A negative coronavirus test will be required to board planes to Canada starting this week. Nevertheless, Transport Minister Marc Garneau lifted the ban on inbound flights from the U.K. Theresa Tam, the country’s chief public health officer, said Wednesday that the appearance of new variants is more reason to scrap all but absolutely necessary travel. READ MORE: Arizona deemed ‘hot spot of the world’ amid virus surge

The bulk of cases have been in the country’s two most populous provinces - Ontario and Quebec, where conditions have been deteriorating rapidly in recent weeks.Ĭompounding the picture is the still small but growing number of cases related to a novel coronavirus variant first identified in the United Kingdom that is believed to be even more contagious than the original. It has recorded a total of 217,999 cases and 8,488 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.Ĭanada has recorded close to 625,000 coronavirus cases, with about 16,300 of them fatal. Quebec reported 47 more deaths related to COVID-19, with 2,641 new cases of coronavirus infections and a rise in both hospitalizations and people in intensive care. Legault said he wanted to give Quebecers an “electroshock” regarding the critical situation in the province’s hospitals, which he said are overburdened with COVID-19 patients. 11and high schools students will return to in-person learning the next week, on Jan. The premier, however, said primary schools will open as scheduled on Jan. He said they concluded the virus was being spread through gatherings in residences, and the curfew is meant to prevent that. Legault said officials have been struggling to understand why the province’s caseload has continued to spike despite existing restrictions, including the closure of schools. WATCH: News Wrap: UK imposes new lockdown amid coronavirus surge Premier Francois Legault spoke of the need to take drastic action as he announced a four-week curfew prohibiting people from leaving their homes between 8 p.m. The province will become the first in Canada to impose a curfew for addressing the pandemic. curfew beginning Saturday as a way to curb surging coronavirus infections and hospitalizations. MONTREAL (AP) - Quebec’s premier announced Wednesday that he is imposing a provincewide 8 p.m.

Total lockdown quebec