The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada

The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada (all times Eastern):

6:30 p.m.

COVID-19 continues to spread in an outbreak in Nunavut.

The territory says there are four new cases in Arviat, the only community where there are active cases.

Arviat, which has a population of about 2,800, has had 337 COVID-19 cases, 25 of which are currently active.

All schools and non-essential businesses in Arviat have been closed for months and travel has been restricted.

—

6 p.m.

Alberta’s chief medical health officer says there are an estimated 300 new COVID-19 cases, but says firm information isn’t available today due to a system upgrade.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw says on Twitter that the new cases include 54 that involve variants of concern.

Information was not available Sunday on the number of hospitalizations or new deaths.

Hinshaw says about 8,100 COVID-19 tests were completed in the previous 24 hours, and that the positivity rate was approximately four per cent.

She says the system upgrade work is nearly complete and that online updates will resume Monday.

—

4 p.m.

Health authorities on Prince Edward Island are reporting two new cases of COVID-19.

Officials say both involve men in their 20s who are now self-isolating.

One case is connected to a previously known diagnosis, and the other tested positive after he was at a public exposure site more than a week ago.

With 26 active reported cases, chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison says there are more active infections in the province now than at any other point in the pandemic.

—

3 p.m.

Saskatchewan is reporting two new deaths among people who tested positive for COVID-19, one of whom was under 20 years old.

The exact age of that person was not released, but the government’s daily pandemic update says the patient was from Saskatchewan’s North West zone.

The other person who died was in the 40-to-49 age group and was from the Far North West zone.

The province is reporting 116 new COVID-19 cases today.

The government says a shipment of 7,022 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is expected to arrive Tuesday and will be divided between Saskatoon and Regina.

Another 7,020 doses of that vaccine are expected Wednesday and will go to North Battleford, Yorkton and Prince Albert.

—

2:45 p.m.

Public health officials in New Brunswick are reporting two new cases of COVID-19.

Authorities say one case is related to travel and the other is connected to a previously known infection.

Effective midnight tonight, officials are loosening public health restrictions across the entire province.

In the new provincewide “yellow” alert level, residents can expand their contacts from 10 to 15 people and team sports activities may resume.

—

2:10 p.m.

Manitoba health officials are reporting two new deaths of people with COVID-19.

The province’s daily pandemic update says both deaths were in the Winnipeg health region and are linked to outbreaks at care facilities.

The province says there were 56 new COVID-19 cases in Manitoba as of this morning.

—

1:20 p.m.

Newfoundland and Labrador health authorities are reporting one new case of COVID-19 today.

Officials say the person involved is a man between 20 and 39 years old, and his infection is related to international travel.

The province has now seen 10 consecutive days of single-digit case counts following an outbreak in St. Jon’s last month.

Public health says there are 87 active reported COVID-19 cases in the province, including three people in intensive care.

—

1 p.m.

Nova Scotia health authorities are reporting two new cases of COVID-19.

Officials say one infection is travel-related, while the other is a close contact of a previously known case.

There are now 29 active reported COVID-19 infections in the province.

Authorities say two patients are in hospital and one is in intensive care.

—

11:10 a.m.

Quebec is reporting 707 new cases of COVID-19 and seven new deaths linked to the pandemic.

Two of the deaths occurred in the last 24 hours while the rest happened earlier.

Hospitalizations declined by nine to 592, with 107 people in intensive care, which is two fewer than a day prior.

The province administered 15,329 doses of vaccine on Saturday.

—

10:40 a.m. 

Ontario is reporting 1,299 new cases of COVID-19 today and 15 more deaths linked to the virus.

Health Minister Christine Elliott says there are 329 new cases in Toronto, 192 in Peel Region, and 116 in York Region.

Today’s data is based on 46,586 completed tests.

The province also says 30,192 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were administered since Saturday’s update.

—

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2021

The Canadian Press