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A timeline of every COVID-19 case in Canada throughout May 1-15

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

Authorities in Canada are working to contain the spread of COVID-19, which the World Health Organization deemed a pandemic in mid-March.

This is a timeline of cases from May 1-15. For the latest news on cases around the nation, you can find them here. For a breakdown of cases from throughout April, you can read here.

May 15

Alberta reports four more deaths, 50 cases among asymptomatic patients in Calgary

Chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw reported four more deaths, all in Calgary continuing care facilities, increasing the province’s death toll to 125.

Fifty-eight new cases were also recorded in the last 24 hours, in which the province completed 4,505 tests for the respiratory virus. It brings Alberta’s total case count to 6,515. That includes 5,317 people who have recovered, an increase of 112 since Thursday’s update.

There are now 62 people in hospital (down by three) and nine in intensive care (down by one).

Hinshaw also announced that since Monday, 50 cases have been identified among asymptomatic people in Calgary, where there are 870 of the province’s 1,073 active cases.

"It is important to note first of all, that I do not have information on how many of these are asymptomatic close contacts of confirmed cases and how many have no known exposure," said Hinshaw.

"Secondly, it is important to know that we do not yet have the full investigation on all these cases. We know from other jurisdictions who have done asymptomatic testing that sometimes, on further reflection, those who initially report no symptoms do identify mild symptoms they may have had earlier."

Health officials have set the initiative to test 1,000 asymptomatic people a day in Calgary from May 11 to May 18. Hinshaw said it’s not likely that this testing strategy will be used in other parts of the province.

"We really want to focus our testing where we get the most clinical value and so the broad-base testing across the province is unlikely to yield a lot of good clinical information," said Hinshaw.

In time for the long weekend, Alberta has also decided to increase its limit on outdoor gatherings. Fifty people will now be able to meet (up from 15), as long as they maintain a physical distance of two metres if they’re from separate households.

Quebec reports fewest daily deaths in over a month

Fifty more people have died in Quebec, which marks the smallest daily increase in fatalities since April 13.

The province’s death toll now stands at 3,401. The victims are among its 41,420, an increase of 696 since Thursday’s update, which also includes 11,039 people who have recovered (up by 210). There are now 1,822 people in hospital (down by 12), including 191 in intensive care (up by one).

As of its last update, Quebec has performed 274,630 negative tests for COVID-19 to go along with its positive diagnoses.

Montreal’s COVID-19 epidemic continues with 21,038 cases and 2,154 fatalities, increases of 405 and 28, respectively.

Along with today’s daily COVID-19 stats, Premier François Legault announced that Quebec is donating one million masks to the Greater Montreal area. Public transit authorities will also receive $6 million to be able to buy masks, as well as distribute them to commuters

“We know there are neighbourhoods that are more hot in Montreal and Laval; it’s even more important that people in those areas wear a mask,” said Legault.

Quebec’s youngest fatality

A 27-year-old woman has died at the University of Montreal Hospital Center after contracting COVID-19, making her the youngest victim in Quebec, according to a TVA Nouvelles report from early May 14.

According to the TV news station, the victim suffered from multiple comorbidities. Her mother, who is a nurse at the Notre-Dame Hospital, is in intensive care after also contracting the virus. It’s unclear at this moment who was first infected between the two, or what is the original reason for transmission.

Santé Quebec has yet to record the fatality in its online database, which says as of Thursday at 1 p.m., no one under the age of 39 has died after contracting the virus.

Thirteen more cases among Quebec inmates

Correctional Service Canada reported that 13 more inmates have contracted the virus, all at the Federal Training Centre in Laval, Que.

The facility has 161 of the 356 cases among inmates across the country since the start of the outbreak. In all of Canada, 88 guards have also contracted the virus, while two inmates have passed away.

Infections among Canadian Armed Forces members in Ontario, Quebec LTCs

Five members of the Canadian Armed Forces, who have been assisting long-term care homes in Quebec and Ontario, have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

The military confirmed to The Canadian Press that one of its members is in Ontario, while the other four are in Quebec.

The Canadian Armed Forces have assigned 1,400 personnel to 25 long-term care facilities in Quebec, and 275 to five centres in Ontario, after both provinces asked for assistance in their fight against COVID-19 in LTCs.

Before deployment, each member was trained on how to work in a long-term care facility, and wore protective equipment.

According to CBC, one of the infected soldiers in Quebec worked at Villa Val des Arbres in Laval. Another was a military dentist, who decided to take on duties in a LTC.

On Friday, Justin Trudeau spoke on the situation that Armed Forces members have entered amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

“We need to make sure we are doing everything we can to protect them,” said Trudeau.

“We will look at the protocols in place and see if and how they can be strengthened, as well as ensuring that cases of COVID-19 don’t spread throughout the Canadian Armed Forces and others who are serving our country.”

Ontario clarifies ‘small glitch’ in reporting, sees another low in patients on ventilators

A “small glitch” in Thursday’s Ontario COVID-19 statistics has been reported by Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier of Ontario and Minister of Health.

Eighty-seven cases were missed in yesterday’s update, when the province reported 258 new patients, which would have marked a six-week low. Instead, an increase of 345 should have been reported.

The 87 missed cases are included in today’s Ministry of Health update, which says there are 428 new cases. In reality, Ontario health officials recorded 341 new diagnoses in its latest 24-hour stretch.

Along with the new cases, the Ministry of Health reported 27 more victims, who passed away after contracting COVID-19, increasing Ontario’s death toll to 1825. There are now 16,641 people who have also recovered from the respiratory virus, an increase of 437 since Thursday’s update, setting a recovery rate of 75.4 per cent.

Ontario saw a decrease of 40 in hospitalized patients, for a total of 986. That includes 179 people in intensive care (down by five), which is the lowest mark Ontario has recorded since the province had 167 people in ICU on April 2. Among those patients are 135 who require a ventilator (down by six) the fewest since the province saw 112 on April 2.

Since its last update, the Ministry of Health has administered a record-high 18,354 tests (leading to a 1.9 per cent positive test rate) for a total of 510,841, while 14,373 tests remain under investigation.

Around Ontario, the dire COVID-19 situation in long-term care homes continues, with the Ministry of Health reporting one new outbreak, for a total of 186.

There are 1,647 staff members currently infected with COVID-19 (a decrease of 21), while among residents there are 2,429 infected (a decrease of 72) and 1,320 who have passed away (an increase of 12). Five staff members have also died after contracting the virus.

Please see note at end of article with regards to Ontario's long-term care reporting structure compared to the Ministry of Health’s.

Toronto reports nine more deaths, additional symptoms that warrant a test

The City of Toronto’s medical officer of health Dr. Eileen de Villa reported 160 new cases, for a total of 8,857.

That includes 6,034 people who have recovered (an increase of 183 in the last 24 hours) and 657 deaths (up by nine). There are also 134 institutional outbreaks around the city, up by eight.

On Friday, de Villa also said that globally, health officials have learned about more COVID-19 symptoms. While the initial focus for symptoms was fever, cough, and difficulty breathing, de Villa says that COVID-19 can present with a headache, sore throat, runny nose that does not fit with your typical seasonal allergies, loss of taste or smell, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal pain.

If you or a family member are showing one or more symptoms, you can be tested for COVID-19 at a local assessment centre across Ontario, which was originally announced by officials on Thursday.

B.C.’s death toll climbs to 140, two new outbreaks identified

Five new fatalities have been reported in British Columbia’s latest 24-hour stretch, increasing its death toll to 140, according to a statement from provincial health officials.

Four of the latest fatalities were in the Fraser Health region and the other in Vancouver Coastal Health.

Fifteen new cases were also identified in the province, increasing its total to 2,407.

That includes 1,908 people who have recovered (an increase of 23 since Thursday’s update). There are now 51 people in hospital (down by seven) and 12 in intensive care.

A new outbreak has been identified at the Abbotsford Regional Hospital’s acute-care centre. In total, there are 20 outbreaks among long-term care, acute care and assisted living facilities in the province.

One more community outbreak has also been reported at the Oppenheimer Group, a fruit and vegetable processing plant in Coquitlam. An investigation is ongoing.

Eight new cases in Saskatchewan’s Far North

Saskatchewan reported eight new cases of COVID-19, bringing its total to 590.

All eight are in the Far North, which includes five in La Loche and three in Beauval. The region currently has 147 of the province's 176 active.

Ten more cases have also been marked as resolved, meaning that there are now 408 recovered patients in the province. Currently, there are nine people in hospital (down by one), which includes three in intensive care (all in Saskatoon).

Forty-eight health care workers have been infected. The source of infection for each case may not be related to their line of work, according to a press release.

To date, 39,233 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province.

One active case remains in New Brunswick

For the ninth straight day New Brunswick has not identified a new case of COVID-19.

Chief medical officer of Health Dr. Jennifer Russell also said that now 119 of its 120 patients have also recovered from the respiratory virus.

The province has one active case remaining. It previously had zero, when on May 2 it announced all 118 all of its patients had recovered. But a few days later, the province identified two more patients.

Since the start of the pandemic, New Brunswick has conducted 19,713 tests for COVID-19.

Manitoba also announced today that it had not discovered any new cases for the third straight. Twenty-eight active cases in the province remain; 254 of its 289 patients have recovered, an increase of two since yesterday.

Prince Edward Island is the only province with no active cases. All 27 of its patients have recovered, after its last case was recorded April 28.

Newfoundland and Labrador rules one case as “inconclusive”

Health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador have announced that one of its cases has turned out “inconclusive,” bringing its total case count back down by one to 260.

In addition, for the eighth straight day, no new patients have been identified in the province.

There are now nine active cases, while 248 people have recovered. Three people are in hospital, including one in intensive care due to the respiratory virus.

Since early February, health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador have administered 10,346 tests for COVID-19.

Four deaths at a Nova Scotia LTC

Nova Scotia reported four additional fatalities, who were all residents of the Northwood long-term care home in Halifax Regional Municipality.

Of the province’s now 55 total deaths, 49 have been at the long-term care facility.

Nova Scotia health officials have also diagnosed eight additional patients with COVID-19, increasing the province’s case count to 1,034.

Among its total cases are 918 people who have recovered from the virus, up by nine since Thursday. Nine people currently remain in hospital, including five in intensive care (up by one).

Three licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors' facilities in Nova Scotia have active cases of COVID-19. According to a press release, the Northwood facility in Halifax has 25 residents and 15 staff members who are currently infected. One other facility in the province has one COVID-19 positive staff member, while another has a case among its residents.

To date, Nova Scotia health officials have also performed 35,375 negative tests for COVID-19.

May 14

Ontario reports 345 new cases, outbreak declared over at Bobcaygeon LTC

Update: May 15

A “small glitch” in Thursday’s Ontario COVID-19 statistics has been reported by Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier of Ontario and Minister of Health.

Eighty-seven cases were missed in Thursday’s update, when the province reported 258 new patients, which would have marked a six-week low. Instead, an increase of 345 should have been reported.

Along with the new cases, Ontario recorded 33 more fatalities, increasing its death toll to 1,798. There are now 16,204 people who have also recovered from the respiratory virus, an increase of 359 since Wednesday’s update, setting a recovery rate of 75.4 per cent.

Ontario saw an increase of eight in hospitalized patients, for a total of 1,026. But that includes 184 people in intensive care (down by five), which is the lowest mark Ontario has recorded since the province had 167 people in ICU on April 2. Among those patients are 141 who require a ventilator (down by three) the fewest since the province saw 140 on both May 10 and April 3.

Since its last update, the Ministry of Health has administered 17,429 tests for a total of 492,487, while 17,578 tests remain under investigation, which is the biggest backlog the province has ever had.

