario to 41,287. According to Saturday’s epidemiologic summary, one more death was recorded as a result of COVID-19 in the last 24-hour period. Ontario’s COVID-19 death toll now stands at 2,797. As well, 90 more infections are now considered to be resolved by the Ministry of Health.

A new COVID-19 case in Nova Scotia brings the province's number of total active cases to six.

Quebec public health officials announced Saturday that 104 people tested positive for COVID-19 and two deaths in the past 24 hours. In addition, Quebec said three people died due to the disease between Aug. 15-20 and one person died before Aug. 15.

Aug. 21

Montreal records Quebec’s first fatality among those 19 and under, and Canada’s second

A 19-year-old in Quebec has died of COVID-19, which marks the first fatality among those under 20 in Quebec, and the second in Canada.

The father of the victim has identified him as Don Béni Kabangu Nsapu to CBC. According to his father, Alain Lukinda Nsapu, his son had no underlying health conditions. He was just weeks shy of starting CEGEP, and was known to be a promising student-athlete.

"It's a bad shock for me," said Alain Lukinda Nsapu to CBC. "We've never heard of a young person dying from it here and for my son to be the first, it's very painful. It hurts my heart."

According to federal statistics, only one other person has died among those 19 and under in Canada after contracting the virus. The victim, a girl under the age of 10, was reported in Ontario in late-June.

Kabangu Nsapu was initially brought to a hospital when he developed a fever over a month ago, and was told to go home and isolate for 14 days after being diagnosed with the virus. But by the end of the third week, matters got worse, said Lukinda Nsapu.

"After that, I don't know [what went wrong], you have to ask the hospital," said Lukinda Nsapu.

Due to privacy laws, the respective health department cannot share information about patients and victims to the public.

Lukinda Nsapu says that his son spent nine days in hospital before he died Aug. 16. It remains unclear how he contracted the virus, or why he didn’t survive, while Lukinda Nsapu says that his son was rarely sick.

The Nsapu family, who live north of Montreal according to CBC, are holding a visitation Friday, while a GoFundMe fundraiser has been created by a friend to help pay for the funeral.

“The loss of a child is a tragedy...my heart is with [the family], as a parent,” said Canada’s health minister Patty Hajdu on Friday. “At the end of the day we also need the full participation of every Canadian in order to keep these rates of infection low.”

Young people have not been as severely impacted by the virus compared to other age demographics. As of the most current federal data, people 19 and younger makeup 8.4 per cent of the nation’s total cases, and 1.2 per cent of all hospitalizations.

“If we don’t keep the rates in this population as low as possible, even rare, serious outcomes could occur,” said Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer.

B.C. reports another record-high for active cases of COVID-19

British Columbia announced 90 new cases of COVID-19, which pushes its active case count to a record-high of 824.

It marks the fourth time in the past five days that the province has seen its active case count — which represents the amount of people who are still considered infected — reach a new record-high. Before the recent stretch, its previous record was set April 26.

The 90 recently identified cases are part of a concerning trend. The province has now reported at least 70 cases on eight of the last 10 occasions. Before the recent stretch, the last time the province had recorded at least 70 cases was on April 25.

Health officials did not hold a press conference on Friday to discuss the latest increase, but they have been asking young people to be mindful of how they’re contributing to the spread of COVID-19 through large private gatherings, some of which have been indoors.

On Friday, officials announced that they are increasing enforcement measures, to fine people who hold or organize large gatherings, such as parties, that are not in accordance with provincial health orders. People in B.C. can now be fined $2,000 for certain violations.

Exposures due to gatherings have been a key concern for B.C. ever since two hotel parties around Canada Day in Kelowna led to dozens of cases around the province, as well as possible exposure warnings for a variety of businesses. Officials continue to ask B.C. residents to check the growing list of public exposure warnings as part of contact tracing efforts.

There are currently 2,594 people who remain in self-isolation and are being monitored by health officials on a daily basis, since they were in contact with a known case.

Throughout the pandemic, there have been 4,915 cases in B.C. That includes 3,889 people who have recovered. Two more people have also died in the Fraser Health region in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch, which increases the death toll to 202.

Manitoba announces a new record-high for active cases of COVID-19

For the second straight day, Manitoba has watched its active case count hit a new record-high.

After announcing 34 new patients, its active case count went up to 265, which is up by 18 since Thursday. Of the recently identified patients, 19 were diagnosed in the Southern Health region, nine in Winnipeg, five in Prairie Mountain Health and one in the Interlake-Eastern region.

According to a bulletin by health officials, the majority of the new cases in Southern Health are linked to a known cluster, while case investigations are still ongoing. A press conference was not held Friday for more details.

Prairie Mountain Health is still the province’s epicentre, with 116 of the province’s 265 active cases. That includes 99 active cases in Brandon, which is Manitoba’s second-largest city. On Thursday, officials announced new restrictions for Prairie Mountain Health, such as mandatory mask requirements and reduced gathering sizes. Brandon has also been dealing with an outbreak at its Maple Leaf Foods pork processing facility, which has resulted in at least 61 linked cases.

Throughout the pandemic, Manitoba has had 830 COVID-19 patients. That includes 553 people who have recovered and 12 fatalities.

On July 14, the province came very close to having no active cases. That day, after all of its initial patients had recovered, health officials diagnosed five other people.

Since then, Manitoba has seen its curb trend upwards. On Aug. 12, for the first time, the province surpassed 200 active cases, a mark it hasn’t fallen under since.

Newfoundland and Labrador is once again COVID-19 free

There are no more active cases in Newfoundland and Labrador, making it the only province in Canada to be COVID-19 free.

Health officials announced that its two remaining patients have recovered from the virus in its latest 24-hour stretch. The last time the province had no active cases was on Aug. 5, but shortly after it identified two new patients that were linked to one another, involving crew members of the television show Hudson & Rex.

Throughout the pandemic, Newfoundland and Labrador has had 268 cases of COVID-19. That includes three who have died, and 265 recovered patients.

While Newfoundland and Labrador is the only province with no active cases, all three territories also currently have no currently infected residents at the moment.

Nunavut remains the only jurisdiction to not have had a confirmed positive case throughout the pandemic. The Northwest Territories have zero active cases, and so does Yukon after its two remaining cases were marked resolved on Aug. 13.

Updates from the rest of the province

Ontario announced 131 new cases on Friday, but the relative increase compared to days prior is due to a data delay, after 11 of the province’s 34 public health units did not report their cases on Thursday, according to minister of health Christine Elliott. Three more people have also died, increasing the death toll to 2,796. There are now 986 cases of COVID-19 in the province, since 106 more patients have recovered in Ontario.

Ninety-three new cases of COVID-19 were identified in Quebec. It’s now the 10th time over the past 11 days that the province has recorded fewer than 100 cases; before the recent stretch, it had not done so since July 11. Three more deaths were also added to its death toll of 5,733, but only one of them occurred in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch. There are now 1,290 active cases in the province, since 89 more people have recovered.

One more person has recovered in Nova Scotia, meaning there are now five active cases in the province. Prince Edward Island did not provide an update on its COVID-19 data, but as of Tuesday it has four active cases.

Two new patients were identified in New Brunswick, which increases its active case count to eight. One of the patients is in their 20s in the Bathurst region, and their reason for transmission is believed to be related to international travel. The second patient is in their 50s in the Fredericton region, and they are linked to a previously reported case that is believed to have been infected due to travel.

Saskatchewan reported its most cases this week with six. Two cases were identified in both the North West and South West zones, while one each was recorded in the Saskatoon and North East zones. However, its total case count went up by five since health officials removed one out-of-provide non-Saskatchewan.Twenty more patients have also recovered, meaning there are now 134 active cases in the province. Of those currently infected patients, 85 of them are in communal living settings.

Alberta reported 144 new cases of COVID-19, which is its highest increase in cases since July 17, according to CBC. Two more people have also died, which increases the death toll to 230. There are now 1,144 active cases in ALberta, after 82 more people recovered in the province. Of the currently infected patients, 676 of them are in the Edmonton zone and 294 are in the Calgary zone.

Aug. 20

Manitoba imposes restrictions on Prairie Mountain Health as cases continue to multiply

Manitoba identified 33 new cases of COVID-19, which includes 17 in the Prairie Mountain Health region, as it moves to the “Orange” status under a new colour-based coding system announced this week by the province.

The Orange status means that starting Monday, both indoor and outdoor public gatherings will be limited to 10 people in the Prairie Mountain Health region. Masks will also be made mandatory in indoor public places and during any public gatherings.

Throughout the rest of the province, which is in the Yellow status, people can continue to gather in groups of up to 50 when indoors, and up to 100 outdoors. Masks are only a recommendation when physical distancing is not possible.

"I'm hearing of many reports of large gatherings in parks, family gatherings, as well as religious gatherings," Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba's chief public health officer on Thursday.

"We've lost touch with the fundamentals, the things that got us the success early on. It's easy to see why, we're only human, we've been through a lot of challenging times, and it's a beautiful Manitoba summer, and people want to get out and do things and see their friends and family, but we know that this is the result.

"This virus is spread from close, prolonged contact, and so we need to increase that level of restriction right now before things get out of hand."

Prairie Mountain Health has seen its case count rapidly increase in recent weeks, with it being home to 116 of the province’s 247 active cases of COVID-19. That includes Brandon, Manitoba’s second largest city, which has 100 active cases. In comparison, Winnipeg has 74 active cases, despite having more than 10 times the population of Brandon, according to The Canadian Press.

Roussin said that in Brandon there is a cluster of 66 cases. There is also another cluster consisting of 61 cases linked to the Maple Leaf Foods pork processing facility. Twenty-two of those cases are part of both clusters, but health officials continue to say there is no evidence that COVID-19 is being spread at the MLF facility. Community spread has instead been reported in Brandon, said Roussin.

Throughout the pandemic, Manitoba has had 796 cases of COVID-19. That includes 537 people who have recovered and 12 fatalities.

On July 14, the province came very close to having no active cases. That day, after all of its initial patients had recovered, health officials diagnosed five other people. Since then, Manitoba has seen its curb trend upwards.

Outbreak declared at Loblaws distribution centre in British Columbia, while province-wide death toll hits 200

Nine employees of a Loblaws distribution centre in Surrey, B.C., have tested positive for COVID-19, leading to the latest outbreak in the province.

Dr. Réka Gustafson, British Columbia’s deputy provincial health officer, first made the announcement on Thursday, while reporting that the province identified 80 new cases in its latest 24-hour stretch. She was not able to provide more details, but Fraser Health released a statement shortly after relating to the Loblaws facility located at 2755 – 190th Street, Surrey.

“Fraser Health Public Health is screening all employees at the facility, and case and contact management is ongoing. Those identified as cases and close contacts have been instructed to self-isolate,” said the statement by Fraser Health officials.

The facility continues to operate at normal capacity, while officials visited the site on Thursday to help it strengthen their “COVID-19 mitigation strategies.”

