A timeline of every COVID-19 case in Canada from January to March 31
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 dating from Jan. 25, until March 31. For the latest news on cases around the nation, you can find them here.
Alberta reports latest death, 64 new cases
Date reported: March 31
Dr. Deena Hinshaw announced a third death at a Calgary long-term care home on Tuesday, the third in that facility and the province’s ninth.
There were 64 new cases in the province, bringing Alberta’s total to 754, including 120 patients who have recovered from the COVID-19 virus.
B.C. reports 43 new cases and five deaths
Date reported: March 31
Dr. Bonnie Henry announced British Columbia had diagnosed 43 more patients with COVID-19, pushing the province’s total to 1,013.
There were also five new deaths in B.C., pushing the province’s total to 24 and Canada’s total to 100.
Dr. Henry said 19 long-term and assisted-living facilities in the province were experiencing outbreaks.
Saskatchewan reports eight new COVID-19 cases
Date reported: March 31
As of Tuesday, there are 184 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan. There are reported cases in the Far North, North, Central, Saskatoon, South and Regina regions, with 90 of the cases in Saskatoon. 83 of the cases are people ages 20 to 44, 64 are aged 45 to 64, 31 are 65 years or older, and six are 19 years old or younger.
Manitoba identifies seven new cases
Date reported: March 31
The provincial tally of COVID-19 cases has risen to 103 with seven more announced Tuesday. The total cases include a health worker at Selkirk Regional Health Centre, where the individual worked in the facility’s emergency department and medical ward from March 19 to 23. Public health is following up with anyone who may have come in contact with the individual.
New public health orders will take effect in the province starting April 1, which include restricting the operation of non-critical businesses. You can read about what is affected on the Manitoba government’s website.
New Brunswick adds two more cases to tally
Date reported: March 31
A total of 70 people in New Brunswick have been diagnosed with COVID-19 after two more individuals were identified on Tuesday.
One of the cases is related to travel, while the other is tied to association with another COVID-19 patient. The individuals are in their 20s and 60s, and in the Fredericton and Edmunston regions.
Chief medical officer of health Dr. Jennifer Russell says that just because there have been some low-number days this week, it doesn’t mean residents should be less vigilant.
“Just because we have had a couple days of low new-case numbers, now is not the time to be complacent,” said Russell. “We will have good days and bad days, but we cannot lose focus.”
Quebec reports six more deaths
Date reported: March 31
On Tuesday, the province announced six more people who had COVID-19 had died. The total number of cases in the province also rose to 4,162.
The increase represents a 21 per cent increase in 24 hours, which is in line with what public health officials had been expecting, given the recent trajectory of cases.
Nearly half of the cases (1,991) are reported to be in the Montreal public health region. Cases have been reported in all regions of the province.
There are 5,601 cases still under investigation for COVID-19, and a total of 63,378 who have tested negative for the virus.
Prince Edward Island identifies more travel-related cases
Date reported: March 31
Three new COVID-19 cases were identified by the province on Tuesday. During a press conference, chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison said all three cases were related to international travel, and all three are self-isolating at home. She said that one case is a man in his 20s, while the other two are women, one in her 30s and the other in her 40s.
On the province’s hotline, 60 complaints were made Monday about people who were not staying at home.
Newfoundland and Labrador ties multiple cases to funeral
Date reported: March 31
A funeral that took place between March 15 and 17 in St. John’s is tied to 120 of Newfoundland and Labrador’s 152 confirmed COVID-19 cases. The province’s one death related to COVID-19 is also tied to Caul’s Funeral Home. According to medical officials no one knowingly violated a quarantine order, and they are urging the public not to point fingers at any individual.
"Nobody went out and intentionally spread this," Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, Newfoundland and Labrador’s chief medical officer of health, said Sunday. "This happened at a time when we didn't have the same measures in place that we do now.”
Nova Scotia identifies 20 new cases
Date reported: March 31
The province announced on Tuesday that 20 more people had been diagnosed with COVID-19, bringing the provincial total to 147. Nova Scotia reported Monday that one of those cases is a confirmed community transmission. It also confirmed that four of the patients are public health employees.
Nova Scotia is also closely watching cases in long-term care homes. Currently there are four staff and two residents of long-term care facilities who are positive for COVID-19.
Affected individuals include four who are currently in hospital. Across all cases ages range from under 10 to over 80.
Ontario cases just shy of 2,000
Date reported: March 31
Ontario saw 260 new COVID-19 cases identified over the last 24 hours, a 15.2 per cent jump from Monday’s total. The province now has 1,966 cases and 33 deaths related to COVID-19.
Of the COVID-19 patients in Ontario, 49.8 per cent of them are male, 49.5 per cent are female, and 12 cases are not known; 1,496 cases are between the ages of 20 and 64, while 46 are under 20 and 421 are over 64. The Greater Toronto Area public health unit accounts for 59.1 per cent of cases. While transmission is unknown for 47.3 per cent of cases, it has been confirmed that 25.7 per cent of patients travelled in the 14 days prior to becoming ill, 10.2 per cent of patients had close contact with a known COVID-19 case, and 16.8 per cent had neither.
Early Tuesday morning, a Bobcaygeon, Ont. nursing home confirmed that three more of its residents had died. In total, 12 residents and one volunteer at Pinecrest Nursing Home have died with links to COVID-19. At least three other residents and 24 staff members (about a third of the home’s staff) have tested positive for COVID-19. Since the Pinecrest Nursing Home information came in after the 4:00 p.m. reporting deadline Ontario follows, the most recent cases and deaths from the nursing home are not yet included in the provincial statistics.
Yukon announces one more case
Date reported: March 30
Yukon said it confirmed its fifth case in the territory on Monday. Chief medical officer Dr. Brendan Hanley said the case could be part of a “cluster investigation” from which “one or two” other cases could be expected. In total, 688 people in Yukon have been tested; 90 tests are still pending.
Alberta reports five more deaths
Date reported: March 30
Alberta’s chief medical officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw called Monday “one of the hardest days yet” as she announced five patients died of COVID-19 complications, bringing the province’s total to eight. One of the victims was a man in his 30s. The other four were two women in their 50s and 70s and two men in their 80s.
There were 29 new cases in Alberta, bringing the total number to 690.
Ontario sees biggest single-day jump in cases
Date reported: March 30
Reporting for a second time on Monday, Ontario announced a total of 1,715 cases in the province, and a total of 33 deaths. Ten more people were reported to have died related to COVID-19.
While Ontario’s official tally remains at 23 deaths, associate chief medical officer Dr. Barbara Yaffe said during an afternoon conference that 10 more deaths have been reported since the morning update. It is unknown what the specifics are of the cases, but Dr. Yaffe confirmed the deaths were in Haliburton, Lambton, Haldimand Norfolk and Huron Perth public health regions.
At a press conference on Monday, Premier Doug Ford advised that all people over the age of 70 should stay at home and self-isolate.
“We need to protect them,” Ford said.
Of Ontario’s confirmed cases, 26.3 per cent had travelled within 14 days of falling ill, 9.6 per cent had close contact with someone confirmed to have COVID-19, 16.2 per cent had neither, and the remaining 47.9 per cent were still pending exposure information.
B.C. identifies 86 new cases over the weekend
Date reported: March 30
From Saturday afternoon to Monday, 86 new cases were identified in British Columbia, according to provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
This brings the province’s total to 970. B.C. confirmed two more deaths, bringing the province’s total to 19.
Saskatchewan reports first COVID-19-related deaths
Date reported: March 30
Two people (not in the same location, but both in hospital) are reported to have died, Saskatchewan reported on Monday. Both patients were in their 70s. This marks the first and second COVID-19-related deaths the province has seen since the beginning of the pandemic. The province also reported that 20 more people had tested positive.
Manitoba nears 100 cases
Date reported: March 30
Twenty-four additional cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Manitoba, bringing the total number of cases to 96 for the province.
Four people are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Manitoba, and one of those individuals is currently in intensive care. Investigations are currently underway to determine how it was transmitted.
Manitoba has performed 8,550 tests so far, including 1,430 over the weekend.
Quebec cases climb past 3,000
Date reported: March 30
Twenty-five people have died due to COVID-19 in Quebec, Premier François Legault said in his daily briefing on Monday. The province also reported an increase in the number of cases, with Quebec’s total now reaching 3,430. Among them, 235 people are hospitalized and 78 of them are in intensive care.
In the premier’s briefing, he also outlined additional measures the province would be taking to support Quebecers in the fight against COVID-19: all retailers will now be closed on Sundays and $133 million in aid would be made available for seniors’ residences and other facilities supporting vulnerable populations.
Nova Scotia identifies five more cases
Date reported: March 30
Five more people have been identified as having COVID-19, bringing the province’s total number of cases to 127. The province also said on Monday that it had determined at least one of the cases was from community spread and not related to travel.
Of the 127 total cases, patients range in age from under 10 to mid-70s. Four individuals are in hospital.
Seven new cases in Prince Edward Island
Date reported: March 30
A total of 18 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in P.E.I., as seven new cases were announced on Monday. The new cases are between the ages of 20 and 80, and include four women and three men.
P.E.I. opened a phone line earlier this month for residents to report people who were not adhering to social distancing procedures. Since it opened, the line has received about 2,000 calls, averaging 900 per week. Over the weekend, the province followed up on 56 complaints, issued 12 verbal warnings and nine written warnings.
Newfoundland reports its first death
Date reported: March 30
The province reported its first death attributed to the COVID-19 virus on Monday, along with 13 new positive cases, bringing the provincial total cases to 148. All new cases reported were in the Eastern Health region for the province.
The deceased was a retired man in the Eastern Health region. He passed away on Sunday, reportedly deteriorating quickly after being hospitalized about three days earlier.
According to the CBC, Newfoundland has the second-highest rate of infection per-capita in the country.
Second surge in as many days in Ontario
Date reported: March 30
Ontario saw the highest single-day increase for a second day in a row, this time with 351 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday. No new deaths were reported.
The increase comes after Ontario Premier Doug Ford invoked the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to prevent gatherings of more than five people in the province over the weekend. Exceptions exist for families of more than five people, and child-care centres supporting frontline health care workers.
Eight more cases in Manitoba
Date reported: March 29
Health officials in Manitoba have diagnosed eight more people with COVID-19, increasing their total case count to 72.
Investigations into how the eight people contracted the disease is still ongoing.
Among the province’s total cases, two people are in hospital, including one in intensive care. Sixty of the cases live in Winnipeg, while each region has a case except for Northern Health. There are also two people who have recovered from the virus.
As of March 29, at least 7147 people have been tested.
Nova Scotia identifies COVID-19 in long-term care home workers
Date reported: March 29
Three workers at separate Nova Scotia long-term care homes have been diagnosed with COVID-19, health officials announced.
The homes include Magnolia residential care home in Enfield, R.K. MacDonald Nursing Home in Antigonish, and Lewis Hall, a private retirement community in Halifax. All three workers tested positive before showing symptoms.
The recent news is among the 12 positive tests the province has had in the past 24 hours, bringing their total case count to 122.
Most of the province’s cases are being linked to travel or to another close contact, but health officials are still investigation potential community spread. As of March 29, the province has also seen 4,731 negative tests.
Newfoundland and Labrador detects 15 new cases
Date reported: March 29
Health officials diagnosed 15 more people with COVID-19, bringing the province’s case count to 135.
All 15 of the new cases are in the Eastern health region.
Among the province’s total cases, seven are in hospital, including two in intensive care, while four people have recovered. About 99 of the cases can also be traced back to Caul's Funeral Home in St. John's, where one patient attended a pair of funerals between March 15 and March 17. According to Premier Dwight Ball, it marks the largest cluster of cases in the country.
As of March 29, the province has tested 2,107 people for COVID-19.
Quebec reports 342 new cases, brings Canada’s case count to over 6,000
Date reported: March 29
There are now 2,840 cases of COVID-19 in Quebec, after health officials diagnosed 342 more people. The latest update also brings Canada’s total case count to over 6,000.
Among the province’s cases, 22 have died, while 192 are in hospital, which includes 72 in intensive care.
Montréal continues to lead the province with 1,361 cases, while the Québec City, Mauricie-et-Centre-du-Québec, Estrie, Laval, Lanaudière, Laurentides and Montérégie regions all have over 100 patients.
As of March 29, the province has also seen 49,364 negative COVID-19 tests, while 6,313 are still under investigation.
The jump in cases in Quebec this week is due to a change in process: cases that tested positive by hospital laboratories are now considered confirmed and no longer need to be validated by the Quebec Public Health Laboratory.
Premier François Legault cites the fact that Quebec had its March break before all other provinces. When kids had time off between March 2-6 in Quebec, there weren’t nearly as many measures in place across the country to contain the spread as there were when the rest of the provinces had their spring break from March 16-20.
New Brunswick sees its biggest rise in cases
Date reported: March 29
Fifteen more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in New Brunswick, marking the biggest increase in cases in a 24-hour span in the province.
Of the province’s 66 total cases, two of them have recovered from the virus. The Fredericton region is home to the most patients with 23. There are 17 in the Moncton region, 15 in the Saint John region, seven in Campbellton region, and four in Edmundston region.
Health authorities are still working to understand if any of the new patients contracted the disease through community transmission. New Brunswick saw its first sign of community spread March 28.
Saskatchewan reports 22 new cases, four new recoveries
Date reported: March 29
Health officials in Saskatchewan have diagnosed 22 more people with COVID-19, increasing the province’s total case count to 156. Four more people have also recovered, brining the number of resolved cases to eight.
Five people are in hospital, including two in intensive care. Among the patients, seven are believed to be the result of community transmission. The rest of the cases are linked to travel or mass gatherings.
Health officials continue to report diagnoses linked to a Christopher Lake snowmobile rally dinner held on March 14. Of the approximately 130 people at the dinner, health officials have reached 76 of them and diagnosed 20.
As of March 29, the province has administered 9,086 tests for COVID-19.
Ontario sees new record surge in cases, four more deaths
Date reported: March 29
To go along with 211 new diagnoses of COVID-19, marking the highest daily rise in cases since the outbreak started, health officials also reported four more deaths.
It brings the province’s case count to 1,355, and its death toll to 23. Two of the deaths have still not been confirmed by a lab.
One of the fatalities involves a man in the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit, who was a resident of a retirement home in the area. It marks the first fatality in the region. No other information about the individual, such as his reason for transmission, has been provided.
It’s unclear at this moment who are the other three fatalities in the province.
According to the Toronto Star, more than 100,000 residents in Ontario have been “directed to seek immediate medical assistance” after using the province’s online assessment tool. While another 500,000 were directed to self-isolate because of their symptoms.
As of March 29, health officials have tested 49,186 people for the virus. The province continues to see a decrease of how many people are under investigation, which there are currently 7,203 patients. Among the province’s 1355 cases, eight have recovered, and 21 people have passed away.
Alberta reports 40 new cases, one more death
Date reported: March 29
Health officials in Alberta have reported more 40 cases of COVID-19, but also the province’s third death.
It brings the province’s case count to 661, after its smallest rise in daily reported cases since March 21.
No new information about the most recent fatality has been made available, since Alberta did not host a press conference Sunday, but instead issued a news release.
Of the 40 new cases, 11 of them are at the McKenzie Towne Long Term Care home, which now has 26 total diagnoses.
Among the province’s total cases, 41 are in hospital, which includes 14 in intensive care. Up to to 60 cases may be the result of community transmission. There are also 73 people who have recovered.
British Columbia brings Canada’s case count to over 4,000
Date reported: March 28
Canada’s COVID-19 case count has surpassed 4,000 after British Columbia recorded 66 new diagnoses.
A rise in cases nationwide continues at a record rate, with Canada hitting the 3,000-case mark on March 25.
With the update from B.C., it means that there are now 725 cases in the province. That includes the 186 people who have since recovered from the virus, according to provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
Of the 66 new patients, there are four residents and three health care workers at Lynn Valley Centre, a long-term care home in North Vancouver that’s recorded 11 of the province’s 14 fatalities. There were also two residents and one health care worker who were diagnosed at Haro Park, another long-term care home that reported a COVID-19-related death March 23.
Among the province’s patients, 66 are in hospital, which includes 26 in intensive care.
Of the 725 cases, 359 are in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 241 in Fraser Health, 62 in Interior Health, 52 in Island Health, and 11 in the Northern Health region.
As of March 26, officials in B.C. have tested 34,561 people for the virus.
Ontario announces 135 more cases, three more deaths
Date reported: March 27
Ontario has reported 993 cases of COVID-19, which includes eight patients who have recovered and 18 people who have passed away.
Since Thursday, it’s an increase of 135 cases and three more deaths. For the first time this week, Ontario did not see a record increase in daily reported cases. On March 26, they reported 170 cases; there were 100 cases March 25, 85 cases March 24, and 78 cases March 23.
Among the fatalities were two residents of a Bobcaygeon, Ont., nursing home, who were not tested until they passed away. Three other residents have also tested positive, to go along with at least 14 staff members, according to the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit. There are also at least 35 residents who have shown symptoms, but haven’t yet been tested.
One more death was reported by the Regional Municipality of York, involving a woman in her 80s, who lived in Vaughan until she passed away March 26. The reason for transmission for all three fatalities has not yet been made available.
Unlike previous updates, the Ministry of Health’s website did not provide a breakdown of the new cases, which usually includes the patients’ age bracket, public health unit, reason for transmission and recovery status. Among the province’s total cases, 60 are in hospital, including 43 in intensive care and 20 on ventilators.
As of March 27, health officials in Ontario have tested 41,032 people for COVID-19. Among their results are 29,967 negative tests, while there are still 10,074 people under investigation.
Manitoba reports first death, three more cases
Date reported: March 28
One person has died in Manitoba after contracting COVID-19, according to the province’s chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin.
It marks the province’s first death relating to the virus, and Canada’s 43rd. Manitoba is now the fifth province to record a fatality, joining Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec and Alberta.
The patient who passed away was a woman in her 60s who was in intensive care earlier this week, said Roussin.
Along with the news, officials reported three more cases in the province, bringing their total to 39.
Starting Monday all gatherings in Manitoba will be capped at 10, which is down from the current 50, in order to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Nova Scotia matches record surge
Date reported: March 27
Health officials in Nova Scotia have diagnosed 17 more people with COVID-19, increasing their case count to 90.
It matches their stat from March 25 for the most daily reported cases in the province.
In a press release, health officials said that “most are connected to travel or a known case.” A day earlier, the province said that they couldn’t identify the reason for transmission for one of their cases, but they still can’t confirm if the patient was infected as a result of community spread.
Among their new cases, none are connected to the St. Patrick’s Day gathering in Lake Echo, Halifax Regional Municipality. On March 26, officials said a person, who’s since tested positive, visited the party with 50 attendees.
The province’s 90 patients range in from 10-year-old to mid-70s. Two of them are also in hospital, while three people have recovered. As of March 27, the province has also seen 3,649 negative COVID-19 test results.
Newfoundland and Labrador surpasses 100 cases
Date reported: March 28
Health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador have reported 20 more cases, raising their case count to 102.
Among their patients, one is currently in hospital because of the virus, which is a first for the province. One patient has also recovered.
Of the province’s 102 cases, 68 are linked to Caul's Funeral Home in St. John's, where one patient attended a pair of funerals between March 15 and March 17.
As of March 27, there have been 1,491 people tested for COVID-19, which has led to 102 positive results and 1,409 negatives. The remaining cases are still under investigation.
New Brunswick sees its first recovery, sign of community spread
Date reported: March 28
New Brunswick announced 12 new cases in the province, one of which is being investigated for community spread, said chief public health officer Jennifer Russell.