Pinecrest Nursing Home outbreak

Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon, Ont., announced that all of its residents have been symptom-free for at least two weeks.

The long-term care home, which has 65 beds, reported 29 deaths related to COVID-19, as well as 33 cases among residents and 32 among staff. The outbreak was the centre of national attention as Canada started to enforce restrictions for LTCs around the country.

Pinecrest administrator Mary Carr says the facility plans to continue to stay closed to non-essential visitors, as staff wear personal protective equipment and residents eat their meals in their own rooms.

Around Ontario, the dire COVID-19 situation in long-term care homes continues, with the Ministry of Health reporting five new outbreaks, for a total of 185.

There are 1,668 staff members currently infected with COVID-19 (a decrease of four), while among residents there are 2,501 infected (a decrease of 189) and 1,308 who have passed away (an increase of 39). Five staff members have also died after contracting the virus.

Please see note at end of article with regards to Ontario's long-term care reporting structure compared to the Ministry of Health’s.

Toronto surpasses 8,000 cases, new outbreak in ER department

The City of Toronto’s medical officer of health reported 153 new cases, for a total of 8,097. That includes 5,851 people who have recovered and 648 deaths.

There are 126 institutional outbreaks around the city, which includes one at Toronto Western Hospital. At least five people who are part of the hospital’s ER team have tested positive for COVID-19. The facility is now cleaning the space and providing tests for medical staff who worked between April 20 and May 13.

A spokesperson for the University Health Network, which oversees Toronto Western Hospital, said the risk to patients is “very low” since all healthcare workers wear personal protective equipment.

Five new cases in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan reported five new cases of COVID-19, bringing its total to 582.

One of them is in Regina, while the other four are in the Far North, which now accounts for 146 of Saskatchewan’s 178 active cases.

Thirteen more cases have also been marked as resolved, meaning that there are now 398 recovered patients in the province. Currently, there are 10 people in hospital, which includes three in intensive care.

Forty-eight health care workers have been infected. The source of infection for each case may not be related to their line of work, according to a press release.

To date, 38,157 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province.

Cases among Indigenous communities

As of May 13, there are 185 cases of COVID-19 on First Nations reserves, according to chief medical officer of Indigenous Services Canada Dr. Tom Wong.

Two people have died after contracting the virus, while 63 per cent have recovered.

Wond said the statistics are only available for Indigenous peoples living on reserves, and asked that provinces help him get a clearer picture of how the virus is having an effect on all Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Of the cases on reserves, 43 of them are in Saskatchewan. The La Loche community and the nearby Clearwater River Dene Nation have been at the centre of its outbreak. On Thursday, four of the province’s five new cases were from the La Loche area.

Quebec surpasses 40,000 cases, Legault delays reopening of Montreal elementary schools

Health officials in Quebec recorded an additional 131 fatalities, raising the province’s death toll to 3,351.

Those fatalities are among the province’s 40,724 total cases after 793 new patients were identified, marking Quebec the first to surpass the 40,000-case mark.

There are now 10,829 people who have recovered from the virus, an increase of 359 since Wednesday. Of the province’s 1,834 hospitalizations (down by 42), 190 are in intensive care (a decrease of four).

Montreal’s COVID-19 epidemic continues with 20,633 cases and 2,154 fatalities, increases of 401 and 91, respectively.

Premier François Legault said on Thursday that Montreal won’t reopen its elementary schools on May 25, and will instead wait for the new school year in September.

The decision to delay the reopening of some Montreal businesses has yet to be made, and is still scheduled for May 25. Daycares in Montreal are now scheduled to reopen June 1. The rest of the province’s elementary schools, daycares and businesses started to lift restrictions May 11. High schools, CEGEPS and universities around the entire province are still scheduled to reopen in the fall.

As of its last update, Quebec has performed 267,311 negative tests for COVID-19 to go along with its positive diagnoses.

B.C. announces three more deaths, two cases remain at the Mission Institution

British Columbia’s health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced 15 new cases in the province, increasing its total to 2,392.

That includes 1,885 people who have recovered (an increase of 26 since Wednesday’s update) and 135 people who passed away (an increase of three). There are now 58 people in hospital (down by one) and 12 in intensive care (down by two).

Henry said there are 19 outbreaks among long-term care, acute care and assisted living facilities in the province. Health officials have diagnosed 500 cases in those facilities, which includes 309 residents and 191 staff members.

One outbreak has recently been declared over at the Worthington Pavilion Rehabilitation Unit, an acute care site in Abbotsford. Henry also announced that the Superior Poultry Processors in Coquitlam has met the requirements to reopen, after more than 60 cases were linked to the facility.

Two active cases remain at the Mission Institution, after 120 inmates tested positive. Since May 1, no new cases have been identified at the federal prison.

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 343 inmates across the nation who have tested positive, while two have died, according to Correctional Service Canada. The worst hit jail has been the Federal Training Centre in Laval, Que., which has had 148 diagnoses.

Alberta reports one more death

Chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw reported one more death, increasing the province’s COVID-19 related death toll to 121.

The victim was a resident of a Calgary continuing care facility.

Hinshaw says there are 100 active cases among long-term care homes, while 569 residents have recovered.

Fifty new cases were also recorded in the last 24 hours, in which the province completed 4,816 tests for the respiratory virus. It brings Alberta’s total case count to 6,457. That includes 5,205 people who have recovered, and 1,131 active cases. There are now 65 people in hospital (down by five since Wednesday) and 10 in intensive care (down by one).

As of the province’s last update, health officials have completed 200,218 tests for COVID-19.

Manitoba rules one probable case as negative

Health officials in Manitoba have announced that one of its probable cases has turned out negative, bringing its total case count back down to 289.

There are now 30 active cases, while 252 people have recovered. Four people are in hospital, including one in intensive care due to the respiratory virus. The number of deaths remains at seven.

Since early February, health officials in Manitoba have administered 32,244 tests for COVID-19.

Two new cases in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia health officials have diagnosed two additional patients with COVID-19, increasing the province’s case count to 1,026. No new fatalities were reported, meaning that the death toll remains at 51.

Among its total cases are 909 people who have recovered from the virus, up by 37 since Wednesday. There remains nine people currently in hospital, including four in intensive care.

Three licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors' facilities in Nova Scotia have active cases of COVID-19. According to a press release, the Northwood facility in Halifax has 27 residents and 15 staff members who are currently infected. One other facility in the province has one COVID-19 positive staff member, while another has a case among its residents.

To date, Nova Scotia health officials have also performed 35,004 negative tests for COVID-19.

May 13

Alberta reports two more fatalities

Chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw reported 62 new cases, and two more fatalities in Alberta’s latest 24-hour stretch.

The updates increase its total case count to 6,407, which includes 120 deaths, 5,076 recovered patients, 70 in hospital and 11 in intensive care.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney unveiled the province’s plan to reopen on Thursday, but said that Calgary and Brooks will have a slower reopening plan. The decision is due to those two regions having three-quarters of the province’s current cases and hospitalizations.

As of the province’s last update, health officials have completed 195,402 tests for COVID-19.

Infections among Canadian food inspectors

Forty meat-plant food inspectors have contracted COVID-19, according to the Agriculture Union, which represents around 1,000 inspectors part of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

Twenty-one of the workers are in Alberta, which includes 18 of the 37 inspectors at the Cargill meat plant near High River, which is home to the largest single outbreak in Canada. More than 1,500 cases have been linked to the facility, along with two deaths.

The news relating to the 40 inspectors was first tweeted out by Sen. Paula Simons, who received the info from the union. CBC News later confirmed the news, and through an email from union president Fabian Murphy, learned that there are also 11 meat plant inspectors that are infected in Quebec, six in Ontario, as well as two in British Columbia.

None of the CFIA’s union members have passed away after contracting the respiratory virus, but according to Simons, one was so sick that they required a ventilator.

“Because while we can't catch Covid from a hamburger or steak, there are plenty of other health risks that CFIA inspectors watch for. And long-term, we do the beef industry no favours, if people don't have confidence in the beef we produce and eat,” wrote Simons on Twitter.

In early May, CFIA called for the closure of all three meat plants in Alberta that were experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks, since they need inspectors on site while in operation. The union was worried that workers were standing too close to one another while on the job.

Along with the Cargill plant, JBS Foods in Brooks, Alta. has seen over 600 cases linked to its facility (and one death among its employees), while Harmony Beef in Balzac, Alta. has reported over 30 cases.

Quebec reports lowest case increase in weeks, Montreal surpasses dire mark

Health officials in Quebec recorded an additional 89 fatalities, raising the province’s death toll to 3,220.

Those fatalities are among the province’s 39,931 total cases after 706 new patients were identified, the smallest increase in daily cases since April 25.

There are now 10,470 people who have recovered from the virus, an increase of 414 since Tuesday. Of the province’s 1,876 hospitalizations (up by 35), 194 are in intensive care (an increase of eight).

Montreal’s COVID-19 epidemic continues with 20,232 cases and 2,063 fatalities, while no other region in the province has surpassed 5,000 cases or 1,000 fatalities. The 354 new cases (and 60 fatalities) on Wednesday pushes Montreal past the 20,000 cases mark, a first for a Canadian region. It comes just a day after Montreal surpassed 2,000 deaths.

As of its last update, Quebec has performed 261,569 negative tests for COVID-19 to go along with its positive diagnoses.

Premier François Legault says that the province is still below its goal of 14,000 tests a day, and is instead near the 9,000 mark. Additional efforts, such as mobile testing units, are expected to be introduced to Montreal’s worst-hit neighbourhoods throughout this week.

B.C. identifies 16 new cases, one more death

There are now 132 people in British Columbia who have passed away after contracting COVID-19, after health officials recorded one more fatality in the past 24 hours.

Sixteen new cases were also announced, for a total of 2,376. That includes 1,859 people who have recovered from COVID-19, 59 people in hospital and 14 people in intensive care.

There are still 20 ongoing outbreaks around the province in long-term care, acute care and assisted living facilities. There are 489 associated with the facilities, which includes 299 residents and 190 staff.

British Columbia’s health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said there are no new outbreaks around the province.

Saskatchewan identifies four new cases in La Loche

Saskatchewan reported four new cases of COVID-19 — all located in the Far North’s La Loche area — bringing its total to 577.

The Far North now has 149 of Saskatchewan’s 186 active cases.

Eleven more cases have also been marked as resolved, meaning that there are now 398 recovered patients in the province. Currently, there are 10 people in hospital, which includes three in intensive care.

Forty-eight health care workers have been infected. The source of infection for each case may not be related to their line of work, according to a press release.

To date, 38,728 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province.

Ontario sees lowest amount of people in ICU, on ventilators in over a month

The Ministry of Health recorded 329 new cases of COVID-19 and 40 more fatalities, increasing Ontario’s totals to 21,236 and 1,765, respectively.

Among the province’s total diagnoses are 15,845 resolved cases, an increase of 454, setting a recovery rate of 74.6 per cent.

Along with reporting more recoveries than new cases, Ontario now has its least amount of patients in ICU and on ventilators in over a month. Among the province’s 1,018 patients in hospital (down by seven since Tuesday), there are 189 in intensive care, the lowest mark Ontario has recorded since the province had 167 people in ICU on April 2.

Among those patients are 144 who require a ventilator, the fewest since the province saw 140 on both April 3 and May 10.

Since its last update, the Ministry of Health has administered 15,137 tests (leading to a positive test rate of 2.2 per cent) for a total of 475,058, while 13,395 people remain under investigation.

The dire COVID-19 situation in long-term care homes continues, with 180 outbreaks around the province, according to the Ministry of Long-Term Care. There are 1,672 staff members diagnosed with COVID-19, while among residents there are 2,690 infected and 1,269 who have passed away.

