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Today's coronavirus news: Toronto sets one-day high of 727 cases; StatCan says economy grew at record pace in third quarter; 2 schools in York Region close because of outbreaks
By Star staff
1:20 p.m. Juno Awards move Toronto show date to May 16, 2021
1 p.m.: Masks are now mandatory in all indoor, public spaces in the Yukon
11:05 a.m.: Quebec is reporting 1,177 new cases of COVID-19
10:15 a.m. Ontario is reporting 1,707 new cases of COVID-19
6:10 a.m.: BioNTech, Pfizer ask Europe to OK vaccine for emergency use
The latest coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Tuesday. This file will be updated throughout the day. Web links to longer stories if available.
10:51 p.m.: A coalition of about 50 retailers is calling on the Ontario government to lift COVID-19 restrictions for non-essential stores it claims is making things worse.
In an open letter to Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Christine Elliott, the retailers argue that shutting down Toronto and Peel Region to restrict the virus's spread hasn't reduced the number of shoppers.
Instead, consumers are funnelled into fewer, crowded stores and adjacent communities, which potentially creates greater health risk.
The retailers say the current policy pushes more consumers to big-box and discount stores that remain open after being deemed essential, while thousands of small, independent and local stores are closed despite selling many of the same products.
10:46 p.m.: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told President Donald Trump's coronavirus task force on Tuesday that its new guidance would cut quarantine time for individuals exposed to the virus by as much as half, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The new recommended quarantine would be seven days for those who test negative after exposure to COVID-19, and 10 days for those who do not take a test, said the people, who were granted anonymity to discuss information that has not been made public.
10:23 p.m.: The Manitoba government has signed a pay agreement that will allow nurses to be shifted to priority areas in the fight against COVID-19.
It says the agreement with the Manitoba Nurses Union will allow nurses to be redeployed in personal care homes, intensive care units and designated COVID-19 units.
Health Minister Cameron Friesen says it will allow for changes to work assignments, locations, schedules and shifts to support the changing needs of hospital patients and care home residents.
10:37 p.m.: There are 383,468 confirmed cases in Canada.
_Canada: 383,468 confirmed cases (66,369 active, 304,888 resolved, 12,211 deaths).The total case count includes 13 confirmed cases among repatriated travellers.
There were 5,329 new cases Tuesday from 97,680 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 5.5 per cent. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 41,024 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 5,861.
There were 81 new reported deaths Tuesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 593 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 85. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.23 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 32.49 per 100,000 people.
There have been 11,573,322 tests completed.
_ Newfoundland and Labrador: 339 confirmed cases (33 active, 302 resolved, four deaths).
There was one new case Tuesday from 324 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 0.31 per cent. Over the past seven days, there has been 16 new case. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is two.
There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 0.77 per 100,000 people.
There have been 62,844 tests completed.
_ Prince Edward Island: 72 confirmed cases (four active, 68 resolved, zero deaths).
There were zero new cases Tuesday from 760 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 0.0 per cent. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of three new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero.
There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is zero per 100,000 people.
_ Nova Scotia: 1,315 confirmed cases (142 active, 1,108 resolved, 65 deaths).
There were 10 new cases Tuesday from 3,165 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 0.32 per cent. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 88 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 13.
There have been 146,919 tests completed.
_ New Brunswick: 508 confirmed cases (116 active, 385 resolved, seven deaths).
There were seven new cases Tuesday from 1,065 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 0.66 per cent. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 58 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is eight.
There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 0.9 per 100,000 people.
_ Quebec: 143,548 confirmed cases (12,264 active, 124,200 resolved, 7,084 deaths).
There were 1,177 new cases Tuesday from 8,376 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 14 per cent. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 9,218 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,317.
There have been 2,194,452 tests completed.
_ Ontario: 118,199 confirmed cases (14,524 active, 100,012 resolved, 3,663 deaths).
There were seven new reported deaths Tuesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 144 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 21. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.14 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 25.15 per 100,000 people.
_ Manitoba: 17,107 confirmed cases (9,066 active, 7,713 resolved, 328 deaths).
There were 282 new cases Tuesday from 2,201 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 13 per cent. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 2,549 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 364.
There were 16 new reported deaths Tuesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 80 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 11. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.83 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 23.95 per 100,000 people.
_ Saskatchewan: 8,745 confirmed cases (3,819 active, 4,875 resolved, 51 deaths).
There were four new reported deaths Tuesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 14 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is two. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.17 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 4.34 per 100,000 people.
_ Alberta: 59,484 confirmed cases (16,628 active, 42,305 resolved, 551 deaths).
There were 1,307 new cases Tuesday from 27,600 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 4.7 per cent. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 9,948 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,421.
There were 10 new reported deaths Tuesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 59 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is eight. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.19 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 12.6 per 100,000 people.
_ British Columbia: 33,894 confirmed cases (9,663 active, 23,774 resolved, 457 deaths).
There were 656 new cases Tuesday from 18,967 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 3.5 per cent. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 5,546 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 792.
