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Health officials provided updated COVID-19 modeling for Canada on Friday, the day after British Columbia reported 28 additional COVID-19 deaths – a daily high for the province that Dr. Bonnie Henry had yet to call “one of the most tragic days we have”. “
At a briefing Thursday, the provincial health officer said all but two of the deaths were seniors in nursing homes.
“These are family members, these are friends, these are people who have had interesting and challenging lives,” she said as she offered condolences to families and those who have lost loved ones.
With the additional deaths, the death toll in the province rose to 587. The number of hospital admissions was 346, with 83 people in intensive care units in the intensive care unit.
Henry said the upcoming COVID-19 vaccination program was an “important, encouraging milestone,” but warned the province was “not through this storm” yet.
The province reported 723 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday and Henry urged people not to gather outside of households during the upcoming religious observations.
On Friday morning, the federal health authorities provided updated information and forecasts about the pandemic. Canada is still experiencing high COVID-19 infection rates and the country continues to experience “rapid growth,” said Dr. Theresa Tam, Chief Public Health Officer, when she and other health officials revealed new model data.
“We need to quickly reduce the burden on hospitals and our public health systems so our health workers can keep the pandemic under control,” while also running a complex vaccination campaign, Tam said.
What’s happening across Canada?
As of 10:25 a.m. ET on Friday, the number of COVID-19 cases in Canada was 443,922, with 75,033 of these cases considered active. A CBC news bulletin of deaths based on provincial reports, regional health information, and CBC reports totaled 13,154.
Ontario reported 1,848 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, including 469 in Toronto and 386 in the Peel Region. Health Minister Christine Elliott said in a tweet that the province had completed nearly 63,100 tests.
The province also reported 45 additional deaths, bringing the death toll in the province to 3,916.
A provincial dashboard updated on Friday put the number of COVID-19 hospital stays in Ontario at 808, with 235 people in intensive care.
New models released Thursday by Ontario health officials predict that intensive care unit occupancy in hospitals will continue to rise above 200 beds over the next month, especially as public health interventions are eased.
CLOCK | Windsor, Ontario, 27, dies of COVID-19:
Weng James, 27, of Windsor, Ontario, died Monday of COVID-19 with no underlying health problems. His family and friends remember him as a guide and caregiver. 1:55
in the Alberta, Health officials reported 1,566 new cases of COVID-19 and 13 more deaths Thursday, bringing the province’s death toll to 666. The number of hospital admissions was 682, 124 of them in intensive care units.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the chief health officer, said the province had completed about 16,800 new tests – with a positivity rate of about nine percent.
“The news that we are clearly providing to Albertans is our healthcare system and we must work together to save it,” Hinshaw said at a briefing Thursday on a question about public health restrictions and whether more needs to be done .
Saskatchewan On Thursday, 324 new cases of COVID-19 and four more deaths were reported, bringing the death toll in the province to 75.
CLOCK | Military Arrives in Shamattawa First Nation Amid COVID-19 Crisis:
A military team has arrived to deal with the escalating COVID-19 crisis in the Shamattawa First Nation in northern Manitoba, where around 300 people in a community of around a thousand people tested positive. 1:39
Health Secretary Paul Merriman said residents would have to wait until next week to know what public health regulations will apply during the vacation. He said the Saskatchewan Party government is ultimately responsible for all decisions made, but works with the chief medical health officer to make recommendations.
in the ManitobaHealth officials reported 293 new cases of COVID-19 and 13 more deaths, bringing the province’s death toll to 451.
Dr. Brent Roussin, the provincial chief health officer, again urged people to obey the rules and not to gather for the holidays. He said case numbers will rise again if people ignore the restrictions.
in the Quebec, Health officials reported 1,842 new cases of COVID-19 and 33 more deaths on Thursday, bringing the total death toll in the hardest-hit province to 7,382. According to a provincial dashboard, hospital stays were 848 people with 113 people in intensive care units.
The province was examined on Thursday to see how its long-term care system dealt with the first wave of the pandemic. A report by an ombudsperson said that Quebec’s long-term care system failed to ensure the safety and dignity of residents when the virus first spread last winter and spring.