According to the press release, there is no risk to those outside of the distribution centre at this moment. Throughout the pandmeic there hasn’t been evidence that the virus is transmitted through “consumption of packaged foods, is a foodborne illnesses or is linked to transmission of any foodborne illnesses.”

Minister of health Adrian Dix noted that the province has already faced similar types of outbreaks. An outbreak was declared in late July at Fraser Valley Packers, which has had about 77 cases. Dix said they’ll take the same steps to control the Loblaws outbreak.

‘One important thing to add: the food is not in question,” said Dix in French. “It’s good, but we all need to continue to take the same precautions we have been taking during the pandemic to ensure we’re all safe.”

Along with the 80 cases that were announced on Thursday, health officials also recorded two more fatalities in the long-term care sector in the Fraser Health region. The update increases the province’s COVID-19-related death toll to 200.

After watching its active case count increase to a record-high over the course of three straight days, Gustafson announced that it went down to 780 on Thursday, since 96 more people have recovered from the virus.

Officials continue to ask B.C. residents to check the growing list of public exposure warnings as part of contact tracing efforts. Currently, there are 2,574 people who remain in self-isolation and are being monitored by health officials on a daily basis, since they there were in contact with a known case.

Updates from the rest of Canada

After two straight days of reporting more than 100 cases of COVID-19, Ontario health officials announced they identified 76 new cases in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch. It’s the smallest increase to its total since Aug. 11, but Minister of Health Christine Elliott said that 11 of the 34 public health units did not submit their data for the most recent update. “These 11 units reported a total of eight cases yesterday and while not a direct proxy for today it’s an indication of how many cases may be underreported,” Elliott wrote on Twitter. Of the most recent 76 patients, 21 were identified in Toronto, 19 in Peel and 11 in Ottawa. One more person has died in Ontario, increasing the death toll to 2,793. There are now 964 active cases in the province, as 76 more people have also recovered from the virus since Wednesday.

In Quebec, 86 new cases of COVID-19 were identified by health officials. It’s now the ninth time in the past 10 days that the province has recorded fewer than 100 cases; before the recent stretch, it had not done so since July 11. Health officials also announced one more fatality, but the date of which it occurred is unknown, according to a press release. It’s the third time since Aug. 16 that the province announced that it couldn’t provide the date-of-death for a COVID-19 victim. The latest update increases the death toll to 5,730 in the province. One-hundred and forty-five more people have recovered, so there are now 1,289 active cases in Quebec.

For the third time this week, Nova Scotia has announced at least one new case of COVID-19. The latest patient is in the province’s Central Zone, but health officials did not provide more information. There are currently six active cases in the province, including one person who is in hospital.

For the 10th straight day, Newfoundland and Labrador reported no new patients, but there are still two active cases in the province. Six more people have recovered in New Brunswick since Wednesday, which means there are now six active cases throughout that jurisdiction. Prince Edward Island did not provide an update on its COVID-19 data, but as of Tuesday it had four active cases.

For the second straight day, Saskatchewan health officials have identified four new cases of COVID-19. Three of those cases are in the South Central zone, while the other is in the Saskatoon zone. The province’s active case count did go down to 149, since nine more people have recovered. Of those currently infected patients, 99 of them are in communal living settings.

Alberta reported 103 new cases of COVID-19, along with one more fatality, which increases its COVID-19-related death toll to 228. There are now 1,084 active cases in the province, down by 23 since Wednesday. Of those currently infected patients, 622 of them are in the Edmonton zone and 294 are in the Calgary zone. On Thursday, Alberta’s chief medical officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw’s main message as part of her COVID-19 briefing was on how everyone should make an effort to not shame patients. “The more that COVID drives shame, the harder it will be to prevent, as people will be less willing to be forthcoming about the symptoms, less willing to be tested, and less willing to be honest with contact tracers about their activities.”

No new cases were reported across Canada’s three territories, while Nunavut remains the only jurisdiction to not have had a confirmed positive case throughout the pandemic. The Northwest Territories have zero active cases, and so does Yukon after its two remaining cases were marked resolved on Aug. 13.

Aug. 19

Patron tests positive after visiting Toronto strip club where COVID-19 exposure warning was issued

An individual who visited a downtown Toronto strip club, where a COVID-19 exposure warning has been issued, has recently tested positive.

On Aug. 14, Toronto Public Health (TPH) warned that approximately 550 individuals may have been exposed to COVID-19 at the Brass Rail Tavern, after an employee of the venue tested positive for the virus. All those who attended the venue between Aug. 4-9 during select hours, were asked to monitor for symptoms.

The latest case involves a patron who was at the Brass Rail during those times. According to CP24, officials can not yet definitively say if the employee and patron’s cases are linked.

Dr. Vinita Dubey, a senior TPH official said to CP24 that the person was identified after officials worked their way through the Brass Rails’ contact tracing log. The person had symptoms and later tested positive.

“This person lives outside of Toronto and TPH is working with the applicable health unit, who will request information about possible sources of infection as part of their investigation,” said Dubey.

Contact tracing logs were one of the additional new health measures that were introduced July 31 for restaurants and bars, when Toronto and Peel joined most of the province in Stage 3 of reopening. Strip clubs were also able to open under that stage of the province’s economic reopening plan.

On Aug. 14, when officials announced that an employee tested positive, Dubey said to CTV News Toronto said that upon inspection, the Brass Rail Tavern wasn’t following physical distancing protocols between tables, as well as for staff and patrons, and its visitor log was incomplete. In some cases, Dubey suggested that some patrons didn’t provide their real contact info upon entry.

The Brass Rail has since worked with TPH to ensure that COVID-19 protocols are in place, while the venue has remained open. Officials have said that there is no risk of COVID-19 to people who attended the Brass Rail Tavern outside of the hours between Aug. 4-9.

British Columbia sets another record-high for active cases

For the third straight day, British Columbia has seen its active case count reach a record-high, this time with 798 people who are considered infected with the respiratory virus.

On Wednesday, health officials announced in a written statement that 68 new cases of COVID-19 were identified in the province’s latest 24-hour testing stretch. It’s a smaller increase compared to days prior, considering between Aug. 12-18 B.C. has reported at least 70 cases on six of seven occasions. However, before that recent stretch, the last time the province recorded at least 70 cases was on April 25.

The 798 active cases are part of a concerning upward case trend for the province. On July 19, the province had 242 people who were still considered infected, and just 178 on June 19. Before Aug. 17, it’s previous record-high for active cases was set on April 26 with 743.

B.C. health officials did not hold a press conference on Wednesday, but in recent weeks they’ve attributed the spike in cases to large gatherings, primarily among people under 40.

“The places where there's the greatest danger is our private parties, where alcohol is involved and it's inside,” said minister of health Adrian Dix on Monday. “Don’t hold private parties. Watch the Canucks with your bubble in the Stanley Cup run.”

Exposures due to gatherings have been a key concern for B.C. ever since two hotel parties around Canada Day in Kelowna led to dozens of cases around the province, as well as possible exposure warnings for a variety of businesses. Officials continue to ask B.C. residents to check the growing list of public exposure warnings as part of contact tracing efforts.

As of Wednesday, there are 2,452 people who are in self-isolation and are being monitored daily by health officials, since they’ve come into contact with someone who has been diagnosed with the respiratory virus.

Throughout the pandemic, there have been 4,745 cases of COVID-19 in B.C. That includes 198 people who have died and 3,749 resolved cases, since 45 more patients have recovered since Tuesday.

Updates from around Canada

Ontario reported 102 new cases on Wednesday, which marks the third time in the past five days that it has surpassed 100 daily cases. Before the recent stretch, it had recorded fewer than 100 cases on 11 of the last 12 occasions. Of the most recently identified patients, Toronto had 33 of them, Ottawa and Peel each had 18, while Huron Perth had 17. The remaining 30 public health units in Ontario reported five or fewer cases, with 17 of them reporting no new patients at all. One more person has died in Ontario, while 89 more people have recovered. There are now 965 active cases throughout the province.

In Quebec, there were 64 new cases of COVID-19 that were identified by health officials. It’s now the eighth time in the past nine days that the province has recorded fewer than 100 cases; before the recent stretch, it had not done so since July 11. Health officials also announced two more fatalities, but they occured between Aug. 12-17. The update increases the COVID-19-related death toll to 5,729 in Quebec. One-hundred and fifty-five more people have recovered, meaning there are 1,349 active cases in the province.

Nova Scotia was the only Atlantic province to announce a new case on Wednesday, this time involving an individual in the province’s Northern Zone. No other details have been provided at this moment, but it increases the province’s active case count to five.

New Brunswick announced that one more patient has recovered from the respiratory virus, which means there are now 12 active cases in the province. Newfoundland and Labrador did not report a new case, but there remain two active cases in the province. Prince Edward Island did not provide an update on its COVID-19 data, but as of Tuesday it has four active cases.

For the second straight day, Manitoba has recorded a fatality, this time involving a male in his 60s from the Grey health district in the Southern Health region. A fatality was also announced on Aug. 15, but before then the province had not seen an increase to its COVID-19-related death toll since July 22. The latest victim announced on Wednesday was previously hospitalized and part of a known cluster. Fifteen new cases were also identified, with 13 of them in the Prairie Mountain Health region. Since 26 more patients recovered since Tuesday, there are 223 active cases in the province; 104 of them are in Prairie Mountain Health, which includes 88 in Manitoba's second largest city, Brandon. The death toll now stands at 12.

After two straight days of reporting only one case, health officials in Saskatchewan announced that they identified four new COVID-19 patients. There are two each in the North West and South West zones. Seven more people have recovered, which means there are now 154 active cases in the province. Of those currently infected patients, 104 of them are in communal living settings.

Alberta reported 82 new cases of COVID-19, along with two more fatalities, which increases its COVID-19-related death toll to 227. There are now 1,107 active cases in the province, down by 62 since Tuesday. Of those currently infected patients, 631 of them are in the Edmonton zone and 294 are in the Calgary zone.

No new cases were reported across Canada’s three territories, while Nunavut remains the only jurisdiction to not have had a confirmed positive case throughout the pandemic. The Northwest Territories have zero active cases, and so does Yukon after its two remaining cases were marked resolved on Aug. 13.

Aug. 18

‘God will protect us’: Religious event sparks COVID-19 cases in both Alberta, B.C.

Dozens of cases in Alberta and British Columbia have been linked to a faith-based event in Deadwood, Alta.

So far, at least 15 cases have been identified in Alberta and 17 in British Columbia in connection to the religious event It Is Time Canada, which was held between July 31-Aug 2.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer, said that 200-300 people attended the event, and that health officials from both provinces are now working together as part of contact tracing efforts. They expected more cases to arise in the upcoming days.

“It’s as a good reminder that identified cases often are the outcome of activities that happened up to several weeks before the gathering resulted,” said Hinshaw, as she announced 89 new COVID-19 patients in Alberta on Tuesday.

“This is a stark reminder that coming together in large gatherings risks sharing more than fellowship. It risks sharing the COVID-19 virus.”