There were 16 new reported deaths Tuesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 99 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 14. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.28 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 9.01 per 100,000 people.
_ Yukon: 47 confirmed cases (17 active, 29 resolved, one deaths).
There were zero new cases Tuesday from 170 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 0.0 per cent. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of nine new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is one.
There have been 5,336 tests completed.
_ Northwest Territories: 15 confirmed cases (zero active, 15 resolved, zero deaths).
There were zero new cases Tuesday from 42 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 0.0 per cent. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of zero new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero.
_ Nunavut: 182 confirmed cases (93 active, 89 resolved, zero deaths).
There was one new case Tuesday from 58 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 1.7 per cent. Over the past seven days, there has been 38 new case. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is five.
There have been 4,300 tests completed
9 p.m.: Colleges and universities in Toronto and Peel say course completion, graduation and professional accreditation are at risk for students in programs such as nursing, pharmacy, personal support worker and the skilled trades because of the COVID-19 lockdown.
At issue is the province's provision limiting the few existing in-person, hands-on labs allowed on post-secondary campuses during the pandemic to just 10 students. The limit means schools will have to create new sections and hire faculty in the short period of time before the end of the semester in three weeks, as well as begin re-timetabling and hiring for next semester.
Read the full story by the Star's Kristin Rushowy here.
8:46 p.m.: York Region Public Health has identified 30 schools to be part of its COVID-19 asymptomatic testing initiative.
Host schools and invited neighbouring schools for testing on Thursday, Dec. 3 are: Father Bressani, City of Vaughan; Immaculate Conception CES; Blue Willow PS and St Gabriel Arch Angel CES.
For Friday Dec. 4, host schools and invited schools are: Middlefield Collegiate Institute (City of Markham); St Francis Xavier CES; Coppard Glen PS and Markham Gateway PS.
Some of the selected areas are in the Township of King and in the Town of Georgina which are far from testing centres.
Secondary schools were chosen as locations because they usually have gyms with outside access or they are larger and the structure can allow one way in and one way out to prevent mixing of individuals.
People eligible for a targeted testing initiative can include residents, workers or visitors of long-term care homes; residents or workers in homeless shelters or other congregate settings; international students that have passed their 14-day quarantine period; farm workers and Indigenous communities.
All testing will occur at secondary schools after hours once the school day is finished.
A list of participating schools will be updated at york.ca/safeatschool as information becomes available.
8:26 p.m.: British Columbia recorded 656 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday as officials urged residents not to bend public health rules.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix say in a joint statement that an additional 16 people have died, pushing B.C.'s death toll to 457.
The new positive tests bring the total confirmed cases in the province since the pandemic began to 33,894, while about 70 per cent of those are considered recovered.
7:01 p.m.: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is set to shorten the recommended length of quarantine after exposure to someone who is positive for COVID-19, as the virus rages across the nation.
According to a senior administration official, the new guidelines, which are set to be released as soon as Tuesday evening, will allow people who have come in contact to someone infected with the virus to resume normal activity after 10 days, or 7 days if they receive a negative test result. That's down from the 14-day period recommended since the onset of the pandemic.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the announcement, said the policy change has been discussed for some time, as scientists have studied the incubation period for the virus. The policy would hasten the return to normal activities by those deemed to be "close contacts" of those infected with the virus, which has infected more than 13.5 million Americans and killed at least 270,000.
While the CDC had said the incubation period for the virus was thought to extend to 14 days, most individuals became infectious and developed symptoms between 4 and 5 days after exposure.
The new guidance was presented Tuesday at a White House coronavirus task force meeting for final approval.
7 p.m.: Toronto's new COVID-19 infections blasted past 700 on Tuesday — a record high for a second straight day and a "blunt warning" to Torontonians to stop mingling, says the city's public health chief.
Dr. Eileen de Villa said 761 new infections, after a record 643 on Monday, shows the deadly virus "continues to spread easily and widely," in Toronto.
Read the full story by the Star's David Rider here.
6:14 p.m.: Health care workers and nursing home residents should be at the front of the line when the first coronavirus vaccine shots become available, an influential government advisory panel in the United States said Tuesday.
The panel voted 13-1 to recommend those groups get priority in the first days of any coming vaccination program, when doses are expected to be very limited. The two groups encompass about 24 million people out of a U.S. population of about 330 million.
Later this month, the Food and Drug Administration will consider authorizing emergency use of two vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna. Current estimates project that no more than 20 million doses of each vaccine will be available by the end of 2020. And each product requires two doses. As a result, the shots will be rationed in the early stages.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet again at some point to decide who should be next in line. Among the possibilities: teachers, police, firefighters and workers in other essential fields such as food production and transportation; the elderly; and people with underlying medical conditions.
Tuesday's action merely designated who should get shots first if a safe and effective vaccine becomes available. The panel did not endorse any particular vaccine. Panel members are waiting to hear FDA's evaluation and to see more safety and efficacy data before endorsing any particular product.