Please see note at end of article with regards to Ontario's long-term care reporting structure compared to the Ministry of Health’s.

Three more deaths at a Nova Scotia LTC home

Three more residents of the Northwood long-term care home in Halifax Regional Municipality have died.

Of the province’s 51 total deaths, 45 have been at the long-term care facility.

In all of Nova Scotia, health officials have diagnosed an additional four patients with COVID-19, increasing the province’s case count to 1,024. Among its total cases are 870 people who have recovered from the virus, up by six since Tuesday. There remains nine people currently in hospital, including four in intensive care.

Three licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors' facilities in Nova Scotia have active cases of COVID-19. According to a press release, the Northwood facility in Halifax has 64 residents and 13 staff members who are currently infected. One other facility in the province has one COVID-19 positive staff member, while another has a case among its residents.

To date, Nova Scotia health officials have also performed 34,604 negative tests for COVID-19.

May 12

B.C. announces just seven new cases — but one more death

With no new community outbreaks in the province on Tuesday, Dr. Bonnie Henry announced that seven patients tested positive for COVID-19 and one more person, a resident of a long-term care home, died.

The province’s total number of cases is now 2,360 with 131 deaths.

Alberta announces 45 new COVID-19 cases, one more death

Dr. Deena Hinshaw reported that Alberta has diagnosed 45 more people with COVID-19 and one patient has died from the disease.

The province’s total now stands at 6,345 total cases and 118 deaths.

As Alberta looks at lifting some restrictions, Dr. Hinshaw said a family could potentially start interacting with one other family if they remain careful, avoid sharing meals, and limit contact with others outside their two-family circle.

Saskatchewan identifies five new cases

There have now been 573 COVID-19 cases reported in Saskatchewan. Five new cases were announced on Tuesday, all of which were in the Far North region. Three of the cases are in the Beauval area, and two are in the La Loche area. Currently, 193 of the cases in Saskatchewan are considered active.

One new case of COVID-19 in Manitoba

There are now 290 positive and probable cases of COVID-19 in the province, health authorities reported on Tuesday. Thirty-two cases are considered active, and four individuals are currently in hospital.

The case reported today is related to the workplace cluster of cases in Prairie Mountain health region. There are a total of 11 cases related to that cluster. The province says that the additional case is not unexpected, and that they are continuing to monitor staff at the workplace and conducting contact tracing to identify other potential cases.

Quebec reports 118 more deaths since Monday

A total of 3,131 people have died in Quebec due to COVID-19, authorities reported on Tuesday. There are also now 39,225 cases of COVID-19 that have been identified in the province.

The majority of cases in the province have been in the Montreal area; 19,878 cases have been identified in the region, and 2,003 people have died.

During his daily press briefing, Premier François Legault came out wearing a mask, encouraging everyone to do the same if they were going out in public.

“A great way to greatly reduce the contagion is to wear a mask. We strongly recommend that you do so,” Legault said.

Nova Scotia reports one additional case

The province announced on Tuesday that it had identified one more case of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in Nova Scotia to 1,020.

While the provincial press release didn’t state it explicitly, the most recent case appears to be linked to the Northwood long-term care home. The facility currently has 157 residents and eight staff with active cases. Three long-term care facilities in the province currently have COVID-19.

New Ontario cases, deaths push Canada past grim milestone

Health officials for the province reported on Tuesday that there were 361 more cases of COVID-19 diagnoses in the province, and 56 more deaths. This pushes the total number of cases in Canada to 70,342, and the total number of deaths to 5,049.

More than 20 per cent of Ontario’s deaths related to COVID-19 have taken place in long-term care facilities, based on the Ministry of Long-Term Care’s daily report. There are 2,703 confirmed cases of patients in long-term care facilities, and 1,239 deaths. Among staff, there are 1,239 confirmed cases and less than five deaths.

May 11

B.C. announces 23 new cases, one death since Saturday

Because British Columbia doesn’t release data on Sunday, today’s announcement encompassed two days of data: the province diagnosed 23 new cases and suffered 1 more death.

The B.C. total now stands at 2,353 cases and 130 deaths.

The province will begin easing restrictions this week.

Alberta announces 47 new cases, two deaths

Dr. Deena Hinshaw said she is “encouraged” by seeing fewer daily cases in Alberta as the province announced another 47 positive diagnoses and two deaths.

Alberta’s total number of cases now stands at 6,300, including 117 deaths.

The number of deaths is unchanged from yesterday because two previous deaths that were believed to be COVID-19-related were confirmed as not related to the virus.

Four new cases in Saskatchewan

The province announced on Monday that four more people have been diagnosed with COVID-19, brining the total number of cases in the province to 568. The death toll remains at six.

All four cases were in the Far North region of the province, in the La Loche area. There are 199 active cases as of Monday, with the majority (151) in the Far North region.

Manitoba identifies two new cases

A total of 289 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 as two new cases were identified in the province on Monday.

There are currently 35 active cases, with four people in hospital, including one in intensive care.

The most recently diagnosed cases (including three from Sunday) are from a cluster of cases at a trucking company last week. That cluster now includes ten cases of COVID-19.

Quebec reports 85 more COVID-19 deaths

More than 3,000 people have now died due to COVID-19 in Quebec. A total of 38,469 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the province.

There are currently a total of 1,838 people who are hospitalized with COVID-19, and 193 people in intensive care.

The primary area of concern in the province is Montreal.

"We are all concerned about Montreal, me above all," Premier François Legault said during a press conference on Monday.

"If the situation in Montreal is not under control, we will delay the reopening of businesses, schools and daycare centres."

Currently the province’s plan is to reopen schools and businesses in the Montreal area on May 25, however fears of a secondary outbreak as the situation does not yet seem to be controlled may result in further delays for the region.

One new death reported in Nova Scotia

There have now been 48 deaths in Nova Scotia related to COVID-19. Authorities in the province reported one more death and one more case of COVID-19, bringing the provincial total number of cases to 1,019.

The fatality was a resident of the Northwood long-term care facility. Of the 48 deaths in the province, 42 of them have been at this Halifax-area care home. There are 156 residents and 18 staff with active cases at this time.

Ontario identifies 308 more cases

A total of 20,546 Ontario residents have been diagnoses with COVID-19, according to the latest numbers. A further 35 deaths were also reported, bringing the total number of COVID-19-related deaths in Ontario to 1,669. This puts the fatality rate of Ontario’s COVID-19 cases at 8.1 per cent.

A further 9,018 people in Ontario are currently under investigation. There were 13,970 tests yesterday, and a total of 447,964 tests conducted in the province to date.

May 10

Second Cargill plant faces COVID-19 outbreak, this time in Quebec

Another Cargill meat-processing plant, this time south of Montreal, is shutting down temporarily after at least 64 workers were diagnosed with COVID-19.

Cargill says that the 64 workers represent roughly 13 per cent of its workforce at the Les Aliments plant in Chambly, Que. Three employees have also recovered.

It’s the second time that the company has had to take action against COVID-19; its beef-packing plant in High River, Alta., reopened last Monday following a two-week shutdown. More than 900 of its 2,000 workers tested positive, while at least 1,500 cases and two deaths are linked to the Alberta facility, making it the largest COVID-19 outbreak in North America.

The plant in Chambly, Que., will close Wednesday so all of its workers can be tested, after they’re able to wind down operations. A spokesperson for the union, Roxanne Larouche, says that last week 171 workers were sent home as a precautionary step. Installation of plexiglass, the use of masks and visors, as well as staggered lunch breaks were also put in place before the infections.

Larouche believes that some workers may have been contaminated because many of them live in the same households or are part of the same families.

Quebec reports 142 more fatalities

Health officials in Quebec recorded an additional 142 fatalities, raising the province’s death toll to 2,786. It’s unclear if all the deaths occured in the same 24-hour stretch — since Quebec officials did not hold a daily press briefing on Sunday — but it’s the third largest daily update the province has recorded.

Those fatalities are among the province’s 37,721 total cases after 735 new patients were identified, the smallest increase since April 25. As of its last update, Quebec completed a relatively low 1,653 tests (918 negatives and 735 positives); those are part of the province’s 283,023 total tests (245,302 negatives and 37,721 positives).

There are now 9,526 people who have recovered from the respiratory virus, an increase of 258 since Saturday. Of the province’s 1,831 hospitalizations (up by four) there are 199 in intensive care (a decrease of six).

Montreal’s COVID-19 epidemic continues with 19,197 cases and 1,863 fatalities, increases of 342 and 103, respectively.

Ontario reports its fewest case increase since late-March, surpasses 20,000 mark

The Ministry of Health reported 294 new cases in Ontario, increasing its total case count to 20,238.

It’s the smallest number of daily cases the province has reported since March 31, and marks the second straight day that the Ministry of Health reported less than 400 cases.

The news comes amid Ontario completing 17,618 tests for COVID-19, it’s second highest total in a 24-hour stretch. The 1.66 per cent positive test rate is the lowest the Ministry of Health has recorded since March 17, when it tested 963 people, leading to 12 positive cases (setting a 1.2 per cent positive test rate).

Along with the 294 new cases, Ontario recorded 35 more fatalities, raising its death toll to 1,634. The province’s total case count (20,238) includes 14,772 people who have recovered, an increase of 330 since Saturday’s update, setting a recovery rate of 73 per cent in Ontario.

Ontario saw a decrease of 55 people in its hospitals, to a total of 961, which includes 195 people in ICU (down by eight) and 140 on ventilators (down by 18). The amount of people in ICU and on ventilators is the lowest Ontario has seen since April 3.

Since its last update, the Ministry of Health has administered 17,618 tests for a total of 433,994 while 17,618 people remain under investigation.

The dire COVID-19 situation in long-term care homes continues, but the Ministry of Long-Term Health reported three less outbreaks around the province, for a total of 172. There are now 2,727 residents diagnosed with COVID-19 (a decrease of 46) and 1,693 staff members (a decrease of 43 of 29). Forty-eight more residents have died, for a total of 1,235 fatalities among residents in LTCs.

Please see note at end of article with regards to Ontario's long-term care reporting structure compared to the Ministry of Health’s.

Saskatchewan identifies 11 new cases

Saskatchewan reported 11 new cases of COVID-19, bringing its total to 564.

Two patients were identified in the North region, while nine of the new patients are in the Far North, which now has 156 of the province’s 209 active cases. Its epicentre, La Loche, recorded three of the nine cases. Saskatchewan’s government has decided to close down liquor sales in La Loche for two weeks, starting Sunday.

Nine more cases have also been marked as resolved, meaning that there are now 349 recovered patients in the province. Currently, there are 12 people in hospital (down by three), which includes four in intensive care (down by one).

Forty-eight health care workers have been infected, up by two. The source of infection for each case may not be related to their line of work, according to a press release.

To date, 36,860 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province.

Alberta reports one more fatality

One more person has died in Alberta after contracting COVID-19, raising the province’s death toll to 117. The fatalities are part of its 6,253 total cases, after 96 new patients were identified in the province’s last 24-hour stretch.

There are also 4,389 people who have recovered, an increase of 185, while there are 71 people in hospital (down by three), which includes 13 in intensive care (down by two).

It’s unclear at this point who is the most recent fatality and what’s the latest on the province’s several outbreaks, since Alberta did not hold a press conference Sunday. Instead health officials released their most recent statistics through an online database.

As of the province’s last update, health officials have completed 185,293 tests for COVID-19.

Manitoba identifies three new cases

Health officials in Manitoba have diagnosed three new patients with COVID-19, increasing its total case count to 287.

There are now 33 active cases since 247 people have recovered. Four people remain in hospital, which includes one in intensive care due to the respiratory virus. The number of deaths remains at seven.