On Monday, B.C.’s Northern Health issued a public exposure alert for northeast B.C. because of the amount of cases that arose from It Is Time Canada. Of the province’s 17 cases, 12 are attendees, while the other five are secondary cases.

B.C. health officials have since asked all attendees to self-isolate for 14 days.

It’s unclear how many of Alberta’s 15 cases involve attendees of the prayer event. But Hinshaw is asking all those who attended, or anyone who’s been in close contact with an attendee, to immediately organize a COVID-19 test and monitor for symptoms.

In a Facebook video on Aug. 12, event organizer Chris Lindberg announced that he has been diagnosed with COVID-19, along with other friends who attended the event, but “we don’t want to make a big deal about that.”

“Actually, COVID is quite good. We’ve been working,” said Lindberg. “Getting Farm equipment ready. Really we haven’t had a day off. We’ve been pushing through. If this is COVID, I guess I have it. I know other people have different reactions.”

A few days earlier, Lindberg initially announced that a “few people” were diagnosed, but they did not have symptoms at the event. Before It Is Time Canada took place, Lindberg expressed that he wasn’t sure if the event should go on, but he eventually said in a Facebook video that the “the Lord has spoken to me,” and that “I know that God will protect us and use us to shake this nation.”

The Facebook videos have since been made unavailable to the public, while Lindberg did not respond to Yahoo News Canada in time for publication.

According to the Toronto Star’s Vancouver Bureau, Lindberg created an action plan that capped the event attendance at 100 people. In Alberta, there’s a maximum of 200 people who can attend an audience-type community outdoor event, while there is no cap on the number of people who can attend worship gatherings, just as long as there are public health measures in place.

Attendees who spoke with the Toronto Star’s Vancouver Bureau applauded event organizers for what they tried to do to maintain physical distancing restrictions.

Along with the cases identified in connection to the event, Hinshaw on Tuesday said that there are now 15 cases linked to the Bible Pentecostal Church in Edmonton, despite all precautions being taken during in-person services.

Hinshaw is urging anyone who attended the church between July 26 and Aug. 12, or anyone who was a close contact of someone who attended, to get tested and monitor for symptoms.

On Tuesday, Hinshaw also announced one new fatality in the province, which raises its COVID-19-related death toll to 225.

Throughout the province, there are now 1,169 active cases of COVID-19. The Calgary zone has 295 of those patients, while the Edmonton zone has 636.

A day earlier, Edmonton was put under the province’s “watch” category, meaning there are at least 50 cases per 100,000 residents. Hinshaw said they’re seeing a mixed pattern in terms of what’s led to the recent spike in the city. Seventy per cent of the cases are among people under 40 years old, while many are linked to household transmission and social gatherings.

There are also two parties in Edmonton that have been linked to 26 and 17 cases, respectively, which Hinshaw says serves as a reminder about the dangers associated with indoor gatherings at this point of the pandemic.

Ontario reports its most new daily cases in August

Ontario announced 125 new cases of COVID-19 in its latest 24-hour stretch, which marks its largest spike since July 31.

Windsor-Essex led the way with 28 new cases, as health officials continue to test those in the region’s agri-farm sector, which has a large temporary foreign worker presence. Toronto Public Health announced 27 new cases, while Peel had 17 and the region of Waterloo had 12. Twenty-seven of Ontario’s 34 public health units reported five or fewer cases, while 16 of them reported no new cases at all.

Of the recent patients, 41 of them are between 20-39 years old, the most of any age demographic. There were also 23 cases among those 19 and under, and 22 among those 40-59.

The latest cases were identified after Ontario labs completed 23,067 tests for the respiratory virus.

Four more patients have also died in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch, increasing the COVID-19-related death toll to 2,793.

Throughout the pandemic, Ontario has had 40,870 cases of COVID-19. That includes 37,126 people who have recovered, after health officials resolved 90 more cases since Monday.

Of the 951 active cases that remain in the province, there are 41 patients in hospital, which includes 15 in intensive care and 10 who require a ventilator.

According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there are 12 active outbreaks in facilities around the province. Three residents are currently infected, along with 30 staff members.

Quebec reports its fewest new cases in months

In Quebec, there were 46 new cases of COVID-19 that were identified by health officials, the fewest in a 24-hour stretch since its March 22 update.

For the seventh time in the past eight days, the province has also recorded fewer than 100 cases; before the recent stretch, it had not done so since July 11.

On Tuesday, health officials also announced six more fatalities, but only two of them occurred in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch. The updates increase the COVID-19-related death toll to 5,727 in Quebec.

Of the province’s 61,252 cases from throughout the pandemic, 54,083 have recovered, an increase of 153 since Monday. There are now 1,442 active cases in the province. That includes 145 people in hospital and 27 who are in intensive care.

Quebec’s testing numbers are reflective of its outputs from two days prior. In its latest 24-hour stretch, the province completed 9,762 tests, which is below its goal of 14,000.

Updates from the rest of Canada

No new cases were identified in Nova Scotia or Newfoundland and Labrador, but there still remains four and two active patients in those provinces, respectively. New Brunswick did not report any new patients, but instead that two more people have recovered, which leaves 13 active cases in the province.

Prince Edward Island was the only Atlantic province to identify new cases, this time with three involving essential workers. They’re in the same industry, but are not health care workers. They travelled to P.E.I. on Aug. 5, and have been in self-isolation since then. They are not related to the five cases that were announced on Aug. 12 involving essential workers, said chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison. There are now four active cases of COVID-19 in the province.

Manitoba announced two more deaths, involving a man in his 80s and another in his 90s, who were both linked to known clusters and had spent time in hospital. Seventeen new cases of COVID-19 were also identified, which includes 11 in the Winnipeg region. There are now 235 active cases in the province, while the death toll is 11.

For the second straight day, Saskatchewan health officials have identified one new case of COVID-19. Before the recent stretch, the province had not reported so few cases since July 7. The latest patient is located in the Saskatoon zone. Sixteen more people have also recovered. Of the province’s 157 active cases, 46 of them are in the South West zone, 29 in South Central, 25 in Regina and 22 in Saskatoon.

British Columbia announced 83 new cases of COVID-19, but no new deaths related to the virus. The update continues its upward trend, since there are now 775 active cases in the province, which surpasses the record-high number it had set a day earlier.

No new cases were reported across Canada’s three territories, while Nunavut remains the only jurisdiction to not have had a confirmed positive case throughout the pandemic. The Northwest Territories have zero active cases, and so does Yukon after its two remaining cases were marked resolved on Thursday.

Aug. 17

British Columbia reports its largest daily spike in COVID-19 cases, most ever active patients

British Columbia health officials announced that they’ve identified 236 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend. That includes 100 daily cases that were identified in the 24-hour stretch between Friday and Saturday, which is a record-high one-day spike.

The previous daily record was 95 cases on April 25.

The latest update also increases the province’s active case count to 743, which surpasses its previous record-high of 724, which was set on April 26. British Columbia has seen its active cases rise on an upward trajectory as of late, considering there were 207 active cases in the province on July 17, and 185 on June 17.

Health officials have attributed the rise to an increase in gatherings, especially among young people under 40 years old.

“The places where there's the greatest danger is our private parties, where alcohol is involved and it's inside,” said minister of health Adrian Dix on Monday. “Don’t hold private parties. Watch the Canucks with your bubble in the Stanley Cup run.”

Dix said that the province is now working to take further steps to impose stricter penalties when there are large gatherings, with B.C. having a limit of 50-people for both indoor and outdoor events. The province’s solicitor general is expected to make an announcement later this week.

Exposures due to gatherings have been a key concern for B.C. ever since two hotel parties around Canada Day in Kelowna led to dozens of cases around the province, as well as possible exposure warnings for a variety of businesses. Officials continue to ask B.C. residents to check the growing list of public exposure warnings as part of contact tracing efforts.

On late-Friday, Vancouver police broke up an impromptu street party downtown, after a group of people had set up speakers that attracted dozens of revellers . One of the latest COVID-19 exposure warnings was also released by Northern Health after it identified 17 cases linked to a faith-based event in Deadwood, Alta. People who attended the event between July 30-Aug. 2 are being asked to self-isolate for 14 days.

Currently in B.C., there are 2,282 people who are self-isolating and are being actively monitored by public health, since they were in contact with a known COVID-19 patient.

“We do have an increasing number of cases of COVID-19 in British Columbia, and the majority of new infections in B.C. at this time are among young adults,” said deputy provincial health officer Dr. Réka Gustafson.

“This tells us that we have done today a relatively good job of protecting the most vulnerable. But we are also reporting some new outbreaks in long-term care facilities, and that's a really important reminder for us all that the risks to vulnerable citizens of British Columbia remains.”

Along with the 100 cases that were identified between Friday and Saturday, there were 88 new cases between Saturday and Sunday, and 48 between Sunday and Monday.

B.C. health officials also announced two new health-care outbreaks in the Czorny Alzheimer Centre in the Fraser Health region and at the Arbutus Care Centre in the Vancouver Coastal Health region. There are now 10 health-care outbreaks, with nine of them involving long-term care facilities in the province.

Two more people have also died over the weekend in Fraser Health, which includes one person in a long-term care home.

In positive news, the Joseph and Rosalie Segal Family Health Centre has been declared over, while there are now only four people who are hospitalized in B.C., which includes three in intensive care.

Throughout the pandemic, there have been 4,594 cases in British Columbia. That includes 3,653 who have fully recovered and 198 fatalities.

Manitoba records its third largest spike in new cases

Health officials in Manitoba have identified 38 new COVID-19 patients, which marks the third largest spike the province has recorded throughout the pandemic.

On two different occasions Manitoba has recorded 40 new cases, with the most recent time being Aug. 14.

Of the 38 newly identified patients, one involves an individual linked to a personal care home in Steinbach. Health officials are still investigating how the individual at the Bethesda Place became infected.

Twenty of the most recent cases are in the Prairie Mountain Health region, 12 are in the Southern Health region, five in Winnipeg health region and one in Interlake-Eastern Health region.

The Prairie Mountain Health region has 103 of the province’s 232 active cases. Sixty-four of them are connected to a cluster in Brandon, while 56 cases are related to a business in Manitoba’s second-largest city. Previous reporting has identified the business as the Maple Leaf Food plant, according to CBC.

A cluster has also been reported over the weekend in the Niverville region, which is in Southern Health. Chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin would not go into detail about the cluster at Monday’s COVID-19 press briefing, but there are 23 active cases in the area. Roussin said there is no sign of community transmission in Niverville, but there has been some in Winnipeg and Brandon.

Throughout the pandemic, there have been 731 cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba. That includes 490 people who have recovered and nine fatalities. Of the 232 active cases, there are 11 people in hospital, including three in intensive care.

On July 14, the province came very close to having no active cases. That day, after all of its initial patients had recovered, health officials diagnosed five other people. Since then, Manitoba has seen its curb trend upwards.