5:13 p.m.: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis joined the United States' top infectious disease expert Tuesday and urged people to wear masks and socially distance to help prevent stay-at-home orders and overwhelmed hospitals as cases of the coronavirus surge during the holidays.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House's coronavirus task force, warned during a virtual news conference that Colorado is not alone in seeing a spike in cases and pleaded with people not to travel or gather in large groups.
"We are likely going to see a surge upon a surge" of cases, Fauci said, based on the number of people who travelled and gathered for Thanksgiving and on those who are expected to shop and attend holiday parties before celebrating Christmas and New Year's in large groups.
Colorado has been hit with a substantial spike in COVID-19 cases, with one in 41 residents believed to be contagious. Nearly 233,000 people in the state have tested positive, and more than 2,600 have died from the virus since it started its rapid spread in the spring, according to state health officials.
Vaccines are "literally on the threshold" for vulnerable populations, and the general population could start getting inoculated as early as April, Fauci said.
Officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were meeting Tuesday with the institute's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to determine what groups will get the vaccine first.
4:37 p.m.: Florida has now confirmed more than 1 million cases of COVID-19.
The state hit the milestone Tuesday when the Florida Department of Health confirmed 8,847 additional cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the state's known total to 1,008,166.
That makes Florida the third state in the country to record 1 million cases since the pandemic began in March, according to the New York Times COVID-19 Database. The other two states are Texas and California.
Florida also announced 82 COVID-19-related resident deaths, bringing the resident toll to 18,679. It is still unclear if there were any new nonresident deaths. On Monday, the cumulative nonresident toll was 237.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday that the state was not considering any further restrictions on businesses. He went on to say that closing schools in March due to COVID-19 concern was the "biggest public health blunder in modern American history."
As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, there were 4,279 COVID-19 patients admitted into hospitals throughout the state, according to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration dashboard. This is a big jump from what the state was reporting last month though it's still less than early August, when more than 5,000 COVID-19 patients were admitted into hospitals throughout the state.
3 p.m.: Some offenders in a Saskatchewan jail where more than 100 inmates have been infected with COVID-19 say their units are too full to stop the spread.
The Ministry of Justice says that as of Monday 107 inmates and 23 staff at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
A spokesman says that's out of a total 476 offenders at the jail, which houses people serving provincial sentences less than two years and those in remand awaiting court appearances.
The Ministry of Corrections and Policing calls the outbreak "deeply concerning" and says all inmates at the jail will continue to be tested.
2:41 p.m.: The number of COVID-19 cases in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick continued to grow Tuesday although both provinces reported relatively modest upticks.
Nova Scotia reported 10 new cases while New Brunswick identified seven.
Public health officials in Nova Scotia said all the new cases were found in the central zone, which includes Halifax, bringing the province's total active case count to 142.
The majority of the province's cases in the recent outbreak are in the Halifax area.
As a result, Atlantic Canada's largest city has been under increased restrictions since Thursday that have seen the closure of in-person dining at restaurants and of public libraries, museums, gyms, yoga studios and casinos.
2:30 p.m.: The Liberals are pushing back against allegations from their political rivals that the federal government has failed Canadians on COVID-19 vaccines, noting Canada was one of the first countries to order doses from several foreign suppliers.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau admitted last week that other countries with domestic vaccine production are likely to inoculate their citizens first before shipping doses to Canada, which prompted an outcry from the opposition parties.
The Conservatives have also accused the Liberals of having put too much faith in what was ultimately a failed partnership between the National Research Council and a Chinese company to develop a made-in-Canada vaccine.
The Liberal government confirmed in August the deal with CanSino Biologics had fallen apart, after the Chinese government blocked the shipment of doses for clinical trials in Canada. The Tories are now pushing for parliamentary hearings into the arrangement.
2 p.m.: Quebec Premier Francois Legault warned Tuesday that the province's plan to allow gatherings for four days around Christmas is at risk as the number of hospitalizations in the province reached their highest level since June.
"We're not going in the right direction," Legault said at a press conference in Quebec City. "If hospitalizations continue to increase, it will be difficult to take that risk."
According to public health authorities, 719 people were in hospital due to the novel coronavirus on Tuesday, an increase of 26 from the previous day. Of those, 98 people were in intensive care, an increase of four.
According to data from Quebec's national public health institute, the last time more than 700 people were hospitalized in Quebec due to the virus was June 15.
Legault said some hospitals are approaching their capacity to treat COVID-19 patients.
Quebec reported 1,177 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday and 28 additional deaths associated with the novel coronavirus.
According to public health authorities, three of those deaths took place during the previous 24 hours with the rest occurring earlier.
Legault said he's also worried about the situation in private seniors residences.
According to public health authorities, there are currently 120 private seniors residences with at least one active case of COVID-19. Of those, there are 20 facilities where more than 25 per cent of residents have active cases of COVID-19.
