Today’s coronavirus news: Ontario reports 4,227 COVID cases Friday; migrant farm worker vaccine pilot to run at Toronto airport this weekend
The latest coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Friday. This file will be updated throughout the day. Web links to longer stories if available.
3:44 p.m. The City of Toronto says two employees working at two of its COVID-19 immunization clinics recently tested positive for the virus.
The staffers were working at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and the Scarborough Town Centre.
In a release, the city said the risk to the general public is very low since the employees and anyone who may have come in contact with them were wearing personal protective equipment and maintaining physical distance.
The Metro Toronto Convention Centre staff member who tested positive was there from April 2 to 5. The Scarborough Town Centre employee was at the clinic from March 31 to April 2.
The clinics have been thoroughly cleaned and sanitized and are following Toronto Public Health safety measures, and all those with confirmed appointments should attend at their scheduled time, the city adds.
As a precaution, anyone who was at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre clinic between April 2 and 5 or the Scarborough Town Centre between March 31 and April 2 should monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms for 14 days. If symptoms develop, seek testing and immediately self-isolate.
2:53 p.m. A group of 285 Saskatchewan physicians have banded together to urge the provincial government to implement stricter COVID-19 health measures and vaccinate younger essential workers, The Canadian Press reports.
The doctors names are on a letter sent today to Premier Scott Moe and Health Minister Paul Merriman that says intensive care admissions are at an all-time high with younger, previously healthy people, according to CP.
It says many are front-line workers and are from lower socio-economic status groups who cannot stay home or cannot isolate from their families if someone is sick.
The doctors are calling for public-health measures to be consistent throughout the province and for paid sick leave for all essential workers.
And they want the vaccine rollout to include all health-care workers, teachers and those at higher risk due to socio-economic or medical risk factors.
The province has previously said it will stick to its age-based vaccine plan, arguing that changing it would slow the rate of people getting the shots.
The government was not immediately available for a comment.
2:49 p.m. Ontario will start offering COVID-19 vaccines to migrant farm workers arriving at Toronto's international airport through a pilot project this weekend, The Canadian Press has learned.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs says the pilot will run early Saturday morning, offering shots to 200 workers arriving on a flight from Mexico.
Officials from the ministries of health and agriculture, health-care practitioners and representatives from the Mexican consulate will be at Pearson International Airportto meet the group, offering doses after the workers pass through customs.
The arriving workers will be offered doses of the Moderna vaccine, which will be administered in a screened-off area after they take a mandatory COVID-19 test upon arriving.
1:15 p.m. Nova Scotia is speeding up its COVID-19 vaccination program.
The province's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Robert Strang, announced today that all Nova Scotians who want a vaccination should be able to get their first dose by late June.
The original target was September.
As well, Strang announced that as of today, Nova Scotians 65 years of age and older are eligible to receive their first dose - a big expansion of the eligible group.
He says the province is ramping up the immunization process, with 40,000 doses expected to be administered this week and another 50,000 next week.
11:15 a.m. Quebec is reporting 1,683 new COVID-19 cases today and eight more deaths attributed to the virus, including five in the previous 24 hours.
Health officials say hospitalizations rose by three to 569 over the pats 24 hours, while the number of intensive care patints rose by two to 134.
The Quebec City area continues to be the region reporting the highest daily cases, with 449.
Montreal reported 392 new infections while the Chaudiere-Appalaches region, south of the provincial capital, logged 218.
The province administered 69,148 doses of COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, for a total of 1,754,749.
11:05 a.m. Ontario hospitals are being instructed to ramp down elective surgeries and non-urgent procedures in order to treat a growing number of COVID-19 patients.
Ontario Health's president and CEO sent a memo Thursday night instructing hospitals to make the move to preserve critical care and human resources, starting Monday.
Hospitals in northern Ontario are exempt, but Matthew Anderson says they should prepare to ramp down quickly in the near future.
The memo from the body that oversees the province's health system also asks hospitals to identify staff who could be redeployed to other sites if necessary.
Read the full story here on the Star.
10:37 a.m. Mississauga's provincial offences court is asking residents not attend any in-person screening or hearing appointments. Due to the stay-at-home order announced by the Government of Ontario, all in-person screening and hearing appointments including parking, pet, business and mobile licensing matters, scheduled from Apr. 12-30 will be rescheduled.
A new date and time will be sent by email or mailed to those who need appointments rescheduled.
The Ontario Court of Justice remains open, but stresses the importance of limiting in-person attendance at courthouses.