In the report, Marie Rinfret said the system is disorganized and unprepared for the upswing, as many households lack personal protective equipment and some are unable to provide basic care and services.
Both in Atlantic Canada New Brunswick and Nova Scotia reported four new cases of COVID-19 while Newfoundland and Labrador reported a new case. There were no new cases in Prince Edward Island.
No new cases of COVID-19 have been reported across the north Yukon or Nunavut on Thursday. Dr. Kami Kandola, Chief Public Health Officer of the Northwest Territories, Five travel-related cases were reported in Yellowknife in a press release late Thursday.
PUBLIC HEALTH ADVICE: Five COVID-19 cases identified in Yellowknife. Isolate everything accordingly. All are identified as part of a test call based on a sewage signal. Details under the link. #yzf #nwtpoli https://t.co/qIauzJZlsB
– @ NWT_CPHO
What’s happening around the world?
From The Associated Press and Reuters, last updated at 7:30 p.m. ET
As of early Friday morning, more than 69.7 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, of which more than 44.9 million are considered restored or fixed. This comes from a tracking tool maintained by Johns Hopkins University. The global death toll was more than 1.5 million.
By doing AmericaA U.S. government advisory panel has endorsed the widespread use of the Pfizer BioNTech coronavirus vaccine. That puts the country one step away from launching a widespread vaccination campaign against the outbreak that killed nearly 300,000 Americans.
The recordings could begin within a few days, depending on how quickly the Food and Drug Administration is expected to see signs on the recommendation of the Expert Committee. In the first place came the health workers and the residents of nursing homes. Broad access to the public is not expected until spring.
A staff member reacts near a table of thank you gifts during a Christmas party at the Goodwin House Retirement Center in Arlington, Virginia during Thursday’s coronavirus pandemic. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP / Getty Images)
The U.S. has seen more than 15.6 million cases of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus and more than 292,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins.
In addition to fluctuating human costs, the pandemic has targeted the U.S. economy and pushed millions of people out of work as state and local authorities imposed extensive restrictions on social and economic activities in an effort to contain the virus. However, many Americans have defied public health guidelines to wear face covering in public and avoid large crowds.
On Thursday, Virginia doctor Ralph Northam imposed a curfew from midnight to 5 a.m., which will come into effect on Monday and last at least until January 31.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said he was extending his state’s curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. through Jan. 2, and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, who tested positive for COVID-19 this week, announced new damage control measures Saturday .
in the Europe, Denmark will extend the lockdown measures announced earlier this week to other cities.
Worker Jan Loested is cleaning up a shed on Thursday where mink was on the Semper Avanti mink farm in Moldrup, Denmark. The Danish government ordered a mink cull after hundreds of farms suffered coronavirus outbreaks. (Andrew Kelly / Reuters)
Meanwhile, calls for stricter lockdown measures in Germany increased on Friday as officials see a daily increase in both coronavirus cases and deaths.
The Robert Koch Institute said the country’s 16 states had reported 29,875 new cases of COVID-19, breaking the previous daily record of 23,679 cases reported the previous day. The number of deaths from the virus rose 598 to a total of 20,970. The previous daily death record was 590 on Wednesday.
in the AfricaNigeria could be on the verge of a second wave of COVID-19 infections, the health minister warned when another official said the country expects to roll out a vaccine by April next year.
By doing Middle East, Bahrain will provide the vaccine free of charge to all citizens and residents, the state news agency BNA reported.
By doing Asia Pacific Region, South Korean health officials reported an additional 689 new coronavirus cases on Friday.
Kim Young Sun, CFO of Korea Superfreeze, sprinkled water at a Korea Superfreeze company’s ultra-cold store in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, to prepare for vaccines on Thursday. (Heo Ran / Reuters)
The country is expanding the use of rapid tests and deploying hundreds of police officers and soldiers to assist in contact tracing as it tackles the worst surge in coronavirus cases since the beginning of the pandemic
Health ministry senior official Yoon Taeho said Friday that rapid antigen tests in emergency rooms, intensive care units and remote hospitals will be covered by state health insurance starting Monday.
In Japan, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said he wanted the government to avoid imposing another state of emergency over the coronavirus.