Since early February, health officials in Manitoba have administered 30,647 tests for COVID-19.

Seven new cases in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia identified seven new cases in its latest 24-hour stretch, but did not report any new fatalities after watching its death toll climb for three days straight.

There are now 1,118 total cases in the province, which includes 749 people who have recovered, an increase of six since Saturday. Nine people are currently in hospital (an increase of two), including three in intensive care (an increase of one).

Three licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors' facilities in Nova Scotia have active cases of COVID-19, an increase of one. According to a press release, the Northwood facility in Halifax has 157 residents and 20 staff members who are currently infected. One other facility in the province has one COVID-19 positive staff member, while another has a case among its residents.

To date, Nova Scotia health officials have also performed 33,579 negative tests for COVID-19.

May 9

Quebec reports 61 more fatalities, INSPQ releases predictions for increased social interactions in Greater Montreal area

Health officials in Quebec recorded an additional 61 fatalities, raising the province’s death toll to 2,786.

It’s the smallest increase in deaths the province has recorded since April 16, according to Steve Faguy of the Montreal Gazette.

Those fatalities are among the province’s 36,986 total cases after 836 new patients were identified. There are also 9,268 people who have recovered from the respiratory virus, an increase of 240 since Friday.

Of the province’s 1,835 hospitalizations (up by eight) there are 205 in intensive care (a decrease of two). As of its last update, Quebec has performed 244,384 negative tests for COVID-19 to go along with its positive diagnoses.

Montreal’s COVID-19 epidemic continues with 18,855 cases and 1,760 fatalities, increases of 420 and 33, respectively.

The city is scheduled to reopen its elementary schools, daycares and some retail stores with outdoor entrances on May 25. The date has been pushed back twice, and is still subject to change, but Quebec's public health institute (INSPQ) released a report that predicts the consequences of lifting physical distancing restrictions too soon.

"A small increase in social contact could lead to a rapid increase in cases, hospitalizations and deaths," said the report.

INSPQ suggests that the Greater Montreal region could see as many as 10,000 new cases a day by June, and there could be as many as 150 daily deaths and 500 hospitalizations by July.

The Greater Montreal area is currently the hardest hit part of the country. According to the report, it comprises of Montréal, Laval, Montérégie, Laurentides et Lanaudière; together, they account for 31,908 cases and 2,516 deaths out of Quebec’s total of 36,986 and 2,786, respectively.

Along with outbreaks at long-term care homes, the Greater Montreal region is also experiencing sustained community spread in several of its regions. The INSPQ report’s projections don’t include long-term care homes, while the institute says that it has incorporated a wide range of projections that are “tough to determine.”

The report suggests that lifting COVID-19 measures outside of Montreal would likely result in a slight increase in diagnoses. The province, besides Montreal, will start to lift restrictions on Monday for schools, daycares and businesses.

Ontario records smallest amount of new patients in over a month, despite record-high testing

The Ministry of Health reported 346 new cases in Ontario, increasing its total case count to 19,944.

It’s the smallest number of daily cases the province has reported since April 6. The news comes amid Ontario completing 19,227 tests for COVID-19, the most it ever has in a 24-hour stretch. The 1.8 per cent positive test rate is the lowest the Ministry of Health has recorded since March 17, when it tested 963 people, leading to 12 positive cases.

The record-high testing comes after Ontario health officials faced scrutiny from Premier Doug Ford, who said earlier this week that some haven’t been ordering enough tests for their specific regions.

In early April, Ontario had set a goal of 16,000 tests a day by May 6. On Tuesday, after Ontario tested only 10,654 people, Ford said that 17 or his 34 chief medical officers “aren’t even putting the work in,” and urged them to “start picking up your socks and start doing testing.”

More fatalities, positive ICU trend

Along with the 346 new cases, Ontario recorded 59 more fatalities, raising its death toll to 1,599. The province’s total case count includes 14,383 people who have recovered, an increase of 393 since Friday’s update, setting a recovery rate of 72.1 per cent in Ontario.

Ontario saw a decrease of eight people in its hospitals, to a total of 1,016, which includes 158 people on ventilators (down by eight), and 203 people in ICU, the lowest mark Ontario has recorded since April 5.

Since its last update, the Ministry of Health has administered 19,227 tests for a total of 416,376 while a record-high 15,307 people remain under investigation.

The dire COVID-19 situation in long-term care homes continues, with 175 outbreaks around the province, according to the Ministry of Long-Term Care. There are now 2,773 residents diagnosed with COVID-19 (a decrease of 9) and 1,736 staff members (an increase of 29). Twenty-seven more residents have died, for a total of 1,187 fatalities among residents in LTCs.

Please see note at end of article with regards to Ontario's long-term care reporting structure compared to the Ministry of Health’s.

Saskatchewan identifies nine new cases

Saskatchewan reported nine new cases of COVID-19, bringing its total to 553.

Five of the new cases are in the Far North, three in the North region of the province, and one in the central area.

Five more cases have also been marked as resolved, meaning that there are now 440 recovered patients in the province. Currently, there are 15 people in hospital (down by four), which includes five in intensive care (up by one).

Forty-six health care workers who have been infected, up by two. The source of infection for each case may not be related to their line of work, according to a press release.

To date, 36,117 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province.

Concern among Indigenous communities in the Far North

Saskatchewan’s Far North region has seen a spike in new cases, as it accounts for 150 of the province’s 207 active cases of COVID-19. The majority are young people, said Dr. Saqib Shahab, Saskatchewan's chief medical health officer.

An especially concerning outbreak has taken place in and around the remote Clearwater River Dene Nation near La Loche, which is about 600 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon. An outbreak has affected over 100 residents part of the La Loche community of about 2,800, which comprises mainly of Metis and First Nations peoples.

Two elders from La Loche have also passed away after contracting COVID-19.

Indigenous services minister Marc Miller said on Saturday that the full scope of the outbreak among Indigenous populations remains unknown, since federal data collection is being done primarily among on-reserve and northern communities.

Leonard Montgrand, the regional representative of Metis Nation-Saskatchewan, said the situation is becoming scary since infrastructure is not in place to respond to the crisis. It’s led to scarcity problems relating to food and other resources.

On Saturday, La Loche halted its provincial and offsale liquor stores. Officials with the Saskatchewan Health Authority said that people are still gathering to drink together, which has contributed to the spread of COVID-19. The decision comes after La Loche Mayor Robert St. Pierre made the request a day earlier. A checkpoint has also been established outside of the community to help prevent people from bringing in alcohol.

Alberta reports one more fatality

One more person has died in Alberta after contracting COVID-19, raising the province’s death toll to 116. The fatalities are part of its 6,157 total cases, after 59 new patients were identified in the province’s last 24-hour stretch.

There are also 4,204 people who have recovered, an increase of 184, while there are 74 people in hospital (down by six), which includes 15 in intensive care (down by two).

It’s unclear at this point who is the most recent fatality and what’s the latest on the province’s several outbreaks, since Alberta did not hold a press conference Saturday. Instead health officials released their most recent statistics through an online database.

As of the province’s last update, health officials have completed 181,107 tests for COVID-19.

B.C. identifies 15 new cases, one more death

There are now 129 people in British Columbia who have passed away after contracting COVID-19, after health officials recorded two more fatalities in the past 24 hours in the Vancouver Coastal Health region.

Fifteen new cases were also announced, for a total of 2,330. That includes 1,659 people who have recovered from COVID-19 (up by 80 since Friday), 69 people in hospital (down by four) and 21 people in intensive care (up by one).

There are now 20 ongoing outbreaks around the province in long-term care, acute care and assisted living facilities, while 19 have been declared over. There are 467 associated with the facilities, which includes 285 residents and 182 staff.

One more death at a Nova Scotia LTC home

An additional resident of the Northwood long-term care home in Halifax Regional Municipality has died.

Of the province’s 47 total deaths, 41 have been at the long-term care facility.

In all of Nova Scotia, health officials have diagnosed an additional three patients with COVID-19, increasing the province’s case count to 1,011. Among its total cases are 743 people who have recovered from the virus, up by 21 since Friday. There are now seven people currently in hospital (an increase of two), while there remains two in intensive care.

Two licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors' facilities in Nova Scotia have active cases of COVID-19. According to a press release, the Northwood facility in Halifax has 157 residents and 31 staff members who are currently infected. One other facility in the province has one COVID-19 positive staff member.

To date, Nova Scotia health officials have also performed 33,190 negative tests for COVID-19.

May 8

Alberta reports first inmate case, six infections at Canada Post facility

One more person has died in Alberta after contracting COVID-19, increasing the province’s death toll to 115, according to chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw.

The recent victim was a woman in her 80s, who lived at a continuing care home in the Calgary zone.

"I struggle every day when reporting this number to not have it blend in as just another statistic," said Hinshaw. "It may sound mundane at this point, as I've said it so many times, but every day I think of the friends and the families of those individuals who have died."

Hinshaw also announced 81 new cases, raising the province’s total to 6,098. Among those patients are 4,020 who have fully recovered, an increase of 211 since Thursday’s update.

One of the new cases involves Alberta’s first inmate of a correctional facility to test positive for the respiratory virus. The individual is part of the Calgary Remand Centre, but Hinshaw said he was exposed to the virus before his arrival to the facility.

The individual was immediately placed in the remand centre’s quarantine unit, but started to experience symptoms on their second night.

Canada Post outbreak

Hinshaw reported that six cases have been confirmed at Canada Post’s main plant in Calgary, which is located near the city’s airport.

On its website, Canada Post says that “the World Health Organization (WHO) and Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) have assured us it is safe to handle mail, including international mail. ... According to the PHAC, there is no known risk of coronaviruses entering Canada on parcels or packages.”

Hinshaw could not provide further details as to what specific mitigation efforts are currently underway at the Calgary facility.

"What happens in any outbreak … the cases are identified and asked questions when they start to have symptoms," said Hinshaw. "Anyone who is a close contact would be required to be home in self-isolation for 14 days."

Several outbreaks in Alberta have continued, with 678 cases at continuing care facilities (up by 46 since Thursday). The Cargill meat processing plant in High River has 95 active cases and 849 recoveries. There are 96 active cases among JBS meat-packing plant workers in Brooks, Alta. and 497 recovered patients. The Harmony Beef facility in Rocky View County has 21 active cases and 16 recoveries.

Among the province’s 6,017 total cases are 80 people in hospital (down by one since Thursday), which includes 17 in intensive care (down by one).

As of its last update, the province has completed 177,559 tests for COVID-19.

Prince Edward Island has no active cases

All 27 of Prince Edward Island’s COVID-19 patients have recovered, meaning that there are now no active cases in the province that have been identified by health officials.

“We have had only 27 cases and now all are recovered,” said P.E.I.’s chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison. “We have not had any hospitalizations and no deaths. We are very fortunate.”

Along with the news, P.E.I. will now allow up to five people to gather in one household.

“For instance, my family could have my sister, her husband and my mother over to celebrate Mother's Day,” said Morrison.

P.E.I. is also considering to allow restaurants to open up sooner than June 12. That date was originally set as part of its “Renew P.E.I. Together” plan.

In the province’s latest 24-hour stretch, health officials completed 199 tests for COVID-19, which were all negative. They are part of its 3,755 total negative results. Thirty-four people are still under investigation as their tests are pending.

P.E.I. is now the only province to have no active cases; it identified its last patient on April 28.

New Brunswick accomplished the same feat last weekend, after all 118 of its patients recovered, but it identified two new patients throughout the week.

Ontario’s top doctor reports ‘perplexing’ trend

The Ministry of Health recorded 477 new cases of COVID-19 and 63 more fatalities, increasing Ontario’s totals to 19,598 and 1,540, respectively.