Quebec has reported 143,548 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 7,084 deaths associated with the virus since the beginning of the pandemic.
1:55 p.m.: For the first time in its 37-year history, the Daily Bread Food Bank has cancelled its holiday season food drive events.
"A lot of thought and consideration went into this decision," said Neil Hetherington, the charitable organization's CEO, Tuesday morning.
"More than 50 per cent of public food donations come to Daily Bread during the holiday season. Cancelling this annual tradition and community engagement opportunity is a difficult, but necessary decision given our commitment to the safety of our supporters, volunteers and staff.
Despite cancelling its December food drive events, Canada's largest food bank said it isn't stopping the "necessary work to ensure everyone's right to food is realized this holiday season" and has issued an urgent appeal for donations.
This month, the Daily Bread Food Bank is aiming to collect more than 180,000 kilograms of food — enough to fill 17 tractor trailers — as well as $1 million from the community.
1:50 p.m.: Public health officials in New Brunswick are reporting seven new cases of COVID-19 in the province Tuesday.
Chief medical officer of health Dr. Jennifer Russell says there are four new cases in the Saint John zone and three new cases in the Fredericton zone.
There are currently 116 active cases in the province, and there have been 508 cases in New Brunswick since the pandemic began.
There have been seven deaths and no one is in hospital.
1:35 p.m.: Manitoba is reporting 282 new COVID-19 cases and a record 16 deaths.
The test positivity rate remains high at 13 per cent, and Premier Brian Pallister says restrictions on business openings and public gatherings may have to remain in place for some time.
1:20 p.m. The 2021 Juno Awards are moving into May for their 50th anniversary.
Organizers behind Canada's biggest night in music say the golden celebration, set to take place in Toronto, is being pushed to a later date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The televised show will take place on May 16, 2021, about a month and a half after its originally planned date in March.
Allan Reid, head of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, says the move is intended to give artists and the local community more options to celebrate in a time when physical distancing measures are expected to still be in place.
"We also hope that the warmer weather will bring more opportunities for some unique outdoor programming," he said in a press conference.
"The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a huge effect on the city and our music community, but we will be resilient and live music will return, and we will be there to help in any way we can."
The return of the Juno Awards to Toronto, for the first time in a decade, was expected to be an especially splashy affair, with many past honourees returning for the momentous occasion, which was slated to be held inside the Scotiabank Arena.
Whether any of the Juno events can be held indoors is yet to be determined, Reid said.
The organization also stopped short of announcing plans for Juno Week, a series of concerts and events leading up to the broadcast that in other years have proven to be a business boon for local bars and concert halls.
1:10 p.m.: Quebec Premier Francois Legault says his government will decide in 10 days whether the province's COVID-19 situation will allow for multi-household gatherings at Christmas.
He says an increase in hospitalizations is straining the health-care network, and some hospitals are nearing the limit of how many COVID-19 patients they can treat.
The premier says the situation in hospitals and the toll on health-care workers will be the most important factors in determining the plan for Christmas, adding that things are not headed in the right direction.
Legault had announced last month that gatherings of up to 10 people would be allowed between Dec. 24 and 27.
1 p.m.: Another measure to limit the spread of COVID-19 took effect in Yukon today, as masks are now mandatory in all indoor, public spaces.
Yukon's chief medical officer of health Dr. Brendan Hanley says everyone over the age of five who does not have a medical exemption will be required to wear a mask.
The order imposed under Yukon's Civil Emergency Measures Act carries a fine of up to $500 but Hanley says Yukon residents will first be given a chance to adapt before any enforcement begins.
Premier Sandy Silver reports eight new cases of COVID-19 in the territory since the briefing last Tuesday, bringing the total number to 47 since the start of the pandemic.
Seventeen cases are still considered active, but none related to community transmission.
12:55 p.m.: Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says when looking at people experiencing the most severe illness, older Canadians are more at risk than younger Canadians with pre-existing conditions.
She says that suggests after the initial round of vaccines goes to people in high-risk living or work situations, like long-term care centres and hospital staff, the next round of immunizations should be done by age, with the oldest Canadians at the front of the line.
12:52 p.m.: Manitoba handed out 100 tickets to people not following public health orders last week.
The provincial government brought in restrictions three weeks ago to deal with surging COVID-19 case numbers that set strict limits on public gatherings and require non-essential businesses to close.
Two churches that held services recently are among the establishments that have been ticketed.
12:50 p.m.: Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting one new case of COVID-19.
The case affects a man in his 50s who returned to the province from work in British Columbia.
Health officials say the man is self-isolating and contact tracing is underway.
Newfoundland and Labrador has 33 active COVID-19 cases, with 339 cases confirmed since the onset of the pandemic.
12:45 p.m.: Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister says restrictions on public gatherings and business openings could continue into the winter.
Pallister says with cold weather ahead, there's a risk of greater COVID-19 transmission as more people stay, and perhaps gather, indoors.
Manitoba's daily rise in cases has levelled off somewhat after spiking last month, but health officials say it is still straining the health-care system.
