Today’s coronavirus news: Ontario and Quebec report record COVID-19 cases; Alberta and B.C. shorten isolation period to five days for vaccinated people
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.
3:25 p.m. More federal prisons are reporting COVID-19 outbreaks, with the surge in new infections affecting not only inmates but also a large number of correctional officers and staff.
New outbreaks were reported Friday at three Correctional Services Canada facilities: the Atlantic Institution in New Brunswick; Drumheller in Alberta; and Stony Mountain in Manitoba. Those follow outbreaks earlier this week at three other federal institutions.
While the new outbreaks have led to dozens of inmates having become infected with COVID-19, the number of cases among prison staff has been much higher.
Correctional Services spokeswoman Marie Pier Lecuyer said Friday a total of 248 staff have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, compared with 107 inmates. The previous day, the agency had reported infections in 160 staff members and 88 inmates.
2:43 p.m. Edmonton Public Schools says it is waiting for clarity on what the Alberta government has planned for students when they end a winter holiday break that was extended due to a surge in COVID-19 infections.
The school board's chairwoman, Trisha Estabrooks, says parents prefer more information soon, particularly if it includes the possibility that students may return to online learning.
Education Minister Adriana LaGrange announced late yesterday, just days before students were to return to school, that the holidays were being extended to Jan. 10.
2:10 p.m. New Brunswick announced a series of measures Friday aimed at keeping its health-care system from being overwhelmed by a wave of infections, as Premier Blaine Higgs confirmed he has tested positive for COVID-19.
Higgs told reporters he tested positive using a rapid test, and he credited his mild symptoms to vaccination. He said he got the positive result Wednesday after coming down with symptoms resembling those of a cold, including a cough, sore throat and "some head congestion."
"I'm double vaccinated, plus I've had my booster," Higgs told reporters via video during a briefing in Fredericton. "Because of that I'm confident that my symptoms will remain mild."
2:05 p.m. Nova Scotia is reporting 618 new cases of COVID-19 today.
Officials have identified 429 new cases in the Halifax area, 77 cases in the province's western zone, 64 in the eastern zone and 48 in the northern zone.
The Nova Scotia Health Authority is reporting outbreaks at the Halifax Infirmary; Dartmouth General Hospital; Victoria General site of the QEII Health Sciences Center in Halifax; St. Martha's Regional Hospital in Antigonish, N.S.; and at New Waterford Consolidated Hospital.
Officials say fewer than 10 patients are affected at each facility.
2 p.m. Alberta is shortening its COVID-19 isolation period for people who are vaccinated against the virus.
Health Minister Jason Copping said effective Monday, people with at least two doses of vaccine who test positive will only need to isolate for five days from 10.
Copping says symptoms must be fully resolved by the end of the five-day period, otherwise people must continue to isolate.
Five days after isolation, those individuals will be required to wear a mask around others at all times when in public.
1:58 p.m. British Columbia's top doctor says the requirement to self-isolate after testing positive for COVID-19 is being reduced to five days for those without symptoms.
Dr. Bonnie Henry says people must wear a mask around others for an additional five days after leaving self-isolation, which is dependent on being free of symptoms.
People who haven't been vaccinated must self-isolate for 10 days.
1:55 p.m. Nunavut's chief public health officer is reporting 40 new cases of COVID-19 as health workers try to confirm the virus has entered two more communities.
Dr. Michael Patterson says one case is being confirmed in Pond Inlet and another in Cambridge Bay, bringing the total number of communities hit by the virus to 11 in the territory.
Patterson says he is announcing the two presumptive cases so the territory can be proactive in its response.
There are now 127 confirmed cases of the virus in Nunavut, including 39 in Iqaluit, 23 in Arviat, 14 in Pangnirtung and 30 in Rankin Inlet.
Nunavut is under lockdown until Jan. 17 and non-essential travel is restricted.
1:50 p.m. New Jersey coach Lindy Ruff tested positive for COVID-19 hours before the Devils' game against the Edmonton Oilers and was isolated from the team.
The Devils made the announcement Friday, roughly 45 minutes after Ruff did not show up for a pregame news conference. When the conference started, assistant coach Alain Nasreddine walked in and said he would be running the team.
Nasreddine, who usually handles the defensemen in the game, said Ruff was going to stay in the Prudential Center for the contest. He said the two would be in communication during the game.
1:30 p.m. Quebec reported 16,461 new COVID-19 infections on Friday and 13 more deaths linked to the novel coronavirus, hours before a curfew is set to begin across the province to reduce transmission and prevent a health system breakdown.
The Health Department said the number of COVID-19-related hospitalizations rose by 124 compared to the prior day, to 1,063, after 261 patients entered hospital and 137 people were discharged. It said 151 people were in intensive care, a rise of 13. Officials said 55,446 COVID-19 tests were conducted on Thursday and that 31.7 per cent of them came back positive.