10:27 a.m. Ontario Premier Doug Ford received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine today.
Ford received a shot of the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine at a Shoppers Drug Mart in Rexdale Plaza, Etobicoke.
Ford says he wanted to take the shot in front of media to help encourage people to get immunized and combat vaccine hesitancy.
The premier set a goal of getting 40 per cent of Ontarians - or 5 million people - their first dose over the next month.
The province said Thursday that it had administered 108,563 more doses of COVID-19 vaccines since the previous day's report.
A total of 2,834,784 vaccine doses have been given in Ontario so far.
10:02 a.m. Ontario is reporting 4,227 COVID-19 cases Friday with 18 deaths. The seven-day average is up to 3,256 cases daily or 157 weekly per 100,000, and down to 14.3 deaths per day. Labs report 64,278 completed tests and 6.3% positive, the most ever on a Friday.
Locally, there are 1,218 new cases in Toronto, 762 in Peel, 532 in York Region, 247 in Durham and 246 in Ottawa.
As of 8 p.m. Thursday, 2,940,166 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered.
9:14 a.m. On Thursday, SickKids opened an eight-bed intensive care unit for adult patients with COVID-19 and have started accepting patients. The hospital made the announcement earlier this week saying the beds would be open when required.
The eight critical care beds at SickKids are open for younger adult patients, 40 years old and under, who were previously healthy before becoming ill with COVID-19.
It's the first time the hospital is opening beds for adult patients as part of a provincial response, SickKids president and CEO Dr. Ronald Cohn told the Star.
8:52 a.m. Province's new zero tolerance" COVID-19 safety inspections will occur at manufacturers, warehouses and food processors in Peel and Halton regions.
Inspection officers will be checking that workplaces are following COVID-19 safety protocols, such as masking, screening and physically distancing. The inspections begin Friday, April 9.
We will have zero tolerance for those bad actors who break safety requirements as it puts the lives of workers and the public at risk," said Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development Monte McNaughton in a news release. Our officers will not hesitate to issue tickets to those not following the rules."
Read the full story on the Star.
On April 10, they will also be inspecting big box stores and other retail workplaces in Peel and Halton that are allowed to be open during the stay-at-home order.
8:47 a.m. Ontario Premier Doug Ford will receive a COVID-19 vaccine today.
He is scheduled to receive an Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine dose at a pharmacy in Etobicoke.
He will become the latest politician in Canada and around the world to be publicly vaccinated against COVID-19.
Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott publicly received a shot last month in a bid to combat hesitancy.
Premiers of Quebec, Manitoba, New Brunswick and the territories have also publicly shared their vaccinations, as well as world leaders.
Ford will get his first shot as appointment bookings open to some residents aged 50 and older in Toronto and Peel Region.
Toronto says people who live in hot spot neighbourhoods can book an appointment to get their shot, while Peel has opened the bookings for anyone in the age group.
Toronto says doses for that age group may be available as soon as this week and it will begin to administer the vaccine to those residents on Monday.
The Ontario government said earlier this week that people aged 60 and over were permitted to book their vaccine appointments in every region.
The province said Thursday that it had administered 108,563 more doses of COVID-19 vaccines since the previous day's report.
A total of 2,834,784 vaccine doses have been given in Ontario so far.
8:13 a.m. The City of Toronto says 684,809 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Toronto.
Starting Friday at 8 a.m., people age 50 or older who live in high-risk areas as identified by postal code can book vaccination appointments online or by phone for city-run COVID-19 immunization clinics.
Following this week's provincial announcement, the city is shifting its approach further towards vaccinating essential workers where they live - in areas where there are high COVID-19 case counts. Hospital and healthcare partners have clinics up and running vaccinating residents in hot spot neighbourhoods right now.
As of Thursday evening, approximately 169,970 people have booked COVID-19 vaccination appointments at a city-run clinic. There are appointments still available. Eligible residents are encouraged to book an appointment online or book by phone through the Provincial Vaccine Information Line at 1-888-999-6488.
8 a.m. Hospitals across Ontario will halt non-emergency and elective surgeries from April 12, as new waves of COVID-19 patients fill up ICU's.
Ontario Hospital Association president and CEO Anthony Dale tweeted on Thursday night that a major redeployment of staff and resources is necessary as hospitals grapple with a historic crisis."
Ensuring equitable access to critical care services is our paramount priority," he says.