The other 11 cases can be linked to travel outside of the province.
The rise in confirmed cases brings New Brunswick to 45 total diagnoses. Among the cases, one person has since recovered from the virus.
The group of 12 people range in age from 20-79 years old.
Health officials also said that there was one case each on Air Canada Flight 8900 from Montreal to Moncton on March 16, and Sunwing Flight 169 from Punta Cana to Fredericton on March 18. People on those flights should be self-isolating.
10 more deaths in Quebec, 392 new cases
Date reported: March 28
Ten more people have died in Quebec, according to Premier François Legault, bringing the province’s death toll to 18.
An increase of 392 cases has also been reported, putting Quebec’s total at 2,021.
The jump in overall cases in Quebec this week is due to a change in process: cases that tested positive by hospital laboratories are now considered confirmed and no longer need to be validated by the Quebec Public Health Laboratory.
Among the province’s 2,021 cases, 141 people are in hospital, including 50 in intensive care. There are also 29 people who have since recovered from the virus.
Montreal still leads the way with 971 cases, while the Estrie, Québec City, Laval and Montérégie regions all have at least 100 cases each.
Dr. Howard Njoo, Canada’s deputy chief public health officer, suggested that the rise in cases in Quebec may be because the province had its March break before the rest of country. When kids had time off between March 2-6 in Quebec, there weren’t nearly as many measures in place across the country to contain the spread as there were when the rest of the provinces had their spring break from March 16-20.
As of March 27, Quebec has seen 32,335 negative COVID-19 tests, while there are 7,236 people under investigation.
Prince Edward Island reports two more cases
Date reported: March 27
Two more people in P.E.I. have tested positive for COVID-19, increasing their case count to 11.
Both cases involve women from Prince County, one in her 20s and the other in her 50s, who recently travelled internationally.
The two patients are currently doing well and in self-isolation, according to P.E.I.’s chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison.
Saskatchewan surpasses 100 cases
Date reported: March 28
Health officials in Saskatchewan have diagnosed nine more people with COVID-19. It brings their total case count to 104.
Six of the province’s total cases are the result of local transmission, while the rest are travel-related. There are also six people in hospital, which include two in intensive care. Among their patients, four of them are 19 years old or younger. The majority of their cases (49) involve people between the ages of 20-44 years old.
Among the province’s cases are two staff members at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre. They are now in self-isolation, as the province works on an approach for how they’ll manage the inmate population amid the pandemic.
Three people have since recovered from the virus.
As of March 27, the province has tested 7,580 people for COVID-19.
Alberta surpasses 500 cases
Date reported: March 27
There are now 542 cases in Alberta, after health officials identified 56 new cases of COVID-19.
Among the new cases are two patients at the Mckenzie Towne facility, a long term care home in Calgary that now has 15 patients.
Among the province’s total cases, 42 are believed to be the result of community transmission from an unknown source, said the province’s chief medical officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw.
There are also 23 people in hospital, including 10 in intensive care, while there are 33 people in Alberta who have recovered from the virus.
As of March 27, the province has also seen 37,673 negative test results for COVID-19.
Fourth case in Yukon
Date reported: March 27
A fourth person has been diagnosed with COVID-19 in Yukon, according to public health officials.
The most recent patient is a close contract of the territory’s third case, which was announced March 25. The third patient in the territory recently travelled outside of Yukon, but still within Canada.
Along with the news about the fourth case, Premier Sandy Silver announced a state of emergency that will last 90 days.
British Columbia reports two deaths, more recoveries
Date reported: March 27
Two more people in British Columbia have died after contracting COVID-19, bringing the province’s death toll to 16.
There are also 67 additional cases, increasing their case count to 792. Among those cases, 275 have recovered from the virus, according to a press release from provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix.
The two most recent fatalities were reported in the Vancouver Coastal health region, but no other information has been provided.
Among the new cases, are staff members at two additional long-term care homes in the Fraser Health region, being The Harrison at Elim Village and Chartwell Independent Living at Langley Gardens. There are now 11 long-term care homes in the Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health regions that have confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Among the province’s total cases are 73 people in hospital.
Earlier in the day, Henry said that physical distancing restrictions in B.C. have successfully helped slow the number of COVID-19 cases, even by as much of half.
"I'm trying not to over-call it, but I do believe we've seen a flattening, a falling-off of that curve," said Henry. "What we need, though, is for everybody to continue to pay attention to these [physical distancing] measures so we can continue to prevent transmissions in our communities ... for the coming weeks."
As of March 27, the province has tested 36,643 people for virus.
Ontario surpasses 1,000 cases, sees one more death
Date reported: March 28
With health officials reporting 151 new diagnoses in Ontario, the province’s total case count has risen to 1144.
One more fatality in Ontario was also reported, involving the first death in the Middlesex-London region. A man in his 70s passed away Friday night in a hospital in London, Ont., after being diagnosed March 19. He had recently travelled to Portugal.
Among the cases are now eight people who have recovered and 19 patients who have since passed away. On the province’s Ministry of Health website, they said that two of the deaths have still not been confirmed by a lab.
Unlike previous updates, officials did not provide a breakdown of the new cases, which usually includes the patients’ age bracket, public health unit, reason for transmission and recovery status. Instead, “information for all cases today is pending.”
As of March 28, the province has tested 43,072 people for COVID-19. Among those tests, 33,240 have come back negative. There are 8,690 people who are still under investigation, but it’s a decrease compared to a day prior when there were over 10,000.
Manitoba identifies 25 new cases
Date reported: March 28
There are 64 cases in Manitoba, after health officials diagnosed 25 more patients with COVID-19.
Among the patients, one is in intensive care, according to chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin. It marks the second person who’s had to go to hospital with the virus. The first involved a Winnipeg woman in her 60s, who passed away March 27.
Roussin said the province has also started to see recoveries, but that they can’t release numbers at the moment. Among the current cases, all are connected to travel or close contact with another patient.
Newfoundland and Labrador reports community spread
Date reported: March 28
There is now a case of community transmission in Newfoundland and Labrador, said provincial chief medical officer of health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald.
The patient’s source of infection can’t be linked to travel or another close contact who’s been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Health officials in the province have also diagnosed 18 more people with COVID-19, bringing their case count to 120. Of the 18 new diagnoses, 16 are in the Eastern Health region, and one each in Central Health and Labrador-Grenfell Health regions.
There are now also two people in N.L. who are in hospital, while four people have recovered from the virus.
New Brunswick surpasses 50 cases
Date reported: March 28
Six more people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in New Brunswick, according to a press release by health officials, bringing the case count to 51.
The new cases range in age from 20 to 79 years old. Two of them are located in the southeast region of the province, and four in the south.
Among the province’s 51 cases are also two people who have since recovered from the virus.
Quebec reports four deaths, brings Canada’s case count to over 5,000
Date reported: March 28
Health officials in Quebec have reported four more fatalities among COVID-19 patients, bringing the province’s death toll to 22.
More information about the recent deaths has not been made available.
Along with the fatalities, officials diagnosed 477 people with COVID-19, which increases Canada’s total case count to over 5,000, and Quebec’s to 2,498.
Canada had just reached 4,000 cases March 26; 3,000 cases March 25; 2,000 cases March 23; and 1,000 cases March 20.
Among Quebec’s cases, 164 of them are in hospital, which includes 57 in intensive care.
In the past 24 hours, Montreal has seen an increase of 248 cases, for a total of 1,129. The Estrie, Laval, Québec City, Lanaudière, Laurentides and Montérégie regions all also have over 100 cases.
As of March 27, health officials in the province have also seen 43,589 negative COVID-19 tests, while 6,757 people are still under investigation.
The jump in cases in Quebec this week is due to a change in process: cases that tested positive by hospital laboratories are now considered confirmed and no longer need to be validated by the Quebec Public Health Laboratory.
Nova Scotia surpasses 100 cases
Date reported: March 28
Twenty more people have been diagnosed with COVID-19, bringing Nova Scotia’s case count to 110.
It’s the biggest increase in daily reported cases in the province.
The reason for transmission for “most” of the patients is travel or close contact with another patient, but “public health cannot confirm community spread as several cases are still under investigation,” said a press release.
Among the 110 cases is an employee at R.K. MacDonald Nursing Home in Antigonish, and a staff member at Lewis Hall, a private retirement living community in Dartmouth.
The 110 cases range in age from under 10 years old to mid-70s. Three patients are in hospital, while four people have also recovered from the virus.
To date, Nova Scotia has also seen 4,031 negative COVID-19 test results.
British Columbia continues to see recoveries
Date reported: March 28
Among the province’s 884 total cases, 396 of them have recovered, according to provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
The province’s case count rose to 884 when they announced 92 new cases in B.C., to go along with one more death in the Vancouver Coastal Health region. More information about the fatality has not been provided at the moment.
Henry said the about 45 per cent recovery rate is due to two reasons. The province started to see a substantial rise in cases before everyone else, which included health care workers with mild cases. Therefore, patients in B.C. started to recover before everyone else.
People who have mild cases, and don’t have to go to hospital, are also being considered recovered if they’re symptom-free for 10 days. It’s a method that’s being adopted internationally, and has been approved nationally, since patients aren’t considered to be contagious after being asymptomatic for at least 10 days. Henry said other provinces, such as Ontario, are considering the criteria for their own patients.
People in B.C. with severe forms of the illness, and who have to go to hospital, still need to have two negative COVID-19 tests that are 24 hours apart in order to be considered resolved.
Among the province’s cases, 81 are in hospital, which includes 52 in intensive care. There are now also 12 long-term care homes that have a COVID-19 diagnosis among a resident or staff member, said Henry.
Saskatchewan sees record surge
Date reported: March 28
Health officials in Saskatchewan have diagnosed 30 more people in the province, increasing their cases count to 134.
It marks the biggest increase in daily reported cases in the province.
Among Saskatchewan’s total cases, seven of them are believed to be the result of community transmission. The rest are linked to travel or large mass gatherings. Health officials said in a press release that 18 cases have been linked to a Christopher Lake snowmobile rally dinner held on March 14. All 18 patients are now in self-isolation at home.
Among the province’s cases, six are in hospital, which includes three in intensive care. Four people have also recovered from the virus.
As of March 28, the province has completed 8,248 tests for COVID-19.
Alberta announces new cases, new recoveries
Date reported: March 28
While Alberta diagnosed 79 new cases of COVID-19 in the province, it also reported 20 new recoveries.
There are now a total of 621 cases in Alberta, including two deaths and 53 recoveries. Among its patients, 38 are in hospital, which includes 12 in intensive care.
As of March 28, health authorities in the province have tested 42,527 people for the virus.
Manitoba reports one more case
Date reported: March 26
There is one new “probable” case of COVID-19 in Manitoba, bringing the province’s case count to 36.
The latest diagnosis involves a man in his 20s who lives in Winnipeg. It’s believed that the individual contracted the disease from a close contact, said the province’s chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin.
Among the province’s 36 cases, one person is in intensive care.
As of their last update, health officials have tested 5,606 Manitobans for COVID-19.
Nova Scotia sees signs of potential community spread
Date reported: March 26
Health officials in Nova Scotia have reported five new cases of COVID-19, which includes one case that can’t be linked to travel or close contact with another COVID-19 patient.
“The investigation to determine the source of the exposure and whether any others may have been exposed is ongoing,” said the province in a press release. “At this point, public health cannot confirm that this case is linked to community spread.”
The five new cases bring the province’s total to 73. According to the release, they range in age from under 10 to mid-70s. Among the patients, two are in hospital, while two have also recovered from the virus.
As of March 26, health officials in Nova Scotia have also had 3,201 negative tests for COVID-19 and 73 confirmed positives.
Quebec reports 290 new cases, two deaths
Date reported: March 26
Two more people have died after contracting COVID-19, according to Premier François Legault.
There are now 1,629 cases of COVID-19 in Quebec after health officials diagnosed 290 more patients with the virus.
Among the province’s cases, 106 people are currently in hospital, including 43 in intensive care.
Of the two most recent deaths, one was reported on March 25 by Montreal health officials following the premier’s daily press briefing. It involved an elderly citizen in Montreal and was the city’s first fatality related to COVID-19.
The eighth death is a 91-year-old man in the Laurentians who lived in a seniors' residence, public health officials confirmed Thursday morning.
The jump in cases in Quebec this week is due to a change in process: cases that tested positive by hospital laboratories are now considered confirmed and no longer need to be validated by the Quebec Public Health Laboratory.
As of March 26, the province has had 31, 854 negative COVID-19 tests, while there are 2,622 under investigation. Among their 1,629 confirmed cases, eight people have died and two have recovered. By region, Montreal still leads the way with 782 patients, followed by Estrie, Quebec City, and Montérégie, who all over 100 cases.
Newfoundland and Labrador diagnosis 15 new patients
Date reported: March 26
There are now 82 cases of COVID-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador, after health officials diagnosed 15 new patients in the Eastern Health region.
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, the province's chief medical officer of health, said that the province’s 82 patients are all recovering at home, and that they range in age from eight to 80 years old. The median age of their patients is 55.
The majority of the cases in N.L. are in the Eastern Health region. Of the 76 patients, the majority of them are linked to Caul's Funeral Home in St. John's, said Fitzgerald, where an infected individual attended two funerals between March 15 and March 17.
As of March 26, the province has tested 1,491 people for COVID-19, leading. to1,409 negative tests.
New Brunswick reports seven more cases
Date reported: March 26
Seven more people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in New Brunswick, according to the province’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Jennifer Russell.
All seven cases are related to travel, and they bring the province’s total to 33.
Among the new cases, three are in the southeast part of the province, one in the south, and three are in the central west zone. They range in age from 20-70 years old.
In New Brunswick, at least 1,550 people have been tested for the virus.
Ontario sees another record surge, records two more deaths
Date reported: March 26
Two more people in the Durham Region have died after contracting COVID-19, according to a statement by health officials on March 26.
One of the fatalities includes a man in his 80s, with a recent travel history, but officials have not specified which destinations he visited. The man was hospitalized at Lakeridge Health Oshawa on March 23, and passed away a day later.
The second individual is a male in his 40s who had no recent travel history. He was hospitalized at Lakeridge Health Oshawa on March 19 and passed away March 25.
The Ministry of Health’s website says there are 15 fatalities in the province, but another death was reported in the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, a third for the region. It involved a woman from Orillia in her 70s. According to CTV News, officials believe that she contracted the disease in the community. She had also pre-existing medical conditions. It would bring the death toll to 16, but it has not yet been reported by the Ministry.
Along with the fatalities, Ontario health officials reported 170 new diagnoses of COVID-19, bringing the province’s total case count to 858.
It’s the fourth day in a row Ontario’s surges have been record highs. On March 25, officials reported 100 cases; there were 85 new cases March 24 and 78 cases March 23.
In an afternoon press conference, Toronto’s medical officer of health, Dr. Eileen de Villa said that there are now 339 cases in Toronto. Of the cases, 25 per cent of them are believed to be the result of community spread. It means that officials can’t identify the reason for transmission, such as travel or close contact with another COVID-19 patient.
Among the province’s 858 cases are eight people who have recovered from the virus, and 15 people who have passed away, according to the Ministry of Health’s website. There are also 29 people in intensive care, which includes 20 patients on ventilators.
Information about the newly announced 170 patients is still pending, but at least 12 of them are hospitalized with the virus. That includes five seniors in Lambton and a pair of individuals in their 20s from Toronto and Middlesex London. At least 90 people are also in self-isolation.
Among the 170 cases, five people are under the age of 20. There are also 17 people in their 20s and 25 people in their 30s who were recently diagnosed with COVID-19. The oldest patients are two people in their 90s.
There are 56 people who are believed to have contracted the virus through close contact with another COVID-19 patient, and 35 people with recent travel histories. Destinations include the United States, the United Kingdom, Austria, Costa Rica, Spain, France, Egypt, Dubai, the Philippines, Colombia, Germany, Ecuador, Jamaica and Denmark.
As of March 26, Ontario has tested 38,550 people for COVID-19. Of those results, 26,727 have come back negative, while there are still 10,965 people under investigation. Health officials in Ontario are hoping to ramp up their efforts, to test about 18,900 people a day by mid-April. Currently, the province tests about 3,000 people a day, but they are hoping to reach 5,000 a day by this week.
Four new cases in P.E.I.
Date reported: March 26
There are now nine cases of COVID-19 in Prince Edward Island, after health officials diagnosed four more patients.
All four cases involve men between 55-70 years old, who recently travelled internationally. Two patients were in Europe, one in the Caribbean and one in the United States.
Two of the cases live in Prince County, and the other two in Queens County. All four patients are in self-isolation.
Of the province’s original five cases, one has recovered, according to Dr. Heather Morrison, P.E.I.’s chief public health officer.
Saskatchewan sees more signs of community spread
Date reported: March 26
Health officials in Saskatchewan have diagnosed nine more patients with COVID-19, increasing the province’s total to 95.
Most of the cases are travel-related, but there are five linked to community transmission, which now includes one from the northern part of the province.
Four of the cases involve people 19 years old or younger, while the rest are adults. Among the 95 cases, five people are in hospital, including two in intensive care.
Health officials have now reported that three people have recovered from the virus in the province.
As of March 26, Saskatchewan has tested 6,915 people for the virus.
Alberta reports 27 recoveries
Date reported: March 26
There are now 486 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in Alberta, after health officials identified 67 new cases.
Of the province’s total cases, there are 27 people who have recovered from the virus. There are also 34 people who are believed to have contracted the virus through community transmission.
Of the 486 patients, 21 are in hospital, which includes 10 in intensive care.
A day earlier, the province’s chief medical officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw said that there nine long term care homes that have cases of COVID-19. Since then, only one of them has seen an increase in diagnoses, in the Mckenzie Towne facility in Calgary, which has 13 symptomatic patients.
As of their last update, health officials in Alberta have seen 36,174 negative COVID-19 tests, to go along with their 486 positive results.
Ontario reports 100 new cases, five more deaths
Date reported: March 25
In addition to announcing 100 new cases of COVID-19 in Ontario, health officials reported that five more people have died in the province after contracting the virus.
The rise in daily cases is the largest the province has seen since the start of the outbreak, and brings Ontario’s total to 688. The five fatalities increases the death toll to 13 in Ontario.
The first fatality that was announced March 25 involved an 84-year-old resident of Ina Grafton Gage Village in St. Catharines, according to the St. Catharines Standard. The individual contracted the disease from a family member who had recently been to Europe, and died 11 days after he was confirmed to have COVID-19 in a hospital in St. Catharines.
Dr. Barbara Yaffe, associate medical officer of health for Toronto Public Health, confirmed the death later in the day and said the patient was male. As part of an afternoon press conference, Yaffe said there are 40 people in the province who are in hospital with COVID-19, which includes 17 people in intensive care and 15 people who are on ventilators.
In the afternoon, Toronto’s medical officer of health, Dr. Eileen de Villa said three more people have died in Toronto after contracting COVID-19. It brings Toronto’s death toll to four, after the city recorded its first fatality March 22.
Of the three most recent fatalities, one of them involves an elderly man with pre-existing health conditions, who was tested at North York General Hospital. The two other patients were residents of the Seven Oaks long-term care home in Scarborough.
In Toronto, de Villa said there are now 319 cases, while 22 of them are in hospital. Of the city’s patients, 16 per cent of them are believed to have been infected through community spread, meaning their diagnoses can’t be traced back to travel.
The fifth fatality was reported on Ontario’s public health website, as the province raised its death toll to 13. No information has been made available about the fifth fatality on Ontario’s website.