Updates from the rest of Canada

Ontario reported 99 new COVID-19 cases in its latest 24-hour reporting period. It has now reported fewer than 100 daily cases on 13 of the last 15 occasions. The province also reported 83 recoveries, bringing the number of people who have recovered from COVID-19 in Ontario to 37,036, while the death toll remains at 2,789. Throughout the province, there are now 920 active cases.

In Quebec, there were 55 new cases of COVID-19 that were identified by health officials, the fewest in a 24-hour stretch since June 24. For the sixth time in the past seven days, the province has also recorded fewer than 100 cases; before the recent stretch, it had not done so since July 11. Eighty-three more people have also recovered from the virus in Quebec, while one more fatality has been added to its death toll, but it occured between Aug. 10-15. It means there are now 1,555 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.

Nova Scotia reported one new case of COVID-19 on Monday. The patient is in the Northern zone, and is connected to one of the cases identified last week. There are now four active cases in the province.

New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador reported no new cases, but there still remain 15 and two active cases in those provinces, respectively. Prince Edward Island did not update its COVID-19 data on Monday, but as of its last update it has five active cases.

One new case of COVID-19 was identified in Saskatchewan, which is the smallest increase to its total since July 7. The latest case is located in the South West zone of the province. Twenty-two more people have recovered, meaning there are now 172 active cases in the province. Of those patients, there are 49 in the South West zone, 32 in South Central and 33 in Regina. The three Far North zones have zero active cases, after there were home to 352 patients throughout the pandemic.

Alberta announced 359 new cases of COVID-19 from over the weekend, along with three additional fatalities that were not residents of long-term care homes. From Friday to Saturday, there were 177 new cases that were added, but that includes 74 cases that were added from before Aug. 14. Alberta Health Services is also investigating an outbreak linked to the Bible Pentecostal Church in Edmonton, after 13 confirmed cases were linked to the establishment, according to CBC. Throughout the province, there are 1,132 active cases of COVID-19, while the death toll now stands at 224.

No new cases were reported across Canada’s three territories, while Nunavut remains the only jurisdiction to not have had a confirmed positive case throughout the pandemic. The Northwest Territories have zero active cases, and so does Yukon after its two remaining cases were marked resolved on Thursday.

Aug. 16

Ontario is reporting 81 new cases of COVID-19 and no new deaths related to the virus. The total number of cases now stands at 40,646, which includes 2,789 deaths and 36,953 cases marked as resolved.

Saskatchewan has now recorded 22 deaths of people who were diagnosed with COVID-19, as on Sunday, the province announced another person with the virus had died — the second one this weekend. Alongside the death, the province is also reporting 15 new cases, bringing the provincial total of COVID-19 cases recorded in the province to 1,580.

Thirty-six new cases of COVID-19 were announced in Manitoba on Sunday. The update brings the total number of active cases in the province to 205. Meanwhile, two cases of COVID-19 previously identified in Manitoba have been removed. One was confirmed to be an out-of-province case, while another was deemed to not be a case of COVID-19, the bulletin said.

New Brunswick reported two new cases of COVID-19 Sunday. The two new cases are in the Moncton area and are related to international travel. They affect one individual under the age of 10 and one between 10 and 19. They are self-isolating. Both are related to two cases that were announced Saturday in the Moncton area.

Quebec is reporting 67 new COVID-19 infections and one death linked to the virus. The province's Health Department reports 149 patients in hospital, with 25 in intensive care.

Aug .15

Quebec is reporting 80 new cases of COVID-19 and one additional death linked to the novel coronavirus. The Health Department did not register a death in the past 24 hours, but did add one that occurred between Aug. 8 and Aug. 13. The number of hospitalizations dropped by two to 149. Of those, the number of patients in intensive care remained unchanged at 25. Authorities say 53,709 people have recovered from the disease. There were 111 recoveries.

Ontario is reporting a slight uptick in the number of new COVID-19 cases as it records more than 100 new infections for the first time in four days. Health officials confirmed an additional 106 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Saturday after 92 new cases were reported on Friday and 78 new cases were reported on Thursday. The province also stated that one more person has died of COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths in Ontario to 2,789.

The government of Saskatchewan is reporting the 21st death from COVID-19 in Saskatchewan as of Saturday. The person was in the south central zone and was in the 80 to 89 age range according to Saturday's update. The government said there were 25 new cases of COVID-19 in the province as of Saturday. Of the 189 active cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan, 123 are in communal living settings. The province said nine more people recovered in Saturday's update, bringing the provincial recovery total to 1,356.

A Manitoba man in his 80s with COVID-19 has died, marking the province's ninth fatality connected to the illness. The man was from the City of Portage la Prairie health district and was in intensive care, the province said in a news bulletin on Saturday. Twenty new cases of the illness were also announced in Manitoba on Saturday, bringing the province's active caseload to 211.

Four new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in New Brunswick on Saturday. Two of the cases, individuals between 40-49, are located in the Moncton region and are related to international travel. The other two cases are individuals under the age of 10 and are located in the Fredericton region. They are close contacts of a previously identified case.

Nova Scotia reported two new positive COVID-19 tests on Saturday, bringing the total number of active cases in the province to three. The new cases are in the Nova Scotia Health Authority's northern zone, an area that includes Colchester-East Hants, Cumberland and Pictou areas.

Aug. 14

Manitoba records its largest spike in COVID-19 cases

Forty new cases of COVID-19 were identified in Manitoba’s latest 24-hour stretch, which marks the province’s biggest increase in cases throughout the pandemic.

Health officials also reported 40 new cases on April 2, but according to online data by Manitoba Health, there were in fact 33 cases identified in that 24-hour period.

There are now 246 currently active patients in the province, which is a new record-high. Earlier this week, Manitoba surpassed the 200-active case mark for the first time.

Of the 40 latest cases, 25 of them were identified in Prairie Mountain Health region, 10 in the Winnipeg health region, and five in Southern Health.

Chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin said there are some travel-related cases in Winnipeg, but that the majority of cases in that region and the Prairie Mountain Health region appear to be linked to close contacts. There is also evidence of community spread in Winnipeg, as well as in Brandon in Prairie Mountain Health, which means that officials are unable to identify a clear source of infection.

“We've seen cases earlier this month that have had 25 plus contacts,” said Roussin. “So these are indications that we're starting to lose track of our fundamentals.”

Roussin encourages people to wear masks and limit gatherings, instead of relying on the government to impose restrictions.

"This virus is another year or two at least. So we can't continually rely on massive shutdowns to get through this."

The Brandon area currently has 90 active cases of COVID-19, with 39 cases linked to a business in Manitoba’s second largest city. Previous reporting has identified that business as the Maple Leaf Foods pork processing facility, which continues to remain open as health officials claim that there is still no indication COVID-19 is being spread within the facility.

The United Food and Commercial Workers union Local 832, which represents about 2,000 employees at Maple Leaf Foods plant, called for a halt to production until all staff are tested, according to The Canadian Press. This week, Maple Leaf announced it has partnered with the City of Brandon in order to make masks available to everyone in the community.

Throughout the pandemic, Manitoba has had 643 cases of COVID-19. That includes 389 individuals who have recovered and eight deaths.

On July 14, the province came very close to having no active cases. That day, after all of its initial patients had recovered, health officials diagnosed five other people. Since then, Manitoba has seen its curb trend upwards.

Over 500 people may have been exposed to COVID-19 at Toronto strip club after employee tests positive

Toronto Public Health officials are warning that approximately 550 individuals may have been exposed to COVID-19 at strip club Brass Rail Tavern.

An employee of the venue, located at 701 Yonge St., has recently tested positive for the respiratory virus. Officials are now warning that people who attended the strip club between these dates and times may have been exposed:

• Aug. 4 from 7:00 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. (Aug. 5)

• Aug. 5 from 8:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. (Aug. 6)

• Aug. 7 from 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. (Aug. 8)

• Aug. 8 from 7:00 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. (Aug. 9)

Anyone who did visit during these times and dates is being asked to monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms for the 14 days after their last visit. They do not need to self-isolate, unless they do develop symptoms.

Toronto Public Health has been notifying individuals directly who provided their name and contact information in the establishment’s contact tracing log. Contact tracing logs were one of the additional new health measures that were introduced July 31 for restaurants and bars, when Toronto and Peel joined most of the province in Stage 3 of reopening.

Dr. Vinita Dubey of Toronto Public Health said to CTV News Toronto said that upon inspection, the Brass Rail Tavern wasn’t following physical distancing protocols between tables, as well as for staff and patrons, and its visitor log was incomplete. In some cases, Dubey suggested that some patrons didn’t provide their real contact info upon entry.

"We have issued them a notice of non-compliance and we will be going back today for another inspection," Dubey said.

Brass Rail Tavern did not respond to Yahoo News Canada’s request for comment in time for publication. They remain open as of Friday.

According to Toronto Public Health, there is currently no risk to anyone who attended Brass Rail Tavern outside of these times and dates. Toronto Public Health has followed up with all known close contacts of the employee and asked these individuals to self-isolate for two weeks and also get tested. It’s unclear how many close contacts the employee had at this moment.

"I just hope the result of all the follow up that Toronto Public Health is doing proves that nobody contracted the virus from that person," Toronto Mayor John Tory said.

Brass Rail Tavern is now working with Toronto Public Health to ensure that all COVID-19 Stage 3 reopening procedures are in place.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford also commented on the situation at his latest COVID-19 briefing on Friday. He suggested the approximately 550 people should get tested.

“You got to practice social distancing, you got to put on a mask,” Ford said. “I know it sounds ironic ... but you have to, it's like any other business ... we're going to treat them like any other business.”

Nova Scotia is no longer COVID-19 free

Health officials in Nova Scotia have identified one new case of COVID-19, involving an individual in the province’s northern zone.

It’s the only active case in the province, and no other information on the patient has been made available at this time.

All of Nova Scotia’s other remaining patients had recovered by Aug. 10. The latest case is also the first one to be announced by health officials since Aug. 2.

There are now no provinces in Canada with zero active cases. All three territories are COVID-19 free, after Yukon’s remaining two patients recovered by Thursday.

Throughout the pandemic, Nova Scotia has had 1,072 patients. That includes 64 people who have died after contracting the respiratory virus, and 1,007 resolved cases. Currently, there is no one in hospital.

COVID-19 updates from provinces, territories around Canada

Ontario reported 92 new cases of COVID-19 and one additional death on Friday. Toronto has included its data from the past two days, which has resulted in 30 new cases. Seventeen more patients were also identified in Peel, while all the other 32 public health units reported fewer than 10 new patients. Eighty-three more people have recovered from the virus, meaning there are now 899 active cases in the province, while the death toll stands at 2,788.

Eighty-seven new cases of COVID-19 were identified in Quebec, while the province has now recorded fewer than 100 cases on four of the last five occasions. Before the recent stretch, it had not done so since July 11. Three more deaths were also added to its death toll, but they occurred between Aug. 7-12. There are now 1,688 active cases in the province, since 157 more patients have recovered from the virus.