This order comes as Ontario broke the record for most patients in intensive care during the pandemic on Thursday with 524 patients in the ICU, and 331 on ventilators. Premier Doug Ford declared a third state of emergency and put Ontario under a stay-at-home order, citing the threat on the province's hospital system capacity.
6:05 a.m.: Ambulances filled with breathless patients lined up in Brazil as nations around the world set new records Thursday for COVID-19 deaths and new coronavirus infections. The disease surged even in some countries that have kept the virus in check.
In the United States, Detroit leaders began making a plan to knock on every door to persuade people to get vaccine shots.
Brazil this week became just the third country, after the U.S. and Peru, to report a 24-hour tally of COVID-19 deaths that exceeded 4,000. India hit a peak of almost 127,000 new cases in 24 hours, and Iran set a new coronavirus infection record for the third straight day, reporting nearly 22,600 new cases.
In the state of Rio de Janeiro, emergency services are under their biggest strain since the pandemic began, with ambulances carrying patients of all ages to overcrowded hospitals struggling to care for everyone. Authorities say over 90% of the state's intensive-care unit beds are taken by COVID-19 patients, and many cities are reporting people dying at home due to lack of available medical treatment.
We're already living the third wave. We have three times more calls," in comparison with previous waves, said Adriano Pereira, director of the mobile emergency care service in Duque de Caxias, an impoverished city outside Rio.
5:45 a.m.: Japan announced Friday that it will raise the coronavirus alert level in Tokyo to allow tougher measures to curb the rapid spread of a more contagious variant ahead of the Summer Olympics.
Japan's national vaccination drive has lagged and most people in the capital still have not been inoculated as infections have surged.
The raised status announced by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will allow Tokyo's governor to mandate shorter opening hours for bars and restaurants, along with punishments for violators and compensation for those who comply. The measures are to begin Monday and continue through May 11.
Many of Tokyo's cases have been linked to nightlife and dining, though they have recently spread to offices, elderly care facilities and schools, experts say.
Suga also raised the alert level for Kyoto in western Japan and the southern island prefecture of Okinawa, where cases have surged in recent weeks. The new status there is to continue through May 5, the end of Japan's Golden Week" holidays, to discourage travelling.
The alert status was raised on Monday for three other areas - Osaka, neighbouring Hyogo and Miyagi in the north. They have had sharp increases in daily cases since early March, soon after Japan scaled down a partial and non-binding state of emergency that began in January.
5:32 a.m.: Iraq's Health Ministry has warned of dire consequences" ahead because citizens are not heeding coronavirus prevention measures, after the country reached a new high in daily infection rates.
Iraq recorded 8,331 new virus cases within a 24-hour period on Wednesday, the highest figure since the ministry began keeping records at the onset of the pandemic last year. That was double the number of new infections from last month, and well ahead of a previous peak of some 6,000 in March.
Death rates are still fairly low relative to new infections. At least 14,606 people have died, from a total of 903,439 cases.
The severe spike in case numbers prompted the Health Ministry to issue a grave warning in a statement on Thursday, saying the rise was due to laxity among Iraqis who flout preventative measures.
The statement said public commitment toward heeding virus prevention measures was almost non-existent in most regions of Iraq," where citizens rarely wear face masks and continue to hold large gatherings.
Those who continue to flout prevention measures and instructions are responsible for the increase in the number of infections," the statement said. It called on tribal sheikhs, activists and influential figures to speak out and inform the public on the severity of the pandemic.
Iraq began administering vaccines in late March, but rollout has been slow owing to low demand. Many Iraqis are suspicious of the vaccine and few have booked appointments to receive a dose. Rumours of debilitating side-effects have also put many off.
The ministry urged citizens to inoculate, and said vaccination was the only way to control the outbreak.
5 a.m.: The definition of a COVID-19 outbreak in long-term-care homes changed on Wednesday, giving public health units more discretion to restrict outbreak measures to a specific area - such as an individual floor or ward - rather than the entire home. Residents of long-term-care homes, their families and geriatricians say the directive is a change in the right direction, but are concerned it doesn't provide enough new freedoms.
Under the new definition, an outbreak at a home is declared when two or more residents, staff or visitors test positive for COVID-19 - rather than one, as stated in the old definition. The cases must be confirmed within a 14-day period, with an epidemiological link, where at least one person could have reasonably acquired their infection in the home.
[The change] will allow for more social activities and visits in homes where there is no evidence that COVID-19 has been transmitted within the home and the risk to residents is low," said Ministry of Long Term Care spokesperson Rob McMahon.