In the evening, Ottawa health officials announced the city’s first COVID-19-related death. The fatality involves a man in 90s who was living at home. According to a press release by Ottawa Public Health, the man had no travel history, and developed a fever March 15. He was admitted to hosptial March 20, and died March 25. It’s unclear at this moment if the fatality is Ontario’s 13th.
A lot of information about the 100 patients is currently pending on Ontario’s public health website.
There are at least five people who are hospitalized with the virus. That includes a woman in their 70s, a woman in her 80s, a man and a woman in their 50s from Porcupine District health unit, and a woman in her 20s from the Peel public health unit; it’s unclear how she contracted the virus at this point.
There are also at least 46 people who are in self-isolation.
There are 22 people who are believed to have contracted the virus through recent travel, to destinations such as Spain, France, the Dominican, the United Kingdom, U.S., Philippines, Mexico, U.S., Bahamas, Peru and Egypt.
There are 21 people who are believed to have contracted the virus through close contact with another patient.
Of the 100 new patients, they range in age from their 90s, to a pair of individuals from Toronto and Peel who are listed to be younger than 20 years old.
The new cases are in public health units such as Wellington Dufferin Guelph, York, Toronto, Peel, Halton, Porcupine District, Durham, Windsor Essex, Middlesex London, Hamilton, Simcoe Muskoka, Kingston Frontenac Lennox Addington, Hastings Prince Edward, Haliburton Kawartha Pineridge, Niagara, Peterborough and Timiskaming.
As of March 25, health officials in Ontario have tested 35,635 people. Of those tests, 24,458 have come back negative, while there are still 10,489 still under investigation. Among the province’s 688 confirmed cases, eight are resolved, while nine people have passed away.
Manitoba diagnosis 14 more people
Date reported: March 25
There are now 35 cases in Manitoba, after provincial health officials diagnosed 14 more people with presumptive cases of COVID-19.
Among the new cases is a girl under the age of 10 who lives in Winnipeg. Among the 14 new cases, she is one of 11 people who live in the capitol. The other three cases involve two people in the Southern Health Santé Sud health region, and one from Prairie Mountain Health.
The oldest patients include three people in their 60s. One of them is in intensive care in hospital.
Health officials are still working to understand how the 14 patients became infected, but at the moment it’s believed most of them were through travel or exposure to a close contact who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Nova Scotia sees its biggest rise in cases
Date reported: March 25
Health officials in Nova Scotia have announced that there are now 68 cases of COVID-19 in the province, after diagnosing 17 new patients.
The cases are all related to travel or transmission through close-contact with another COVID-19 patient. Some of the newest cases are connected in groups or families who have recently returned to Nova Scotia after international travel.
The province’s cases range in age from an individual who is younger than 10, to someone in their mid-70s.
One person is in hospital with the virus, but there are two people who have also recovered, according to a press release by the province.
As of March 25, health officials in Nova Scotia have also seen 2,772 negative COVID-19 tests, to go along with 68 positive diagnoses.
Newfoundland and Labrador almost doubles its cases
Date reported: March 25
Health officials have announced 32 new presumptive cases of COVID-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador, which brings their province’s total to 67.
Among the new cases is the first one in the Western Health region, which is believed to be travel-related. The other 31 cases are within the Eastern Health region.
Among the 67 cases, the patients range in age from eight to 78 years old. Health officials also said that 44 of their province’s cases are linked to one Caul's Funeral Home in St. John’s. It was reported March 22 that a person infected with COVID-19, who recently travelled outside the country, visited the home to attended two funerals between March 15 and March 17. Everyone who’s recently been to the funeral home is being asked to self-isolate.
As of March 25, there have been 1,336 people tested for COVID-19 in the province, while 1,269 of them have come back negative.
Quebec brings Canada’s case count to over 3,000, death toll to 30
Date reported: March 25
Health officials in Quebec have diagnosed 326 more cases of COVID-19, bringing their provincial count to 1,339.
Officials also announced three more fatalities in the province. It means that there are now seven COVID-19-related deaths in Quebec, and at least 30 in Canada.
Two of the fatalities were reported at a press conference by provincial officials, while Montreal's regional public health authority reported another death shortly after. The death in Montreal involves a senior citizen and marks the first fatality for the island. No other information about the individual has been provided.
Dr. Horacio Arruda, Quebec’s public-health director, did not want to provide many details on the two other most recent fatalities. Both were “of an advanced age," while neither of them were in a metropolitan area. One of them was connected to travel.
Quebec’s first four deaths occurred at the same seniors home, EVA Lavaltrie residence, in the town of Lavaltrie in the Lanaudière region. There are currently outbreaks in three senior care homes, which includes one each in the regions of Montréal, the Eastern Townships and Lanaudière, said Arruda.
The jump in cases in Quebec this week is due to a change in process — cases that tested positive by hospital laboratories are now considered confirmed and no longer need to be validated by the Quebec Public Health Laboratory.
Among the province’s cases, 78 of them are in hospital, which includes 35 people in intensive care.
Over 600 of the province’s cases are in the Montreal region, while Estrie and Montérégie have diagnosed more than 100 patients.
In Montreal, 31 health care workers have tested positive for COVID-19, but director of public health for the Montreal region Dr. Mylène Drouin could not provide transmission details. People experiencing homeless in Montreal will also be housed in a hotel as they await their COVID-19 results. The decision comes after a homeless man was left to wander the streets of Montreal after his screening, which turned out positive.
As of March 25, Quebec health officials have also had 26,634 negative COVID-19 tests, while there are 2,998 people under investigation. Among their province 1,339 positive cases is one person who has recovered, and six deaths.
Eight new cases in New Brunswick
Date reported: March 25
There are now 26 cases of COVID-19 in New Brunswick, after health officials diagnosed eight more patients.
Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province's chief public officer of health, said that seven of the cases are related to travel, while one is believed to have contracted the virus through close-contact with another infected individual who recently travelled.
Three cases each are located in the southeast and south regions of the province, while there is one each in the centre and northwest zones. The eight patients range in age from 10 to 70 years old.
According to a press release, the province has conducted more than 1,700 cases as of March 25.
One more case in Yukon
Date reported: March 25
A third case of COVID-19 has been diagnosed in Yukon, according to the territory’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Brendan Hanley.
The individual recently travelled outside of Yukon, but still within Canada. They were tested March 23, but results came in Wednesday morning. Officials did not provide more information about their travel history or location, but said the person has mild symptoms and is currently in self-isolation at home.
As of March 25, 517 people in Yukon have been tested for COVID-19. There have been 412 negative results, while 102 individuals are still under investigation. Three people have tested positive, which includes the territory’s first two cases that were announced late March 22.
Two more cases in P.E.I.
Date reported: March 25
There are now five cases of COVID-19 in Prince Edward Island, after chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison announced two more cases.
Both patients are men in their 30s who recently travelled internationally. One of them returned from the U.S. on March 13 and was tested six days later. The other returned from the Dominican Republic on March 19, and was tested March 23.
Morrison said that flight details will soon be released. As of March 25, health officials in P.E.I. have tested 539 people. To go along with the five positive test results, 326 of them have come back negative, while 208 are still under investigation.
14 more cases in Saskatchewan
Date reported: March 25
Health officials in Saskatchewan have reported 14 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the province’s total to 86.
Among the total cases, four of them are believed to have been contracted through community spread, meaning they can’t be linked to travel. Saskatchewan reported its first signs of community transmission on March 18.
The rest of the 82 patients’ infections are linked to travel.
Among the province’s total cases, four are 19 years old or younger, 69 of them are 20-64 years old, and 13 are 65 years or older. There are also four people in hospital, which includes two in intensive care, but some were already there for other underlying medical conditions.
There are now 41 cases in Saskatoon, 27 in Regina, three in the North, eight in Central region (excluding Saskatoon) and seven in the South (excluding Regina).
As of March 25, the province has tested 6,270 people for the virus.
Alberta sees highest surge in cases
Date reported: March 25
There are now 419 new cases of COVID-19 in Alberta, after health officials diagnosed 61 new patients with COVID-19.
It marks the biggest rise in daily reported cases in the province
Alberta’s chief medical officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw said up that up to 33 of the patients may have been infected through community transmission.
Of the province’s cases, 20 are in hospital, which includes eight in intensive care.
Health officials also learned that there’s a new cluster of cases at an adult group home for people with development disabilities. As of March 25, one staff member and two residents have been infected.
There are also nine cases at long-term care homes or assisted living facilities in the province among staff or residents. Mckenzie Towne facility in Calgary has six, while there’s one case at Rosedale On The Park and two at Shepherd's Care Kensington Village, which are both in the Edmonton zone.
As of March 25, the province has conducted 35,089 tests for COVID-19, to go along with 419 positive tests.
B.C. records 42 cases, one more death
Date reported: March 25
Health officials in British Columbia have diagnosed 42 cases of COVID-19, while one more death has been reported in the province.
The updates bring B.C.’s total case count to 659, to go along with 14 fatalities. There are also now 183 people who have recovered from the virus in the province.
The most recent death occurred at the Lynn Valley Centre, a long term care home in North Vancouver, said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry. It marks the 11th death at the home, but Henry said there have been no new cases in the past 24 hours.
There are now also nine care homes that have identified a case of COVID-19 in B.C., with the most recent one being the Broadway Pentecostal Lodge in Vancouver. A larger outbreak has been identified recently at Haro Park Centre in Vancouver, with 27 staff members and 28 residents testing positive for the virus. However, no one part of the long term care home has been hospitalized, said Henry.
In the province, there are now 55 health care workers who have tested positive for COVID-19. Among the province’s total cases, 64 are in hospital, which includes 26 people in intensive care. Most of the people are over the age of 50, but one individual who has been hospitalized is under the age of 10, said Henry.
Because of travel bans, officials said they’re seeing less cases related to travel, but there are continuing signs of community transmission in the province. As of March 25, officials in B.C. have tested 31,739 people for COVID-19.
Ontario reports 85 new cases, two more deaths
Date reported: March 24
On Tuesday, health officials in Ontario reported that 85 more people have tested positive for COVID-19, to go along with two more fatalities.
It brings the province’s case count to 588, and death toll to eight.
A woman in her 90s from the Durham Region has died, but the cause of how she contracted the virus is still pending. She was a resident at a long-term care home in Oshawa, where five people have tested positive.
Later in the day, health officials also announced that a woman in her 80s at a Hamilton nursing home passed away.
Of the cases that have been confirmed, 18 are related to travel to other countries, including Austria, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Italy, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
Among the new patients, five are from individuals who have close contact with someone who is positive for COVID-19. They include a woman in her 30s from Hamilton, a woman in her 30s and a man in his 40s from Ottawa, a man in his 30s from Toronto, and a woman in her 40s from York Region.
The remaining cases are all awaiting confirmation of the source of transmission. They are from public health units based in Kingston, Waterloo, Brant, Peel, Halton, Wellington, Grey Bruce, Windsor, Niagara, Sudbury and Durham.
Manitoba announces one additional case
Date reported: March 24
One more case was announced in Manitoba, bringing the provincial total to 21.
The newest case is a man in his 40s who lives in Winnipeg. Public health officials say investigators are still working to determine whether it is related to travel.
Nova Scotia reports 10 new cases
Date reported: March 24
10 new cases of COVID-19 were identified in Nova Scotia. All of the new cases are travel-related or connected to earlier reported cases.
Several of the new cases are connected to groups or families who have returned to Nova Scotia following travel outside of Canada. None of these cases are from spread within the community.
The 51 individuals affected across the province range in age from under 10 to mid-70s.
Sharp uptick in Quebec cases for second consecutive day
Date reported: March 24
Quebec became the first province in Canada to reach 1,000 cases of COVID-19.
Reporting 385 new cases to add to their 628 existing patients, health officials said 67 people were in hospital, 31 of them in intensive care. This means the province now has 1,013 cases.
There were no further deaths reported in the latest announcement on Tuesday afternoon.
All non-essential businesses and services have been ordered to close in the province for three weeks as of midnight Tuesday.
Newfoundland and Labrador identify 11 more presumptive cases
Date reported: March 24
The province announced on Tuesday that 11 new presumptive cases that had been identified in the last 24 hours.
All the cases were from the Eastern health region in Newfoundland, and brings the province’s total number of presumptive and confirmed cases to 35.
Saskatchewan diagnosis six new cases
Date reported: March 24
Health officials in Saskatchewan have reported six new cases of COVID-19, bringing the province’s total to 72.
Among the total cases in the province, eleven of the patients are 65 or older, 59 of them are 20-64 years old, and two are 19 or under.
Dr. Saqib Shahab, Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer, said they can’t identify the reason for transmission for four of the cases in the province. It gives evidence that they contracted the disease through community transmission, but the patients are still under investigation.
As of March 24, the province has tested 5,757 people for COVID-19.
Alberta announces second provincial death and 57 new diagnoses
Date reported: March 24
Alberta’s chief medical officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw announced the “extremely sad” news of a second COVID-19-related death in the province. The victim was a woman in her 80s at the McKenzie Towne Continuing Care Centre in Calgary.
The province announced 57 new cases, bringing its total to 358.
B.C. announces 145 new cases
Date reported: March 24
British Columbia announced 145 new COVID-19 cases in the province Tuesday, but provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry noted the data covers almost two days, since Monday’s announcement was made much earlier in the day.
Henry added that 28 per cent of all cases have been resolved as 173 patients recovered from the illness.
“I think that’s a really positive thing,” Henry told reporters. “It shows us that most people – particularly young, healthy people who have milder illness – are able to be managed at home and are recovering from this.”
Ontario reports 78 more cases
Date reported: March 23
Health officials in Ontario reported a further 78 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the province’s total to 503.
It marks the highest jump in daily reported cases in the province.
Among the new cases, 14 were travel-related as patients returned to Canada from countries including the United States, Costa Rica, Spain, Italy, Jamaica, Egypt and Switzerland. All of the travel-related patients, except one, are self-isolating. A woman in her 50s from the York region has been hospitalized.
Of those who tested positive, the reason for transmission for 16 patients was close contact with another infected person. Patients were from the York Region, Toronto, Ottawa, Peel Region, Eastern Ontario Region, Hamilton, Durham and Hastings Prince Edward. Their ages range from a woman in her 20s to a man in his 70s.
Details on 48 other patients listed on Ontario’s public health website were pending.
Nova Scotia has 13 new cases
Date reported: March 23
Nova Scotia identified 13 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the new total in that province to 41.
Among the new cases is one involving a child. The province says the latest cases are all travel-related or related to previously reported cases.
Several of the new cases are connected and involve groups or families who have returned to Nova Scotia after travelling outside Canada.
Manitoba identifies new probable case, resolves another
Date reported: March 23
Manitoba identified an additional probable case on Monday, but ruled out another probable case when results returned negative for COVID-19. Manitoba’s total probable cases count remains at 20.
The latest probable case in the province is a man in his 50s who lives in Winnipeg. It is suspected that the case is related to travel.
Public health officials are now advising all residents in the province to avoid non-essential travel, including health care providers. The province is now recommending anyone who returns from travel should enter a 14-day self-quarantine.
Quebec cases rocket to 628
Date reported: March 23
In the biggest single day increase for any province to date, Quebec public health officials announced an increase of 409 cases on Monday, bringing the province’s total to 628.
The jump in cases is due to a change in process — cases that tested positive by hospital laboratories are now considered confirmed, and no longer require validation by the Quebec Public Health Laboratory (LSPQ). The majority of these cases are in the Montreal public health region, with a total of 265 cases.
Among the province’s 628 cases, four people have died and one person has recovered from the virus. As of March 23, the province has also had 11,211 negative tests, while there are 1,888 people under investigation.
Newfoundland and Labrador more than doubles its amount of cases
Date reported: March 23
Health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador diagnosed 15 new presumptive cases of COVID-19, bringing the province’s count to 24.
Of the new patients, one is in the Central Health region, while the other 14 are in the Eastern Health region.
British Columbia death toll reaches 13
Date reported: March 23
B.C. public health officials announced on Monday that three more people who had COVID-19 have passed away, bringing the total number of COVID-19-related deaths to 13.
The province also announced 48 new cases to bring B.C's total number of cases to 472, while notifying the public 100 people have now recovered from the virus.
Among the three newly reported fatalities, one is at the Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver, where nine other residents have passed away. The second fatality is at the Haro Park Centre, another long term care home in Vancouver. The third fatality involves an elderly person living in Fraser Health.
Of the province’s 472 cases, there are also 33 people in hospital, which includes 14 in intensive care.
Saskatchewan identifies 14 more cases
Date reported: March 23
The province has found 14 new cases of COVID-19, bringing Saskatchewan’s total to 66. One case is presumptive and awaiting confirmation.
Two of the cases are people between the ages of five and 19, while the rest are adults. The majority (61 per cent) of people diagnosed with COVID-19 in the province are male.
Ontario reports three more deaths, joins B.C. with at least 400 cases
Date reported: March 22
To go along with three fatalities, Ontario health officials reported another 48 cases of COVID-19.
Late Sunday, health officials part of the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit said a man in his 80s died after contracting COVID-19. He was admitted to Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay, Ont. on March 19, after “presenting with a high fever and influenza-like illness.”
The man was confirmed to have the virus a couple days later, but passed away March 22 with “pneumonia and COVID-19 listed as the cause of death,” according to a press release by the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit. Officials believe that the individual contracted the virus through community transmission, since he had “no travel history or contact with anyone confirmed to have COVID-19.”
A woman in her 70s from the York public health region has passed away, while it’s believed that she contracted the disease through recent travel. Officials have not indicated which destination she visited. The recent fatality also marks Ontario’s 425th case of COVID-19, as health officials recorded 48 new diagnoses on March 22.
Earlier in the day, Toronto Public Health reported the city’s first COVID-19-related death, involving a man in his 70s who recently travelled to the United Kingdom.
The three recent fatalities bring Ontario’s death toll to six, and Canada’s to 21.
The man was initially tested at a hospital in Toronto, and sent home to self-isolate. On March 14, he reported himself to Trillium Health Partners - Mississauga Hospital, where he stayed until he passed away March 21.
“We extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the individual who died this weekend,” said Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto’s medical officer of health in a press release. “I'm asking everyone again to make every effort and take every opportunity to practice social distancing. Please stay home, stay safe and take care of each other.”
Ontario’s first and third fatalities involved men who were treated at a Barrie, Ont. hospital in the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. The second fatality was a man from Milton, Ont., which is part of Halton Region Public Health.
Out of Ontario’s 48 new cases on March 22, the province’s public health website only provided information on eight of the patients. They range in age from their 20s to 70s.
Six of them are in self-isolation, while the status is still pending for the seventh patient out of the 47 new diagnoses.
Of the cases, health officials only provided the reason for transmission for four of them. One involves a woman in her 20s from the Waterloo public health unit, who is believed to have contracted the virus through close contact with another patient. The second involves a man in his 50s from the Hamilton public health unit, who was recently on a cruise in the Caribbean. The third is a man in his 60s from the Windsor Essex public health unit, who travelled to the Caribbean. The fourth is the most recent fatality from the York Region.
Other public health units that have new cases include Ottawa, Eastern Ontario, Peel and Toronto.
Later in the day, Ottawa's medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches said that there are five confirmed cases of community transmission of COVID-19 in the nation’s capital. She also predicts that there could be as many as 4,000 people infected in Ottawa.
Among Ottawa’s cases, there is also one healthcare worker at the Ottawa Hospital who has tested positive. Toronto Public Health has also reported that at least 13 health care professionals have been diagnosed with COVID-19. They are among the 220 people who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the city, according to Toronto Public Health.