No new cases were identified in Newfoundland and Labrador or New Brunswick, but they have two and nine active cases, respectively. Prince Edward Island health officials did not provide an update Friday, but as of Thursday there are five active cases in the province, which were all identified this week.

Saskatchewan identified 30 new cases in its latest 24-hour stretch, all among “communal living settings.” Twenty-two more people have also recovered, meaning there are now 174 active cases in the province. Of those active cases, 108 of them are in communal living settings throughout Saskatchewan.

Eighty-four new cases of COVID-19 were identified in Alberta, while a woman in her 60s from the south zone, who was not living in a continuing care facility, has passed away. The update increases the death toll to 221, while there is still the same amount of active cases as a day before. Of those 1,336 patients, 497 are in the Edmonton zone and 305 are in the Calgary zone. In positive news, the outbreak at the Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton has been declared over, after it was linked to 58 cases, including 11 patient deaths.

British Columbia health officials announced 84 new cases of COVID-19, as its concerning upward trend continues. The province has now recorded at least 70 cases over each of the past three days; before the recent stretch, it had not done so since April 25. There are now 629 active cases in the province, which is the most since May 7. One new outbreak has also been declared in the acute care section of a long-term care facility in New Westminster, B.C.

No new cases were reported across Canada’s three territories, while Nunavut remains the only jurisdiction to not have had a confirmed positive case throughout the pandemic. The Northwest Territories have zero active cases, and so does Yukon after its two remaining cases were marked resolved on Thursday.

Aug. 13

B.C. reports its worst ever two-day stretch, “upward trajectory that is concerning”

British Columbia health officials announced 78 new COVID-19 patients on Thursday, a day after they had recorded 85 cases.

The 163 cases are the most the province has ever reported in a two-day stretch since the start of the pandemic.

In B.C., there have been 4,274 total cases of COVID-19. Of those, 3,500 people have recovered, while 578 are now considered active, the most since May 8.

On Thursday, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry shared data that illustrates the worrisome trends that have been developing in the province over the last few weeks.

“What this shows us is that we are on an upward trajectory that is concerning,” said Henry. “But it's not a predictive model, it doesn't tell us what's going to happen. It tells us what can happen. Right now we have it within our ability to make the changes we need to bend that curve back down.”

Henry said that the province is most likely near the 70 per cent normal contact rate scenario. According to CBC, officials advised residents to keep contacts to 60 per cent or lower when the province entered Phase 3 of its reopening plan in late June.

The province’s top doctor advises people to continue to wear masks, stay away from others when sick, and to not attend areas with large numbers of people in order to limit contacts.

Most new patients in B.C. are now linked to local cases and known clusters, compared to earlier stages of the pandemic when there was a higher proportion of people who were believed to have been infected due to international travel.

The age demographics have also changed.

“We started to see a rapid increase in the last few weeks in younger people,” said Henry. “That's reflected in some of the numbers that we're seeing as well as the discussion we've had over the last few weeks of exposure events, particularly social events, parties and get-togethers where younger people are coming together and the virus is being spread.”

The portion of cases has shifted among age demographics. During Phase 1 of B.C.’s reopening plan, there was a spike in cases in association with long-term care homes. In Phase 2, health officials saw an increase in cases linked to workplaces, since there were outbreaks among areas such as poultry plants and correctional facilities. Now in Phase 3, there’s been a spike in cases related to increased social gatherings, and subsequently among younger people.

Among those between 20-39, “other known exposures” have been behind the spike during Phase 3 of the province’s reopening plan. Henry said that it refers to places like bars, clubs, parties and social events.

“I want to make it clear that this weekend, if you have banquet halls or private parties that take place, you will see Environmental Health Officers, and people in public health. It's our expectation that the limits on the number of people at parties will be in place this weekend,” said B.C. health minister Adrian Dix. “We are going to ensure that expectations are followed everywhere. Should it not be followed, inevitably, consequences must follow.”

In B.C., all event organizers are ordered to limit all public gatherings larger than 50 people, which includes those both indoors and outdoors.

Exposures due to gatherings have been a key concern for B.C. ever since two hotel parties around Canada Day in Kelowna led to dozens of cases around the province, as well as possible exposure warnings for a variety of businesses. Officials continue to ask B.C. residents to check the growing list of public exposure warnings as part of contact tracing efforts.

There are currently 1,878 people who are in self-isolation and are being actively monitored because they’ve been exposed to someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

On Thursday, Henry also shared data that showed how racialized people have been hit harder by the pandemic than white people in terms of work stability and health-care, among other factors.

“What this shows all of us is that this pandemic has created incredible uncertainty, anxiety and many challenges, but the challenges have not been shared equally,” Henry said. “We know it has differentially impacted those of lower economic status, people in racialized communities and we now have to look at how we can support communities across B.C.”

For more data on how the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected people of colour, please click here.

Updates from the rest of the provinces

Ontario announced 78 new cases of COVID-19, but the Ministry of Health also noted that Toronto Public Health’s statistics were not part of the daily update. The region has had the most cases throughout the pandemic of the province’s 34 public health units. The update continues Ontario’s trend of reporting fewer than 100 cases, which it has now done on 10 of the last 11 daily reports. For the third day of the last four, no deaths were added to Ontario’s total COVID-19-related death toll of 2,787. The province’s active case count is now 891, since 99 additional patients have recovered from the respiratory virus. According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there are now only three long-term care residents with active cases of COVID-19 and 34 staff members, while 14 LTCs have active outbreaks.

Quebec has broken its three-day stretch of reporting fewer than 100 cases, after health officials identified 104 new COVID-19 patients. Before the recent stretch, it had not recorded fewer than 100 cases since July 11. No one has died in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch, but officials have added six more fatalities from days prior. One-hundred seventy-one more people have also recovered in Quebec, meaning there are now 1,761 active cases throughout the province.

There remain no active cases in Nova Scotia, after all of its patients recovered by Aug. 10. Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador also did not report any new patients on Thursday, but there remain five and two active cases in the provinces, respectively.

For the third straight day, New Brunswick announced new COVID-19 patients. The two latest cases involve temporary foreign workers who arrived in Moncton and began immediately self-isolating upon arrival, according to a press release. One of the cases is in their 30s, and the other in their 50s. Health officials also announced that the case reported on Wednesday is now considered recovered, which means there are now nine active cases in the province.

Manitoba’s upward case trends continues, this time with 25 new cases of COVID-19. Twelve of the cases are in the Prairie Mountain Health region, seven in Winnipeg health region and six in Southern Health. There are now 218 active cases in the province, which is a record-high.

Saskatchewan reported 27 new cases of COVID-19, with 22 of them of them among Hutterite communities throughout the province. Eleven more people have recovered, meaning there are now 166 active cases in the province, which is still up by 16 compared to Wednesday. Of those currently infected patients, there are 40 in the Regina zone, 36 in South West, and 29 each in the South Central and Saskatoon zones. Ninety-five of the active cases are among Hutterite colonies.

Alberta reported 76 new cases and three more fatalities, two of which were at long-term care or senior facilities. There are now eight less active cases in Alberta compared to Wednesday; of those 1,036 patients, there are 475 in Edmonton and 314 in Calgary. Eight-one more patients have recovered in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch.

No new cases were reported across Canada’s three territories, while Nunavut remains the only jurisdiction to not have had a confirmed positive case throughout the pandemic. The Northwest Territories have zero active cases, and so does Yukon after its two remaining cases were recently marked resolved.

Aug. 12

B.C. reports its most daily cases since April as its ‘concerning’ trend continue

British Columbia reported 86 new patients on Wednesday, which marks its largest spike in cases since April 25, and its third largest throughout the pandemic.

It’s part of a “concerning” trend for B.C., as it continues to watch its COVID-19 curb trend upwards.

There are now 531 active cases in the province, compared to the 201 there were on July 12, and the 187 there were on June 12. The 531 cases is also the most the province has had since May 9.

Of the latest patients announced Wednesday, officials said in a press release that the majority are young people in the Lower Mainland and that their exposures have been at events in the community. A “significant number” are also linked to travel from out of the province.

“We are watching the cases climb, which is concerning,” said B.C. health officials through their press release. “We need everyone to recommit to using the skills we’ve learned. Keep gatherings small, have a designated ‘contact keeper,’ limit time with others, maintain physical distance and always stay home if you’re feeling unwell.”

B.C. health officials did not hold a press conference to discuss the spike in cases on Wednesday, but over recent weeks they’ve attributed the curb to increased private and worrisome gatherings among younger people in the province.

“We know that when alcohol is involved for many the precautions that we would normally take can diminish,” said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry on Monday. “So if your friends invite you to a party and it doesn't feel right, don't go. There's no better excuse than a global pandemic.”

Exposures due to gatherings have been a key concern for B.C. ever since two hotel parties around Canada Day in Kelowna led to dozens of cases around the province, as well as possible exposure warnings for a variety of businesses. Officials continue to ask B.C. residents to check the growing list of public exposure warnings as part of contact tracing efforts.

While they didn’t hold a press conference to explain the spike in cases, Henry and health minister Adrian Dix joined B.C. Premier John Horgan on Wednesday to announce that they’re hiring 500 more health-care workers to help with contact tracing.

Along with the spike in cases on Wednesday, B.C. reported a fatality in its latest 24-hour stretch. It breaks its 11-day streak of not having to increase its death toll, which now stands at 196.

Through a press release, officials said there are no health-care facility or community outbreaks. Of its 531 active cases, there are eight people in hospital, which includes five in intensive care.

Manitoba reports its most ever active cases of COVID-19, first time over 200

Manitoba health officials have identified 16 new cases of COVID-19, which includes 10 in the Winnipeg region, four in Prairie Mountain Health, and one each in the Southern and Interlake-Eastern health regions.

The update increases its active case count to 202, which is the most the province has ever had throughout the pandemic. It’s also the first time that it has surpassed 200 active cases.

On July 14, the province came very close to having no active cases. That day, after all of its initial patients had recovered, health officials diagnosed five other people. Since then, Manitoba has seen its curb trend upwards.

In its latest seven-day stretch, Manitoba has reported a double-digit increase on six occasions, which included its second-highest ever increase with 35 cases on Aug. 8. Before the recent stretch, it had not had a similar one-week stretch since late-March and early-April.

As of late, the province has been dealing with a Maple Leaf Foods pork processing facility outbreak in Brandon, which has contributed to the spike in cases in the Prairie Mountain Health region. As of the last last update on the facility, at least 22 workers have tested positive.

The Prairie Mountain Health region has the most active cases throughout the province with 86. The Winnipeg region has 28. According to a press release by officials on Wednesday, the majority of Winnipeg’s latest cases are related to travel and close contacts, while the majority of Prairie Mountain Health cases are linked to previously announced cases in Brandon.

In July, officials were also dealing with outbreaks among Hutterite colonies, but decided to stop naming colonies as part of their case updates due to stigmatization problems.

Throughout the pandemic, Manitoba has had 578 cases of COVID-19. That includes 368 people who have recovered and eight fatalities. Of the 202 active cases, there are currently five people in hospital, which includes three in intensive care.