Meanwhile, the health authority in Quebec's Estrie region said it would shorten the isolation period for some health-care workers who test positive for COVID-19. The health authority said Thursday that all hospital beds in the region, east of Montreal, were occupied and that more than 800 employees were unable to work after testing positive for COVID-19.
12 p.m. COVID-19 outbreaks have been declared in 40 long-term care homes across Ontario in the past day as positive cases continue to break daily records.
There are now 98 homes in outbreak across the province, provincial data show. There are no residents with COVID-19 in 38 of those nursing homes.
The province deems it an outbreak if a home has at least one lab-confirmed case of COVID-19 in either a resident or staff.
The data show there are 249 residents with COVID-19, up from 186 the day before, and 520 long-term care staff with the virus, up more than 200 cases from Thursday.
The province announced Thursday it has made fourth doses of an mRNA vaccine available immediately to residents of nursing homes, retirement homes, elder care lodges and other congregate care settings if at least three months, or 84 days, have passed since their third dose.
10:30 a.m. Restaurants in Canada are once again scaling back New Year's Eve plans or shutting their doors altogether amid climbing COVID-19 cases and renewed public health measures across the country.
For the second year in a row, the pandemic has dampened what is ordinarily one of the biggest nights of the year - a celebration that in good times yields sales that help carry the hospitality sector through sluggish winter months.
Eateries, bars and event venues are facing a range of restrictions, from capacity limits to rules barring dancing and outright curfews.
Many restaurateurs are now grappling with cancelled reservations or refunding tickets as the highly transmissible Omicron variant decimates the festive plans of Canadians that just weeks ago appeared a safe bet.
10:22 a.m. Ontario is reporting 16,713 new cases of COVID-19, with 1,144 people hospitalized and 205 people in the ICU. The seven-day rolling average of COVID-19 related patients in ICU is 185.
90.8 per cent of Ontarians 12+ have one dose and 88.1% have two doses.
Note: This will be the last day the Star emphasizes case counts due to a reporting change.
Read more from the Star's Urbi Khan.
9:36 a.m.: We knew the numbers were a problem': Nursing shortage laid bare as health systems face Omicron. Read the full story from the Star's Omar Mosleh here.
9:30 a.m.: New nurses in Ontario are being stretched too thin, too often and too early." That's the reality of the job under COVID-19.
As more seasoned nurses leave the profession, it leaves fewer opportunities for colleague-to-colleague support, something one expert says is key to retaining new nurses.
Read the full story from the Star's Urbi Khan.
9:25 a.m.: One of the defining characteristics of the Omicron wave here in Canada may be our sense of the virus's unstoppability.
During the first wave of the pandemic, public health measures often limited the virus's spread to isolated outbreaks, tragically claiming lives in susceptible places such as long-term-care homes. With Beta- and Delta-type COVID-19, community spread of the virus was substantially curbed as vaccination ticked up.
Now, as the COVID-19 curve morphs into a near-vertical line, and several provinces put strict limits on who can get a test because so many people are getting exposed, our collective sense of being able to avoid infection is being shaken. Omicron really seems unstoppable.
Read the full story from the Star's Alex McKeen.
8:15 a.m.: New coronavirus infections soared again in Australia on Friday to a record of more than 32,000, just days after surpassing 10,000 for the first time.
Experts say the explosion is being driven by the highly contagious omicron variant and a recent relaxation of restrictions in Sydney and other areas.
More than 15,000 of the new cases were reported in Sydney. Another 5,000 cases came from elsewhere in New South Wales state, while almost 6,000 were confirmed in Victoria state, home to Australia's second largest city, Melbourne.
While hospitalizations and deaths have been increasing from the surge, so far they haven't reached comparative levels seen in previous outbreaks. And many cities are planning to go ahead with New Year's Eve celebrations, including the famous fireworks display from the Sydney Harbor Bridge and Sydney Opera House.
8:15 a.m.: Hong Kong has confirmed the first cases of community transmission of the omicron variant of COVID-19, tied to an airline crew member who had returned from the United States and lunched at a restaurant two days later.
Two other people eating at the Moon Palace restaurant on Monday were infected. One was the father of the Cathay Pacific crew member and the other was a construction worker dining 10 meters (30 feet) away.
Health Secretary Sophia Chan said at a news conference Friday that city leader Carrie Lam had expressed her strong dissatisfaction to the airline's chairman and its CEO that some staff had violated a 3-day self-isolation rule after their return. The health secretary called their actions irresponsible."
Cathay Pacific said in a statement that five crew members had tested positive for omicron recently, and some had not followed regulations. It apologized and said they would be disciplined.