12:30 p.m. The EU drug agency said Tuesday it may need another four weeks to decide whether to grant its first approval for a coronavirus vaccine, even as authorities in the United States and Britain continued to aim for a green light before Christmas.
The European Medicines Agency plans to convene a meeting by Dec. 29 to decide if there is enough safety and efficacy data about the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech for it to be approved, the regulator said. The agency also said it could decide as early as Jan. 12 whether to approve a rival shot by American pharmaceutical company Moderna Inc, which was submitted to U.S. and European regulators this week.
If its vaccine is approved, Germany-based BioNTech said its use in Europe could begin before the end of 2020 — but that seems quite ambitious, given that the EU Commission usually needs to rubber-stamp the regulator's decision. Still, the regulator has also left open the possibility that the date of that meeting will be brought forward if data comes in faster.
12:25 p.m.: Procurement Minister Anita Anand says Canada was one of the first countries to sign a deal to get doses of COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna.
She says it was also the fourth to sign a deal with Pfizer, and the first country without the ability to mass produce the vaccine domestically to sign with AstraZeneca.
Anand says there has been "significant misinformation" about the doses procured and when they will arrive.
12:15 p.m.: In Ontario's long-term-care homes, 743 residents currently have COVID-19 and six new deaths have been reported today.
The province says 109 of its 626 long-term-care homes are experiencing an outbreak.
12:10 p.m.: The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario issued an order to suspend the liquor licence of a Unionville karaoke bar due to alleged violations of the province's COVID-19 emergency orders.
The licence suspension order against Tengo KTV was done for reasons of public interest and safety, according to a statement released Nov. 30 by the AGCO.
The registrar also issued a notice of proposal to revoke the 8360 Kennedy Rd. establishment's liquor licence for multiple infractions of the Liquor Licence Act and Regulation 719, including not maintaining control over the premises.
11:50 a.m.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is taking on billions of dollars in more debt to protect Canadians from having to do the same thing.
Trudeau says the average credit card interest rate is more than 19 per cent, and that it makes more sense for Ottawa to shoulder more of the burden through the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn because it can borrow at rates now close to zero.
The prime minister also says his government has no intention to start cutting spending at this time, saying now is not the time for austerity.
The fall economic update released Monday proposed $25 billion in new spending to help Canadian businesses and workers make it through a COVID-19 winter promised tens of billions more to help the country recover once the pandemic passes.
11:40 a.m.: Trudeau says the federal government is launching efforts to support two more northern communities that are struggling with COVID-19.
The Canadian Red Cross is sending specialists to the predominantly Inuit community of Arviat in Nunavut, which has seen dozens of cases.
The Canadian Rangers are also being deployed to Hatchet Lake First Nation in northern Saskatchewan, where Trudeau says they will provide health services and support elders.
11:35 a.m.: Trudeau says 80 per cent of the money spent to support and protect Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic has come from the federal government.
The prime minister says that includes tens of millions of rapid tests that are starting to be distributed across the country, as well as billions of doses of yet-to-be-delivered COVID-19 vaccines.
Trudeau says Canada is guaranteed to receive some of the first doses of the vaccine produced by U.S. pharmaceutical company Moderna once it has been approved by Health Canada.
The Moderna vaccine candidate is one of four currently being reviewed by the department.
11:30 a.m.: Prince Edward Island's chief health officer says she expects the COVID-19 vaccine to begin arriving in her province in January 2021.
Dr. Heather Morrison says discussions are continuing between the federal and provincial governments around vaccine allocation, distribution, procurement and logistics.
She says P.E.I. will be following the national recommendations for priority groups to be immunized, but all Islanders who want the vaccine will receive it over time.
Morrison says it will take many months for all Islanders to be immunized.
She said the arrival date and the actual number of doses will be made public once the details are known.
11:13 a.m.: The federal Conservatives are calling for a parliamentary committee to probe the Liberal government's plan to refit a National Research Council facility in Montreal to start producing a COVID-19 vaccine.
The government announced the $44-million project in May as part of a partnership between the NRC and a Chinese company to develop a made-in-Canada vaccine.
By August, the Liberals confirmed the partnership with CanSino Biologics had fallen apart, after the Chinese government had blocked shipments of vaccine samples meant to be used in clinical trials in Canada.
Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole has criticized the Liberals for putting too much faith in Beijing, and blamed the failed deal for Canada being late to order vaccines from other foreign companies.
The proposed committee probe would look at the investment intended to upgrade the NRC facility and how the deal impacted Canada's efforts to ensure the country has timely access to vaccines.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau admitted last week that Canada might have to wait for other countries to get access to vaccines, though the government and vaccine-makers have since downplayed any delay.
11:05 a.m.: Quebec is reporting 1,177 new cases of COVID-19 today and 28 additional deaths associated with the novel coronavirus.
According to public health authorities, three of those deaths took place during the past 24 hours and the rest occurred earlier.
