21.68°C Vancouver

Dec 29, 2020 6:30 PM -

Quebec becomes fourth province to confirm more contagious COVID-19 variant

Share On
quebec-becomes-fourth-province-to-confirm-more-contagious-covid-19-variant
A healthcare worker talks with people as they wait to be tested for COVID-19 at a clinic in Montreal, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

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 territory has received its first shipment of the Moderna vaccine.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 vaccinations in Ontario are expected to return to full operations today after being scaled down over the holidays.

Latest news

IndiaAug 19, 2026

Farmers Suspend Protest at Punjab-Haryana Border, Meeting with Manohar Lal Set for September 4

Farmer organizations protesting at the Punjab-Haryana border on Wednesday announced the temporary suspension of their agitation. The decision came after Haryana authorities proposed a meeting with Union Minister Manohar Lal on September 4 to discuss the farmers’ demands. The protesting farmers had been sitting at the Khanauri–Data Singh Wala border point. On August 16, Haryana Police stopped a group of 51 farmers from proceeding towards Delhi. The farmers were undertaking a 228-kilometre-long “Kisan Bachao Padyatra” (Save Farmers March) to oppose the proposed India-U.S. trade agreement
AlbertaAug 19, 2026

Alberta AI Data Centres Face Public Scrutiny at Lacombe Town Hall

Alberta’s Minister of Technology and Innovation, Nate Glubish, is holding a town hall meeting in Lacombe this evening to hear residents’ views and concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) data centres. Plans to establish large-scale data centres in the area have faced opposition from some local residents and environmental advocates. Critics are particularly concerned about the large amounts of water the facilities could consume, their potential impact on the environment, and the heavy electricity demand that could put additional pressure on Alberta’s power grid and potentially increas
b-c-governments-decision-to-shut-public-employee-directory-sparks-transparency-debate
BCAug 19, 2026

B.C. Government’s Decision to Shut Public Employee Directory Sparks Transparency Debate

The B.C. government’s decision under Premier David Eby to suddenly shut down its online directory of government employees to the general public has sparked a political controversy in the province. Opposition parties have accused the government of hiding information from the public and undermining transparency. The government, however, says the decision was made to protect employees’ safety, privacy and cybersecurity. Through the directory, members of the public could previously find out which employees worked in different government departments, their positions and how to contact them. Lan
poilievre-targets-liberal-government-over-catch-and-release-bail-system
CanadaAug 19, 2026

Poilievre Targets Liberal Government Over ‘Catch-and-Release’ Bail System

The issue of bail for serious offenders in Canada has once again come under the spotlight. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has criticized the Liberal government, accusing it of allowing dangerous offenders to remain in the community because of what he calls weak bail laws. Poilievre pointed to a recent incident in Windsor, Ont., involving 22-year-old Qasim Sabi, who has been accused of sexually assaulting two young boys. Police say Sabi was already facing allegations in an earlier case and was out under court-ordered conditions when the latest incidents allegedly occurred. According to po
canadas-wildfire-season-could-rank-among-countrys-worst-on-record
CanadaAug 19, 2026

Canada’s wildfire season could rank among country’s worst on record

Canada’s 2026 wildfire season is on track to become the country’s fourth-worst on record, with millions of hectares already affected and hundreds of fires still active. Federal Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski said during a virtual briefing Tuesday evening that the country remains in the middle of the wildfire season, with some regions facing difficult and uncertain conditions. According to the federal government, about 4.1 million hectares have been affected by wildfires so far this season. Roughly 580 fires are currently active across Canada, including about 30 that remain

Related News