Both Quebec and Ontario set new records today for COVID-19 infections. Quebec reported 2,349 new cases and Ontario reported 2,447 cases. Ontario Premier Doug Ford sent out a tweet urging everyone to go out only if it's necessary, even before the entire province goes into lockdown on Saturday. Quebec is closing all non-essential businesses from tomorrow through January 11th. And Alberta is banning indoor and outdoor social gatherings in the face of rising infections and hospitalizations.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the COVID-19 pandemic has created a holiday season nobody wanted. But in his annual Christmas message, Trudeau says there is hope for the New Year. He says everyone can agree 2020 has been tough, but Canadians have met the challenging times with generosity, kindness and hope. He says throughout 2020, neighbours have helped neighbours, kids have given up play dates to be safe, front-line workers have put themselves at risk and businesses have retooled to help in the fight against COVID-19. Trudeau says Canadians should give thanks for what unites us.

Quebec's police watchdog has completed its investigation into the New Brunswick police-involved killing of Chantel Moore, a 26-year-old Indigenous woman.The watchdog, known as the Bureau des enquetes independantes, said Wednesday it had forwarded its report to New Brunswick's Public Prosecutions Services and to the coroner in the case, on Dec. 16.Quebec's independent police watchdog investigated the case because New Brunswick does not have its own police oversight agency.Moore was shot by a member of the Edmundston Police Force during a wellness check on June 4, after the young woman had alleg

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says a travel restriction on passengers from the United Kingdom is being extended by two weeks. The original 72 hour ban imposed on Sunday was set to expire today. Trudeau says the new ban will last until Jan. 6. The U.K. is struggling with a new strain of COVID-19 that experts suggest is more contagious than other variants. Britain is battling a new, apparently more contagious strain of COVID-19 and today recorded 744 deaths, the most since April.

Royal Canadian Navy commander Vice-Admiral Art McDonald has been named as the next head of the Canadian Armed Forces. This announcement has ended the months of speculation about who would succeed General Jonathan Vance. The appointment also ends a long drought for the Navy, which has been passed over numerous times in favour of appointments from the Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says McDonald will oversee the role of the Canadian Armed Forces in the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines across the country.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he knows the country's top experts have upheld the highest standards in Health Canada's approval of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine. The Moderna shot is the second to be greenlit in Canada, following the approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on December 9th. Trudeau says deliveries from Moderna should arrive in the coming days. He says between the earlier doses of the Pfizer vaccine and the upcoming shipments, Canada is on track to have at least 1.2 million doses of the two shots by the end of January. Health Canada says the COVID-19 vaccine from U.S. biotech f

Statistics Canada says real gross domestic product grew 0.4 per cent in October, its sixth consecutive month of growth. The increase followed growth of 0.8 per cent in September. Economists had expected an increase of 0.3 per cent for October, according to financial data firm Refinitiv. Both goods-producing and service-producing sectors were up overall in October, but Statistics Canada report notes declines in manufacturing and food services. Despite the growth, the Canadian economy remains about four per cent below where it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Statistics Canada says its preli

Health Canada has approved a second COVID-19 vaccine for use in Canada. Up to 168,000 of the drug developed by US biotech firm Moderna are due to arrive in Canada before the end of the month. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said deliveries could begin within 48 hours of approval. The vaccine approval follows the greenlighting of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine on December 9th. Moderna anticipates starting shipments to Canada within the next 48 hours. Up to 168,000 doses are set to arrive by the end of December, and two million by the end of March.

Health Minister Patty Hajdu says "the whole research community" is working on the newly detected strain of the virus that causes COVID-19. They're trying to determine whether it's more of a threat to public health than the more familiar strains of the virus. Hajdu says the appearance of the new strain in the United Kingdom is a reminder that international travel is a bad idea during the pandemic. Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the new strain appears to spread much more easily. The Canadian government temporarily shut down flights from the U.K. Sunday evening. Public Safety Mi