The Health Department says 719 people are currently in hospital, an increase of 26 from the previous day. Of those, 98 people are in intensive care, an increase of four from the previous day.
Quebec has reported 143,548 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic and 7,084 deaths associated with the virus.
10:45 a.m.: Ontario is reporting an additional 299 cases in public schools across the province, bringing the total in the last two weeks to 1,353 and 4,872 overall since school began.
In its latest data released Tuesday morning, the province reported 253 more students were infected for a total of 1,119 in the last two weeks; since school began there have been an overall total of 3,107.
The data shows there are 46 more staff members infected for a total of 233 the last two weeks — and an overall total of 677.
There are 737 schools with a reported case, which the province notes is 15.27 per cent of the 4,828 public schools in Ontario.
Six schools were closed because of an outbreak, two more than the previous day.
There is a lag between the daily provincial data at 10:30 a.m. and news reports about infections in schools. The provincial data on Tuesday is current as of 2 p.m. Monday. It doesn't indicate where the place of transmission occurred.
The Toronto District School Board updates its information on current COVID-19 cases throughout the day on its website. As of 9:30 p.m. Monday, there were 373 students infected, 71 staff and 424 resolved cases.
The Toronto Catholic District School Board also updates its information on its website. As of 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, there were 73 schools with at least one active case. There are 123 active student cases and 26 staff.
Epidemiologists have told the Star that the rising numbers in the schools aren't a surprise, and that the cases will be proportionate to the amount of COVID that is in the community.
10:15 a.m. (updated): Ontario is reporting 1,707 new cases of COVID-19, and seven new deaths due to the virus.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says 727 new cases are in Toronto (a daily record-high), 373 in Peel Region, and 168 cases in York Region.
The seven-day average is up to a new high of 1,670 cases daily, or 80 weekly per 100,000, the Star's Ed Tubb reports.
The province says it has conducted 34,640 tests since the last daily report.
In total, 645 people are hospitalized in Ontario due to COVID-19, including 185 in intensive care.
The province is also reporting that 112 people are on ventilators in hospital.
The latest figures bring the total of COVID-19 cases in Ontario to 118,199, with 3,663 deaths, and 100,012 cases resolved.
10:11 a.m. Toronto Catholic District School Board has reopened two schools it temporarily shut for in-person classes due to active COVID-19 cases being detected in classrooms.
A TCDSB communication officer told the Star that St. Fidelis and St. Robert Catholic schools in North York were reopened for in-person classes on Monday
St. John the Evangelist school, which also had classes dismissed, will reopen on Wednesday.
Additionally, six classes at Blessed Sacrament Catholic School have been asked to quarantine until Dec. 7, on the advice of Toronto Public Health.
9:15 a.m. (updated): Two schools in the York Catholic District school board are closed due to active cases of COVID-19.
St. Padre Pio Catholic Elementary School in Vaughan is closed until Dec. 9, with five active cases reported in two classrooms.
St. Benedict Catholic Elementary School in Markham is closed until Dec. 14, with four cases of COVID-19 reported in two of the school's classrooms.
9 a.m. Statistics Canada says the economy grew at a record annualized pace of 40.5 per cent in the third quarter as businesses came out of COVID-19 lockdowns.
Financial data firm Refinitiv says the average economist estimate was for an annualized growth rate of 47.6 per cent for the quarter.
The rebound over July, August and September was a sharp turnaround from the preceding three-month stretch saw a record drop.
Driving the bounce-back were the further rolling back of public health restrictions that allowed businesses to reopen.
Statistics Canada also says there was a substantial increase in the housing market owing to low interest rates and household spending on goods like cars.
Despite the overall increase, the national statistics office says real gross domestic product still remains shy of where it was before the pandemic.
8:38 a.m. The German pharmaceutical company BioNTech and its U.S. partner Pfizer say they have submitted an application for speeded-up, conditional approval of their coronavirus vaccine with the European Medicines Agency.
The two companies said Tuesday that the submission, which occurred Monday, completes the rolling review process they initiated with the agency on Oct. 6.
The move comes a day after rival Moderna said it was asking U.S. and European regulators to allow the use of its COVID-19 vaccine.
BioNTech said if the vaccine, currently named BNT162b2, is approved, its use in Europe could begin before the end of 2020.
The companies said last month that clinical trials with 44,000 participants showed the vaccine had an efficacy rate of 95 per cent. The success rate in particularly vulnerable older age groups was more than 94 per cent, they said.
BioNTech and Pfizer have already submitted a request for emergency approval with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.K. regulator MHRA, as well as rolling submissions in other countries including in Australia, Canada and Japan.
"We have known since the beginning of this journey that patients are waiting, and we stand ready to ship COVID-19 vaccine doses as soon as potential authorizations will allow us," Pfizer's chief executive Albert Bourla said in a statement.
8:30 a.m. Two schools in York Region have closed because of COVID-19 outbreaks. St. Padre Pio Catholic Elementary School in Vaughan and St. Benedict Catholic Elementary School in Markham each reported four new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, and the schools have been closed due to the outbreaks.