Testing numbers show an additional 1,554 laboratory tests were completed on Tuesday, bringing the total number of tests completed since early February to 105,661.

‘Not the news I want to share with Islanders’: Prince Edward Island is no longer COVID-19 free

Prince Edward Island has identified its first cases of COVID-19 in almost a month, increasing its total count since the pandemic started to 41.

Chief medical officer Dr. Heather Morrison announced five new cases on Wednesday, which are now the only active cases in the province. The last time it had identified a case was on July 14, and by July 28 all of its remaining patients had recovered.

"Although these new cases are not unexpected, this is not the news I want to share with Islanders on this beautiful day," Morrison said.

The latest patients involve five male essential workers in their 30s and 40s, who are all in the same industry, but not in healthcare. They arrived to P.E.I. from outside Canada on July 30 and have been in self-isolation since their arrival.

Morrison said the workers did not come from the United States, but did not want to provide their country of origin because of confidentiality reasons. The cases are not related to the Canadian Premier League, seasonal residents or the Atlantic Bubble.

"I remain especially concerned about people coming to P.E.I. from outside of Canada,” said Morrison. “We know the prevalence of COVID-19 continues to rise in some countries."

Contact tracing efforts are currently underway, but Morrison said that it’s believed that they have had few, if any, contacts since arriving in Canada. There remains no evidence of community transmission in Prince Edward Island and the risk of contracting the virus remains “low.”

Nova Scotia is now the only province to not have any active cases of COVID-19. P.E.I. is still the only province that has not recorded a COVID-19-related death.

Case updates from the rest of Canada

Ontario reported 95 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. It’s a jump from the mere 33 cases reported the previous day, but still on trend with where officials want to be; over the past 10 days, the province has recorded fewer than 100 new cases on nine occasions. Before the recent stretch, it had not consistently stayed below 100 since March. Christine Elliott said 28 of the province’s 34 public health units reported five or fewer cases, while Toronto had the most with 19 new cases. One additional death was also reported by the province related to COVID-19, ending the province’s two-day streak of reporting no new fatalities. There now remain 912 active cases in Ontario, as 134 more patients have recovered since Tuesday.

Quebec reported fewer than 100 cases for the third straight day, this time with 95. Before the recent stretch, the province recorded at least 100 cases each day since July 11. One more person has died in its latest 24-hour stretch, but Quebec announced that 11 more fatalities have been added to its death toll of 5,709. Ten of the victims died in the spring at the private seniors’ residence Place Kensington, but were not registered due to a data delay. As of Wednesday, there are now 1,834 active cases of COVID-19 in Quebec, as 135 more people have recovered.

There continue to be no active cases in Nova Scotia. No new cases were identified in Newfoundland and Labrador, but there remain two active cases of COVID-19 in the province.

For the second straight day, New Brunswick identified a new case. The latest patient is an individual in their 60s in the Fredericton zone. According to a press release, they are past the 14-day contagious period and no longer symptomatic, The case is linked to yesterday’s case and the reason for infection is believed to be travel related. Throughout the province, there are eight active cases, with the other six being in the Moncton zone.

Saskatchewan announced five new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, but also 20 more recoveries. It means that there are now 150 active cases in the province, with the most in the Regina (38), Saskatoon (28), South Central (27) and South West (20) regions.

Alberta reported 121 new cases, and one new fatality. The victim was a resident at Edmonton's Good Samaritan Southgate Care Centre. The long-term care facility has seen 29 of its residents die since the start of the pandemic due to the respiratory virus. There are now 40 more active cases in Alberta compared to Tuesday; of those 1,044 patients, there are 470 in Edmonton and 312 in Calgary. On Wednesday, chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said that of the more than 316,000 tests that were completed among symptomatic patients, only 0.1 per cent have come back positive. Hinshaw is also now urging all teachers and staff members to get tested for COVID-19 before the upcoming school year.

No new cases were reported across Canada’s three territories, while Nunavut remains the only jurisdiction to not have had a confirmed positive case throughout the pandemic. The Northwest Territories have zero active cases, while Yukon has two.

Aug. 11

On Tuesday, Ontario reported 33 new cases of COVID-19, which marks the smallest increase to its total case count since March 18. Ontario’s health minister Christine Elliott said the low number “includes routine data clean-up by Toronto Public Health, which removed 21 cases, such as duplicates, that had previously been included in daily case counts.” For the second day in a row, Ontario also did not record any new fatalities, as the death toll remains at 2,786. There are currently 962 active cases in the province, as 75 more patients have recovered.

For the second straight day, Quebec is reporting fewer than 100 cases, this time with 91. Before the recent stretch, it had recorded at least 100 cases every day since July 11. It’s also now the sixth straight day that the province has reported fewer than 140 cases. Between July 15 and Aug. 4, the province surpassed that mark 17 out of 21 times. In addition, one more death has been reported in the province for a total of 5,697. As of Tuesday, there are 1,886 active cases in the province, as 94 more cases were deemed resolved since yesterday.

Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island continue to have zero active cases of COVID-19, after the former announced that all of its remaining patients recovered by Monday. Newfoundland and Labrador did not report a new patient, but there still remain two active patients in the province. New Brunswick was the lone Atlantic province to identify a new case, this time involving an individual in their 40s in the Fredericton region. There are seven active cases throughout New Brunswick, with the six others in the Moncton region.

No new cases were reported across Canada’s three territories, while Nunavut remains the only jurisdiction to not have had a confirmed positive case throughout the pandemic. The Northwest Territories have zero active cases, while Yukon has two.

Manitoba health officials announced four new cases of COVID-19, with one in the Winnipeg region and three in Prairie Mountain Health region. "Of the total cases, many are linked to known clusters in Brandon or are close contacts of previously announced cases," but some are community transmission, according to a bulletin by officials. The Brandon region is currently dealing with a Maple Leaf Foods pork processing facility outbreak. As of Tuesday, there are 194 active cases in the province, after six more patients recovered from the respiratory virus.

Twenty-nine new cases of COVID-19 were identified in Saskatchewan, with 11 of in a “communal living setting outside” of the City of Saskatoon. The increase to its total case count is the largest this month. There now remain 165 active cases in Saskatchewan, as 29 more people have recovered. There is only one active case in the Far North West region, after it was home to 346 cases throughout the pandemic.

Alberta identified 85 new cases of COVID-19 and three additional fatalities in its latest 24-hour stretch. One of the victims was a resident at the Edmonton's Good Samaritan Southgate Care Centre. The long-term care facility has seen 28 of its residents die since the start of the pandemic due to the respiratory virus. Throughout the province, there are now 1,004 active cases of COVID-19, which is down by 90 compared to a day prior. Of those patients, 401 are in the Edmonton zone and 322 are in the Calgarzy zone.

British Columbia reported 46 new cases of COVID-19, but no new fatalities for the 11th straight day as the death toll remains at 195. The Krazy Cherry Fruit. Co. outbreak in the province’s Interior Health region has been declared over. Throughout B.C., there are 472 active cases of COVID-19. Officials are also urging residents to check COVID-19 exposure warnings as part of contact tracing efforts that have been amplified as of late due to a spike in cases over the past month.

Aug. 10

‘The number of people in self-isolation is disturbing’: British Columbia officials advice against large gatherings

Health officials in British Columbia continue to warn against large gatherings where alcohol is involved, as the province tries to contain the spread of COVID-19.

"Our task this summer was to renew B.C. without reactivating the virus. ... The number of cases is climbing, the number of people in self-isolation is disturbing," said B.C. health minister Adrian Dix.

"We need to say ‘enough’ to private parties where alcohol is being used and physical distancing is impossible."

As of Monday, there are 1,765 people who are being monitored with daily check-ins, since they were in contact with a previously identified case. Of the 131 patients that were identified over the weekend in B.C., the “vast majority” were on the list as part of contact tracing efforts, said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.

Names continue to be added to the list as COVID-19 exposure warnings add up across the province. Most recently, a “night rave” prompted a public warning in Surrey, B.C., for people who attended the gathering on July 31, Aug. 1 and Aug. 2.

Last week, three police officers in Vancouver tested positive after breaking up an “out of control” party of more than 100 people.

“What I can tell you is that parties and gatherings with young people that many of whom you don't know — even if there are fewer than 50 people — are a concern,” said Henry, as officials continue to see a spike in cases among those under 40 years old.

“We know that when alcohol is involved for many the precautions that we would normally take can diminish. So if your friends invite you to a party and it doesn't feel right, don't go. There's no better excuse than a global pandemic.”

Exposures due to gatherings have been a key concern for B.C. ever since two hotel parties around Canada Day in Kelowna led to dozens of cases around the province, as well as possible exposure warnings for a variety of businesses.

As of Aug. 10, there are 445 active cases in B.C., compared to the 187 there were on July 10.

On Monday, health officials also provided their weekend update. No one died of COVID-19 in British Columbia between Friday and Sunday, but the province did record 131 new cases of COVID-19.

It now marks the 10th straight day that B.C. has not recorded a COVID-19-related fatality. Of the recently recorded cases, 51 were identified on Friday, 37 on Saturday and 44 on Sunday.

The update increases the province’s total case count to 4,065. That includes 3,425 people who have recovered, and 195 victims. There are now nine people in hospital and three in intensive care. Henry also announced two new healthcare outbreaks, at the George Derby Centre, and the New Vista Care Centre. Both centres in the Fraser Health region.

Nova Scotia reports no more active cases of COVID-19

There are no more active cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia, after its final patient’s diagnosis was marked resolved.

Throughout the pandemic, the province has had 1,071 cases of COVID-19. That includes 64 people who have died after contracting the virus and 1,007 recovered patients.

The province previously had no active cases after all its initial patients had recovered by July 26. But between July 31-Aug. 2, four new patients were identified by health officials.

Nova Scotia once again joins Prince Edward Island as the only two provinces with no active cases of COVID-19. There are also no active cases in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, which remains the only jurisdiction to not record a confirmed positive case throughout the pandemic.

Ontario goes back to reporting more than 100 cases of COVID-19

After a week of reporting fewer than 100 cases of COVID-19, Ontario announced 115 new patients on Monday.

It marks the biggest increase to Ontario’s total case count since Aug. 2.

Of the most recent patients, 20 were identified in Ottawa, 19 in Peel, 16 in Toronto, 12 in Windsor-Essex and 11 in Niagara Region. At the end of July, health officials in Ottawa said they’re seeing a spike in cases related to private indoor gatherings. On Monday, Windsor-Essex joined the rest of Ontario by moving into Stage 3 of the province’s reopening plan.

Along with the new cases, the Ministry of Health announced that 102 patients have recovered from the respiratory virus. The death toll still stands at 2,786, since no one died with COVID-19 in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch.

There are now 994 active cases of COVID-19 in Ontario. That includes 49 people in hospital, 25 who are in intensive care and 14 who require a ventilator. The Ministry of Health on Monday noted that about 36 hospitals did not submit data on Aug. 8, therefore an increase might be seen in the days ahead.