Among the province’s total diagnoses are 13,990 resolved cases, an increase of 421, setting a recovery rate of 71.4 per cent.

Despite some promising signs in Ontario, community spread continues to arise. Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s chief medical officer, said that about 55 per cent of the province’s new cases can’t be traced to a clear source.

"It is still perplexing to me that we're not making major headway going down on that," said Williams. "It makes me wonder if people are being less than consistent in their physical distancing, and if they were in close contact, if they were not wearing a facial covering in those few moments."

"You still have to do that or we're going to be in this plateau for quite a while."

Positive trend in ICU patient numbers

Along with the new cases and fatalities, Ontario now has its least amount of patients in ICU in over a month.

Among the province’s 1,028 patients in hospital (down by five since Thursday’s update), there are 166 people on ventilators (an increase of 11), and 213 in intensive care. It’s the lowest mark Ontario has recorded since the province had 200 people in ICU on April 5.

Ontario hasn’t had over 240 patients in ICU since April 27; before then, the province hovered over that mark for most of April.

As of its last update, the Ministry of Health has administered 16,295 tests, which is the fourth-most amount of tests its completed in a 24-hour timeframe, and means it reached its goal of 16K tests/day. Since the start of the pandemic, health officials have administered a total of 397,149 tests, while there’s now a backlog of 14,641, the most the Ministry of Health has ever had.

LTCs in Ontario

The dire COVID-19 situation in long-term care homes continues, with 175 outbreaks around the province, which is an increase of one since Thursday, according to the Ministry of Long-Term Care. There are now 2,782 residents diagnosed with COVID-19 (a decrease of 49) and 1,707 staff members (an increase of 36). Thirty-nine more residents have died, for a total of 1,150 fatalities among residents in LTCs.

Please see note at end of article with regards to Ontario's long-term care reporting structure compared to the Ministry of Health’s.

B.C. identifies 29 new cases, one more death

There are now 127 people in British Columbia who have passed away after contracting COVID-19, after health officials recorded one more fatality in the past 24 hours in the Fraser Health region.

Twenty-nine new cases were also announced through a press release, for a total of 2,315. That includes 1,579 people who have recovered from COVID-19 (up by 17 since Thursday), 73 people in hospital (up by three) and 20 people in intensive care.

Two cases were also removed from yesterday’s tally due to an error in the Island Health region.

There are 21 ongoing outbreaks around the province in long-term care, acute care and assisted living facilities, while 18 have been declared over.

The number of employees at Superior Poultry in Coquitlam who have tested positive for COVID-19 stands at 61 (an increase of five). There are 17 positive cases of COVID-19 connected to the Kearl Lake plant in Alberta, an increase of one since Thursday’s update.

Saskatchewan identifies 13 new cases

Saskatchewan reported 13 new cases of COVID-19, bringing its total to 544.

Twelve of the new cases are in the Far North, while the other is in the province’s North region.

Six more cases have also been marked as resolved, meaning that there are now 335 recovered patients in the province. Currently, there are 19 people in hospital (up by seven), which includes four in intensive care.

There are now 44 health care workers who have been infected, up by one. The source of infection for each case may not be related to their line of work, according to a press release.

To date, 35,176 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province.

Manitoba identifies one new case

Health officials in Manitoba have diagnosed one new patient with COVID-19, increasing its total case count to 284.

The latest patient is part of a workplace cluster in the Prairie Mountain Health region, where eight cases have been identified.

There are 30 active cases since 247 people have recovered, an increase of four in the past 24 hours. Five people remain in hospital, while no one is in intensive care due to the respiratory virus. The number of deaths remains at seven.

Since early February, health officials in Manitoba have administered 29,343 tests for COVID-19.

Quebec reports 94 more fatalities

Health officials in Quebec recorded an additional 94 fatalities, raising the province’s death toll to 2,725.

Those fatalities are among the province’s 36,150 total cases after 912 new patients were identified. There are 8,928 people who have recovered from the virus, an increase of 389 since Thursday.

Of the province’s 1.827 hospitalizations (down by nine) there are 207 in intensive care (a decrease of 17).

Montreal’s COVID-19 epidemic continues with 18,435 cases and 1,727 fatalities, increases of 517 and 61, respectively. Quebec's director of public health Dr. Horacio Arruda said that testing in the Montreal area, as well as in the Laval, Montérégie, Laurentians and Lanaudière regions, remains the province’s main concern. Quebec is now deploying mobile screen testing stations to those areas.

As of its last update, Quebec has performed 234,769 negative tests for COVID-19 to go along with its positive diagnoses.

Two more deaths at a Nova Scotia LTC

Two additional residents of the Northwood long-term care home in Halifax Regional Municipality have died.

Of the province’s 46 total deaths, 40 have been at the long-term care facility.

In all of Nova Scotia, health officials have diagnosed an additional patient with COVID-19, increasing the province’s case count to 1,008. Among its total cases are 722 people who have recovered from the virus, up by 14 since Thursday. There remains five people currently in hospital, including two in intensive care.

There are now two licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors' facilities in Nova Scotia with active cases of COVID-19, which is a decrease of one. According to a press release, the Northwood facility in Halifax has 156 residents and 38 staff members who are currently infected. One other facility in the province has one COVID-19 positive staff member.

To date, Nova Scotia health officials have also performed 32,835 negative tests for COVID-19.

May 7

Newfoundland and Labrador reports first case(s) this week

Two new cases of COVID-19 in the Eastern Health region have been identified in the past 24 hours, increasing Newfoundland and Labrador’s total to 261.

It marks the province’s first case since May 1.

"Ebbs and flows in the number of new cases is not unexpected, especially as we begin to gradually lift some of the public health measures we've had in place for a while," said chief medical officer of health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald.

"If anything it serves as an important reminder that we must not become complacent."

One of the province’s new cases is related to the Kearl Lake oilsands project outbreak in Alberta, said Fitzgerald.

There are four people in hospital, including two in intensive care, while 244 people have recovered from the virus.

As of May 7, the province has performed 9,458 tests for COVID-19.

Fatality among workers at Ontario poultry processing plant

An outbreak at the Maple Lodge Farms poultry processing plant in Brampton, Ont., has turned fatal.

One worker has died, according to Global News, which has received confirmation from the company and its union. Twenty-five workers have also contracted the virus.

According to Global News, the company waited nearly three weeks before publicly disclosing its first positive case. Since learning of the diagnosis on April 15, the poultry plant said it has made it mandatory for employees to wear masks, as management has staggered shifts to allow physical distancing, while “frequent deep cleaning initiatives” have also taken place.

British Columbia and Alberta have also seen outbreaks among multiple poultry processing plants.

Ontario sees its biggest backlog in tests

In its latest 24-hour stretch, Ontario completed 15,179 tests for COVID-19, leading to 399 new positive diagnoses.

It’s the fourth-highest amount of tests the Ministry of Health has completed in a 24-hour time frame since the start of the pandemic, but the province also saw its testing backlog grow to 13,012, which is the biggest it’s ever been.

This week, Ontario health officials have faced scrutiny from Premier Doug Ford, saying that some haven’t been ordering enough tests for their specific regions.

“I’m calling them out right now – you’ve got to pick up the pace,” said Ford on Tuesday at Queen’s Park. “I’ll tell you right now, I’m disappointed in the chief medical officers in some regions. I’m not going to name them – they know who they are – start picking up your socks and start doing testing.”

In early April, Ontario had set a goal of 16,000 tests a day by May 6. Health officials surpassed that mark each day between May 1-3, which garnered praise from the premier. But Ford changed his tone when the province went back down to 10,654 on Tuesday, saying that 17 or his 34 chief medical officers “aren’t even putting the work in.”

Ontario’s backlog has grown each day since then. The province’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. David Williams, said the issue stems from the fact they can’t always receive tests from all of its regions in a timely manner. The problem becomes worse over the weekend, when a system isn’t in place, leading to a spike on Tuesday and Wednesday.

48 more deaths in Ontario

Along with the 399 new cases, increasing Ontario’s total to 19,121, there were 48 more deaths reported, raising the province’s death toll to 1,477.

Among the province’s total diagnoses are 13,569 resolved cases, an increase of 347, setting a recovery rate of 71 per cent. There are now also 1,033 patients in hospital (up by one since Wednesday’s update), including 220 in intensive care (up by one) and 155 people on ventilators (down by 19)

The dire COVID-19 situation in long-term care homes continues, with 174 outbreaks around the province, according to the Ministry of Long-Term Care. There are now 2,831 residents diagnosed with COVID-19 (an increase of 12 since Wednesday) and 1,671 staff members (an increase of 50). Thirty-seven more residents have died, for a total of 1,111 fatalities among residents in LTCs.

B.C. identifies 33 new cases, two more deaths

There are now 126 people in British Columbia who have passed away after contracting COVID-19, after health officials recorded two more fatalities in the past 24 hours.

One of the victims lived in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, the other in Fraser Health.

Thirty-three new cases were also announced, for a total of 2,288. That includes 1,512 people who have recovered from COVID-19 (up by 18 since Wednesday), 76 people in hospital (up by two) and 20 people in intensive care (up by one).

There are 21 ongoing outbreaks around the province in long-term care, acute care and assisted living facilities, while 18 have been declared over. Among those facilities, there are 280 residents and 180 staff members who have contracted the virus.

The number of employees at Superior Poultry in Coquitlam who have tested positive for COVID-19 remains at 56, while 35 employees tested positive at United Poultry in Vancouver, and seven at Fraser Valley Specialty Poultry in Chilliwack.

In addition, there are still 134 inmates and staff confirmed positive at the Mission Institution federal correctional centre, as well as 16 positive cases of COVID-19 connected to the Kearl Lake plant in Alberta.

Alberta reports two more deaths among its over 6,000 cases

Two more people have died in Alberta after contracting COVID-19, increasing the province’s death toll to 114, according to chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw.

One of the fatalities was in the Calgary area, the other in Alberta’s South zone.

The 114 deaths are among the province’s 6,017 cases, after Hinshaw announced 54 new cases at Thursday’s press conference. There are also 3,809 people who have recovered, which is up by 257.

There are now 632 cases at continuing care facilities, while outbreaks at three meat processing plants continue. The Cargill meat processing plant in High River now has 944 infections of COVID-19 among workers, which includes 826 recoveries. There are 583 cases among JBS meat-packing plant workers in Brooks, Alta. (including 466 recoveries) and 38 cases among those at the Harmony Beef facility in Rocky View County (including 15 recoveries).

Hinshaw said there are 99 cases linked to the Kearl Lake oilsands project outbreak. Seventy-eight of those are in Alberta and 21 are out of province.

Among the province’s 6,017 total cases are 85 people in hospital (down by two since Wednesday), which includes 18 in intensive care (down by one).

As of its last update, the province has completed 174,327 tests for COVID-19.

Saskatchewan identifies 19 new cases

Saskatchewan reported 19 new cases of COVID-19, bringing its total to 531.

Fifteen of the new cases are in the Far North, which includes 12 in the La Loche area. The remaining four are in the North region.

Seventeen more cases have also been marked as resolved, meaning that there are now 329 recovered patients in the province. Currently, there are 12 people in hospital (down by one), which includes four in intensive care (up by two).

There remains 43 health care workers who have been infected. The source of infection for each case may not be related to their line of work, according to a press release.

To date, 34,361 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province.

Manitoba rules one probable case as negative

Health officials in Manitoba have announced that one of its probable cases has turned out negative, bringing its total case count back down to 283.

There are now 33 active active cases since 243 people have recovered, an increase of one in the past 24 hours. Five people remain in hospital, while no one is in intensive care due to the respiratory virus. The number of deaths remains at seven.