As of March 22, Ontario health officials have tested 26,420 people for COVID-19. Of those tests, 17,634 have come negative, while there are 8,361 people still under investigation. Among the confirmed cases, there are eight people who have recovered from the virus, and three people who have died.
Nova Scotia identifies seven new cases
Date reported: March 22
While enacting a state of emergency, officials in Nova Scotia also announced that are seven more presumptive cases of COVID-19 in the province.
It brings Nova Scotia’s total case count to 28.
All of the seven cases are linked to travel or close contact with another COVID-19 patient.
A lab at the QEII in Halifax is now capable of providing secondary testing to confirm the presumptive cases, meaning that they won’t have to be sent to the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg.
Quebec reaches 200 cases, retracts one death
Date reported: March 22
Premier François Legault said on Sunday that one the patients who they reported died on March 21, has tested negative for COVID-19. It brings the province’s death toll to four, and Canada’s to 18.
All four of Quebec’s deaths occurred at the same seniors residence in the town of Lavaltrie.
Quebec health officials have also diagnosed 38 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the province’s count to 219. It makes Quebec the fourth province to eclipse 200 cases.
Of the province’s 38 new diagnoses, one is in the Laval region, two each in Mauricie and Outaouais, three each in Estrie and Laurentides, five in Montréal, six in Lanaudière, and 14 in Montérégie. The regional information is still under investigation for 2 cases.
Among the province’s total cases, there are 21 people in hospital, which includes 13 in intensive care, said Legault.
As of March 22, Quebec has seen 9,786 negative results, while there are still 2,063 under investigation. There is also one person who has since recovered from the virus.
Newfoundland and Labrador identifies three new cases
Date reported: March 22
Three new presumptive cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed in Newfoundland and Labrador, bringing the province’s count to nine.
Two of them are related to international travel, while health authorities are still investigating the third case’s reason for transmission.
As of March 22, the province has tested 970 people, with 961 of them coming back as negative. None of Newfoundland and Labrador’s cases have been hospitalized thus far.
Prince Edward Island reports third case
Date reported: March 22
A woman in her 20s from Queens County has been diagnosed with COVID-19, according to chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison.
The woman recently returned from a trip to Spain, and arrived to Toronto on March 14. Two days later, she flew to Moncton on WestJet flight 3456, and then drove home to P.E.I., where she was tested for the virus.
Morrison says the woman is in self-isolation at home with mild symptoms. It marks the first case the province has reported since March 19.
As of March 22, P.E.I. has tested 390 people for COVID-19. To go along with the three positive tests, 231 have come back negative. The remaining test results are still pending.
Saskatchewan surpasses 50 cases
Date reported: March 22
There are now 52 cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan, after eight new patients were diagnosed.
All eight new cases have been confirmed by secondary testing at the Romanow Provincial Laboratory in Saskatchewan. It marks the first day that the province has been able to perform secondary testing; they’re still awaiting results for 19 presumptive cases that they sent days prior to the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg.
Of the eight new cases, one is in the province’s north region, three in the south (excluding Regina), three in Saskatoon, and one in Regina. Saskatchewan health officials didn’t hold a media conference on Sunday to provide extra details on the eight cases.
As of March 22, the province has performed 4,336 tests for COVID-19.
Manitoba reaches 20 diagnoses
Date reported: March 22
A man in his 40s from Winnipeg has tested positive for COVID-19, according to provincial health officials.
It brings Manitoba’s case count to 20. The individual is believed to have contracted the virus through recent travel. Despite not providing the individual’s exact travel destination, Manitoba has released a list of flights, where people may have been exposed to the virus. Departing destinations include Tokyo, Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Manila, Lisbon, Amsterdam and Phoenix, among other places.
At the moment, health officials haven’t seen any evidence of community transmission.
As of March 22, about 3,600 people have been tested for COVID-19 in the province.
Alberta reports another 33 cases
Date reported: March 22
Alberta now has 259 cases of COVID-19 after announcing 33 new patients.
As of March 22, there are 164 cases in the Calgary zone, 60 cases in the Edmonton zone, 18 in the North, 10 in Central zone, and seven in the South. Of the 259 cases, 18 have been hospitalized, which includes seven patients in intensive care.
Officials didn’t hold a press conference Sunday, instead they announced the new diagnoses through a release. Therefore, they were not able to provide more details on the case.
As of March 22, Alberta health officials have also had 26,740 negative COVID-19 tests. Among their 259 positive tests are three people who have since recovered, and one person who has died after contracting COVID-19.
Yukon sees its first cases
Date reported: March 22
Two people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Yukon, marking the territory’s first cases.
The diagnoses involve a Whitehorse couple, who recently travelled to the U.S. to attend a convention. Yukon's chief medical health officer Dr. Brendan Hanley said they have both been self-isolating since they arrived back home, where they started to first experience symptoms.
As of March 22, the two patients have mild-cases and are still in self-isolation, as public health officials investigate anyone they may been exposed to the virus.
Ontario diagnoses 59 new cases, one more death
Date reported: March 21
One more fatality and 59 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Ontario.
The death was reported by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit in Ontario, which marks the province’s third fatality.
The individual was a man in his 70s, who was a close contact of the province’s first COVID-19-related death. They were both treated at Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie, Ont.
There are now also 377 cases in Ontario, after health officials diagnosed 59 new patients with COVID-19. To go along with the news, there are now six people who have recovered from the virus in Ontario.
Among the new patients is a female under the age of 18, from the York public health unit. She is believed to have contracted the virus through close contact, and is now in self-isolation. The individual is one of five people who are listed as having contracted the disease through close contact with another COVID-19 patient.
The oldest case of the group is a woman in her 70s, who is from the York public health unit and believed to have contracted the disease through close contact. On Saturday, the City of Markham also confirmed that a resident in a long-term care home, Markhaven Home for Seniors, tested positive for the virus.
A lot of information about the new group of diagnoses is still pending on Ontario’s public health website. So far, health officials have indicated that the new cases are from public health units such as Hastings Prince Edward, Durham, Toronto, Simcoe Muskoka, York, Peel and Ottawa.
There are at least 13 people who are in self-isolation. One patient, a man in his 40s from the Simcoe Muskoka public health unit, is in hospital. He is believed to have contracted the virus through recent travel to England. He is one of nine people who recently travelled.
Travel histories among the group of 59 include the U.S., Germany, Ecuador, Germany, Austria, the Philippines and England. One person is also listed as having travelled to “Europe” as a whole, and one person to “London,” but it’s not clear whether it’s the city in Canada or England.
As of March 21, Ontario has tested 23,384 people. Of those tests, 15,768 have come back negative, while there are still 7,239 under investigation. To go go along with the six cases that have been resolved, two people in Ontario have passed away after contracting the virus.
Later in the day, the Ottawa Senators announced that a second player on their NHL team tested positive for COVID-19. They did not announce which player, while it’s unclear if the individual is part of Ontario’s latest statistics.
Manitoba reports two new cases
Date reported: March 21
There are now 19 cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba, after two more diagnoses were announced by chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin.
The latest case involve two women, one in their 30s and the other in their 50s, who live in Winnipeg. Officials believe they contracted the disease while recently travelling, but they did not specify which destinations they visited.
It marks the first increase in cases in Manitoba in the past three days.
Quebec records four more deaths, sees record surge in cases
Date reported: March 21
Quebec health officials have announced 42 new cases, to go along with four deaths.
The four patients were all living in the same seniors residence, said Premier François Legault.
It brings the province’s totals to five deaths and 181 COVID-19 diagnoses. The 42 new cases mark the largest daily increase Quebec has reported since the start of the outbreak.
Among the new cases, there is one each in the regions of Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean, Mauricie and Estrie. There are three in Québec City, 10 in Montreal, seven in Chaudière-Appalaches, four in Laurentians, five in Montérégie, and two each in Outaouais, Lanaudiere and Laval.
Regional information for four more cases has not yet been disclosed.
As of March 21, Quebec has also had 9,242 negative COVID-19 tests, while 1,512 people are still under investigation. Among the 181 confirmed cases are the five fatalities, and one person who has since recovered.
Officials are also urging people to take self-isolation measures more seriously, especially after the provincial cabinet met Friday in order to extend their public-health emergency. Police now have the power to enforce orders. On March 20, a woman in Quebec City was arrested because she did not respect orders to self-isolate, after testing positive for COVID-19.
First case in the Northwest Territories
Date reported: March 21
An individual has tested positive for COVID-19 in the Northwest Territories, according to public health officials.
It marks the first positive diagnosis in the Northwest Territories.
According to a press release, the individual is recovering at home in Yellowknife, after recently travelling to British Columbia and Alberta. They developed symptoms three days after returning from their travels.
Before announcing the diagnosis, the territorial government said that they’ll be banning all non-essential travel into the Northwest Territories to limit the spread of COVID-19. Anyone who comes into the territory will also have to self-isolate for 14 days.
People who don’t follow the government’s directors could be fined up to $10,000 and face six months imprisonment, according to their news release.
Six more cases in Nova Scotia
Date reported: March 21
Health officials in Nova Scotia have identified six more cases of COVID-19, bringing their province’s total count to 21.
It marks the most daily cases Nova Scotia has reported since the start of the outbreak.
Each of the six new cases are related to travel, but health officials have not specified their exact travel destinations.
Among the cases, 20 are now recovering in self-isolation, while one is in hospital. However, their original case who was in hospital has since recovered.
Of the 21 patients, their ages range from their late teens to mid-70s.
As of March 21, Nova Scotia has had 1,826 negative COVID-19 test results, to go along with 12 presumptive cases and nine confirmed cases. The presumptive diagnoses are being confirmed by secondary tests at the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg.
New Brunswick identifies six new cases
Date reported: March 21
New Brunswick’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Jennifer Russell has announced that there are six new cases of COVID-19 in the province.
It’s marks the most daily cases New Brunswick has reported since the start of the outbreak. It also brings their total case count to 17.
Of the cases, five of them are in the province’s south zone. Four of them were recently on a cruise, but their exact destinations have not been made available. The fifth person is a close contact of another case in New Brunswick. The five cases include two males and three females, between the ages of 20 and 70 years old.
The sixth case is located in New Brunswick’s central zone. It involves a female, between the ages of 50-60, who is a close contact of previously identified case.
As of March 21, the province has administered 771 tests. Of their 21 positive cases, eight are still presumptive and are currently ongoing secondary tests at the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg.
CFB Trenton identifies one more patient
Date reported: March 21
One more case of COVID-19 has been reported at the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) in Trenton, Ont., where Canadians are being held as part of a 14-day quarantine. There are now 13 cases at CFB Trenton.
The individuals are among the group of 228 Canadians who were repatriated on March 9, from the Grand Princess cruise ship, which was quarantined and docked off the coast of California after at least 20 passengers were diagnosed with COVID-19.
Passengers on the plane back to Canada were not allowed to board if they showed symptoms prior to departure. Public health officials have not provided more information on the new patient.
Newfoundland and Labrador identifies two more patients
Date reported: March 21
Two new cases have been reported by health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador, bringing the province’s total to six.
According to provincial chief medical officer of health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, one of the cases involves a woman in the Central Health region, who recently returned from a cruise. Fitzgerald did not specify the exact destinations of the cruise.
The second case involves a woman from the Eastern Health region, who recently returned rom the United States.
Both women are now in self-isolation with mild symptoms.
As of March 21, Newfoundland and Labrador has tested 901 people. Of those people, there have been 895 negative tests, to go along with their six people positive cases. Three of those cases have been confirmed by the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg, while the other three are awaiting secondary results.
There are also 330 people in self-isolation, according to health officials.
British Columbia identifies 76 new cases, reports one more death
Date reported: March 21
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced one more death and 76 new cases of COVID-19 in British Columbia, bringing the province’s count to 10 and 424, respectively.
The death occurred at the Lynn Valley Centre, a long term care home in North Vancouver where eight other people have died. COVID-19 was first detected in the long-term care home on March 5 in a health care worker, who is believed to be Canada’s first case of community transmission.
The 76 new diagnoses makes B.C. the first province to record over 400 cases. Among the patients, there are 230 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 126 in Fraser Health, 37 in Vancouver Island Health, 27 in Interior Health, and four in Northern Health.
Among all of B.C.’s 424 cases, 27 individuals are currently hospitalized, which includes 12 in intensive care. Among the cases are six individuals who have since recovered.
Henry said that older people have been most affected, but there has also been a cluster of people in their 30s and 40s who have contracted the disease, primarily health-care workers.
As of their last update, the province has completed 17,912 COVID-19 tests.
Saskatchewan diagnoses 18 new cases
Date reported: March 21
Health authorities in Saskatchewan have reported 18 new cases of COVID-19, bringing their province’s total to 44.
There are twelve new cases in Saskatoon, one in the central area (excluding Saskatoon), and five new cases in Regina.
Among the new cases is a doctor who works at the Rosthern Medical Clinic. In a Facebook post, Dr. Jesse Melle said he and his wife were diagnosed following a recent trip to Alberta.
Health authorities are still investigating one of the cases, but have said that 42 of their diagnoses are above the age of 20. One of them is in their late teens.
Of the 44 cases, there are also three that health officials have not been to identify the reason for transmission, such as travel or large social gatherings, which means they could be the result of community spread. Saskatchewan reported its first signs of community transmission on March 18.
Dr. Saqib Shahab, the province's chief medical health officer, also said in a press conference that of the 22 people from Saskatchewan who attended a curling bonspiel in Edmonton, 11 of them have tested positive. The first publicly reported case linked to the bonspiel was Dr. Allan Woo, president of the Saskatchewan Medical Association. The event was attended by doctors from across Western Canada.
As of March 21, health authorities in the province have performed 3,917 COVID-19 tests. Of their 44 tests, 19 are still presumptive. Secondary tests will now be performed at the Romanow Provincial Laboratory in Saskatchewan, instead of having to be completed at the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg.
Alberta surpasses 200 cases
Date reported: March 21
Health officials in Alberta have reported 31 new cases of COVID-19.
Among their 226 total cases, officials believe 16 of them are because of community spread, because they can’t be linked to travel. Community spread was first reported in the province March 14.
There are also 11 people in hospital, which includes six in intensive care. One of the cases is in a senior’s home, but officials have not identified which one.
Along with the 226 positive tests, health officials in the province have also completed 23,516 negative tests.
Two more positive tests at CFB Trenton
Date reported: March 20
Two diagnoses of COVID-19 have been reported at the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) in Trenton, Ont., where Canadians are being held as part of a 14-day quarantine. It brings the total amount of cases at CFB Trenton to 12.
The individuals are among the group of 228 Canadians who were repatriated on March 9, from the Grand Princess cruise ship, which was quarantined and docked off the coast of California after at least 20 passengers were diagnosed with COVID-19.
Passengers on the plane back to Canada were not allowed to board if they showed symptoms prior to departure. Public health officials have not provided more information on the new patients, except that one of them is a close contact of a previously reported case.
Ontario becomes first province to 300 cases after record surge
Date reported: March 20
Health officials in Ontario have reported 60 new cases, bringing their province’s total to 318.
It’s the most daily reported cases the province has recorded since the outbreak, and makes Ontario the first to diagnose over 300 patients. The news also brings Canada’s case count to over 900.
A lot of information about the patients is still pending on Ontario’s public health website.
There are at least 25 people who are in self-isolation. There are also two people in hospital, which includes a woman in her 50s from Durham, who is believed to have contracted the virus through close contact, and a man in his 70s from the Waterloo public health unit. Information of how he contracted the disease is still pending.
There are four people in a long-term care home in the Durham public health unit, but information of how they contracted the disease has not yet been made available. The patients include a man in his 60s, a man in his 70s, a woman in her 80s, and a woman in her 90s. In addition, there are three people from the Haliburton Kawartha public health unit, who are in isolation at a nursing home, who range in age from their 60s to 90s.
Of the information that’s available, the 60 patients range in age from their 20s to 90s. The cases are in public health units such as Hamilton, Peterborough, Durham, Haliburton Kawartha, Porcupine, Middlesex London, Hastings Prince Edward, Ottawa, Waterloo, Peel, Waterloo, Toronto, Durham and York.
There are at least nine people who are believed to have contracted the disease through close-contact with another patient. There are also 10 people who officials believe contracted the virus through recent travel, to destinations such as the U.S., Bahamans, Portugal and the Caribbean. There are three people who were on a cruise in the Caribbean, and two others who were on a cruise without a destination being listed by Ontario’s public health website.
As of March 20, Ontario has tested 19,511 people for COVID-19. Of those tests, 13,718 have come back negative, while there are still 5,475 that are under investigation. Of Ontario’s 318 confirmed cases, five are resolved, and two patients have passed away.
In a press conference later in the day, Toronto’s medical officer of health Dr. Eileen de Villa says at this point, she is confident that there has also been community transmission in the city.
In addition, Toronto health authorities confirmed diagnoses in a paramedic, a person experiencing homelessness, and a resident part of a long-term care home, among their 161 cases. A guard at the city’s South Detention Centre also tested positive, which has forced the jail into a lockdown, according to the Toronto Star.
Nova Scotia hits 15 cases
Date reported: March 20
Health authorities in Nova Scotia have reported one new presumptive case, bringing the province’s total to 15.
The case is linked to travel, but authorities have not yet provided specifics.
As of March 19, Nova Scotia has had 1,546 negative COVID-19 tests, 10 presumptive cases and five confirmed. The presumptive cases are currently undergoing secondary tests at the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg.
Newfoundland and Labrador reports one new case
Date reported: March 20
A presumptive case of COVID-19 has been diagnosed in Newfoundland and Labrador’s Eastern Health region, according to provincial health authorities.
The patient recently returned from a trip to Spain and is currently at home in self-isolation.
As of March 20, 791 people have been tested in Newfoundland and Labrador. There are also 300 people in self-isolation who are being monitored, said Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, the province's chief medical officer of health.
18 new cases in Quebec
Date reported: March 20
Quebec’s total case count is up to 139, after health officials announced 18 new diagnoses.
Of the new cases, one was reported in both the Mauricie and Laurentides regions; three in Montreal; two in Montérégie; and one in Nord-du-Québec, which marks its first diagnosis.
Regional information for the 10 other cases has not yet been disclosed.
As of March 20, Quebec has also had 7,666 negative tests, while 2,403 people are still under investigation for the virus. Of the 139 confirmed cases, one person has since recovered and one person has died. Ten people in Quebec are hospitalized with the virus, which includes six in intensive care.
Six new cases in Saskatchewan
Date reported: March 20
Health officials in Saskatchewan have diagnosed six more patients with COVID-19, bringing the province’s count to 26.
With the news, officials have now made it illegal to not go into mandatory self-isolation following international travel for 14 days or after coming into contact with someone who’s been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said that people who don’t follow the new measures under the Public Health Act could be arrested as part of the province’s state of emergency. Penalties could also include a $2,000 fine.
“I know that the vast majority of Saskatchewan people are taking their personal responsibility seriously and following this order,” said Moe. “But a few are not. This is not a suggestion. It is not a guideline. It is the law and it must be followed.”
The province’s six new cases involves a pair of individuals in their 20s, who were tested in Regina following recent travels. One of them returned from Mexico, and the other from the United States. A third individual is in their 50s, who was also tested in Regina after a trip to Jordan. Two people in their 60s were tested in Prince Albert after a trip to Arizona. The final patient is in their 60s, and was tested in Regina. It’s unclear at this moment how they contracted the disease.