8:24 a.m. Ontario is being urged to expand testing of staff and students — especially in hot spots — after the first site in Toronto uncovered some 19 cases at one elementary school.
"When it comes to our schools and the safety of our students ... we need a robust, fully staffed in-school testing program," said New Democrat MPP Marit Stiles, her party's education critic and a former trustee for the Toronto District School Board.
"Why, after all these months, is the government still reacting to this virus instead of listening to the experts, planning ahead and investing the resources necessary to keep our schools open and our students safe?"
Read the full story from the Star's Kristin Rushowy and Robert Benzie
7 a.m. The European Medicines Agency will convene a meeting on Dec. 29 to decide if there is enough data about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech for it to be approved, the regulator said Tuesday.
The agency also said Tuesday it could decide as early as Jan. 12 whether to approve a rival COVID-19 vaccine developed by Moderna Inc.
The German pharmaceutical company BioNTech and its U.S. partner Pfizer said earlier Tuesday that they had asked the regulator for speeded-up, conditional approval of their coronavirus vaccine, concluding the rolling review process they initiated with the agency on Oct. 6.
BioNTech said if the vaccine, currently named BNT162b2, is approved, its use in Europe could begin before the end of 2020. The companies said last month that clinical trials with 44,000 participants showed the vaccine is 95 per cent effective. The efficacy rate in particularly vulnerable older age groups was more than 94 per cent, they said.
In a statement, the EU medicines regulator said it had already begun a "rolling review" of the Moderna vaccine based on laboratory data previously submitted by the company and would now assess data on how well that vaccine triggers an immune response and whether it is safe enough for broad use across Europe.
6:17 a.m.: Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss this weekend's Sakhir Grand Prix.
The Mercedes team said in a statement Tuesday that Hamilton was tested three times last week and returned a negative result each time, the last on Sunday afternoon at the Bahrain International Circuit.
"But he up woke Monday morning with mild symptoms and was informed at the same time that a contact prior to arrival in Bahrain had subsequently tested positive," the team said. "Lewis, therefore, took a further test and returned a positive result. This has since been confirmed by a retest."
Hamilton is in isolation in accordance with the health protocols in Bahrain.
"Apart from mild symptoms, he is otherwise fit and well, and the entire team sends him its very best wishes for a swift recovery," the team statement said.
The 35-year-old Hamilton appeared to be drained at the end of the Bahrain GP, which was marred by a crash that left Romain Grosjean with minor burns to his hands and ankles after his Haas car crashed and burst into flames moments after the start.
6:15 a.m.: Coronavirus quarantine restrictions will remain imposed in the Philippine capital during the Christmas season this month and officials said they will ban big Christmas parties in Asia's largest Roman Catholic nation to prevent new infection spikes.
President Rodrigo Duterte said in televised remarks late Monday that aside from Metropolitan Manila, the bustling capital region of more than 12 million, the "general community quarantine" would be imposed in seven other cities and provinces in December.
The restrictions ban large public gatherings, actual school classes and entertainment businesses but allow shopping malls, restaurants and essential shops, including barber shops, to operate with required safeguards, including the wearing of face masks and shields and social distancing.
Duterte lamented that many still defy quarantine restrictions like the wearing of face masks and warned of a possible resurgence of infections like in some Western countries.
"In the Philippines, it's hard-headedness," Duterte said.
The Philippines has reported more than 431,600 confirmed coronavirus infections, the second-highest in Southeast Asia, with at least 8,392 deaths.
6:15 a.m.: Germany's science minister says the same safety standards are being applied in the approval process for coronavirus vaccines as for other drugs.
Anja Karliczek told reporters on Tuesday that ensuring the same standards is key to gaining the widest possible public acceptance for the COVID vaccine.
Karliczek noted that the European Medicines Agency will be holding a public hearing on Dec. 11 on an approval request by German pharmaceutical company BioNTech and its U.S. partner Pfizer.
She added that the vaccine will be voluntary and that authorities will work hard to inform the public about possible side effects that might be excepted after immunization, such as headaches, localized pain and fever.
Marylyn Addo, a doctor at Hamburg's UKE hospital who is involved in the trials for a rival vaccine, said that the rapid development of a vaccine was the result of enormous efforts by scientists, early funding and experience from previous vaccines.
6:15 a.m.: The head of the World Health Organization said that "Mexico is in bad shape" with the pandemic and urged its leaders be serious about the coronavirus and set examples for its citizens.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus's comments came Monday as Mexico's death toll rose to 105,940 — the fourth highest in the world — with 1,113,543 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus. The country's actual numbers are believed to be much higher partly because of low testing levels.
"The number of increasing cases and deaths in Mexico is very worrisome," he said in a briefing to the press.
Mexican President Andrés López Obrador has been criticized for often not wearing a mask and while not mentioning names or specific cases, the WHO chief urged the country's leaders to take the pandemic seriously.