Since early February, health officials in Manitoba have administered 28,810 tests for COVID-19.

Quebec reports 121 more fatalities

Health officials in Quebec recorded an additional 121 fatalities, raising the province’s death toll to 2,631.

Those fatalities are among the province’s 35,238 total cases after 911 new patients were identified. There are 8,673 people who have recovered from the virus, an increase of 389 since Wednesday.

Of the province’s 1.836 hospitalizations (down by four) there are 224 in intensive care (an increase of 11).

Montreal’s COVID-19 epidemic continues with 17,918 cases and 1,666 fatalities, increases of 496 and 104, respectively. At his daily press conference, Premier François Legault said Montreal schools, daycares and businesses will now reopen May 25, instead of May 19, but the date is still subject to change until the pandemic stabilizes in the city. The rest of the province’s schools are still slated to reopen May 11.

As of its last update, Quebec has performed 228,905 negative tests for COVID-19 to go along with its positive diagnoses.

Three more deaths as Nova Scotia surpasses 1,000 cases

Three additional residents of the Northwood long-term care home in Halifax Regional Municipality have died.

Of the province’s 44 total deaths, 38 of them have been at the long-term care facility.

In all of Nova Scotia, health officials have diagnosed an additional nine patients with COVID-19, increasing the province’s case count to 1,007. Among its total cases are 708 people who have recovered from the virus, up by 47 since Wednesday. There remains five people currently in hospital, including two in intensive care.

There are now three licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors' facilities in Nova Scotia with active cases of COVID-19. According to a press release, the Northwood facility in Halifax has 156 residents and 44 staff members who are currently infected. Two other facilities in the province have one COVID-19 positive staff member.

To date, Nova Scotia health officials have also performed 32,289 negative tests for COVID-19.

May 6

Quebec reports 112 more fatalities

Health officials in Quebec recorded an additional 112 fatalities, raising the province’s death toll to 2,510.

It makes Quebec the first province in Canada to reach the 2,500-fatality mark.

Those fatalities are among the province’s 34,327 total cases after 910 new patients were identified. There are 8,284 people who have recovered from the virus, an increase of 361 since Tuesday.

Of the province’s 1.840 hospitalizations (up by 19) there are 213 in intensive care (a decrease of five).

Montreal’s COVID-19 epidemic continues with 17,442 cases and 1,562 fatalities. There are six regions in Quebec with at least 1,000 cases, while four of them have at least 100 deaths.

As of its last update, Quebec has performed 220,604 negative tests for COVID-19 to go along with its positive diagnoses.

Deputy Premier: No significant risk for those under 70 going back to work

As schools get ready to start reopening around Quebec, Deputy Premier Geneviève Guilbault said that teachers under the age of 70 shouldn’t worry too much.

“Public health authorities tell us that before the age of 70, it is possible to return to work without significant risk ... All Quebec employees should take this into account,” said Guilbault, while noting that there’s still the condition that people will need to follow proper hygiene and social distancing procedures.

Daycares and elementary institutions around the province will start to reopen on May 11, with the exception of those in Montreal, which will start May 19. High schools and colleges will remain closed.

Alberta reports six more deaths, second fatality linked to North America’s biggest outbreak

Six more people have died in Alberta after contracting COVID-19, increasing the province’s death toll to 112, according to chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw.

On Wednesday, it was also announced that another death has been linked to the Cargill meat processing plant in High River. A Cargill employee's father, who was visiting from the Philippines, passed away after contracting the virus, according to the union that represents workers at the slaughterhouse. The first COVID-19 related fatality linked to the facility involved an employee, Hiep Bui.

Hinshaw said there are now 946 infected Cargill employees, while 798 of the patients have recovered.

According to outbreak data from Canadian and U.S. health authorities via CBC, it’s the largest single outbreak in all of North America. There are more than 1,500 cases linked to the facility, including employees.

In addition, there are 566 cases (with 434 recoveries) among employees of JBS meat-packing plant in Brooks, Alta., and 38 cases (12 recoveries) among workers at the Harmony Beef facility in Rocky View County, according to Hinshaw.

In all of Alberta, there are 5,963 total diagnoses, after Hinshaw announced 70 new patients on Wednesday. Among the province’s total cases are 3,552 people who have recovered, along with 87 people in hospital, which includes 19 in intensive care.

As of its last update, the province has completed 170,509 tests for COVID-19.

Ontario sees lowest amount of people in ICU in a month

The Ministry of Health recorded 412 new cases of COVID-19 and 68 more fatalities, increasing Ontario’s totals to 18,722 and 1,429, respectively.

Among the province’s total diagnoses are 13,222 resolved cases, an increase of 443, setting a recovery rate of 70.6 per cent.

Along with reporting more recoveries than new cases, Ontario now has its least amount of patients in ICU in a month. Among the province’s 1,032 patients in hospital (down by 11), there are 219 in intensive care. It’s the lowest mark Ontario has recorded since the province had 216 people in ICU on April 6.

There are now also 174 people on ventilators, up by eight since Tuesday’s update.

Since its last update, the Ministry of Health has administered 12,961 tests (leading to a positive test rate of 3.2 per cent) for a total of 365,675, while 8,790 people remain under investigation.

The dire COVID-19 situation in long-term care homes continues, but the Ministry of Long-Term Care did announce one less outbreak in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 174. There are 2,819 residents diagnosed with COVID-19 (an increase of 79) and 1,621 staff members (an increase of eight). Seventy-one more residents have died, for a total of 1,074 fatalities in LTCs.

In Toronto, health officials announced that the city’s death toll has reached 504. There are currently 391 people in hospital, including 99 in intensive care units, according to Dr. Eileen de Villa, the city's medical officer of health. Those are among Toronto’s 6,665 cases, of which 4,273 have recovered from the respiratory virus.

Please see note at end of article with regards to Ontario's long-term care reporting structure compared to the Ministry of Health’s.

B.C. identifies 23 new cases, three more deaths

There are now 124 people in British Columbia who have passed away after contracting COVID-19, after health officials recorded three more fatalities in the past 24 hours.

Two of the victims lived in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, the other in Island Health.

Twenty-three new cases were also announced, for a total of 2,255. That includes 1,494 people who have recovered from COVID-19, 74 people in hospital and 19 people in intensive care, the lowest mark the province has seen since March 23, according to CBC’s Justin McElroy.

There are 22 ongoing outbreaks around the province in long-term care, acute care and assisted living facilities, while 17 have been declared over. In a press release, health officials reported that there were no new outbreaks in the past 24 hours.

Fifty-six employees at Superior Poultry in Coquitlam have been infected with COVID-19, and 35 employees confirmed positive at United Poultry in Vancouver. In addition, there are still 134 inmates and staff confirmed positive at the Mission Institution federal correctional centre, as well as 16 positive cases of COVID-19 connected to the Kearl Lake plant in Alberta.

Saskatchewan identifies 25 new cases

Saskatchewan reported 25 new cases of COVID-19, bringing its total to 512.

Twenty-four of the new cases are in the Far North with 22 of those being in La Loche. The remaining one is in the Saskatoon region.

Two more cases have also been marked as resolved, meaning that there are now 312 recovered patients in the province. Currently, there are 13 people in hospital, which includes two in intensive care.

There are still 43 health care workers who have been infected. The source of infection for each case may not be related to their line of work, according to a press release.

To date, 33,591 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province.

New Brunswick reports a case for second straight day

After going 17 straight days without a new case, in which all its patients had also recovered, New Brunswick has identified a new infection for the second consecutive day.

The latest patient is an individual between 20-29 years old. Their reason for transmission is believed to be travel outside of New Brunswick.

There are now 120 cases in the province, which includes 118 people who have recovered from the respiratory virus.

Manitoba identifies two new cases

Health officials in Manitoba have diagnosed two new patients with COVID-19, increasing its total case count to 284.

There are 35 active active cases since 242 people have recovered, an increase of four in the past 24 hours. Five people are now in hospital (an increase of one since Tuesday), while no one is in intensive care due to the respiratory virus. The number of deaths remains at seven.

Since early February, health officials in Manitoba have administered 28,294 tests for COVID-19.

Nova Scotia reports no new deaths, significant decrease in LTC outbreaks

Health officials didn’t report a new fatality related to COVID-19 in Nova Scotia, after watching its death toll climb for five straight days.

The 41 deaths are part of the province’s 998 positive cases, after seven new patients were identified in the past 24 hours. There are 661 people who have recovered, an increase of nine. Five people are in hospital (down by one), while there remains two people in intensive.

There are now three licensed long-term car homes and unlicensed seniors' facilities in Nova Scotia with active cases of COVID-19, a decrease of eight since Tuesday. According to a press release, the Northwood facility in Halifax has 160 residents and 51 staff members who are infected. Two other facilities in the province have one COVID-19 positive staff member.

To date, Nova Scotia health officials have also performed 31,541 negative tests for COVID-19.

May 5

B.C. announces smallest daily increase since March, four new deaths

Dr. Bonnie Henry announced that only eight new infections were reported in the province today — the lowest daily increase since mid-March — but also said four more people died of COVID-19.

Dr. Henry delivered more good news when she announced the outbreak at the Lynn Valley long-term care centre was over. It was one of the province’s first and deadliest, with 76 residents and staff testing positive and 20 dying.

B.C.’s total cases sits at 2,232 with 121 deaths.

Alberta announces fourth day in a row of decreasing new diagnoses, two new deaths

Dr. Deena Hinshaw’s latest update had some good news in it: Alberta had 57 new cases Tuesday, the fourth day in a row with steadily declining numbers in the province. Two more patients died of COVID-19 in the province, increasing the death toll to 106.

Alberta has diagnosed 5,893 patients since the start of the pandemic.

Saskatchewan identifies 20 new cases

The province now has a total of 487 cases after 18 were identified in the Far North region, and two in the North region on Tuesday.

There are currently 171 active cases in the province; 13 individuals are hospitalized, and four of them are in ICU. The majority of active cases (114) are in the Far North region.

Seventh death reported in Manitoba

A man in his 70s is the latest fatality related to COVID-19 in Manitoba, the province announced on Tuesday. He was from the Southern Health-Santé Sud region.

Manitoba also reported one additional case, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 282.

There remain 37 active cases, and 238 people who have recovered from COVID-19 in Manitoba.

New Brunswick reports first new COVID-19 case in 17 days

After a streak without any reports of new cases, the province announced on Tuesday. This brings the total number of cases identified in the province to 119.

The latest person to be diagnosed is between the ages of 30 and 39, and is in the Fredericton region.

Chief medical officer of health Dr. Jennifer Russell says that it’s expected that new cases will pop up as part of a “new normal,” and that when they do, the province will take the necessary steps to track down and contact anyone the patient has come in contact with.

Quebec sees 118 more deaths as national total tops 4,000

A total of 2,398 people have died due to COVID-19 in the province, officials reported on Tuesday. An additional 794 cases were also reported, bringing Quebec’s total number of cases diagnosed to 32,623.

The majority of cases are in the Montreal region, with more than 16,000 people being diagnosed with COVID-19 there. Montreal announced on Monday that it would be delaying its re-opening of non-essential stores to May 18. Schools in the region are still anticipated to open May 19, while schools in the rest of the province are scheduled to re-open on May 11.

Nova Scotia reports three new deaths

Three additional deaths in the province were reported today, bringing the provincial death toll to 41. All three deaths were residents of the Northwood long-term care facility. Premier Stephen McNeil said the government is working closely with the home to help combat the virus.

Six new cases were also identified on Tuesday, bringing the provincial caseload to 991. There have been 30,984 negative tests in the province to date. There are 652 people who are reported as recovered from the virus.