On March 18, the province said they saw their first potential signs of community spread, as they were not able to identify the cause of infection for a patient who was also tested in Regina.
Of the province’s 26 total cases, 24 are self-isolating at home. Two are in hospital for medical reasons “not related to respiratory illness.” As of March 20, the province has also performed 3,093 tests for the virus.
Alberta reports 49 new diagnoses, Canada hits 1,000 cases mark
Date reported: March 20
Health officials in Alberta have announced 49 new cases, bringing their province’s total to 195. It’s the largest daily increase in cases Alberta has reported since the start of the outbreak.
It also brings Canada’s case count to over 1,000.
Of the new cases, 11 of them may be the result of community transmission, since they can’t be linked to travel, said the province's chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw. All of the 11 cases are in the Edmonton and Calgary zones.
There are also 10 patients in hospital, which includes five in intensive care.
After reporting the province’s first death on March 19, Hinshaw said there have been no more fatalities. Instead, three people have since recovered from the virus.
As of March 20, Alberta health officials have also completed 20,165 negative COVID-19 tests.
77 new cases in British Columbia, one death
Date reported: March 20
British Columbia health officials have reported 77 new cases, which raises their province’s total case count to 348.
One more death has also been reported at the Lynn Valley Centre, a long term care home in North Vancouver. It marks the ninth death in the province, and the eighth at that care home alone, where 36 residents and 18 health care workers have tested positive for the virus.
The most recent fatality brings Canada’s death toll to 13.
Of the province’s diagnoses, 200 are in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 95 in Fraser Health, 30 in Island Health, 19 in Interior Health and four in the Northern Health region.
Among the province’s 348 cases, 22 of them are in hospital, which includes 10 people in intensive care.
About two dozen health workers in B.C. have also tested positive for the virus, according to provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry. None of the health care workers have severe forms of the illness, but one of them is an employee at the Dufferin Care Centre in Coquitlam. It marks the fourth care home in Metro Vancouver to have a COVID-19 diagnosis.
As of March 20, the province has completed 17,912 tests for COVID-19, which has led to 348 positive diagnoses. There are now also six people who have recovered from the virus, according to Henry.
Two new cases in Nova Scotia
Date reported: March 19
Two presumptive cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed in Nova Scotia, according to a press release from provincial health officials.
Both cases are related to travel, but officials have not provided the destinations at the moment.
The two new cases bring the province’s total to 14. Of those cases, five have been confirmed by secondary results at the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg, while nine are still presumptive as further tests are being completed.
As of March 19, Northern Nova Scotia is the only region without a COVID-19 case in the province.
Ontario sees record surge, reports second death
Date reported: March 19
A second person in Ontario has died after contracting COVID-19, according to Halton Region Public Health.
The most recent fatality in Ontario involves a man in his 50s with an underlying heart condition, who was treated at both Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital and Milton District Hospital. Health officials in Halton Region believe the man contracted the disease through community transmission.
"At this time what we know is that the individual did not travel outside of Canada recently nor was he a contact of a known case of COVID-19," Dr Hamidah Meghani, Halton's Medical Officer of Health, said at a news conference on Thursday.
It marks Canada’s 10th fatality relating to the virus, with British Columbia reporting seven deaths and Quebec reporting its first on March 18.
The news comes after Ontario health officials diagnosed 43 new patients with COVID-19. In the evening, Ontario reported one more case, being the fatality, bringing their case count to 258.
It marks the highest number of daily reported cases in Ontario. On March 15, the province reported 42 cases.
The increase in cases may be due to the backlog in testing the province is currently experiencing, with it taking four days to complete a test.
Of the new cases, a lot of information is still pending on Ontario’s public health website. The patients currently range in age from their 20 to 80s.
There are at least 11 people who are in self-isolation among the new cases. A man in his 80s from Durham is currently hospitalized, while there are currently 22 people in Ontario who are in hospital with COVID-19, according to Dr. Barbara Yaffe, the province's associate chief medical officer of health.
The new group of 43 patients are from public health units such as Ottawa, Eastern Ontario, Halton, Peel, Hamilton, Toronto, Hamilton, Waterloo, Durham and Haliburton Kawartha.
Their travel histories include destinations such as Manila, Spain, Belgium, Canary Islands, Germany, Malta, the U.K., Finland, the U.S., San Juan and England. There is one individual who is listed as having travelled to “Europe” and two people who were on a “cruise.”
Four people are also believed to have contracted the disease through close contact, while three of those cases also involve travel.
As of March 18, Ontario has tested 16,650 people. Of those tests, 12,421 have come negative, while there are still 3,972 tests under investigation. Of Ontario’s confirmed cases, there are five that have been resolved, and two people have passed away after contracting COVID-19.
Late March 18, two other cases involving a Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) worker and an employee at the Toyota Cambridge plant were also confirmed to have COVID-19 by their respective companies. It’s unclear if the two diagnoses are part of the 43 new cases reported by Ontario health officials.
The TTC reported that one of its employees tested positive for the virus late March 18. The individual is not a front-line worker, instead is part of the Duncan Shop, where rebuilds and overhauls take place.
“The employee worked one shift on March 11 after returning from travel and was sent home sick. They have not returned to work since,” wrote TTC CEO Rick Leary in a letter to the company.
An employee at the Toronto Cambridge plant has also tested positive for COVID-19. The employee worked their last shift March 12. Toyota was notified of the diagnosis by Hamilton Public Health on March 18. Earlier on Wednesday, Toyota already decided to suspend production across all their plants in North America until March 25.
27 new cases in Quebec, first recovery
Date reported: March 19
Quebec health officials have reported their biggest rise in daily recorded cases with 27 new patients, bringing the province’s total to 121.
Quebec now join Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta with over 100 cases.
Along with their new patients, Quebec’s public health website has reported that one person in the province has also recovered from the virus. There are also seven people in hospital.
Of the new cases, two are in Québec City, eight in Estrie, four in Montreal, one each in Lanaudière and Laurentides, six in Montérégie, while both Bas-Saint-Laurent and Laval reported their first and only cases on March 19.
Regional information for three more cases has not yet been disclosed.
As of March 19, Quebec has completed 6,331 negative tests, while there are 3,997 people under investigation. Of the 121 confirmed cases, one person has recovered from the illness, and one person has passed away.
No further information about the 27 new cases, such as the patients’ ages or reason for exposure to the virus, has been made available at the moment.
P.E.I. diagnoses second case, brings Canada’s total to 800
Date reported: March 19
The government of Prince Edward Island has reported a second case of COVID-19. It brings the province’s count to two, while it also marks Canada’s 800th case.
Dr. Heather Morrison, the province’s chief health officer, said the patient is a man in his 40s from Queens County. He returned to P.E.I. on March 16, after visiting the United Kingdom.
The man is currently in self-isolation at home. People who were on Air Canada Flight 7564 from Toronto to Charlottetown on March 11, are also being asked to self-isolate because they may have been exposed to the disease.
As of March 19, the province has tested 213 people. To go along with the two positive cases, there have been 122 negative test results. The remaining individuals are still under investigation.
CFB Trenton reaches 10 cases
Date reported: March 19
One more case of COVID-19 has been reported at the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) in Trenton, Ont., where Canadians are being held as part of a 14-day quarantine.
The individuals are among the group of 228 Canadians who were repatriated on March 9, from the Grand Princess cruise ship, which was quarantined and docked off the coast of California after at least 20 passengers were diagnosed with COVID-19.
Passengers on the plane back to Canada were not allowed to board if they showed symptoms prior to departure. Public health officials have not provided more information on the new patient.
Saskatchewan hits 20 cases
Date reported: March 19
Health authorities have diagnosed four new presumptive cases of COVID-19, bringing the province’s total to 20.
Three of the cases are linked to travel, while the fourth individual is believed to have contracted the virus through close contract with another infected patient.
Among the cases is Dr. Allan Woo, president of the Saskatchewan Medical Association, who tested positive for COVID-19 late March 18. In a statement, Woo said he believes he contracted the virus at an Edmonton curling bonspiel, held between March 11-14, which was attended by doctors from across Western Canada. Woo has been in self-isolation since March 17, when he first started to experience symptoms.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, said in a press conference that there were 72 curlers and 45 attendees at the event, which took place when gatherings of up to 250-people were allowed.
Hinshaw says they believe the person, who might have originally transmitted the virus at the bonspiel, was from Saskatchewan and had recently travelled to Las Vegas. Everyone in attendance is being asked to enter self-isolation.
Of Saskatchewan’s 20 cases, 19 are in self-isolation, while one is in hospital for an unrelated medical reason. As of March 19, the province has conducted 2,561 tests.
Alberta reports its firth death, most daily cases
Date reported: March 19
Health officials in Alberta have reported the province’s first fatality, to go along with 27 new cases.
The patient in Alberta was a man in his 60s in the Edmonton zone with underlying health conditions, who was admitted to hospital on March 12. He is believed to have contracted the virus through community transmission, said Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province's chief medical officer of health.
Health officials in Alberta have confirmed they have seven cases that were spread through community spread, while they’re currently investigating an eighth. It means that the patients’ cases can’t be linked to travel.
On March 19, officials also diagnosed 27 new cases of COVID-19, bringing Alberta’s total count to 146. It marks the highest rise in daily reported cases in the province.
According to Alberta’s public health website, the province has also completed 16,867 negative tests for COVID-19.
British Columbia reports one more death, 40 new cases
Date reported: March 19
British Columbia has reported one more fatality related to the virus, to go along with 40 new cases.
It marks their eighth death, while bringing their total case count to 271.
The individual in B.C. was a resident of the Lynn Valley Centre, a long-term care in North Vancouver where six other fatalities related to COVID-19 have been recorded. The disease was first reported at the centre in a health care worker on March 5, who is believed to be Canada’s first case of community transmission.
Of B.C.’s case, 17 are in hospital, which includes nine people in intensive care.
“This is not optional,” said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, when referring to people who have not taken social-distancing seriously. “I want to be very clear that everybody needs to take these actions now. This is what’s going to protect us for the next few weeks – it’s going to protect ourselves, it’s going to protect our families.”
“Don’t have a play date,” she continued. “Don’t go out for coffee with your friend … This is not the time for those kinds of social interaction.”
The disease has been reported in each of B.C.’s five health regions, to go along with three Metro Vancouver seniors’ residences.
The most recent death brings Canada’s total to 12. Alberta reported its first on March 19, Ontario its second earlier in the day, and Quebec recorded its only fatality on March 18.
British Columbia health officials have tested 6,326 people as of March 19, according to the province’s public health website. It’s unclear how many people are still under investigation.
Ontario first to report over 200 cases
Date reported: March 18
Ontario health officials have diagnosed 25 new patients with COVID-19, bringing their total case count to 214.
Ontario is the first province to report over 200 cases in Canada, which also brings the national count to over 600.
All of the 25 new patients are currently in self-isolation. Information is still pending for five of the cases, but the age demographic ranges from people in their 20s to 80s.
Five of the patients are believed to have contracted the disease through close contact with another infected individual. Three of those patients also have a recent travel history.
Destinations where infected individuals recently travelled include the Caribbean, the U.S., Brazil, Japan, Germany, Pakistan, Turkey, Mexico, India and Austria. There is one patient, a man in his 20s in the Peel public health unit, who is listed as having travelled to “Europe,” while also having had close contact with another infected individual.
The cases reside in public health units such as Niagara, Halton, York, Peel, Toronto, Waterloo, Hamilton, Ottawa, Middlesex London, Chatham Kent, Grey Bruce, Simcoe Muskoka, Brant and Algoma.
During an afternoon press conference, Toronto’s medical officer of health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, said the city is now looking into 11 cases of community transmission. It’s an increase compared to the three cases that Toronto officials were investigating on March 17.
As of March 18, Ontario has tested 13,897 people for COVID-19. Of those tests, 10,305 of them have come back negative, while there are still 3,378 people under investigation. Among the 214 positive cases, five have been resolved, and one person has died.
Five new cases in Nova Scotia
Date reported: March 18
Nova Scotia has reported its biggest rise to date in daily diagnoses, after health officials identified five more presumptive COVID-19 cases.
It brings the province’s total number of cases to 12.
Of the new cases, four are travel-related, while one is connected to an earlier case.
Specific information about the five new patients has yet to be made available, but the 12 patients in the province range in age from early 30s to mid-70s. They are all in self-isolation at home.
The cases are located across Nova Scotia. Northern Nova Scotia is the only region without a positive diagnosis.
Of the 12 cases, nine are still presumptive. Secondary tests are currently being completed at the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg.
The province has also completed 1,141 negative COVID-19 tests.
Three additional cases in New Brunswick
Date reported: March 18
New Brunswick’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Jennifer Russell announced three new cases of COVID-19, bringing the province’s count to 11.
One of the cases involves a woman between 50 and 60 years old, who was recently on a cruise. Exact information about her travel history has not been made available, but health officials said she lives in southeast New Brunswick.
The second of the new cases is a man between 60 and 70 years old, who lives in central New Brunswick. He is believed to have contracted the disease through close contract with someone who recently travelled, but it’s not been disclosed where.
The third case is a woman between the ages of 50 and 60, who lives in central New Brunswick and recently travelled to the United Kingdom.
Russell is now asking citizens to stay home and practice social distancing.
“Now is not the time for house parties,” said Russell. “Stay home. It is not the time for teenagers to hang out with their friends.”
Quebec reports its first death, 20 new cases
Date reported: March 18
Quebec health officials are reporting the province’s first COVID-19-related death, and Canada’s ninth.
Premier Francois Legault said the patient was an elderly person from the Lanaudière region, northeast of Montreal.
Horacio Arruda, Quebec’s director of public health, said the individual lived in a seniors residence, and had been in contact with people who had recently travelled.
A Facebook post by a family member has since helped identify the deceased as Mariette Tremblay, 82, from Lavaltrie in the Lanaudiere region.
In addition to the recent fatality, Quebec announced 20 new cases of COVID-19 on March 18, bringing their total case count to 94, which includes six people who are in hospital and four in intensive care.
Of the new 20 cases, five are in the Québec City region, nine in Estrie, two each in Montréal and Chaudière-Appalaches, and one each in Laurentides and Outaouais, which has just reported its first case.
No further information about the 20 new cases, such as the patients’ ages or reason for exposure to the virus, has been made available at the moment. But health officials in the province are currently investigating 3,627 people for the virus. So far, 5,213 tests have come back negative.
Quebec officials have also released a list of seven places, to go along with timeframes, where individuals in the province might have been exposed to COVID-19.
Saskatchewan doubles its number of cases, sees sign of community spread
Date reported: March 18
Health authorities in Saskatchewan have reported eight new presumptive cases, bringing their province’s total to 16.
Of the new patients, one of them appears to have contracted the disease through community transmission, meaning that they no recent travel history or close contact with someone who either has COVID-19 or has been to a highly infected area. Therefore, it’s unknown how they contracted the disease.
Health officials provided a breakdown of their eight newly reported cases:
An individual in their 30s was tested in Regina.
An individual in their 40s was tested following close contact with a previously announced case in Saskatchewan.
An individual in their 20s was tested in Saskatoon following travel in Tennessee.
An individual in their 20s was tested in Saskatoon following travel to Oregon, Nevada and Edmonton.
An individual was tested in Moose Jaw following their travel from Vancouver.
An individual was tested in Regina following their travel from Cancun, Mexico.
An individual was tested in Regina following their travel from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
An individual in their 40s was tested in Saskatoon following their travel from Vancouver.
Officials are asking that people who were on Sunwing flights WG540 and WG496 on March 14 to self-isolate, because they may been exposed to COVID-19.
Of the province’s 16 total cases, 15 are in self-isolation, while one is in hospital for medical reasons not related to COVID-19. Secondary results to confirm the province’s presumptive cases are currently being completed at the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg.
British Columbia records 45 new cases, brings Canada’s total to over 700
Date reported: March 18
There are now 231 cases of COVID-19 in British Columbia, after provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced another 45 cases.
It brings Canada’s total to 701.
Among the new patients is a resident of Haro Park Centre, which is a long term care home in Vancouver.
Of B.C.’s 231 case, 13 are in hospital, while seven of those patients are in intensive care.
Henry did not report any recent fatalities, after reporting three deaths in each of the past two days.
Health minister Adrian Dix said around 17,000 people in British Columbia have been tested so far for COVID-19, while close to a million people have already used a self-assessment tool created by the province.
Alberta announces 22 new cases
Date reported: March 18
There are now 22 additional COVID-19 cases in Alberta, according to health officials.
The latest update brings the province’s total count to 119.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province's chief medical officer of health, said among Alberta’s 119 cases, six are believed to have contracted the disease through community transmission. Two are in Calgary and three in Edmonton, while one patient from the province’s north zone is also believed to have contracted the disease in Edmonton.
Of all the patients, six are in hospital, which includes three in intensive care: two people in their 60s, and one person in their 40s, who has preexisting medical conditions.
Provincial health authorities have also linked seven cases to a Vancouver dental conference, which took place between March 5 and March 7. The dental conference has been linked to cases in Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Anyone who was in attendance at the conference, where there were nearly 15,000 people, is being asked to go into self-isolation.
Along with the positive diagnoses, Alberta has completed 14,447 negative COVID-19 tests. Hinshaw said they’ve tested about one person for ever 219 Albertans.
Two new cases in Manitoba
Date reported: March 18
Health officials have reported two new presumptive cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number cases in Manitoba to 17.
One of patients is a woman in her 50s, and the other is a man in his 70s. Both live in Winnipeg, and are believed to have contracted the disease through recent travel. Health officials have not yet indicated their exact travel histories.
Of the 17 cases, 16 of them are related to international travel. One case is still being investigated by health officials to determine how the patient contracted the disease. There is also one patient who is in hospital with mild syptoms.
As of the last update, Manitoba has completed 2,912 tests for COVID-19.
Secondary tests to confirm the province’s presumptive cases are currently being completed at the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg.
Nova Scotia diagnosis two patients
Date reported: March 17
Two new presumptive cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed in Nova Scotia, bringing the total number of cases to seven.
Both of the new cases are travel-related and connected to earlier patients. The newly affected individuals are in self-isolation and recovering at home, as secondary testing is being completed at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.
Newfoundland and Labrador reports second, third case
Date reported: March 17
Newfoundland and Labrador has diagnosed two more presumptive cases of COVID-19, bringing the province’s total number of cases to three.
The province’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, says the woman and man live within the Labrador-Grenfell Health region, which covers Labrador and part of Newfoundland’s Northern Peninsula.
The cases are linked to contact with the province’s first presumptive case announced on Saturday. The individual was recently on a cruise, but their exact travel history was not released because of privacy concerns.
Quebec sees biggest increase in daily cases
Date reported: March 17
There are now 74 cases of COVID-19 in Quebec after health officials announced another 24 diagnoses.
It’s the largest increase in daily reported cases in Quebec throughout the outbreak.
Of the newly reported patients, one is in Quebec City, six in Estrie, four in Montreal, three in Lanaudière, four in Laurentides, and three in Montérégie. There is one case who was diagnosed, but the patient is not a resident of Quebec. Regional information for two more cases has not yet been disclosed.
No further information about the 24 new cases, such as their age and reason for contracting the disease, has been available at the moment. But health officials in the province are currently investigating 2,949 people for the virus. So far, 4,778 tests have come back negative.
Saskatchewan reports its eighth case
Date reported: March 17
An individual in their 50s has tested positive for COVID-19 in Regina, according to provincial health authorities.
The individual recently travelled to Vancouver, where they attended a dental conference, which has also been linked to the spread of COVID-19 in Alberta and British Columbia. The conference took place at the Vancouver Convention Centre between March 5 and March 7.