According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there are 18 outbreaks among facilities in the province. In those LTCs, there are four active cases among residents and 34 among staff.

Quebec reports fewer than 100 new cases for the first time in a month

For the first time since July 11, Quebec is announcing that it has identified fewer than 100 cases of COVID-19 in a 24-hour stretch.

Health officials identified 98 new cases, but also added 58 other cases to the province’s total case count due to a data transfer adjustment, according to a press release.

Over the past month, Quebec has seen a spike in cases in relation to its reopening plan, such as outbreaks connected to bars and large private gatherings.

It’s now the fifth straight day that the province has reported fewer than 140 cases. Between July 15 and Aug. 4, the province surpassed that mark 17 out of 21 times.

In late June and early July, Quebec enjoyed a stretch in which it became common to report fewer than 100 new COVID-19 patients daily.

Throughout the pandemic, Quebec has had 60,627 cases. That includes 5,696 people who have died, which is an increase of one since Sunday. For the first time since July 27, Quebec has updated its recovery stats, after experiencing a technical issue. There are now 53,041 resolved cases, an increase of 2,155.

Of the 1,890 active cases that remain, there are 157 people in hospital, which includes 21 in intensive care.

Death toll continues to grow in Alberta in connection to long-term care home

Five more deaths and 257 new cases of COVID-19 were identified in Alberta between Friday and Sunday, according to chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw.

The province recorded 108 new cases on Friday, 101 on Saturday and 48 on Sunday. The patients were identified after Alberta completed 26,357 tests for the respiratory virus.

Of the five deaths, two of them occurred at Edmonton's Good Samaritan Southgate Care Centre, which has been home to one of the worst outbreaks in the province. Since mid-June, there have been 27 fatalities and 113 cases among staff and residents at the long-term care facility.

Throughout the pandemic, there have been 11,687 cases of COVID-19 in Alberta. That includes 10,384 who have recovered and 213 victims. Of the 1,090 active cases that remain, there are 388 in the Edmonton zone and 365 in the Calgary zone. Sixty-six people are also currently in hospital, which includes 14 in intensive care.

One more case in Newfoundland and Labrador

Health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador have identified one new case of COVID-19, involving a male in the Eastern Health region between 20-39 years old.

The latest case is linked to the patient that was reported on July 7; a crew member from the television show Hudson & Rex, who recently returned from Toronto.

Throughout the pandemic, the province has had 268 cases of COVID-19, which includes three victims and 263 recovered patients. Newfoundland and Labrador previously had no active cases of COVID-19, after all its initial patients recovered by Aug. 5. But since Aug. 7, health officials have identified the two new patients, which remain the only active cases in the province.

Cluster in Manitoba continues to grow

Sixteen new cases of COVID-19 were identified in Manitoba, with 11 of them in the Prairie Mountain Health region and five in Southern Health.

The cluster in Brandon located in Prairie Mountain, has also grown to 64, according to chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin. Most of the cases in the area are linked to close contacts who have tested positive, said Roussin.

There are 22 people who work at the Maple Leaf Foods pork processing facility who have tested positive. Some are part of the general cluster in Brandon.

"We are seeing early signs of community transmission," said Roussin. "Everywhere in Manitoba should be taking caution, but that area should be taking extra caution."

Throughout the pandemic, Manitoba has had 558 cases of COVID-19. That includes 354 people who have recovered. Of the 196 active cases that remain, there are six people in hospital, which includes three in intensive care.

An additional 1,364 laboratory tests were completed on Sunday, bringing the total number of tests completed since early February to 103,782.

Five new cases in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan health officials have identified five new cases of COVID-19 in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch.

Three of the patients are in the Regina zone, while one each is in the Saskatoon and South Central zones.

Throughout the pandemic, Saskatchewan has had 1,450 cases of COVID-19. That includes 1,265 resolved cases, after eight more people recovered since Sunday.

Of the 165 active cases that remain, there are 13 people in hospital, which includes five in intensive care. The Central West zone of the province has the most active cases with 40, followed by South Central (27) and South West (23). The Far North West has one active case, after it was home to 346 cases throughout the pandemic.

In the province’s latest 24-hour stretch, 1,297 tests were performed, for a total of 113,045.

Aug. 8

On Saturday, Ontario reported 70 new cases of COVID-19, making it the sixth day in a row where fewer than 100 new cases were reported. Fifteen of Ontario’s 34 public health units reported no new cases, while 14 others reported between one and five new cases.

Quebec reported 126 new cases of COVID-19, as well as four deaths in the last reporting period, in addition to a newly-reported death that occurred on July 31 related to COVID-19. The number of people in hospital increased by three to 155, and the number of people in intensive care increased by four to 23.

Nova Scotia reported no new cases of COVID-19, but extended the province’s state of emergency to August 23. Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island also did not report any new cases.

In Manitoba, there were 16 new cases of COVID-19 reported. The majority of the new cases appear to be linked to a cluster in Brandon. There were 12 new cases in the Prairie Mountain health region, and four in the Southern health region. There were 24 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Saskatchewan on Saturday. The majority of the cases (11) are located in the Regina area. The government says that eight of the 24 new cases and 112 of the 168 active cases are people living in communal settings.

Alberta and British Columbia do not report on weekends at this time.

Aug. 7

Ontario reported 88 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, and no additional deaths related to the disease. It’s the fifth day in a row the province has reported fewer than 100 new cases in the previous 24 hour period. In Quebec, there were 108 new cases of COVID-19 reported and no new deaths. There are 152 patients in hospital, 13 fewer than the previous day.

One new case of COVID-19 was reported in Newfoundland and Labrador. A crew member from the television show Hudson & Rex tested positive, the province says, after flying from Toronto. She is in the Eastern health region and between the ages of 20 and 39.

No new cases were reported in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick or Prince Edward Island.

There are 17 new cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba. Ten of those cases are in the Prairie Mountain health region, five are in the Winnipeg health region, and the remaining cases are in the Southern health region. Public health officials are also advising anyone who visited a Tim Hortons on the Trans-Canada Highway at 18th Street in Brandon on August 1 to be aware of potential exposure to the virus, although the risk is low.

Aug. 6

Manitoba announced 30 new COVID-19 patients, which marks the second largest single-day jump in cases since the start of the pandemic, according to CBC. Eighteen of the cases are connected to a cluster at a pork processing facility in Brandon. As of Thursday, there are 118 active cases in Manitoba.

For the fourth day in a row, Ontario is reporting fewer than 100 new daily cases of COVID-19, this time with 95. It has not had such a long streak below 100 since March. The latest patients were primarily identified in Toronto (30), Ottawa (19), and Chatham-Kent (10), while 15 of the 34 public health units in the province reported zero new patients. Along with the recent cases, one more person has died in Ontario, increasing the death toll to 2,783. There now remain 1,120 active cases in the province.

Quebec reported 133 new cases, but zero new fatalities as the death toll remains at 5,687. For the third time in the past four days, the province has been below 140 daily cases. Before the recent stretch, it had surpassed 140 cases on 16 of the last 18 occasions. In its latest 24-hour testing period, Quebec also completed 16,293 tests, which means for the first time after three straight days it has met its goal of at least 14,000. The active case count in Quebec is now 3,560.

Nova Scotia reported no new patients on Thursday, as its active case count remains at two. Newfoundland and Labrador is also reporting no new patients, a day after announcing that it has no more active cases in the province.

New Brunswick identified two new cases of COVID-19, increasing its active case count to six. The news comes a day after the province identified four patients, ending a 15-day streak of no new cases in the province. The latest patients involve two temporary foreign workers who arrived in Moncton and began immediately self-isolating.

In Saskatchewan, there was one new death reported in relation to COVID-19, as well as 11 people who were diagnosed with the virus. The fatality was a person in their 70s in the Regina region.

British Columbia’s number of active cases has doubled in the last month, Dr. Bonnie Henry reported. There were 47 new cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of active cases to 371, with 11 in hospital. Five of those are in critical care. Meanwhile Alberta has seen a downward trend in the number of cases, with fewer than 100 new cases reported each day for the last week. There were 56 new COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hour reporting period, and two deaths related to the virus. One of the deaths was at the Good Samaritan Society Southgate Care Centre in Edmonton, where 25 people have died with COVID-19. There remain 36 active resident cases at the centre, and 20 staff members with COVID-19.

Aug. 5

Newfoundland and Labrador announced that all of its remaining patients have recovered, meaning there are no more active cases in the province. A new case also hasn’t been identified in N.L. for 10 straight days. Throughout the pandemic, the province has had 266 cases, which includes three victims and 263 recovered patients. N.L. now joins Prince Edward Island as the only other province with no active cases of COVID-19.

For the third day in a row, Ontario reported fewer than 100 new cases of COVID-19. The province reported 86 new cases of the virus, with the majority coming from the Toronto, Ottawa, Chatham-Kent, Peel and York regions.

In Quebec, the province saw 155 new cases, bringing the total number of diagnosed cases in the province to 60,000. There were also two deaths. A recent antibody test of donated blood determined that the number of infected people in Quebec could actually be closer to 124,800, based on 2.23 per cent of adult blood donors showing antibodies for the virus.

Four new cases were reported in New Brunswick, breaking the province’s 15-day streak of no new cases. All four are in the Miramichi region, and involve temporary foreign workers who have been in self-isolation since their arrival. No new cases have been reported in Prince Edward Island or Nova Scotia.

Two new cases in Winnipeg were reported by Manitoba health officials, involving a male and a female under the age of 40. It increases the province’s active case count to 94.

Eight new cases were identified in Saskatchewan, with three of them in the North East area of the province, but health authorities also announced 36 more recoveries.

In Alberta’s latest 24-hour stretch, there were two more deaths related to COVID-19 and 94 new cases, which continues a trend of fewer than 100 cases. British Columbia announced 47 new cases, which includes one epi-linked case, increasing its active case count to 351.

Aug. 4

On Tuesday, Ontario reported four new deaths related to the COVID-19 virus in the province, brining the total number who have died to 2,782. Ninety-one new cases were also reported, which means that for the last two days, less than 100 new cases were reported in Ontario. Quebec announced that it had identified 123 new cases and two new virus-related deaths, as it prepares to expand social measures this week, allowing groups of up to 250 people to gather both indoors and outdoors.

There were nine new cases of COVID-19 reported in Saskatchewan on Tuesday. In Alberta, a detention centre in Edmonton saw a third inmate test positive for COVID-19.

British Columbia announced 146 new cases of COVID-19 since Friday, but no new deaths. Dr. Bonnie Henry called the increase “not unexpected,” as part of the increases over the last few days and weeks have been blamed on gatherings since Canada Day. B.C. currently has 319 active cases. Eight are in hospital, including four in intensive care.

Aug. 3

Manitoba public health officials have identified seven new cases of COVID-19. The update brings the total number of cases found in the province to 442, but no other details about the new cases were released.

Two more people have died of COVID-19 in Quebec, health authorities announced Monday, as confirmed cases rose by 123 in the province.