Ontario tops 18,000 cases

The province identified 387 new cases on Tuesday, a 2.2 per cent increase from the day before. It also reported 61 new deaths, bringing the total number of deaths in the province related to COVID-19 to 1,361.

The majority of cases in the province have been women, with 57.5 per cent of diagnosed cases being in female patients. The virus has affected people of all ages in the province: 2.5 per cent are under the age of 20, 23.2 per cent of cases are between the ages of 20 and 39, 30.2 per cent of cases are between the ages of 40 and 59, 22.1 per cent of cases are between the ages of 60 and 79, and 22.2 per cent of cases are over the age of 80.

May 4

British Columbia diagnoses 53 new patients over two days

In the province’s first update since Saturday, Dr. Bonnie Henry announced 53 new diagnoses and three new deaths due to COVID-19. British Columbia now has a total of 2,224 cases and 117 deaths.

New modelling data was also presented at today’s update with officials estimating the province can reach - new cases daily during the month of June.

Alberta announces nine new deaths, pushing COVID-19 death toll past 100

Dr. Deena Hinshaw announced Alberta’s latest cases of COVID-19 as well as an outbreak at a Purolator distribution centre where 30 employees tested positive.

Dr. Hinshaw announced nine deaths in the province, the highest daily increase since the start of the pandemic. The provincial death toll is now 104.

There were also 70 new diagnoses, bring Alberta’s total to 5,836.

Saskatchewan announces biggest daily increase in cases

As the “Re-Open Saskatchewan” initiative got underway Monday, the province reported its biggest daily increase in new COVID-19 cases with 34 new diagnoses. The previous highest daily total was 30 on March 28.

The announcement brought the province’s total number of cases to 467.

Nunavut’s only COVID-19 case deemed a false positive

Test results from a patient in Pond Inlet believed to have Nunavut's first case of COVID-19, have come back negative. A second test shows the first test was a false positive.

The positive case was announced last Thursday. Following the results of preliminary swabs conducted in Iqaluit and a second test showing the first test was a false positive.

A team of nurses have been in the community conducting contact tracing — which is a process of mapping who the individual could have interacted with — from the one confirmed case.

Preliminary test results of those swabs were done in Iqaluit by the GeneXpert, a machine commonly used for tuberculosis testing. Those came back negative, the government said on Friday. To confirm the results a second set of swabs were also sent to Ontario. ​​​​​​

Manitoba announce no new COVID-19 cases

No new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Manitoba on Monday, the province's chief public health officer says.

One more person has recovered from the COVID-19, dropping the number of active cases to 37 as of Monday. Five people are in hospital, but no one is in intensive care. The death toll remains at six.

No new cases in New Brunswick for 16 days

There are no cases of the novel coronavirus currently in New Brunswick and all 118 people diagnosed with the potentially deadly virus have recovered.

"We have flattened the curve in New Brunswick," said Dr. Jennifer Russell, during Monday's news briefing.

Quebec reports 75 new COVID-19 deaths; reopening of stores in Montreal pushed back by a week

Health authorities announced 2,280 people have died from COVID-19 in Quebec, and that confirmed cases in the province reached 32,623.

Those figures are up 75 deaths and 758 cases in 24 hours. Of the newly reported deaths, 72 were in Quebec's long-term care facilities for seniors (CHSLDs).

There are 1,772 people being treated for COVID-19 in Quebec hospitals (up 18), 218 of which are in intensive care, unchanged from the number reported 24 hours earlier.

There are 826 people waiting for COVID-19 test results in Quebec, down two from the 824 reported Sunday.

14 new cases, 1 death in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia reports one additional COVID-19 death at Northwood long-term care home, bringing the provincial toll to 38.

There are also 14 new coronavirus cases for a total of 985 since the outbreak began.

Less than 1,000 COVID-19 patients in hospital in Ontario

The province reported 370 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing its total to 17,923 cases. The death toll has risen to 1,300 after 84 more deaths were reported.

Meanwhile, 12,505 people have recovered, which is 69.8 per cent of cases. Monday’s report marks a 2.1 per cent increase in cases.

Ontario has 984 patients (down by 26) hospitalized due to COVID-19, with 225 patients in an intensive care unit (down by seven) and 175 patients in ICUs on a ventilator (up by one).

The province has completed 342,060 tests so far for the virus. This is up 14,555 tests from the previous day — the highest number of tests completed in a 24-hour period. The Ontario government said it had a target of 14,000 daily tests by the end of April and 16,000 tests by May 6.

According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there have been 972 deaths reported among residents and patients in long-term care homes across Ontario, which is up by 18 deaths, and there are 175 outbreaks.

The ministry also indicated there are 2,751 confirmed cases among long-term care residents and 1,619 cases among staff.

Please see note at end of article with regards to Ontario's long-term care reporting structure compared to the Ministry of Health’s.

May 3

Quebec reports biggest jump in cases due to computer error

Quebec announced 2,209 new cases of COVID-19, increasing its total to 31,865.

The spike, which is the biggest the province has announced, is due in part to a computer error; 1,317 positive cases were missed between April 2 and 30, mostly from the Montreal, Laval and Monteregie regions. The remaining 892 cases were identified in the last 24 hours.

Along with the new patients, 69 more fatalities were reported, raising the death toll to 2,205 in Quebec. There are 7,258 people who have recovered from the virus, an increase of 293 since Saturday.

Of the province’s 1,754 hospitalizations (up by 16) there are 218 in intensive care (a decrease of four).

Montreal’s COVID-19 epidemic continues with 16,251 cases and 1,365 fatalities, increases of 1,652 and 53, respectively. There are six regions in Quebec with at least 1,000 cases, while five of them have at least 100 deaths.

As of its last update, Quebec has performed 202,940 negative tests for COVID-19 to go along with its positive diagnoses.

Six more deaths in Nova Scotia LTC

Six additional residents of the Northwood long-term care home in Halifax Regional Municipality have died.

Of the province’s 37 total deaths, 31 of them have been at the long-term care facility, which has 305 total cases among residents (220) and staff (85).

In all of Nova Scotia, health officials have diagnosed an additional eight patients with COVID-19, increasing the province’s case count to 971. Among its total cases are 624 people who have recovered from the virus, up by 15 since Saturday. Six people are currently in hospital (down by three), including three in intensive care.

There continues to be 10 licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors’ facilities in Nova Scotia with COVID-19 cases, now involving 239 residents and 109 staff members.

To date, Nova Scotia health officials have also performed 29,945 negative tests for COVID-19.

Alberta reports one more fatality

One more person has died in Alberta after contracting COVID-19, raising the province’s death toll to 95. The fatalities are part of its 5,766 total cases, after 96 new patients were identified in the province’s last 24-hour stretch.

There are also 2,713 people who have recovered, an increase of 179, while there remains 89 people in hospital, which includes 19 in intensive care.

It’s unclear at this point who is the most recent fatality and what’s the latest on the province’s several outbreaks, since Alberta did not hold a press conference Sunday. Instead health officials released their most recent statistics through an online database.

As of the province’s last update, health officials have completed 161,245 tests for COVID-19.

Ontario sees positive sign amid record testing

The Ministry of Health reported 434 new cases in Ontario, increasing its total case count to 17,553.

Health officials processed a record-high 17,146 tests in their latest 24-hour stretch, setting a positive test rate of 2.53 per cent. It’s the smallest percentage they’ve seen since March 22, when the province processed 1,914 tests, leading to 48 positive diagnoses (2.50 per cent). On May 1, the province administered 16,532 tests, leading to 421 positive diagnoses (2.54 per cent)

Along with the 434 new cases, Ontario recorded 40 more fatalities, raising its death toll to 1,216. That includes 12,005 people who have recovered, an increase of 615 since Saturday’s update, setting a recovery rate of 68.4 per cent in Ontario.

Ontario saw an increase of 33 people in its hospitals, to a total of 1,010, which includes 232 in intensive care (up by 11) and 174 people on ventilators (up by 20).

Since its last update, the Ministry of Health has administered 17,146 tests for a total of 327,505, while 9,785 people remain under investigation.

The dire COVID-19 situation in long-term care homes continues, with the Ministry of Long-Term Care announcing three new outbreaks in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 170. There are 2,719 residents diagnosed with COVID-19 (a decrease of 37) and 1594 staff members (an increase of 112). Forty-four more residents have died, for a total of 954 fatalities in LTCs.

Please see note at end of article with regards to Ontario's long-term care reporting structure compared to the Ministry of Health’s.

Saskatchewan identifies 12 new cases

Saskatchewan reported 12 new cases of COVID-19, bringing its total to 433.

In a press release, Saskatchewan officials also said that there are still eight additional presumptive cases in the La Loche area, but they have not yet been added to the province’s tally.

Of the 12 new cases, four of them are in the province’s North region, four in the Far North, and four in the Saskatoon area.

Three more cases have also been marked as resolved, meaning that there are now 305 recovered patients in the province. Currently, there are 14 people in hospital (up by two), which includes three in intensive care (up by one).

There are still 42 health care workers who have been infected. The source of infection for each case may not be related to their line of work, according to a press release.

To date, 31,572 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province.

Manitoba identifies one new case

Health officials in Manitoba have diagnosed one new patient with COVID-19, increasing its total case count to 281.

There are still 38 active active cases since 237 people have recovered, an increase of one in the past 24 hours. Five people are now in hospital (a decrease of one since Saturday), while no one is in intensive care due to the respiratory virus. The number of deaths remains at six.

Since early February, health officials in Manitoba have administered 26,806 tests for COVID-19.

May 2

New Brunswick has no active cases

New Brunswick hasn’t reported a new case of COVID-19 in two weeks, while all 118 of its patients have now recovered from the virus.

“Achieving this two-week milestone is significant,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health. “But I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for us to continue practising physical distancing, wearing face masks and staying home as much as possible.”

Since April 18, when the province identified its last case, health officials have administered 4,711 tests for COVID-19, which have all come back negative.

New Brunswick is now the only province in Canada with no active cases of COVID-19. Prince Edward Island has three, after 24 of its 27 patients have recovered from the respiratory disease, while Newfoundland and Labrador has 18 active cases and 231 recoveries.

New Brunswick started to loosen physical distancing restrictions on April 24, as part of a four-phase recovery process. People are now allowed to stay in two households, including their own, while co-workers and neighbours can resume carpooling if the passenger sits in the backseat.

Saskatchewan identifies six new cases

Saskatchewan reported six new cases of COVID-19, bringing its total to 421.

In a press release, Saskatchewan officials also said that there are eight additional presumptive cases in the La Loche area, but they have not yet been added to the province’s tally.

Five more cases have also been marked as resolved, meaning that there are now 302 recovered patients in the province. Currently, there are 12 people in hospital, which includes two in intensive care.

There are now 42 health care workers, an increase of two, who have been infected. The source of infection for each case may not be related to their line of work, according to a press release.

To date, 30,845 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province.

Alberta reports two additional fatalities

Two more people have died in Alberta after contracting COVID-19, raising the province’s death toll to 94. The fatalities are part of its 5,670 total cases, after 97 new patients were identified in the province’s last 24-hour stretch.

There are also 2,534 people who have recovered, an increase of 175, while there are 89 people in hospital (down by two), including 19 in intensive care (down by three).

It’s unclear at this point who are the most recent fatalities, and what’s the latest on the province’s several outbreaks, since Alberta did not hold a press conference Saturday. Instead health officials released their most recent statistics through an online database.

Two more deaths in British Columbia, one new poultry outbreak

There are now 114 people in British Columbia who have passed away after contracting COVID-19, after health officials recorded two more fatalities in the past 24 hours.