Of Saskatchewan’s eight cases, three have been traced back to the conference, where there was nearly 15,000 people.
Child diagnosed with COVID-19 in New Brunswick
Date reported: March 17
New Brunswick health officials have identified a presumptive case of COVID-19 in a boy under the age of 10.
It marks the province’s eighth case of the virus.
The boy lives in the central part of the province, and is linked to a previous travel-related case, but health officials did not specify which one.
As of March 17, the province has diagnosed two people with travel histories: a woman who recently returned from Greece and another woman who travelled to France.
Five other cases in New Brunswick have been linked to the woman who travelled to France.
One more Canadian tests positive at CFB Trenton
Date reported: March 16
There are now nine Canadians at the Canadian Forces Base in Trenton, Ont., who have tested positive for COVID-19.
The latest patient is among the group of 228 Canadians who was repatriated on March 9, from the Grand Princess cruise ship, which was quarantined and docked off the coast of California after at least 20 passengers were diagnosed with COVID-19.
Passengers on the plane back to Canada were not allowed to board if they showed symptoms prior to departure. Public health officials have not provided more information on the latest patient.
Ontario records its first death, sees slower rise in cases
Date reported: March 17
A 77-year-old man in Ontario has died after contracting COVID-19, according to the Ministry of Health.
It marks Ontario’s first death relating to the virus and Canada’s fifth.
The patient was from the Muskoka, Ont., area and passed away at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie, Ont. He is believed to have contracted COVID-19 through close contact with another infected patient.
A spokesperson for Ontario’s deputy premier and minister of health said the man was under investigation for the virus, but was not yet confirmed to have been infected. COVID-19 was discovered in the 77-year-old after he died, while a later investigation confirmed that it was the result of his passing.
All of Canada’s other four COVID-19 deaths were reported at a long-term care home in North Vancouver, the Lynn Valley Centre. The first was on March 9 and the other three were on March 16.
On March 17, Premier Doug Ford announced a state of emergency for Ontario before news broke of the 77-year-old man’s death in the province.
"We're facing an unprecedented time in our history. This is a decision that was not made lightly," said Ford. "COVID-19 constitutes a danger of major proportions...We must act decisively. We must not delay."
Following Ford’s announcement on March 17, more cases were also confirmed in Ontario.
In the morning, health authorities reported eight new cases, followed by four more cases in the afternoon, which includes the 77-year-old man. There are now 189 total cases in Ontario.
The twelve new cases is a significant decrease compared to earlier days.
All eleven of the remaining patients are in self-isolation. Five of the cases are from the Hamilton public health unit, while more information on the group has not been made available.
Two of the cases are from the Middlesex London public health unit. One of the involves a woman in her 20s, who recently travelled to the U.S. The other is a female in her 40s, who was recently in St. Maarten.
Another case involves a man in his 60s from the York public health unit, who recently travelled to Costa Rica.
The final three cases are from the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington public health unit. They involve a female in her 40s who was recently in Spain, a female in her 60s who was recently in Barbados, and a man in his 40s, who was in the United Kingdom.
Dr. Theresa Tam, the chief public health officer, said that officials are concerned about the increase of cases in Ontario, especially concerning three patients who are believed to have contracted the disease through community transmission.
Ontario has so far tested 11,171 people for COVID-19. There have been 189 positive results, which includes five resolved cases and one fatality. Health authorities are still investigating 1,567 individuals for the virus.
Later in the day, the Ottawa Senators also announced that a player on their NHL team tested positive for COVID-19. They did not announce which player, while it’s unclear if the individual is part of Ontario’s latest statistics.
Alberta sees another record surge
Date reported: March 17
Alberta health officials have reported 23 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the province’s total to 97.
It’s the highest increase in daily reported cases for the province, after announcing 18 cases on March 16; and 17 cases on March 15.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, made the announcement in person after she rested negative for COVID-19. She was in self-isolation a day prior.
Of the 97 cases, there are still five people who have been hospitalized, which includes two people in intensive care. The other 92 cases are expected to make a full recovery.
The news about the province’s 23 new cases comes after Alberta decided to declare of state of emergency, which will prohibit public events with more than 50 people. Restaurants and coffee shops can stay open as long there are no more than 50 people in the establishment at the same time, or 50 per cent of their capacity, whichever is lower.
The state of emergency was declared after recommendations from Hinshaw, since the province is dealing with potential community transmission. Of the 97 cases, there are six that will might involve community spread, while other cases are also currently under investigation.
“We are seeing a few more instances where community transmission is possible,” said Hinshaw in a press conference, while noting that they’re fighting “a war on two fronts.”
On March 14, potential community spread was first reported in Alberta when health authorities couldn’t identify the reason for transmission for two cases. A day later, health authorities confirmed that there was evidence of community transmission, with one case in the Edmonton zone and the other in Calgary.
Seven new cases in Manitoba
Date reported: March 17
Health officials in Manitoba have diagnosed seven new presumptive cases of COVID-19, bringing the province’s total to 15.
It’s the largest rise in daily reported cases for the province.
Two of the patients involve a man and a woman in their 60s from a community in the Southern Health Santé-Sud Health region.
Four of the cases are woman, between the ages of 40-60, who live in Winnipeg. The final case is a man in his 30s, also from Winnipeg.
Further information about how they contracted the disease, such as travel history, is pending.
B.C. announces record surge, three more deaths
Date reported: March 17
Three more deaths and 83 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in British Columbia, according to Dr. Bonnie Henry, the provincial health officer.
The news has led to B.C. declaring a public health emergency on March 17.
The province now has 186 cases of COVID-19, to go along with seven of Canada’s eight total deaths. Ontario reported its first COVID-19 related fatality today, and the only one outside of B.C.
Two of the newly reported deaths in the west coast province were at the long-term care home, Lynn Valley Centre in North Vancouver, where B.C.’s first four fatalities were recorded.
The third fatality of the day in B.C. involves a man in his 80s, who lives in the Fraser Health region.
The 83 new diagnoses is a record for the province for daily reported cases. On March 16, health officials reported 30 cases, to go along with three deaths.
The first death in B.C., and in Canada, was reported March 9.
Ontario diagnoses another 32 cases
Date reported: March 16
Provincial health officials have reported 32 new cases as part of their morning update, bringing Ontario’s total to 177.
All 32 cases are currently in self-isolation.
The patients are located across the province, spanning regions from Ottawa, Guelph, Toronto, Durham, Sudbury, Niagara, Hamilton, York and Peel, among others.
According to the Ontario government’s website, one person contracted the disease through close contact while two others are believed to have contracted it during a recent trip to the United States.
In a press conference, Dr. Barbara Yaffe, the province’s associate chief medical officer of health, said that about half of the 32 cases have been to the U.S. Yaffe said that they “really cannot definitely rule out community transmission” at this point.
“There are some that do not seem to have a travel history or a contact case at this stage,” said Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health.
Health officials are currently still investigating 1,537 people who have tested for COVID-19. There have been a total of 10,178 people in Ontario who have been tested.
Late Sunday, CBC News confirmed that a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer at Toronto Pearson airport tested positive for COVID-19. The CBSA is not aware how their employee contracted the disease, but the individual and employees who were recently in close contact with them Are currently in self-isolation at home.
Nova Scotia diagnoses two more patients
Date reported: March 16
Two presumptive cases of COVID-19 have been identified by provincial health officials, bringing Nova Scotia’s total case count to five.
Dr. Robert Strang, the province’s chief medical officer, said both patients are in the Halifax area. The cases involve a man and a woman in their 50s, who recently attended an “international event” in Nova Scotia. It’s believed they likely had close contact with people who were recently out of the country.
More information on the event has not yet been made available. Both patients are currently in self-isolation at home, as health officials await secondary test results from the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg.
As of March 16, the province has conducted 676 tests.
Quebec hits 50 cases
Date reported: March 16
Quebec health authorities have diagnosed nine more people with COVID-19, bringing the province’s count to 50.
Five of the new cases are in Montreal. There is also one each in Chaudière-Appalaches, Lanaudière and Montérégie. Health officials could not confirm where the ninth case was. Earlier today, the province confirmed two other cases in Montreal, but demographic information about the patients was not available.
As of March 16, Quebec has had 3,079 negative COVID-19 test results, but there are almost as many tests — 3,073 — that are still being investigated.
B.C. reports three deaths, 30 new cases
Date reported: March 16
Three more people have died after contracting COVID-19 in a British Columbia long-term care home, health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced Tuesday.
All three victims were residents at the Lynn Valley Centre where Canada’s first coronavirus death was reported March 8.
Health authorities also reported another 30 cases in B.C., bringing the province’s total to 107. There are now also more than 400 cases of COVID-19 in Canada. All four Canadian deaths are in B.C.
COVID-19 was first detected in the long-term care home in North Vancouver after a health-care worker was diagnosed with the disease on March 5. Officials believe the health-care worker to be Canada’s first case of community spread, because of her lack of travel history or close relationship with anyone who has recently been to a highly infected COVID-19 zone.
On March 14, Henry said there were 12 staffers and four residents who had COVID-19.
Henry added that at least four of the new 30 cases have been traced back to a dental professionals’ conference in Vancouver. Attendees are being asked to self-isolate.
British Columbia is also ordering the cancellation of all gatherings of more than 50 people.
One more cases in New Brunswick
Date reported: March 16
A presumptive case of COVID-19 has been detected in New Brunswick, bringing the province’s count to seven.
Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province's chief medical officer of health, said the woman is between 20 and 30 years old. She lives in the southern part of the province, and recently returned from a trip to Greece.
Public health officials are currently tracing her contacts in the province.
Saskatchewan identifies a new COVID-19 case
Date reported: March 16
A seventh presumptive case of the novel coronavirus has been diagnosed in Regina, in an individual who is in their 60s.
The person recently travelled to Arizona in the United States, and is currently in hospital for medical issues that are not related to COVID-19.
Health officials are currently contacting people who may have been in close contact with the patient.
Manitoba diagnosis its eighth case
Date reported: March 16
A man in his 80s has tested positive for COVID-19, according to health officials in Manitoba.
His case is still presumptive, as secondary tests are currently being completed at the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg.
It is believed that he contracted the disease through recent travel, just like the province’s first seven cases.
Further information on the newest patient, such as where he travelled or which part of Manitoba he resides in, has not been made available.
Four Canadians test positive at CFB Trenton
Date reported: March 16
There are now eight Canadians at the Canadian Forces Base in Trenton, Ont., who have tested positive for COVID-19.
The four new patients individuals are among the group of 228 Canadians who were repatriated on March 9, from the Grand Princess cruise ship, which was quarantined and docked off the coast of California after at least 20 passengers were diagnosed with COVID-19.
Passengers on the plane back to Canada were not allowed to board if they showed symptoms prior to departure. Public health officials have not provided more information on the four individuals.
Alberta reports a record surge
Date reported: March 16
Health officials in Alberta have reported 18 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the province’s total to 74.
It’s the highest they’ve reported in a day. COVID-19 has now been reported in each of Alberta’s health zones, with two of the newly reported cases being confirmed in the north and south zones.
Of the 74 cases, there are also five people in hospital, including two in intensive care. It’s unknown at this time if any of the 18 new cases involve community transmission, since the majority involve travel.
On March 14, potential community spread was first reported in Alberta when health authorities couldn’t identify the reason for transmission for two cases. A day later, health authorities confirmed that there was evidence of community transmission, with one case in the Edmonton zone and the other in Calgary.
"Community transmission is when a person catches the virus from someone who has no traceable travel connections. This could mean that Albertans are exposed within their communities,” said the province's chief medical health officer, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, from a video call.
Hinshaw is currently in self-isolation at home after reporting signs of illness that are not consistent with COVID-19.
Ontario reports another record statistic
Date reported: March 15
Another 39 new cases have been diagnosed in Ontario, bringing the province’s total count to 142.
For the fourth day in a row, Ontario has reported the highest number of daily cases.
The new patients are part of Public Health units such as Hamilton, Toronto, Waterloo, Durham, Peel, Ottawa, Haliburton Kawartha Pineridge, Ottawa, Niagara, Simcoe Muskoka, and York.
Only one person’s transmission details have been provided at the moment, with a person in their 50s from the Niagara area having recently travelled to Egypt.
All 39 patients are currently recovering in self-isolation.
Ontario has currently tested at least 8,462 people, and is the process of investigating 1316 individuals which may explain its surge in daily numbers.
Nova Scotia reports its first case(s)
Date reported: March 15
Three presumptive cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed in Nova Scotia, according to provincial health officials.
If one of the cases are confirmed by secondary tests at the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg, it would mark the tenth province with a COVID-19 diagnosis.
All three cases in Nova Scotia are related to travel, while each patient is currently in self-isolation.
Up until this point, the province has completed 415 other tests that were found negative.
New Brunswick announces four new cases
Date reported: March 15
There are now six COVID-19 patients in New Brunswick, after health authorities diagnosed another four presumptive cases.
“The diagnostic testing confirmed the cases as presumptive,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province’s chief medical officer. “When we announce a presumptive case we are very, very confident that it will be confirmed.”
All of the four patients are related to the province’s first case, which is a woman who recently travelled to France. The four individuals are either close contacts or family members to the province’s first patient.
Quebec reports 15 new cases
Date reported: March 15
There are now 39 cases in Quebec, after provincial health authorities diagnosed another 15 people with COVID-19.
They include two new cases in the Québec City region, two in Mauricie - Centre du Québec, two in the Montérégie region, one in Montréal, two in Chaudière-Appalaches, and one in Lanaudière
There was also one non-resident who was tested in the province.
As of their latest update, Quebec’s public health unit has also reported 2270 negative COVID-19 tests, with 1480 people still under investigation.
Manitoba diagnosis three new cases
Date reported: March 15
Three presumptive cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed by Manitoba health officials, bringing the province’s total to seven.
“Case five is a man in his 70s. Case six is a woman in her 70s and at this time, it appears this woman was exposed to the virus through recent travel,” said a press release by Manitoba’s government. “Case seven is a woman in her 50s. Patient contact and public health investigations are ongoing.”
According to their press release, Manitoba’s four dedicated testing sites for COVID-19 have seen 900 patients in the past three days, after the province diagnosed its first case March 12.
Ontario identifies three more cases
Date reported: March 15
After announcing 39 cases earlier in the day, Ontario health officials have diagnosed another three patients, bringing the province’s count to 145.
Two of the patients involve a male and a female in their 50s, from the Grey Bruce Public Health unit, who were recently on a cruise.
The third case is a man in his 30s from Peterborough, who recently travelled in Spain and Portugal.
All three patients are currently in self-isolation.
Alberta reports 17 new cases
Date reported: March 15
Three new cases have been reported in the Edmonton area and 14 in the Calgary area, bringing Alberta’s total to 56.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said the province had reached an "inflection point" and that community spread was prevalent
“For at least some of the new cases over the weekend, public health officials have not confirmed a travel history or close contact with a traveller. This indicates community spread,” said Kenney said.
In terms of education, new restrictions are being rolled out in the province. Kenney says they are directing all K-12 and post-secondary classes to be cancelled. He also says they are increasing the health care budget by $500 million to help with the pandemic.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, said seven of the new cases were as a result of a single gathering in the Calgary zone. Two other cases were acquired from an unknown source, meaning community transmission is likely.
She added that, effective immediately, students will no longer attend classes in schools or post-secondary institutions, and public events with more than 250 people must be cancelled.
Alberta reports 10 more cases
Date reported: March 14
There are now 39 people diagnosed with COVID-19 in Alberta, after the province’s chief medical health officer confirmed 10 more cases.
Six of the new cases are in the Calgary area, and four in Edmonton. Among the 10, two people in their 60s are in intensive care, said Dr. Deena Hinshaw. The other eight are in self-isolation at home, and are expected to make a full recovery.
Eight of the cases are also related to either travel or to a previously confirmed case. Health officials are now "aggressively investigating" how the other two patients contracted the disease.
Newfoundland and Labrador reports first case
Date reported: March 14
Newfoundland and Labrador has diagnosed its first presumptive case of COVID-19, according to Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, the province’s top public health official.
If confirmed by secondary tests at the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg, it would mean that the virus is now in nine Canadian provinces.
The woman was recently on a cruise ship, and is now currently self-isolating. Fitzgerald won’t provide further details, such as her whereabouts, age or specific travel history, because of privacy concerns.
Quebec announces three more cases
Date reported: March 14
Three additional cases have been reported in Quebec, bringing the province’s total count to 24.
According to the Montreal Gazette, Ste-Justine children’s hospital has reported the province’s first case of a Quebec child contracting COVID-19. The child recently returned from a trip in Europe, but is now doing well in self-isolation at home.
Of the three recently announced cases, one is in the Estrie region, the other in Montérégie, while the last one’s location has not yet been provided on Quebec’s public health website.
CFB Trenton reports two additional cases
Date reported: March 14
Two new cases of COVID-19 have been reported at the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) in Trenton, Ont., where Canadians are being held as part of a 14-day quarantine.
The individuals are among the group of 228 Canadians who were repatriated on March 9, from the Grand Princess cruise ship, which was quarantined and docked off the coast of California after at least 20 passengers were diagnosed with COVID-19.
Passengers on the plane back to Canada were not allowed to board if they showed symptoms prior to departure. Public health officials have not provided more information on the two individuals.
Four new cases in Saskatchewan
Date reported: March 14
Four presumptive cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Saskatchewan, according to health officials.
One of the cases involves a health care worker in their 30s, who recently travelled to Nigeria, Germany and Alberta. They are currently recovering in northern Saskatchewan.
Two people in their 40s, who live in the same household in Regina, have tested positive for COVID-19 and are currently in self-isolation. One of the people recently travelled to a dental conference in Vancouver.
The fourth patient is a person in their 20s, who recently travelled to Tennessee. After being tested in Regina, they are currently recovering in their home community.
Two more cases in Ontario
Date reported: March 14
After reporting 22 new cases earlier in the day, Ontario health officials have diagnosed another two patients, bringing the province’s total to 103.
One of the cases involves a person in the Northwestern Public Health unit, who was actually tested in Winnipeg’s Victoria Hospital. The individual is believed to have contracted the disease through recent travel, but other than a trip to Winnipeg, his travel history has not been made publicly available.
The second case involves a female in her 30s, who recently travelled to the U.S. She is part of the Eastern Ontario Public Health unit, and was visited the Glengarry Memorial Hospital.
Both patients are currently self-isolating.
Nine new cases in B.C.
Date reported: March 14
British Columbia now has 73 cases of COVID-19, after health officials announced that they’ve diagnosed another nine people.
The majority of the new cases are at the Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver, where 12 staff members and four residents have tested positive for COVID-19. Canada’s first fatality due to COVID-19 was a resident of the long-term care home.
One of the cases involves a person in the Interior Health area, while another is in the Fraser Health region. More specific information about the patients is not yet available.
In a press conference, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said that two earlier cases, reported to be in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, are instead from Northern Health. According to Global News, it means that all five health regions in B.C. now contain at least one case of COVID-19.
P.E.I. reports its first case
Date reported: March 14
A presumptive case of COVID-19 has been diagnosed in Prince Edward Island, marking the province’s first positive test.
Dr. Heather Morrison, P.E.I.'s chief public health officer, says the patient is a woman in her 50s from the Queens County area. She returned to Canada on March 7, after being on a cruise ship, and was tested on March 11.
To return home, the woman was a passenger on West Jet flight 3440 on March 7 from Toronto to Moncton, N.B. Officials are asking those on the same flight to self-isolate.