"We would like to ask Mexico to be very serious," he said. "We have said it in general, wearing a mask is important, hygiene is important and physical distancing is important and we expect leaders to be examples ..."
6:13 a.m.: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad said the coronavirus pandemic has increased trafficking of women and gender-based violence, leaving the health and safety of women "on the line."
The 27-year-old activist, who was forced into sexual slavery by Islamic State fighters in Iraq, said curfews, lockdowns and travel restrictions imposed by governments to slow the spread of the virus "have had unintended consequences on women worldwide."
"Rather than reducing human trafficking and gender-based violence, the pandemic has increased the risk of exploitation and brutality against those most vulnerable," she said. "Numerous countries have seen increases in reports of domestic violence since the pandemic began."
Murad said domestic tensions have intensified in confined living spaces, and stay-at-home orders "are increasing human trafficking farther underground, out of sight of law enforcement."
6:12 a.m.: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Tuesday urged residents to stay home as the city grapples with a resurgence of the coronavirus, which has infected more than 600 people in the last week.
Lam asked citizens to "refrain from social gatherings" and said that people, in particular the elderly, should remain at home.
"The latest wave of the epidemic is rather severe. Every one of us should do our best and exercise a high level of discipline to fight the pandemic," she said at a regular news conference. "The coming two weeks is a crucial period."
The city reported 82 new infections on Tuesday, 23 of which were unlinked to known clusters. Hong Kong has reported 6,397 infections since the pandemic began, with 109 deaths.
6:10 a.m.: German pharmaceutical company BioNTech and its U.S. partner Pfizer say they have submitted an application for conditional approval of their coronavirus vaccine with the European Medicines Agency.
The move comes a day after rival Moderna said it was asking U.S. and European regulators to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine.
BioNTech said that if the vaccine, currently named BNT162b2, is approved, its use in Europe could begin before the end of 2020.
6:10 a.m.: A retired top doctor says public health orders have to balance science with society if they are to be effective.
"(Measures) will only work if you have a majority of the population that supports it," said Andre Corriveau, who was Alberta's chief medical officer of health from 2009 to 2012.
"You can't pass measures that a majority of the public is not supportive of, because it's not enforceable."
Corriveau, speaking from Iqaluit, Nunavut, where he was advising that territory on how to deal with its COVID-19 cases, spoke after recordings were released that appeared to show Alberta's current chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, expressing concern about politicians watering down her recommendations.
That just goes with the job, said Corriveau, who also served until last year as the top public health official in the Northwest Territories.
Experts such as himself or Hinshaw are responsible for winnowing through scientific evidence — often thin on the ground or hot off the research presses — to come up with the best advice they can. But, said Corriveau, judging what's acceptable or how something should be implemented is a political decision.
6:07 a.m.: Weather is getting cooler and beards are getting bushier as some Canadian men look to add an extra layer of warmth to their faces this winter.
Others, motivated by lockdown measures and extended work-from-home terms, may view this as a perfect time to see how unruly those whiskers can get before a trim is needed.
But as long as mask-wearing is encouraged amid the COVID-19 pandemic, should they worry about facial hair interfering with the effectiveness of face coverings?
Read the full story from the Canadian Press here.
6:07 a.m.: The national statistics office will say this morning how much Canada's domestic economy bounced back in the third quarter of the year.
The Canadian economy suffered its worst three-month stretch on record in the second quarter as the economy came to a near halt in April before starting to recover in May and June.
Expressed at an annualized rate, real gross domestic product fell 38.7 per cent in the second quarter, the worst posting on record.
The rebound is expected to be equally sharp in the ensuing three-month stretch over July, August and September.
Financial data firm Refinitiv says the average economist estimate is for an annualized growth rate of 47.6 per cent for the quarter.
The firm also says the average economist estimate is for a 0.9 per cent increase in real GDP for September, which Statistics Canada will also unveil this morning.
6 a.m.: A new poll suggests most Canadians aren't currently worried that people in other countries might get a COVID-19 vaccine first.
Thirty-seven per cent of respondents to a survey conducted by Léger and the Association for Canadian Studies say they are very concerned that Canada may not receive doses of a new COVID vaccine as early as the United States.
"That's not necessarily low, but I think most pundits would have expected this number to be much higher," said Léger executive vice-president Christian Bourque.
Meanwhile, 48 per cent say they are not concerned about getting a vaccine first and 10 per cent say they don't care at all or are not planning to get vaccinated anyway.
Getting a vaccine before other countries doesn't seem to be "a major (issue for the Liberal government), which is contrary to what we might have thought … when the prime minister actually said that we would not be the first ones to get doses," Bourque said.
The amount of concern regarding getting a COVID-19 vaccine first varies along party lines, with 45 per cent of self-identified Conservative supporters saying they are very concerned that Canada may not receive doses of a new COVID vaccine at the same time as other countries. Only 38 per cent of Liberal supporters say they are concerned.