One of the victims was in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, the other in Fraser Health.

Twenty-six new cases were also announced, for a total of 2,171. That includes 72 people in hospital, 23 in intensive care, and 1,376 people who have recovered from COVID-19.

There remains 24 ongoing outbreaks around the province in long-term care, acute care and assisted living facilities, while 12 have been declared over. Among those facilities, there are 261 residents and 155 staff who have been infected with COVID-19.

There remains 52 infected employees at Superior Poultry in Coquitlam and 35 employees confirmed positive at United Poultry in Vancouver. In addition, there are still 133 inmates and staff confirmed positive at the Mission Institution federal correctional centre, as well as 15 positive cases of COVID-19 connected to the Kearl Lake plant in Alberta.

British Columbia’s health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry did announce one new outbreak at the Fraser Valley Specialty Poultry, where three cases have been identified.

There at now four poultry plants in B.C. with COVID-19 cases. In addition to the three aforementioned poultries, Lilydale plant in Port Coquitlam identified a case among its workers earlier this week.

Ontario sees lowest amount of people in ICU, on ventilators in weeks

The Ministry of Health recorded 511 new cases of COVID-19 and 55 more fatalities, increasing Ontario’s totals to 17,119 and 1,176, respectively.

Among the province’s total diagnoses are 11,390 resolved cases, an increase of 565, setting a recovery rate of 66.5 per cent.

Ontario saw a decrease of 40 people in its hospitals, to a total of 977, after watching that number grow the past two days. Among the 977 are 221 people in intensive care, which is down by four since Friday’s update, and marks the smallest amount of people in ICU since April 6. There are 154 people on ventilators (down 21), the lowest total Ontario has seen since April 5.

Since its last update, the Ministry of Health has administered 16,305 tests for a total of 310,359, while 12,829 people remain under investigation.

The dire COVID-19 situation in long-term care homes continues, with the Ministry of Long-Term Care announcing one new outbreak in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 167. There are 2,682 residents diagnosed with COVID-19 (a decrease of 40) and 1,482 staff members (an increase of 59). Forty-nine more residents have died, for a total of 910 fatalities in LTCs.

Please see note at end of article with regards to Ontario's long-term care reporting structure compared to the Ministry of Health’s.

Manitoba identifies one new case

Health officials in Manitoba have diagnosed one new patient with COVID-19, increasing its total case count to 280.

There are still 38 active active cases since 236 people have recovered, an increase of one in the past 24 hours. Six people are now in hospital, while no one is in intensive care due to the respiratory virus. The number of deaths remains at six.

Since early February, health officials in Manitoba have administered 26,169 tests for COVID-19.

Two more deaths in Nova Scotia

Two additional residents of the Northwood long-term care home in Halifax Regional Municipality have died.

Of the province’s 31 total deaths, 25 of them have been at the long-term care facility, which has 305 total cases among residents (220) and staff (85).

In all of Nova Scotia, health officials have diagnosed an additional four patients with COVID-19, increasing Nova Scotia’s case count to 963. Among the province’s total cases are 609 people who have recovered from the virus, up by 17 since Friday. Nine people are currently in hospital, including three in intensive care.

There continues to be 10 licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors’ facilities in Nova Scotia with COVID-19 cases, now involving 239 residents and 109 staff members.

To date, Nova Scotia health officials have also performed 29,406 negative tests for COVID-19.

Quebec reports 114 more fatalities

Health officials in Quebec recorded an additional 114 fatalities, raising the province’s death toll to 2,136.

Those fatalities are among the province’s 29,656 total cases after 1,008 new patients were identified. There are 6,965 people who have recovered from the virus, an increase of 265 since Friday.

Of the province’s 1,738 hospitalizations (up by 22) there are 222 in intensive care (an increase of four).

Montreal’s COVID-19 epidemic continues with 14,599 cases and 1,312 fatalities, increases of 620 and 67, respectively. There are six regions in Quebec with at least 1,000 cases, while four of them have at least 100 deaths.

As of its last update, Quebec has performed 199,037 negative tests for COVID-19 to go along with its positive diagnoses.

Three deaths in Alberta; new outbreak at Amazon facility

Date reported: May 1

Three more people have died in Alberta long-term care homes after contracting COVID-19, according to the province’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw.

It raises the province’s death toll to 92. The fatalities are part of its 5,573 total cases, after 218 new patients were identified in the last 24 hours. There are also 2,359 people who have recovered, an increase of 198, while 86 of Alberta’s cases are in hospital, including 22 in intensive care.

A new outbreak has been gaining traction with five cases now linked to the Amazon warehouse in Balzac, just north of Calgary. The fulfillment facility handles online marketplace orders for the e-commerce company. On April 12, the Amazon warehouse reported its first confirmed case among more than 1,000 full-time workers.

"It is not yet clear if all five are linked with a common exposure. We have just received this outbreak confirmation,” said Hinshaw.

In addition, there are now 580 cases at continuing care facilities, which is up by 36 since yesterday. The Cargill meat processing plant in High River now has 921 infections of COVID-19 among workers (up by 13), while there are 390 cases linked to the JBS meat-packing plant in Brooks, Alta. (up by 57).

Two new cases have also been discovered at Alpha House in Calgary, which provides a safe living environment for individuals dealing with substance abuse problems.

One more death in British Columbia

Date reported: May 1

There are now 112 people in British Columbia who have passed away after contracting COVID-19, after health officials recorded one more fatality in the past 24 hours in the Fraser Health region.

Thirty-three new cases were also announced, for a total of 2,145. That includes 79 people in hospital, and 24 in intensive care, while 1,357 patients have also recovered from COVID-19.

There remains 24 ongoing outbreaks around the province in long-term care, acute care and assisted living facilities, while 12 have been declared over.

Two new cases have been identified at the Superior Poultry Processors in Coquitlam, B.C., for a total of 52. Thirty-five are linked to the United Poultry processing plant in East Vancouver, a decrease of seven after a reporting error, according to a press release.

At the Mission Institution, a medium security correctional facility, there are 133 cases among inmates and staff. Fifteen cases in B.C. have also been linked to the Kearl Lake oilsands plant in Alberta.

Ontario sees positive sign amid record testing

Date reported: May 1

The Ministry of Health reported 421 new cases in Ontario, increasing its total case count to 16,608.

Health officials processed a record-high 16,532 tests in their latest 24-hour stretch, setting a positive test rate of 2.5 per cent. It’s the smallest percentage they’ve seen since March 22, when the province administered 1,914 tests, leading to 48 positive diagnoses.

Along with the 421 new cases, Ontario recorded 39 more fatalities, raising its death toll to 1,121. That includes 10,825 people who had their diagnoses resolved, an increase of 620 since Wednesday’s update, setting a recovery rate of 65.2 per cent in Ontario.

There are now 1,017 people in hospital (an increase of 18), including 225 in intensive care (a decrease of eight), while 175 patients are on ventilators (a decrease of six).

As of their last update, the Ministry of Health has completed 294,054 tests for COVID-19, while 11,975 people remain under investigation.

The dire COVID-19 situation in long-term care homes continues, with the Ministry of Long-Term Care announcing three new outbreaks in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 166. There are 2,722 residents diagnosed with COVID-19 (up by 108) and 1,482 staff members (an increase of 52). Twenty-six residents have died, for a total of 861 fatalities in LTCs.

Please see note at end of article with regards to Ontario's long-term care reporting structure compared to the Ministry of Health’s.

Quebec first to surpass 2,000 deaths

Date reported: May 1

Quebec’s director of public health Horacio Arruda announced 163 more deaths related to COVID-19 in Quebec, but said that they did not all occur over the past 24 hours.

It raises the province’s death toll to 2,022, making Quebec the first in Canada to surpass 2,000 fatalities linked to the respiratory virus.

Along with the deaths, officials have identified 1,110 new cases, for a total of 28,648. That includes 6,700 people (up by 401 since Thursday) who have recovered from the virus.

There are now 1,716 people in hospital (up 32) and 218 in intensive care (up by four).

Montreal’s COVID-19 epidemic continues with 13,979 cases and 1,245 fatalities, increases of 655 and 99, respectively. There are now seven hospitals in the region that have had COVID-19 outbreaks, meaning that the virus has spread within the facility. That includes Montreal’s biggest hospital in Jewish General.

Arruda has promised the province will see more “aggressive” testing. They plan to conduct 14,000 tests a day, compared to the roughly 7,000 they’re currently administering.

As of its last update, Quebec has performed 190,719 negative tests for COVID-19 to go along with its positive diagnoses.

Twenty-six new cases in Saskatchewan

Date reported: May 1

Saskatchewan reported 26 new cases of COVID-19, bringing its total to 415.

It’s the second largest daily increase the province has recorded since the start of the pandemic, just behind March 28 when health officials diagnosed 30 patients.

Most of the province’s 26 new cases are from the northern regions, where three COVID-19 outbreaks have been declared. There’s one at Lloydminster Hospital, one at Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert, and the final one being the La Loche community, which now has 58 total cases after recording 19 of the province’s 26 new diagnoses.

In all of Saskatchewan, two more cases have also been marked as resolved, meaning that there are now 297 recovered patients in the province. Currently, there are 10 people in hospital, which includes three in intensive care.

Forty health care workers, an increase of one, have been infected. The source of infection for each case may not be related to their line of work, according to a press release.

To date, 30,357 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province.

Manitoba reports four new cases

Date reported: May 1

Health officials in Manitoba have identified two new patients with COVID-19, increasing its total case count to 279.

There are 38 active active cases since 235 people have recovered, an increase of 15 in the past 24 hours. Five people are in hospital, while no one is in intensive care due to the respiratory virus. The number of deaths remains at six.

Since early February, health officials in Manitoba have administered 25,402 tests for COVID-19.

One more death in Nova Scotia

Date reported: May 1

One additional resident of the Northwood long-term care home in Halifax Regional Municipality has died.

Of the province’s 29 total deaths, 23 of them have been residents of the long-term care facility.

Health officials have also diagnosed 12 patients with COVID-19, increasing Nova Scotia’s case count to 959. Among the province’s total cases are 592 people who have recovered from the virus, up by 47 since Thursday. Ten people are currently in hospital, including three in intensive care.

There continues to be 10 licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors’ facilities in Nova Scotia with COVID-19 cases, now involving 237 residents and 105 staff members.

To date, Nova Scotia health officials have also performed 28,883 negative tests for COVID-19.

Newfoundland and Labrador reports first case this week

Date reported: May 1

One case of COVID-19 in the Eastern Health region has been identified in the past 24 hours, increasing Newfoundland and Labrador’s total to 259.

It’s the province’s first case since April 26.

There are four people in hospital, including one in intensive care, while 230 people have recovered from the virus.

"It certainly has not been easy, but we have succeeded in flattening the curve of COVID-19 over the last six weeks in our province," said chief medical officer of health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald.

As of May 1, the province has performed 8,552 tests for COVID-19.

For a timeline of cases throughout April, please check our roundup here.

Note about Ontario’s reporting: The Ministry of Health’s statistics are current as of 4:00 p.m., the day before they are released, and are compiled through the province’s Integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), which is reliant on local public health units inputting statistics. The system has faced scrutiny for under-reporting Ontario’s numbers; their statistics on LTCs also differ from the Ministry of Long-Term Care.

The Ministry of Long-Term Care’s statistics, released at 10:30 a.m., are current as of 3:30 p.m. the evening before. Their statistics are compiled through immediate contact with long-term care facilities across the province.

The iPHIS also reports statistics among the province’s long-term care facilities, but it includes “all outbreak-related cases and deaths reported in aggregate outbreak summary counts, regardless of whether the case was laboratory confirmed.”