The woman, who has mild symptoms, is currently recovering at home in self-isolation.
Ontario reports 22 new cases
Date reported: March 14
Ontario has raised its total count of COVID-19 diagnoses to 101, after announcing another 22 cases.
It’s the third day in a row Ontario has led all provinces in daily new cases.
A lot of information about the patients is still pending, but cases have been reported in Public Health units in Ottawa, Toronto, Peel, Waterloo, Durham, Hamilton, London, Halton, Haliburton, Kawartha and Pine Ridge District.
The patients’ travel histories include destinations like the U.S., Egypt, Spain and Portugal. At least two have recently visited Asia, though no specific locales were mentioned.
All of the 22 patients are in self-isolation.
Four new cases in Quebec
Date reported: March 14
Quebec’s case count has risen to 21 after health officials diagnosed four more people in the province.
It’s unclear at the moment whether the patients recently travelled outside of the country.
According to Quebec’s public health ministry website, two of the new cases are from the Montérégie region, one is from the Lanaudière region and one is from Montreal.
New case in New Brunswick
Date reported: March 14
A second presumptive case of COVID-19 has been identified in New Brunswick, according to health officials.
The new case involves a man between the ages of 50-60, who lives in the southeastern part of the province. He is a close contact of New Brunswick’s first confirmed case, who recently travelled to France.
Both patients are currently in self-isolation at home with mild to moderate symptoms.
Second case at CFB Trenton
Date reported: March 13
A second case of COVID-19 has been reported at the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) in Trenton, Ont., where Canadians are being held as part of a 14-day quarantine, according to Global News.
The individual is among the group of 228 Canadians who were repatriated on March 9, from the Grand Princess cruise ship, which was quarantined and docked off the coast of California after at least 20 passengers were diagnosed with COVID-19.
The individual started to exhibit symptoms after landing in Trenton. Passengers on the plane back to Canada were not allowed to board if they showed symptoms prior to departure.
Public health officials have not provided more information on the individual, other than that they are currently experiencing mild symptoms.
Saskatchewan reports second case
Date reported: March 13
A second presumptive case of COVID-19 has been diagnosed in Saskatchewan, according to health officials.
The case involves a person in their 60s, who recently returned to the province after a trip in Oregon State in the U.S. The test was conducted on March 10 in Saskatoon, but secondary results are being awaited by the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg.
Manitoba identifies another case
Date reported: March 13
A fourth person has been diagnosed with COVID-19 in Manitoba, according to provincial health authorities.
The man is in his 40s, and appears to have been exposed to COVID-19 during a recent trip to South Korea, the Philippines and Japan.
Alberta diagnosis six new cases
Date reported: March 13
Premier Jason Kenney has announced six additional cases of COVID-19, bringing Alberta’s case total to 29.
One of the cases involves a man from the Edmonton zone, who attended a conference recently in Vancouver. He is reportedly not the only positive case that’s been linked to the conference. Upon returning to Alberta, the man visited multiple dental offices, but all people who may been been exposed to the disease have been contacted for testing.
The remaining five cases are in the Calgary zone. One of them includes a traveller who was recently in Florida. The remaining four are believed to have contracted the virus from a previous Alberta case, since they share the same household.
British Columbia announces 11 more cases
Date reported: March 13
B.C. has detected 11 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the province's total to 64, according to provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
All of the 11 new cases are in the Vancouver Coastal Health region.
Three new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in administrative workers at Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver. All three individuals are currently recovering in self-isolation at home.
Health authorities have confirmed that the three staff members did not work in the hospital’s clinical areas, but an investigation is ongoing to understand how they contracted the disease.
Five of the new cases are related to travel to areas such as Iran, Egypt, Mexico and the Philippines. Another case has been linked to Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver, where Canada’s first fatality and sign of community spread was reported.
More information on the remaining two cases has not been made available.
In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the province is also banning gatherings of more than 250 people.
Ontario reports 19 new cases
Date reported: March 13
Ontario has raised its total count of COVID-19 diagnoses to 79, after announcing another 19 cases. It marks the biggest rise in daily reported cases in a single Canadian province.
Of the patients, everyone is in self-isolation, except for a man in his 80s from Niagara who is currently in hospital. At this point, it’s unclear how he contracted the virus.
One of the patients is a woman in her 40s from Ottawa, who recently travelled to England. The personal information matches that of Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 late March 12.
The other 17 cases involve people between the ages of 20 and 70. They are in Public Health units such as in York, Peel, Toronto and Waterloo. Their travel histories include destinations such as the U.S. and Egypt. There are at least five people who are believed to have contracted the disease through close contact.
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau diagnosed with COVID-19
Date reported: March 12
Update: March 28
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife, has recovered from her COVID-19 diagnosis.
“The good news is I have a clear bill of health now,” Grégoire Trudeau said in an Instagram video. “So I’m super happy. So it’s all good.”
On March 12, the Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement that Grégoire Trudeau had recently begun “exhibiting mild flu-like symptoms including a low fever late last night” after coming home from a We Day speaking engagement in the U.K.
The couple’s 11-year-old daughter Ella-Grace also accompanied her mother and grandmother to the event. A Canadian government official said the three Trudeau children stayed home Thursday but did not clarify if they were following any isolation procedures.
The Prime Minister is in good health and will not be tested as he is not exhibiting any symptoms. He will be isolated for a planned period of 14 days and will work from home.
Two more cases in Manitoba
Date reported: March 12
Provincial health officials have identified two additional cases of COVID-19, bringing Manitoba’s count to three.
The cases involve two men in their 30s, who both live in the Winnipeg Regional Health era, and have recently travelled. It’s unclear which destinations they visited.
Seven COVID-19 cases in B.C.
Date reported: March 12
British Columbia’s total number of diagnoses has risen to 53, after provincial health officials announced seven more cases while also now discouraging “all non-essential travel” outside of Canada.
Two additional cases of COVID-19 have been identified at a care home in West Vancouver. One of the patients is a man in his 90s, who is a resident at Hollyburn House. He is currently in isolation after receiving treatment.
The other case involves an employee of the care centre, who is in their 40s and is currently in self-isolation at home.
Another case has been identified in a staffer at the Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver, where a resident became Canada’s first fatality due to the virus on March 8.
Three additional cases are travel related, in a man in his 40s who travelled in the United Kingdom. The other two involve a couple in their 40s, who were on a tour in Egypt.
The final case is a man in his 50s. Health officials are still working to understand how he contracted the disease.
Ontario reports 17 more cases
Date reported: March 12
Ontario’s total number of COVID-19 cases has risen to 59, after health officials announced 17 more cases.
One of the cases involves a baby boy under the age of one, who was taken to Toronto’s North York General Hospital. Officials believe he contracted the disease through close contact.
The oldest person, among the 17 cases, is a man in his 70s who reported himself to Mississauga Hospital after recently travelling to the U.S.
Along with the baby, three other patients have been diagnosed with COVID-19 because of close contact to another patient.
The 13 other patients part of the group of 17, which includes the man in his 70s, have recent travel histories to places such as Puerto Rico, Italy, the U.S. and Spain, while one patient said they travelled to Europe in general.
Each of the 17 patients are currently in self-isolation, after visiting hospitals in Toronto, Halton Region, Peel Region, Hamilton, Waterloo Region, Ottawa, and Barrie, according to Global News.
Saskatchewan reports its first presumptive COVID-19 diagnosis
Date reported: March 12
A 60-year-old man from Saskatoon has been diagnosed with a presumptive case of the novel coronavirus, according to the province’s chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab.
If confirmed, it marks Saskatchewan’s first case of COVID-19.
The man recently travelled to Egypt, and was tested for the virus on March 9. He is currently in self-isolation, while secondary tests are being done at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg to confirm the initial diagnosis.
Manitoba reports its first case
Date reported: March 12
COVID-19 has been diagnosed in Manitoba, marking the province’s first case.
Health Minister Cameron Friesen said the case involves a woman in her 40s who recently travelled to the Philippines. She is currently in self-isolated at home.
Health officials are warning that people who were on the same flights as the individual on March 7 and March 8 may have been exposed to COVID-19. For full details on the flights, which includes destinations in the Philippines, South Korea, Vancouver and eventually Winnipeg, you can click here.
Quebec diagnosis eight new cases
Date reported: March 12
Four more people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in Quebec, bringing the province’s total number of cases to 17.
All eight patients have recently returned from trips outside of Canada. The province has not disclosed any information about their age or which area they reside.
Alberta hits 20 cases, Canada sees first case in a child
Date reported: March 12
A child in Calgary has been infected with COVID-19, which marks Alberta’s 20th case.
The patient is also the first child to be diagnosed with the virus in Canada.
The child is part of the Pump-Kin Patch Child Care Centre in Calgary, but has not been at the daycare since March 6.
The centre will be closed until March 23, while the families of the children who visit the centre are being asked to self-quarantine until March 20.
Person diagnosed at CFB Trenton
Date reported: March 11
A person who was repatriated from the Grand Princess cruise ship has tested positive for the virus after arriving to the Canadian Forces Base in Trenton, Ont. on March 9.
The cruise was docked and quarantined off the coast of California after some passengers were diagnosed with COVID-19. Canada repatriated 228 of the 237 Canadians that were stuck on the cruise, because they didn’t show signs of illness.
The individual reportedly developed mild symptoms during his flight from Oakland, but is now in isolation at CFB Trenton, where all 228 passengers are undergoing a 14-day quarantine.
Two cases in Quebec
Date reported: March 11
A pair of individuals in Quebec have been diagnosed with COVID-19, according to provincial health officials.
One of the cases involves a woman who travelled in France. She visited a hospital in the Quebec’s Mauricie region, before being sent home to recover in self-isolation.
The province’s ninth case involves a woman who travelled in Italy. She is also in self-isolation at home after presenting herself to a hospital in the Estrie region.
Seven more cases in British Columbia
Date reported: March 11
British Columbia has detected seven additional cases, bringing their province’s total case count to 46.
Two more health-care workers at Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver have tested positive, which includes a man in his 20s and a woman in her 50s. They are both in self-isolation.
A man in his 70s and another man in his 60s, who were part of the same group returning from travels in Egypt, have tested positive for COVID-19. An Egyptian man in his 70s visiting the province has also tested positive. His family members are in isolation.
The two other cases are from community transmission involving a woman in 60s, who is in hospital in a stable condition, and a man in 60s who is in self-isolation.
First case in New Brunswick
Date reported: March 11
Chief Medical officer Jennifer Russell confirmed the first case of COVID-19 detected in New Brunswick.
The woman, aged between 50-60 years old, recently travelled to France. She's now in isolation.
Five additional cases in Alberta
Date reported: March 11
Update: March 20
Alberta’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw confirmed there are five new cases of COVID-19. All are travel-related.
An Edmonton man in his 30s started experiencing symptoms a number of days after returning to Canada. He is now self-isolating. The other confirmed cases involve a man in his 20s, two women in their 30s from the Calgary area, and a woman in her 30s from the Central zone of the province.
The five new cases involve people who travelled recently to Iran, Spain, Egypt, Mexico and the United States.
On March 20, it was confirmed by CBC that the man in his 30s from Edmonton, is a doctor who travelled to Seattle, one of the U.S. epicentres of the COVID-19 outbreak. The rheumatologist saw patients in early March and had elective surgery at a hospital three days before he tested positive for COVID-19.
Alberta Health did not inform patients, who had visited the doctor, that he had contracted the disease.
"If we contacted everyone that people were involved with, before they even had symptoms, that would be a huge use of our resources in public health and we would alarm people unnecessarily if they're not at risk," said Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, in an interview with CBC. "And it also diverts resources away from the important task of contacting those who are at risk of exposure."
Hinshaw said Alberta followed national guidelines, and also consulted with an infectious disease specialist, who agreed with their decision to not notify the patients. Guidelines include assessing who is deemed to be at risk, when the risk of exposure starts, as well as what the risk of exposure and transmission are.
None of the patients have tested positive so far for the virus, but Hinshaw does not know how many people in fact visited the rheumatologist.
Five new cases in Ontario
Date reported: March 11
Provincial health officials have announced five new cases of COVID-19, to go along with a $100-million contingency fund in order to deal with the global pandemic in the province.
A case of the novel coronavirus has been reported in Ottawa, involving a man in his 40s who contracted the virus while travelling in Austria. He is currently self-isolating.
A Hamilton Health Sciences radiation oncologist, in her 30s, has also tested positive after returning from a personal trip to Hawaii.
Two other cases in Ontario include a woman in her 30s who reported to Mackenzie Health in York Region, who had travelled to Egypt, and a man in his 30s who presented himself at Toronto Western Hospital with travel history to the U.S.
A woman in her 40s is the 42nd case in Ontario. She is part of the Toronto Public Health unit, and was diagnosed at St. John’s Health Centre. She is currently in self-isolation, and health officials have reported that she has a recent travel history to the U.S.
Two more cases reported in Quebec
Date reported: March 10
Two patients in Montreal have tested positive for COVID-19, raising the total to seven confirmed cases in Quebec.
One of the patients recently returned from the Caribbean and Miami and is now being treated at the Jewish General Hospital. The second patient recently returned from the Dominican Republic, and is now in self-isolation.
Alberta doubles its amount of cases
Date reported: March 10
Alberta’s chief medical officer of health said there are seven more cases of COVID-19, which makes a total of 14 confirmed cases in Alberta. All cases are travel-related.
Three patients, a man in his 70s, a woman in her 60s, and a woman in her 30s were all from the Edmonton area. The remaining new cases are all from or near Calgary, including a man in his 50s, two women in their 30s and a woman in her 40s.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw said on March 10 that the risk to Albertans travelling outside of the country is increasing.
Alberta health officials mentioned that the patients have a wide range of travel history, which includes recent trips to France, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Germany and the United States. One was also a passenger on the MS Braemar of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines in the Caribbean.
British Columbia announces seven more cases
Date reported: March 10
British Columbia has identified seven new presumptive cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the provincial total to 39.
The seven patients include two health-care workers at Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver, where Canada’s first fatality due to the virus was reported on March 9.
Another two cases appear to have been contracted through community contact, meaning that the people have no recent travel history or close contact with someone who’s recently been to a highly infected COVID-19 zone. The two patients include two men, one in his 90s and the other in his 40s, who live in the Fraser Health region.
The other three are travel-related, which includes a woman in her 60s who was on a recent tour in Egypt, a man in his 40s who returned recently from Germany, and a man in his 90s who was on the Grand Princess cruise in February.
Dr. Bonnie Henry says B.C. will now ask anyone returning from Italy to self-isolate for two weeks, given the coronavirus outbreak. She had the same request for people returning from Iran and China’s Hubei province.
Ontario reports Canada’s 80th and 81st case
Date reported: March 10
A man in his 40s has been diagnosed with COVID-19, after recently travelling in Switzerland, according to Ontario health officials.
The man, who’s part of Toronto Public Health’s unit, reported himself to St. Joseph’s Health Centre. He is currently in self-isolation.
Another man in his 50s from Sudbury, Ont., was confirmed to have the novel coronavirus after attending the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada convention in Toronto on March 2 and 3. The patient is currently in self-isolation, while an investigation continues.
Ontario diagnoses its 35th case
Date reported: March 9
Provincial health authorities announced that a woman in her 30s has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
According to Ontario’s website, the woman visited Brampton Civic Hospital, and is believed to have contracted the disease through close-contact with another patient.
Canada reports first COVID-19 death
Date reported: March 9
A person in British Columbia has died on March 8, after contracting COVID-19, according to the province’s health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
It marks Canada’s first fatality due to the virus. The individual was a resident of Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver, and was one of two people at the long-term care home diagnosed with the virus on March 7.
“Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and loved ones and also of course to the staff that provided him care,” Henry said.
"He was a man in his 80s and he had a number of underlying health conditions, unfortunately, so (he was) in that risk group for people who are more likely to have severe disease with this."
The man was diagnosed with COVID-19, after a health care worker at the centre was initially infected with the disease on March 5.
Officials believe the health care worker to be Canada’s first case of community spread, because of her lack of travel history or close relationship with anyone who has recently been to a highly infected COVID-19 zone.
Ongoing testing and monitoring of the long-term health care centre are currently underway.
Quebec hits five total cases
Date reported: March 9
The same day that Quebec opened its first specialized COVID-19 clinic in Montreal, the province also announced a fifth case.
According to CTV News, the person recently travelled in the United States and England, but is now recovering in self-isolation at home.
Secondary tests have been sent to Winnipeg’s national lab, but Quebec’s health officials said on March 9 that they’ll be able to confirm the diagnoses themselves moving forward.
British Columbia announces five new cases
Date reported: March 9
The province’s health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has announced five additional cases of COVID-19, bringing British Columbia’s total to 32.
Two residents at the Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver have been diagnosed with the virus. COVID-19 was originally detected at the care home, when a health care worker was reported to have the virus on March 5. The staff member is believed to be the first case of community spread, because she has no recent travel history or close relationship with anyone who has recently been to a highly infected COVID-19 zone.
A person at the care centre has also since died of the virus, which B.C. health officials reported March 9, as Canada marked its first fatality due to the virus.
Another health care worker at the centre has also tested positive for the virus. The woman in her 40s, who lives in Fraser Health Region, is currently in self-isolation at home.
Two other cases, this time relating to international travel have also been reported. One of them involves a woman in her 50s, who recently returned from Iran. The other patient is a man in his 30s, who visited Italy. Both are in self-isolation at home in the Vancouver Coastal Health region.
Ontario announces two cases
Date reported: March 9
Ontario public health officials have announced two additional cases of COVID-19, bringing the province’s count to 34.
One of the patients is a man in his 80s and the other is a woman in her 70s. They both recently travelled to Iran.
Following their travels, they both visited North York General Hospital, where they were diagnosed. They are now recovering in self-isolation.
Alberta reports three more cases
Date reported: March 9
Three additional cases have been reported in Alberta, which raises the province’s count to seven total diagnoses as of March 9.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, said the first patient is a woman in her 70s, who lives in the Edmonton zone. She is a close contact to a man who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 8. They were both on the Grand Princess cruise, which is currently quarantined off the coast of California because of the virus, before returning to Canada on Feb. 21.
The second case is a man in his 30s from the Calgary zone. He is a close contact of another woman whose diagnosis was announced on March 8. They travelled together to Turkey, Ukraine and the Netherlands, before returning to Canada on March 2.
Alberta’s third case of the day is a woman in her 50s from the Calgary zone. She was also on a cruise, the MS Braemar, between Feb. 11 to March 4.
All three patients reportedly started to develop symptoms when they returned to Canada.
Ontario reports three cases
Date reported: March 8
Provincial health officials announced three additional cases of COVID-19, bringing Ontario’s total to 32 as of March 8.
One of the cases includes a woman in her 60s who returned from France on March 2, and visited a hospital on March 7. A man in his 60s was also diagnosed, after returning from Washington, D.C. on March 3.
The third case was announced by Peel Public Health, involving a man in his 50s who recently returned from Germany. He was treated at Brampton Civic Hospital.
All three people are currently recovering in self-isolation at home.
Quebec identifies its fourth case
Date reported: March 8
Another case of the novel coronavirus has been announced by Quebec's health department.
The new case involves a person in the Montérégie region, southeast of Montreal, who had recently returned from a cruise.
The person used public transportation in Montreal between Feb. 24 and March 6. For full details on their travel history, you can click here.
Ontario reports one case
Date reported: March 8
A woman in her 40s, who recently returned from the United States, has been diagnosed with COVID-19, according to Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health.
