Retired general Rick Hillier says the call to close Ontario's COVID-19 vaccination clinics over Christmas Day and Boxing Day was the wrong decision. Medical experts were sharply critical of the move, pointing out on social media that the virus doesn't take a holiday. That's been borne out in the latest stats, which show Ontario recorded 2,553 new cases of COVID-19 today and 1,939 yesterday. Hillier says all of the province's clinics are open today and that Ontario expects to receive its first doses of the Moderna vaccine tomorrow, which will be sent to long-term care and retirement homes. Ont

Canada's industry minister says the country faces mounting mental health concerns that the government will have to address in 2021.Navdeep Bains says he has heard more stories about the mental health of workers and entrepreneurs alongside needs for financial help to individuals and businesses.He says it is particularly the case in his Toronto-area riding that is home to Pearson International Airport, where local hotels and restaurants are also suffering from a drop in travel.Bains tells The Canadian Press that he has seen the issue in his own home.A father of two, Bains says the toll the pande

Quebec has become the fourth province to confirm its first case of a more contagious COVID-19 variant. Health Minister Christian Dube says the person who tested positive is a family member of someone who returned from the United Kingdom on Dec. 11. Three other provinces have confirmed cases of the new variant in recent days, with three cases in Ontario, one in Alberta and one in British Columbia. The variant was first identified in the U.K. and has since spread to several other countries. The latest case in Canada comes as Yukon Health and Social Services Minister Pauline Frost says the terri

More than 15,000 Canadians have now died of COVID-19. The death toll reached 15,001 this morning as Quebec reported another 2,265 infections and 37 deaths. But it is likely higher than that because Ontario did not report its latest numbers today. Quebec has reported 8,060 deaths since the start of the pandemic. The rollout of vaccines is continuing across the country, with doses of the Moderna shots due to be delivered in Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunuvut today.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the first doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine have landed in Canada. He tweeted the news with a photo of border agents watching workers preparing to unload a Federal Express cargo plane. Health Canada authorized the use of the vaccine just yesterday, making it the second vaccine to receive the regulator's approval after the Pfizer-BioNtech offering was approved on Dec. 9. Moderna is expected to deliver 168,000 doses by the end of next week. The federal government has ordered 40 million doses overall from Moderna, enough to vaccinate 20 million Canadians. Whi

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.