The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada (all times eastern):
12:15 p.m.
New Brunswick is reporting one new case of COVID-19 today.
Health officials say the new case involves a person in their 70s in the Bathurst, N.B., area who is a contact of a previously reported infection.
New Brunswick has 99 active reported cases and three patients in hospital with the disease, including one in intensive care.
One New Brunswicker is hospitalized with COVID-19 outside the province.
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12:10 p.m.
Manitobans who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will soon be able to travel within Canada without having to self-isolate upon returning to Manitoba.
Premier Brian Pallister says new secure vaccination cards will be available to people who have received both doses.
It will exempt people from the current rule that requires people to self-isolate for 14 days.
The card will also let people visit loved ones in hospitals and personal care homes.
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12 p.m.
COVID-19 cases in Canada are hitting their lowest levels so far in 2021.
The average number of new daily cases of COVID-19 in Canada is below 2,000 for the first time since early October and the number of people in hospital due to COVID-19 is the lowest it has been since last November.
The daily average over the last week is 1,798 new cases, the lowest average since Oct. 2, 2020. It fell slightly below 2,000 on Sunday, at 1,962 new cases on average over the previous seven days.
The last time the average number nationally was below 2,000 was Oct. 12, 2020.
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11:15 a.m.
A Manitoba church accused of repeatedly violating COVID-19 restrictions could face a fine of up to $1 million.
The Church of God Restoration, south of Steinbach, has already been given tickets after holding in-person services contrary to public health orders.
Now the provincial government says the matter is heading to court, where a judge will determine a potential penalty, up to a maximum of $1 million.
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11 a.m.
Quebec is reporting 150 new COVID-19 cases today and four more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus, none of which occurred in the past 24 hours.
Health officials say hospitalizations dropped by two, to 263, and 60 people were in intensive care, a rise of two.
The province says 64,973 doses of COVID-19 were administered in the last 24 hours, for a total of 6,220,734; about 66.4 per cent of eligible Quebecers have received a first dose.
Premier François Legault will hold a COVID-19 briefing this afternoon in Quebec City.
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10:30 a.m.
Ontario reports that there are 469 new cases of COVID-19 in the province and 18 more deaths linked to the virus.
It’s the lowest daily infections total for Ontario since Sept. 26, when the province reported 435 new cases.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says 182 of today’s cases are in Toronto, 76 are in Peel Region, and 40 are in the Porcupine Health Unit region in northeast Ontario.
Ontario says more than 158,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered in the province yesterday, for a total of more than 10.2 million doses so far.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2021.
The Canadian Press