There are 172 people being treated for COVID-19 in Quebec hospitals as of Monday, the same number reported 24 hours earlier. Of those in a hospital, 18 are in intensive care, up one from the 17 reported Sunday.

Nova Scotia is reporting that two more cases of COVID-19 have been resolved and there are only two known active cases remaining in the province.

No new cases were discovered among 215 tests completed at the QEII Health Sciences Centre's microbiology lab on Sunday, according to a news release Monday from the Department of Health.

New Brunswick is reporting two recoveries, leaving no active cases of the novel coronavirus in the province on Monday. The province has completed 53,243 tests to date, and reported a total of 170 COVID-19 cases. There have been 168 recoveries in the province and two deaths.

Saskatchewan is reporting 17 new cases of COVID-19. Four new cases are located in the north, five in the central regions, six in the south and two in the Regina area.

Ontario did not provide a COVID-19 update on August 3 due to the holiday.

Aug. 2

Another 100+ increase in daily cases for Ontario, primarily among six regions

Ontario reported 116 new cases, one death and 122 recently recovered patients in its latest 24-hour stretch.

It’s now the third straight day that the province has recorded at least 100 daily cases, after two straight days of being below that mark. Before the recent stretch, it had not recorded fewer than 100 cases since March 24.

The most recent patients were recorded primarily among six public health units: 20 in York, 16 in Ottawa, 15 in Chatham-Kent, 14 in Peel, 13 in Windsor-Essex, and nine in Toronto, according to the Ministry of Health. Twenty-seven of the province’s 34 public health units reported five or fewer cases, while 16 of them reported zero.

The patients were identified after the province completed 30,443 tests for COVID-19 in its latest 24-hour stretch.

It’s unclear what’s behind the most recent jump spike in York, but the region only trails Toronto and Peel for total cases throughout the pandemic. Earlier this week, Ottawa health officials said they’re seeing an increase in cases related to private house gatherings.

In total, Ontario has had 39,449 cases of COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic. That includes 2,778 victims and 35,359 recovered patients.

Of the province’s 1,312 active cases of COVID-19, there are 72 people in hospital (down by one since Saturday), which includes 26 people in intensive care (down by one), and 14 who require a ventilator (up by two).

According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there are 20 active outbreaks among facilities in the province, (up by one). In those facilities, there remain 10 residents who are currently infected as well as 37 staff members.

Quebec adds another 140+ increase to its case count, while recoveries stat still faces technical issue

Quebec health officials announced 141 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday.

It’s now the third straight day that the province has recorded over 140 daily cases, after registering two straight days below that mark.

Canada’s worst-hit province has now reported at least 140 cases on 16 of the last 18 occasions. Before the recent stretch, it had not identified more than 140 cases since June 25.

Quebec’s streak of at least 100 daily cases also continues, now entering its 22nd straight day. It’s part of a worrisome trend, considering between June 26 and July 11, it stayed below 100 daily cases except on two occasions.

In July, Quebec dealt with outbreaks relating to bars and private house parties, along with day camps. The province is also currently dealing with an outbreak at a hospital St-Eustache, Que., which has prompted mass testing efforts.

On Monday, the province will start to allow public gatherings of 250-people, which is up from the previous limit of 50.

Throughout the pandemic, Quebec has identified 59,599 cases of COVID-19. That includes 50,886 people who have recovered from the virus, a number that hasn’t changed since July 27 due to a technical issue. Three deaths were also added to its death toll of 5,681 on Sunday; one occurred in the province’s latest 24-hour stretch and two occurred before July 25.

Of the province’s now 3,035 active cases of COVID-19, there are 172 people in hospital (down by five since Saturday) and 17 in intensive care (down by one).

Quebec’s testing numbers are reflective of its outputs from two days prior. In its latest 24-hour stretch, the province completed 16,178 tests, which is above its goal of 14,000.

Montreal remains the epicentre with 28,904 total cases (up by 61), but the spread of COVID-19 also continues to gain pace in surrounding areas of the city. The Laurentides region has 3,920 (up by 23), the Montérégie region has 8,825 cases (up by 19), the Laval region has 6,069 (up by 12), and Lanaudière has 4,512 (up by four).

Four cases in Nova Scotia this week after everyone else recovers

Nova Scotia has identified two new cases of COVID-19 in the Central zone, increasing its active case count to four.

Both are related to travel outside of Canada, while one is linked to the two cases that were reported on July 31 in the Central zone.

Before the four cases were identified this week, Nova Scotia had zero active COVID-19 patients. It had also not recorded a new case since July 15, while all of its remaining patients had recovered by July 26.

Throughout the pandemic, the province has had 1,071 cases of COVID-19. That includes 64 victims and 1,003 people who have recovered.

In its latest 24-hour stretch, the province completed 334 tests for COVID-19, which allowed them to identify the two most recent patients.

Eighteen new cases in Manitoba

Health officials announced 18 new cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba, increasing the province’s total case count to 435.

In a tweet, Manitoba announced that their online data will be updated Monday, which should provide more information on the 20 patients that were identified over the weekend.

As of Friday, 337 people have recovered and eight people have died. If no one has recovered since then, it would mean that there are 90 active cases in the province.

Saskatchewan continues to identify cases in ‘communal living settings’ after record-high testing

For the first time Saskatchewan has administered at least 2,000 tests in a 24-hour timeframe,

Of the 2,104 COVID-19 tests that were performed, health officials identified eight new cases of COVID-19, but did not mention if any of them were among “communal living settings” or Hutterite colonies.

Throughout the pandemic, there have been 1,342 reported cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan. That includes 1,070 people who have recovered, up by 16 since Saturday. Of the 254 active cases of COVID-19 that remain, there are 18 people in hospital (up by four), which includes seven people in intensive care (up by one).

As of Sunday, the South region has 87 active cases, the Central region has 76 and the North has 48. The Far North has five active cases, after being home to 348 patients throughout the pandemic.

Aug. 1

Ontario starts to trend over 100 daily cases once again

Ontario reported 124 new cases, two deaths and 163 recently recovered patients in its latest 24-hour stretch.

It’s now the second straight day that the province has recorded over 100 daily cases, after two straight days of being below that daily mark. Before the recent stretch, it had not recorded below a triple-digit increase since March 24.

The latest patients were identified after the province completed 33,282 tests for COVID-19 in its latest 24-hour stretch, which is its second highest amount over the course of the pandemic.

Of the most recently identified patients, 33 were in Peel, 17 in Ottawa, and 16 in both Toronto and Windsor-Essex, according to the Ministry of Health. Twenty-eight of the province’s 34 public health units reported five or fewer cases, while 16 of them reported zero.

It’s unclear what’s behind the jump in cases in Peel, but the region only trails Toronto for total cases throughout the pandemic.

Earlier this week, Ottawa health officials said they’re seeing a spike in cases related to private house gatherings, while Windsor-Essex continues to deal with agri-farm outbreaks and community spread. Windsor-Essex, the only region still in Stage 2 of the province’s reopening plan, continues to have the highest infection per 100,000 people in Ontario (543.7), after taking the top spot from Toronto two weeks ago.

“We can't take our eye off the ball for a second. It will come back and bite us in the backside with a second wave like we've never seen before,” said Premier Doug Ford on July 29, after the province reported fewer than 100 daily cases for the first time in months.

In total, Ontario has had 39,333 cases of COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic. That includes 2,777 victims and 35,237 recovered patients.

Of the province’s 1,319 active cases of COVID-19, there are 73 people in hospital (down by five since Friday), which includes 27 people in intensive care (down by two), and 12 who require a ventilator (down by three).

According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there are 19 active outbreaks among facilities in the province, up by two. In those facilities, 10 residents are currently infected (up by one) as well as 37 staff members.

Quebec once again starts to trend over 140 cases, completes record-high testing output

Quebec health officials announced 146 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday.

It’s now the second straight day that the province has recorded over 140 daily cases, after registering two straight days below that mark.

Canada’s worst-hit province has now reported at least 140 cases on 15 of the last 17 occasions. Before the recent stretch, it had not identified more than 140 cases since June 25.

Quebec’s streak of at least 100 daily cases also continues, now entering its 21st straight day. It’s part of a worrisome trend, considering between June 26 and July 11, it stayed below 100 daily cases except on two occasions.

In July, Quebec dealt with outbreaks relating to bars and private house parties, along with day camps. The province is also currently dealing with an outbreak at a hospital St-Eustache, Que., which has prompted mass testing efforts.

Throughout the pandemic, Quebec has identified 59,458 cases of COVID-19. That includes 50,886 people who have recovered from the virus. Four deaths were also added to its death toll of 5,678 on Saturday, but they all occurred before July 24. No one died in Quebec’s latest 24-hour stretch.

Of the province’s now 2,894 active cases of COVID-19, there are 177 people in hospital (down by 15) and 18 in intensive care (up by three).

Quebec’s testing numbers are reflective of its outputs from two days prior. For the second straight time, the province completed a record-high amount, this time with 17, 994 tests for COVID-19, which is above its goal of 14,000.

Montreal remains the epicentre with 28,843 total cases (up by 71), but the spread of COVID-19 also continues to gain pace in surrounding areas of the city. The Laurentides region has 3,897 (up by 10), the Montérégie region has 8,806 cases (up by 27), the Laval region has 6,057 (up by five), and Lanaudière has 4,508 (up by 11).

No new cases among the Atlantic provinces

Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick did not report any cases on Saturday.

Alberta, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Nunavut, Yukon and the Northwest Territories don’t provide updated statistics on weekends.

There remain four active cases in Newfoundland and Labrador, which were all identified last week. Nova Scotia has two active cases, which were recorded on Friday. New Brunswick has two active cases, while the recent one was identified July 20.

For more on other jurisdictions, please see our updates from this past week.

Two new cases in Manitoba

Health officials announced two new cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba, increasing its total case count to 417.

Officials said in a tweet that their online data will be updated Monday, which should provide more information on the recently identified patients.

As of Friday, 337 people have recovered and eight people have died. If no one has recovered since then, it would mean that there are 72 active cases in the province.

Saskatchewan continues to identify cases in ‘communal living settings’ after record-high testing

Fifteen new cases were identified in Saskatchewan’s latest 24-hour stretch, which includes nine “from multiple communal living settings across the province.”

One case also involves a Saskatchewan resident who tested out of the province.

In the province’s latest 24-hour stretch, a record-high 1,807 COVID-19 tests were performed, for a total of 100,317.

Throughout the pandemic, there have been 1,334 reported cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan. That includes 1,054 people who have recovered, up by 46 since Friday. Of the 262 active cases of COVID-19 that remain, there are 14 people in hospital (down by one), while there remain six in intensive care.

As of Saturday, the South region has 95 active cases, the Central region has 80 and the North has 47. The Far North has five active cases, after being home to 348 patients throughout the pandemic.

Timelines of cases prior to August:

• January 1-March 31

• April 1-30

• May 1-15

• May 16-31

• June 1-14

• June 15-28

• July 2-15

• July 16-31