Nathan Stall, a geriatrician and epidemiologist at Sinai Health in Toronto, said the change is appropriate"; even in the face of a surging third wave, long-term-care homes are seeing single-digit COVID-19 cases.
This will help residents in terms of reducing some of those unnecessary or extremely stringent isolation precautions ... but there's still a lot more we need to do, given the remarkable success of vaccines in long-term-care settings," he said.
Nursing homes in Ontario have been especially hard hit by the pandemic; 3,755 residents and 11 staff died in due to COVID-19 since April 24, 2020. But vaccinations have dramatically reduced mortality rates.
Read more of this story from Maria Sarrouh.
5 a.m.: Steam closets to help kill deadly germs on your clothes.
Sauna barrels" for one or two people to relieve their sore muscles - while social distancing from others.
Enclosed outdoor pods that allow you to do office work outside without the worry of being around a co-worker who is sick.
These are among the innovations that major developer Concord Pacific will soon be rolling out in its buildings across Canada.
The new features are part of the company's BioSpace system, which is aimed at delivering cleaner and safer" indoor space and facilitating social distancing. Fewer touch points and managing air flow is also the name of the game.
Some of the innovations were being considered long before COVID-19 showed up, but the virus has brought a new urgency," says Terry Hui, president and CEO of Concord Pacific Group, the parent company of Concord Adex, which developed CityPlace, a major housing community near Lake Shore Boulevard West.
Read more of this story by Donovan Vincent.
4 a.m.: The latest numbers on COVID-19 vaccinations in Canada as of 4 a.m. ET on Friday, April 9, 2021.
In Canada, the provinces are reporting 259,623 new vaccinations administered for a total of 7,251,427 doses given. Nationwide, 762,766 people or 2.0 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated. The provinces have administered doses at a rate of 19,133.418 per 100,000.
There were 120,390 new vaccines delivered to the provinces and territories for a total of 10,257,040 doses delivered so far. The provinces and territories have used 70.7 per cent of their available vaccine supply.
Please note that Newfoundland and Labrador, P.E.I., Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the territories typically do not report on a daily basis.
Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting 23,284 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 92,235 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 176.145 per 1,000. In the province, 1.85 per cent (9,699) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Newfoundland and Labrador for a total of 129,060 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 25 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 71.47 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
P.E.I. is reporting 9,225 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 30,937 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 195.027 per 1,000. In the province, 5.20 per cent (8,241) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to P.E.I. for a total of 39,585 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 25 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 78.15 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
Nova Scotia is reporting 23,186 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 129,809 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 133.015 per 1,000. In the province, 3.12 per cent (30,400) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were 3,600 new vaccines delivered to Nova Scotia for a total of 200,250 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 21 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 64.82 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
New Brunswick is reporting 35,004 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 135,802 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 174.096 per 1,000. In the province, 1.84 per cent (14,334) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to New Brunswick for a total of 190,485 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 24 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 71.29 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
Quebec is reporting 48,736 new vaccinations administered for a total of 1,685,046 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 196.928 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Quebec for a total of 2,358,095 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 28 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 71.46 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
Ontario is reporting 108,563 new vaccinations administered for a total of 2,834,784 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 192.986 per 1,000. In the province, 2.22 per cent (326,360) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Ontario for a total of 4,022,875 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 27 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 70.47 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
Manitoba is reporting 12,379 new vaccinations administered for a total of 234,509 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 170.304 per 1,000. In the province, 4.79 per cent (66,012) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were 2,340 new vaccines delivered to Manitoba for a total of 409,470 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 30 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 57.27 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
Saskatchewan is reporting 10,437 new vaccinations administered for a total of 244,646 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 207.476 per 1,000. In the province, 3.34 per cent (39,430) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Saskatchewan for a total of 284,995 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 24 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 85.84 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
Alberta is reporting 23,986 new vaccinations administered for a total of 779,817 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 177.149 per 1,000. In the province, 3.26 per cent (143,625) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Alberta for a total of 1,078,215 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 24 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 72.32 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
British Columbia is reporting 38,905 new vaccinations administered for a total of 985,001 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 191.949 per 1,000. In the province, 1.71 per cent (87,564) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were 114,450 new vaccines delivered to British Columbia for a total of 1,403,510 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 27 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 70.18 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
Yukon is reporting zero new vaccinations administered for a total of 37,969 doses given. The territory has administered doses at a rate of 909.851 per 1,000. In the territory, 33.10 per cent (13,812) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Yukon for a total of 51,400 doses delivered so far. The territory has received enough of the vaccine to give 120 per cent of its population a single dose. The territory has used 73.87 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
The Northwest Territories are reporting zero new vaccinations administered for a total of 38,574 doses given. The territory has administered doses at a rate of 854.939 per 1,000. In the territory, 32.07 per cent (14,471) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to the Northwest Territories for a total of 51,600 doses delivered so far. The territory has received enough of the vaccine to give 110 per cent of its population a single dose. The territory has used 74.76 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
Nunavut is reporting zero new vaccinations administered for a total of 22,298 doses given. The territory has administered doses at a rate of 575.789 per 1,000. In the territory, 22.77 per cent (8,818) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Nunavut for a total of 37,500 doses delivered so far. The territory has received enough of the vaccine to give 97 per cent of its population a single dose. The territory has used 59.46 per cent of its available vaccine supply.