Hong Kong has recorded 81 omicron cases. The others were among people who had arrived from overseas.
8:15 a.m.: Pope Francis cancelled his New Year's Eve tradition of visiting the life-sized Nativity scene set up in St. Peter's Square to discourage large crowds from forming.
Meanwhile, major Italian cities scrapped their traditional Dec. 31 open-air concerts as Italy battles a record-setting surge in coronavirus cases.
Francis is going ahead with his traditional Dec. 31 vespers service inside the basilica and will celebrate New Year's Day Mass as scheduled.
The Vatican has largely followed Italy's lead in imposing restrictions on crowds. Many Italian cities are opting for streamed concerts or theatrical productions where access by the public can be controlled to check for health passes.
In addition, the city of Naples banned the use of fireworks outright in a bid to keep crowds from forming in a city known for its explosive Dec. 31 festivities.
8:14 a.m.: Pakistan's planning minister says his country has achieved a goal of fully vaccinating 70 million people by the end of 2021.
The announcement Friday comes as Pakistan has recently stepped up its vaccination campaign as the new omicron variant spreads.
Planning Minister Asad Umar took to Twitter to thank the health workers who worked to meet the goal.
Since last year, Pakistan has administered 155 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, fully vaccinating over 70 million in the South Asian nation of about 220 million people. It brings the vaccination rate to 44%.
Pakistan so far has mostly relied on Chinese vaccines, though it also has received millions of doses of vaccines under the COVAX scheme.
8:13 a.m.: Good riddance to 2021. Let 2022 bring fresh hope.
That was a common sentiment as people around the world began welcoming in the new year.
In many places, New Year's Eve celebrations were muted or cancelled for the second straight year due to a surge of coronavirus infections, this time driven by the highly contagious omicron variant.
Even before omicron hit, many people were happy to say goodbye to a second grinding year of the pandemic.
But so far, at least, the omicron surge hasn't resulted in the same levels of hospitalizations and deaths as previous outbreaks - especially among vaccinated people - offering a glimmer of hope for 2022.
New Zealand was one of the first places to celebrate the new year with a low-key lights display projected onto Auckland landmarks, including the Sky Tower and Harbor Bridge. That replaced the traditional fireworks show. While there hasn't yet been any community spread of omicron in New Zealand, authorities still wanted to discourage crowds gathering.
Neighbouring Australia, however, was going ahead with its celebrations despite an explosion in virus cases. Some fireworks were let off early in the evening to give younger children a preview of the centrepiece of festivities, the renowned fireworks display from the Sydney Harbor Bridge and Sydney Opera House.
Hours before the celebrations began, Australian health authorities reported a record 32,000 new virus cases, many of them in Sydney. Because of the surge, crowds were far smaller than in pre-pandemic years, when as many as 1 million revelers would crowd inner Sydney.
Because of where the international date line sits, countries in Asia and the Pacific region are among the first to usher in each new year.
8:10 a.m.: With the relentless surge of the Omicron variant now pushing COVID-19 case numbers to new highs almost daily, governments across Canada are fighting back with tougher pandemic restrictions.
The fast rising tide of COVID cases has prompted some provinces to alter their back-to-school plans by extending the holiday break. In Ontario the resumption of in-person-classes is being delayed until Wednesday, in Alberta until Jan. 10, and in Quebec until at least Jan. 17.
Nova Scotia has announced that beginning Monday those aged 30 and up will be eligible for booster shots, while in Ontario publicly funded PCR testing is being restricted to only high-risk individuals who are symptomatic or at risk of severe illness.
Meanwhile, a new study from Public Health Ontario suggests that those infected with the highly transmissible Omicron variant are significantly less likely to face hospitalization or death compared to those with Delta. Still, the Public Health Agency of Canada noted Thursday that an average of 1,892 people with COVID-19 were being treated in Canadian hospitals each day this week, which is 23 per cent more than last week.
8 a.m.: A ban on private gatherings is now in effect in Quebec and a COVID-19 curfew is set to begin at 10 p.m.
Premier Francois Legault announced the new restrictions at a news conference yesterday evening in Montreal.
Legault says hospitals in the province risk being overwhelmed as the number of patients with COVID-19 continues to rise and that hospitalizations linked to the disease doubled in a week.
Legault has also ordered restaurants to close their dining rooms and said in-person classes at schools, universities and junior colleges will not resume until at least Jan. 17.
Places of worship have also been ordered to close, except for funerals which will be limited to 25 people.
The curfew bans people from being outside, with certain exceptions, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., and Legault says the province will report more than 16,000 new COVID-19 cases today.
Quebec is the only province to use a curfew as part of its efforts to control the spread of COVID-19, a previous curfew was in effect from Jan. 9, 2021, to May 28.