The woman returned from Colorado on March 2, and visited Toronto’s Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre’s emergency department. She was discharged following her diagnosis, and sent home to recover in self-isolation.
Two cases reported in Alberta
Date reported: March 8
After reporting its first case earlier this week, Alberta’s COVID-19 count has risen to four.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, announced two new presumptive cases of COVID-19.
The first case involves a man in his 60s from the Edmonton zone. Before returning to Alberta on Feb. 21, he was onboard the Grand Princess cruise, which is currently quarantined and docked off the coast of California.
The second case is a woman in her 30s from the Calgary zone. She is a close contact to another person in Alberta who had recently travelled in Ukraine, Turkey and the Netherlands. The individual has been tested, but their results have not been announced.
B.C. announces another half-dozen cases
Date reported: March 7
Six presumptive cases have been identified in British Columbia, according to the province’s chief medical health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry. It brings the total number of cases in B.C. to 27, as of March 7.
According to Global News, two of the cases involve people who live at the Lynn Valley Care Centre.
In connection with the care centre, health officials also provided an update on a case reported March 5, in a woman who is believed to be the first case of community spread in Canada. On March 7, officials said that she’s a health care worker at the centre.
Two of the other six cases involve people who recently travelled to Iran.
Another pair of cases were also identified in people who were on the Grand Princess cruise that’s currently docked off the coast of San Francisco. There are still over 230 Canadians on the cruise.
One more case in Alberta
Date reported: March 6
A man in his 40s who lives in Edmonton has been reported to have a presumptive case of COVID-19, according to Alberta health officials.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said the man has recently travelled on business to Ohio, Michigan and Illinois, and returned to Alberta Feb. 28.
The man is currently in self-isolation at home, as secondary tests to confirm the virus are being done at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.
Six new cases in Ontario
Date reported: March 6
Health officials have announced six new cases of COVID-19 in Ontario, brining the province’s count to 28 diagnoses.
Two of the cases are people from Toronto, including a man in his 50s who recently returned from Iran, and another man in his 40s who had just visited Las Vegas. The latter individual used public transit between March 2 and March 4, before being tested, according to Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto's top public-health doctor. Full details on when and where he used the TTC between those three days can be found here.
Peel Region identified the two other cases in a couple from Mississauga, Ont., who had recently been on a cruise off the coast of San Francisco, which had travelled to Mexico between Feb. 11 to 21. They returned to Canada on Feb. 28.
Peel Public Health are now asking people who were on West Jet flight 1199, specifically rows 18-22, to self-isolate.
A man in his 20s, who returned from Italy on Mach 3, has also been diagnosed after visiting Mount Sinai Hospital's emergency department in Toronto. The last case involves a 64-year-old woman in Richmond Hill, who returned from Iran on March 2.
All six are currently recovering in self-isolation at home.
Quebec reports a third case
Date reported: March 6
A third case of COVID-19 has been reported in Quebec, in a person who travelled to France and returned to Canada on March 3.
The person was tested in the Montérégie region, near Montreal.
Alberta identifies its first case
Date reported: March 5
A presumptive case of COVID-19 has been announced by Alberta’s provincial government, which marks the province’s first diagnosis.
The patient is a woman in her 50s living in the Calgary area, who works at ATB Financial, which is Alberta’s Crown-owned bank. ATB has closed two of its Calgary branches as a precaution.
The woman was a passenger on the Grand Princess cruise ship, which has since been quarantined off the coast of California. She returned to Alberta on Feb. 21, and went into self-isolation Feb. 28, according to Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health.
Secondary tests to confirm the virus are being done at the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg, while the patient recovers in self-isolation at home.
British Columbia reports eight more cases
Date reported: March 5
Eight more people have been diagnosed with a presumptive case of COVID-19, announced British Columbia’s health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
One of the cases involves a woman in her 50s living in the Vancouver Coastal Health region. She doesn’t have any recent travel history, which could mark Canada’s first case of community transmission.
Health officials are now investigating how she contracted the disease, since she also hasn’t had any contact with other COVID-19 patients or people who are returning from places where the virus has gained traction.
Four of the eight cases that were identified are also in relation to the same household of another patient, who was diagnosed last week. They’re all part of the Fraser Health region.
Two other cases involve a couple who are in their 50s and 60s, and recently returned from Iran.
The last patient is in the Fraser Health region, and is visiting B.C. from Seattle, Wash. The U.S. state has reported at least 70 cases, including the country’s first death due to the virus.
Quebec announces its second case
Date reported: March 5
A man in Quebec is the latest case of COVID-19 after returning from a trip in Iran, according to the province’s health officials.
The person visited a hospital in Mont-Laurier, Que., after showing symptoms of the virus, but he was taken to the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal on March 4. It’s one of the four centres in Quebec that’s designated to deal with COVID-19.
Ontario reports two new cases
Date reported: March 5
The province has reported two more cases: a woman who travelled to Italy and a man who recently returned from Iran.
The woman is in her 50s and lives in Kitchener, Ont., and visited Grand River Hospital’s emergency department on March 3. After being diagnosed, she was sent home to recover from her mild symptoms in self-isolation.
The man is in his 60s and reported himself to Toronto’s Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre on Feb. 29. He’s also in self-isolation at home.
Patient in critical condition in B.C.
Date reported: March 4
A woman in her 80s has been diagnosed with a presumptive case of COVID-19.
She is currently in critical condition at a Vancouver hospital as B.C. health officials wait for secondary tests to confirm the virus.
The woman started to develop systems a few days after returning from a trip last week, the province’s health officer, Bonnie Henry, said on March 4. She visited Hong Kong and India as part of a group tour alongside other Canadian travellers who have since returned home to various regions in Canada.
"We're looking for who else was in that group, what kind of exposures they might have had,” Henry said.
With India having around 30 cases as of March 4, Henry said “the timing of her symptom onset is much more likely to be related to Hong Kong,” which has over 100 infections.
British Columbia identifies four more cases
Date reported: March 3
Four cases linked to Iran have been diagnosed in British Columbia, according to provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
The first three cases involve a man in his 50s, a man in his 60s and a woman whose age has not been disclosed. The man in his 50s is from the Fraser Health Region, while the other two cases are currently in the Vancouver Coast Health Region. All three people have recently returned from trips to Iran.
The fourth case is a woman in her 30s, who contracted the virus from the province’s eighth case: a woman in her 60s who is visiting Canada from Tehran.
All four people are currently recovering in self-isolation at home. As of March 2, people who are returning from Iran are also being asked to self-isolate for 14 days, with seven of B.C.’s 12 cases being linked to the country in the Middle East.
Ontario first to hit 20 cases
Date reported: March 3
Two additional COVID-19 cases have been reported in Ontario, as the province becomes the first to hit 20 cases in Canada.
The first of the two new cases involves a woman in her 70s in York Region, who returned from Egypt on Feb. 20. She reported herself to hospital in Richmond Hill 10 days later.
The second case is a man from Toronto who is in his 50s. He returned from Iran on Feb. 25 and visited a hospital on Feb. 29.
Both patients were released from hospital and are recovering in self-isolation at home.
Three new cases reported in Ontario
Date reported: March 2
Ontario has reported three new cases of COVID-19, each linked to people who recently travelled to either Iran or Egypt.
Two women in their 60s and 70s who returned from Egypt on Feb. 20, have been diagnosed with COVID-19, as well as a man in his 60s who returned from Iran on Feb. 23.
All three patients are currently recovering in self-isolation at home.
"Right now, how many patients are in the hospital (in Ontario) with COVID-19? None. How many have been in the hospital with COVID-19 in Ontario? One. How may deaths have we had with COVID-19? None," said Dr. David Williams, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, as he reassured people in the province’s measures to limit the spread of the virus.
On March 2, Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam also announced that people who are returning from Iran will be asked to self-isolate for 14 days to limit the spread. They’re being asked to report themselves to airport security upon arrival, as Canada continues to see a rise in the number of cases linked to Iran.
The same protocol is also in place for people returning from Hubei, China, where the coronavirus outbreak was first detected.
Four more cases in Ontario
Date reported: March 1
The province announced four new cases of COVID-19 in people who recently travelled overseas.
One of the cases involves a man in his 40s from York Region. He travelled to Iran with his toddler and wife, who was diagnosed with the virus on Feb. 29 upon returning to Canada.
A pair of brothers who are staying in Vaughan, after visiting Iran, were also confirmed to have COVID-19.
The fourth case that was announced by Ontario health officials on March 1 involves a woman in her 70s from Newmarket, who recently visited Egypt. She’s linked to another Ontario case that was reported Feb. 28.
All four individuals are currently recovering in self-isolation at home.
Eighth case in British Columbia
Date reported: Feb. 29
A woman from Tehran, Iran — who is in Canada visiting family — has been diagnosed with COVID-19, according to British Columbia’s health officials.
The woman is in her 60s and is currently in self-isolation in the Vancouver Coastal Health region with a mild case of the novel coronavirus.
"Vancouver Coastal Health is actively investigating," said provincial health officer Bonnie Henry. "Close contacts have been identified and contacted by public health officials. Those who may be at risk are now in isolation for 14 days and are being actively monitored for symptoms."
Three new COVID-19 cases in Ontario
Date reported: Feb. 29
Ontario has confirmed that it has three new positive cases of COVID-19.
One of the cases involves a 34-year-old woman in York Region who returned from Iran. The other two cases include a married couple in Ajax. The wife, 51, passed on the virus to her husband, 69, after also visiting Iran.
"At this time the virus is not circulating locally," said Dr. David Williams, Ontario's chief medical officer of health. "However, given the global circumstances, Ontario is actively working with city and health partners to plan for the potential of local spread."
The married couple reported themselves to an Ajax clinic on Feb. 28, after the wife returned to Canada on Feb. 22. They were sent to Lakeridge Health Ajax Pickering hospital, where they were tested for the virus, discharged and sent home to recover in self-isolation.
The 34-year-old woman from York Region reported herself to Mackenzie Health hospital on Feb. 27, but was not admitted “due to the low severity of symptoms and the condition of the patient,” said Williams. The woman was also travelling with her toddler and husband, who’s also since been diagnosed.
They are now both in self-isolation at home, but York Region public health officials are looking for those who may have come in contact with them, either during one of their three flights or on a GO bus to Richmond Hill.
According to Dr. Karim Kurji, York Region's medical officer of health, the woman started to develop symptoms before her layover flight in Copenhagen, Denmark to Toronto Pearson International Airport, where she landed Feb. 26. At the time, she wasn’t wearing a mask.
"There has been a number of areas where exposure could potentially happen," said Kurji.
York Region public health officials are now warning that you may have been exposed if you were in any of these three locations at the same time as the 34-year-old woman.
The business class section of Qatar Airways flight QR 483 and QR 163 on Feb. 25.
The business class section of Air Canada flight AC 883, from Copenhagen to Toronto, on Feb. 26, which landed at 2:55 p.m.
GO Bus number 40 eastbound, specifically passengers who were on the upper deck of the bus on Feb. 26.
Eighth case in Ontario
Date reported: Feb. 28
A man in his 80s, who travelled to Egypt, has been confirmed to have COVID-19, according to Ontario health officials.
He arrived to Toronto on Feb. 20, and on Feb. 27, he went to Scarborough Health Network's General Hospital's emergency department. He was tested for the virus, and allowed to go home the same day to recover in self-isolation because he was feeling well.
"Throughout his travels, the man wore a mask," the Ontario Ministry of Health said in a release. "Toronto Public Health is actively engaged in contact tracing and case management."
As of Feb. 28, only one person has been confirmed to have been diagnosed with the coronavirus in Egypt, but the spread of the virus has been linked to the northern African country in another two cases in France.
Seventh case in Ontario
Date reported: Feb. 28
The province’s ministry of health announced that a man in his 50s, who travelled to Iran, has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
He arrived to Canada on Feb. 25, and reported himself a day later to Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital. He was sent home the same day, to recover in self-isolation, according to the ministry.
Quebec reports first case
Date reported: Feb. 27
A woman from the Montreal region has been diagnosed with COVID-19, after returning from Iran on Feb. 24, according to Quebec public health officials.
With the presumptive case being in Quebec, it marks the spread of the novel coronavirus to a third Canadian province.
The woman had minor symptoms and decided to visit a clinic a day after returning to Montreal. Tests for COVID-19 came back positive on Feb. 27, while the province is still awaiting the results of a secondary test that’s being conducted by the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg, which are expected on Sunday.
"While the person was being cared for, all precautionary measures were put in place," health minister Danielle McCann said. "She did not require hospitalization, so she is currently in isolation, alone, at her home."
Sixth case in Ontario
Date reported: Feb. 27
Ontario has confirmed its sixth COVID-19 case is a man in his 60s, whose wife was also diagnosed earlier this week after visiting Iran.
It marks the province’s first case of human-to-human spread.
The Ministry of Health has said that the man is currently in self-isolation at home, while Toronto Public Health continues to follow-up with people who were in close contact with him as of late.
Fifth case in Ontario
Date reported: Feb. 26
A woman in her 60s, who recently travelled to Iran, has been diagnosed with a presumptive case of COVID-19, announced the province’s top health official Feb. 26.
The woman reported herself to a Toronto hospital on Feb. 24, but has since been sent home to recover in self-isolation. Health officials are also currently monitoring those who are in close contact with the woman.
This marks Ontario’s first case that’s been linked to Iran, which has reported over 240 cases and at least 25 deaths due to the virus. In the past week, British Columbia reported two cases linked with Iran.
Seventh case in British Columbia
Date reported: Feb. 24
A man in 40s has been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the Fraser Health Region in British Columbia, according to the province’s health officials. He was in close contact with another B.C. case, which was reported to be a woman in her 30s who flew to Vancouver from Iran.
The man was showing symptoms and went into self-isolation, even before the woman was officially diagnosed with the disease. Officials are now working to identify those who came in close contact with him.
"There have been a number of close contacts that have been identified by Fraser Health over the weekend and they are also in isolation now and being monitored actively every day by public heath," said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
Since the B.C. Centre for Disease Control is now authorized for COVID-19 testing, the province won’t have to wait for its diagnosis to be confirmed by the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.
Fourth case in Ontario
Date reported: Feb. 23
A woman in her 20s has been diagnosed with COVID-19, after arriving back to Canada from China on Feb. 21, according to health officials.
"In that travel to China, we know it did include some travel to Hubei province and to Wuhan in particular," said Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto's medical officer of health.
After testing for the virus at North York General Hospital in Toronto, she was told to recover in self-isolation because she was doing “quite well” and her symptoms were “resolving.” The National Microbiology lab in Winnipeg has also since confirmed the initial positive test results.
Health officials are monitoring those who were in close contact to the woman, which includes a family member who picked up the individual at the airport while wearing a mask during their interaction.
Sixth case in British Columbia
Date reported: Feb. 21
Health officials in British Columbia announced their sixth “presumptive” case of COVID-19.
The patient is a woman in her 30s, who is now recovering at home. Health officials were surprised to learn that she doesn’t have a recent travel history to China, but instead just returned from a trip to Iran, which only reported it’s first COVID-19 case Feb. 19.
"That could be an indicator that there's more widespread transmission. This is what we call an indicator or sentinel event," said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry in a news conference.
On Feb. 23, it was also reported that the woman flew on an Air Canada flight from Montreal to Vancouver on Valentine’s Day, which is eight days before she tested positive for COVID-19. Officials said they’ve contacted those sat near her on her flight, as well as staff on the plane.
Fifth case in British Columbia
Date reported: Feb. 14
Health officials have announced another case of COVID-19.
The woman is in her 30s and returned to Vancouver from a recent trip to Shanghai. She wore a mask while travelling on the returning flight, and notified health officials of her symptoms. She eventually tested positive Feb. 11, and is currently in self-isolation at home.
47 cases on a cruise
Date reported: Feb. 5
Updated: March. 20
A Canadian who was on the Diamond Princess cruise has died of COVID-19, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada on March 20.
At least 47 Canadians, out of 256 citizens, tested positive for the novel coronavirus on the cruise ship, which held its passengers under quarantine off the coast of Yokohama, Japan until Feb. 19.
The ship was carrying 2,666 guests, along with 1,045 crew members, and was put under quarantine on Feb. 4, after a confirmed outbreak was reported.
The 47 Canadians are among at least 705 people who have tested positive for the virus.
On Feb. 20, Canada prepared a charter flight that flew out 129 passengers from Japan. Canadians who were on the cruise will be required to take part in another two-week quarantine at the NAV Centre in Cornwall, Ont.
British Columbia reports its third, fourth case
Date reported: Feb. 6
Updated: Feb. 29
B.C. has identified two more people who contracted the novel coronavirus. They are in relation to the case they reported Feb. 4.
“Further investigation within that household has identified that two people, who are both visitors from Hubei province, were in contact with the individual who was the case that we announced on Tuesday,” said British Columbia’s chief medical health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry. “These two visitors are a man and a woman in their 30s.”
B.C. health officials confirmed on Feb. 29, that both patients have fully recovered from COVID-19.
British Columbia reports second case
Date reported: Feb. 4
Updated: Feb. 29
A second case of coronavirus has been identified in the Vancouver Coastal Health region of B.C., according to provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
A woman in her 50s was confirmed to have contracted coronavirus after her test came back positive.
Local health officials are following up with her close family, friends and anyone she may have had contact with.
On Feb. 29, B.C. health officials confirmed that the patient has fully recovered from the virus.
Third case in Ontario
Date reported: Jan. 31
Updated: Feb. 21
Ontario health officials have reported the province’s third coronavirus case.
The woman, who is in her 20s and studies at the University of Western Ontario, recently travelled to Wuhan, China.
She left Wuhan on Jan. 22, and started to develop symptoms on Jan. 24. She went to a local hospital, but wasn’t admitted, because she was not ill enough. Instead, she went into self-isolation at home, and hasn’t visited her university’s campus since returning from China.
The student originally tested negative for the illness through Ontario’s labs, but a federal lab in Winnipeg confirmed that she was in fact positive with the coronavirus. Ontario health officials said on Jan. 31 that she “fully recovered” in three days from her “mild” illness.
Ontario health officials announced Feb. 21, that the student has been cleared of COVID-19.
British Columbia reports its first case
Date reported: Jan. 28
Updated: Feb. 20
British Columbia reported the first Canadian case of the novel coronavirus outside of Ontario.
The 40-year-old man often travels to China, which included Wuhan in his most recent visit. He contacted health-care providers on Jan. 26 to let them know that he was experiencing symptoms, 24 hours after coming home to the Vancouver region. He was reportedly not symptomatic on his flight.
On Feb. 21, it was announced that the man fully recovered from the virus, according to B.C.’s health officials.
Second case in Ontario
Date reported: Jan. 27
Updated: Feb. 21
The wife of the man who was the first reported case of the coronavirus in Canada has also been officially diagnosed.
The Toronto woman travelled to Wuhan, China with her husband, and returned to Ontario on Jan. 22. Toronto Public Health has reached out to those who sat in a two-metre radius of the couple on their China Southern Airlines flight CZ311.
On Feb. 21, Ontario health officials announced that both the husband and wife have been cleared of COVID-19.
First case in Canada
Date reported: Jan. 25
Updated: Feb. 20
The first case of the coronavirus in Canada involved a man in his 50s who arrived to Toronto on Jan. 22, after visiting Wuhan.
The man initially didn’t report his mild symptoms at the airport following his flight, but health authorities were contacted on Jan. 23, after his symptoms worsened at home. He was taken to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, but has since been discharged, which has allowed him to return home to recover in self-isolation.
On Feb. 20, Canadian health officials announced that the man has fully recovered from the virus.