*Notes on data: The figures are compiled by the COVID-19 Open Data Working Group based on the latest publicly available data and are subject to change. Note that some provinces report weekly, while others report same-day or figures from the previous day. Vaccine doses administered is not equivalent to the number of people inoculated as the approved vaccines require two doses per person. The vaccines are currently not being administered to children under 18 and those with certain health conditions. In some cases the number of doses administered may appear to exceed the number of doses distributed as some provinces have been drawing extra doses per vial.
4 a.m.: As COVID-19 vaccine supplies ramp up across the country, most provinces and territories have released details of who can expect to receive a shot in the coming weeks.
The military commander handling logistics for Canada's vaccine distribution program says there will be enough vaccine delivered to give a first dose before Canada Day to every adult who wants one.
Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin says that's if provinces follow the advice to delay second doses up to four months.
He also cautions that it is dependent on having no production delays again.
Health Canada anticipates a total of 36.5 million doses from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and the AstraZeneca vaccine from the Serum Institute of India by June 30.
Canadian provinces suspended use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in people under age 55 on Monday, acting on an advisory committee's concerns about a possible link between the shot and rare blood clots.
4 a.m.: Some residents of Toronto and Peel Region who are aged 50 and older can book their COVID-19 vaccine appointments starting today.
Toronto says people who live in hot spot neighbourhoods can book an appointment to get their shot, while Peel has opened the bookings for anyone in the age group.
Toronto says doses for that age group may be available as soon as this week and it will begin to administer the vaccine to those residents on Monday.
The Ontario government said earlier this week that people aged 60 and over were permitted to book their vaccine appointments in every region.
The province said Thursday that it had administered 108,563 more doses of COVID-19 vaccines since the previous day's report.
A total of 2,834,784 vaccine doses have been given in Ontario so far.
4 a.m.: The latest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 4 a.m. ET on Friday, April 9, 2021.
There are 1,036,023 confirmed cases in Canada.
_ Canada: 1,036,023 confirmed cases (64,291 active, 948,521 resolved, 23,211 deaths).*The total case count includes 13 confirmed cases among repatriated travellers.
There were 7,984 new cases Thursday. The rate of active cases is 169.16 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 48,108 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 6,873.
There were 38 new reported deaths Thursday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 209 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 30. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.08 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 61.07 per 100,000 people.
There have been 28,579,065 tests completed.
_ Newfoundland and Labrador: 1,022 confirmed cases (nine active, 1,007 resolved, six deaths).
There was one new case Thursday. The rate of active cases is 1.72 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there has been two new case. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero.
There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 1.15 per 100,000 people.
There have been 224,862 tests completed.
_ Prince Edward Island: 161 confirmed cases (five active, 156 resolved, zero deaths).
There was one new case Thursday. The rate of active cases is 3.13 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there has been one new case. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero.
There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is zero per 100,000 people.
There have been 128,851 tests completed.
_ Nova Scotia: 1,754 confirmed cases (40 active, 1,648 resolved, 66 deaths).
There were five new cases Thursday. The rate of active cases is 4.08 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 35 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is five.
There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 6.74 per 100,000 people.
There have been 441,959 tests completed.
_ New Brunswick: 1,686 confirmed cases (147 active, 1,508 resolved, 31 deaths).
There were seven new cases Thursday. The rate of active cases is 18.81 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 63 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is nine.
There were zero new reported deaths Thursday. Over the past seven days there has been one new reported death. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is zero. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.02 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 3.97 per 100,000 people.
There have been 271,886 tests completed.
_ Quebec: 321,411 confirmed cases (11,452 active, 299,241 resolved, 10,718 deaths).
There were 1,609 new cases Thursday. The rate of active cases is 133.56 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 9,049 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,293.
There were nine new reported deaths Thursday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 42 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is six. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.07 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 125 per 100,000 people.
There have been 7,401,829 tests completed.
_ Ontario: 374,112 confirmed cases (28,059 active, 338,559 resolved, 7,494 deaths).
There were 3,295 new cases Thursday. The rate of active cases is 190.44 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 21,652 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 3,093.
There were 19 new reported deaths Thursday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 105 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 15. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.1 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 50.86 per 100,000 people.
There have been 12,754,152 tests completed.
_ Manitoba: 34,793 confirmed cases (1,066 active, 32,781 resolved, 946 deaths).
There were 139 new cases Thursday. The rate of active cases is 77.29 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 622 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 89.
There were three new reported deaths Thursday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of nine new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is one. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.09 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 68.59 per 100,000 people.
There have been 603,515 tests completed.
_ Saskatchewan: 35,376 confirmed cases (2,141 active, 32,788 resolved, 447 deaths).
There were 205 new cases Thursday. The rate of active cases is 181.64 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 1,587 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 227.
There were two new reported deaths Thursday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 11 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is two. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.13 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 37.92 per 100,000 people.
There have been 688,704 tests completed.
_ Alberta: 156,905 confirmed cases (12,187 active, 142,713 resolved, 2,005 deaths).
There were 1,429 new cases Thursday. The rate of active cases is 275.61 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 7,698 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,100.
There were three new reported deaths Thursday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 11 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is two. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.04 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 45.34 per 100,000 people.
There have been 3,779,060 tests completed.
_ British Columbia: 108,278 confirmed cases (9,184 active, 97,601 resolved, 1,493 deaths).
There were 1,293 new cases Thursday. The rate of active cases is 178.41 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 7,398 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,057.
There were two new reported deaths Thursday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 30 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is four. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.08 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 29 per 100,000 people.
There have been 2,249,251 tests completed.
_ Yukon: 74 confirmed cases (zero active, 73 resolved, one death).
There were zero new cases Thursday. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of zero new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero.
There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 2.38 per 100,000 people.
There have been 8,636 tests completed.
_ Northwest Territories: 43 confirmed cases (one active, 42 resolved, zero deaths).
There were zero new cases Thursday. The rate of active cases is 2.21 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of one new case. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero.
There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is zero per 100,000 people.
There have been 16,331 tests completed.
_ Nunavut: 395 confirmed cases (zero active, 391 resolved, four deaths).
There were zero new cases Thursday. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of zero new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero.
There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 10.16 per 100,000 people.
There have been 9,953 tests completed.
1:24 a.m.: Doctors in Japan announced Thursday they have successfully performed the world's first transplant of lung tissue from living donors to a patient with severe lung damage from COVID-19.
The recipient, identified only as a woman from Japan's western region of Kansai, is recovering after the nearly 11-hour operation on Wednesday, Kyoto University Hospital said in a statement. It said her husband and son, who donated parts of their lungs, are also in stable condition.
The university said it was the world's first transplant of lung tissue from living donors to a person with COVID-19 lung damage. Transplants from brain-dead donors in Japan are still rare, and living donors are considered a more realistic option for patients.
We demonstrated that we now have an option of lung transplants (from living donors)," Dr. Hiroshi Date, a thoracic surgeon at the hospital who led the operation, said at a news conference. I think this is a treatment that gives hope for patients" with severe lung damage from COVID-19, he said.
Kyoto University said dozens of transplants of parts of lungs taken from brain-dead donors to patients with COVID-19-related lung damage have been carried out in the United States, Europe and China.
The woman contracted COVID-19 late last year and developed breathing difficulties that rapidly worsened. She was placed on a life support machine that works as an artificial lung for more than three months at another hospital because her lungs were so severely damaged.
Even after she was free of the virus, her lungs were no longer functional or treatable, and the only option for her to live was to receive a lung transplant, the university said.
Her husband and son volunteered to donate parts of their lungs, and the surgery was conducted at Kyoto University Hospital by a 30-member team headed by Dr. Date. Her husband donated part of his left lung, and son gave part of his right lung.
She is expected to be able to leave the hospital in about two months and return to her normal life in about three months, the university said.