A recently published study by researchers at McGill University in Montreal points to the possibility that greater cellular oxidation with aging and sickness may explain why seniors and people with chronic illness get infected more often and more severely. (NIAID-RML/Associated Press)

As governments reel, COVID makes its way west

COVID-19 cases continue to surge in Canada–and not just in central Canada that has long suffered the highest number of cases in the country. 

While Ontario and Quebec continue to set–or approach–record numbers of hospitalizations and cases, the virus is now–more and more–making its presence felt across the western part of the country.

Manitoba on Tuesday reported that 207 people were in hospital, the first time hospitalizations in the province has gone past 200..

The surge in cases prompted officials to move the entire province to a red–or critical–alert level.

“Our health-care system is under the strain of widespread community transmission of this virus,” Lanette Siragusa, chief nursing officer of Manitoba Shared Health, told a Tuesday news conference.

Beginning Thursday–for at least two weeks–people in the province are barred from socializing with people outside their own household.

As well, non-essential retail shops and restaurants must close to in-person customers.

COVID-19 in Canada
The latest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 2:29 p.m. EST on Nov. 11, 2020: There are 275,845 confirmed cases in Canada. — Quebec: 118,529 confirmed (including 6,515 deaths, 100,564 resolved) — Ontario: 88,209 confirmed (including 3,275 deaths, 74,303 resolved) — Alberta: 34,873 confirmed (including 369 deaths, 26,407 resolved) — British Columbia: 19,239 confirmed (including 284 deaths, 13,704 resolved) — Manitoba: 8,878 confirmed (including 114 deaths, 3,374 resolved) — Saskatchewan: 4,214 confirmed (including 28 deaths, 2,880 resolved) — Nova Scotia: 1,134 confirmed (including 65 deaths, 1,049 resolved) — New Brunswick: 355 confirmed (including 6 deaths, 332 resolved) — Newfoundland and Labrador: 298 confirmed (including 4 deaths, 287 resolved) — Prince Edward Island: 67 confirmed (including 64 resolved) — Yukon: 23 confirmed (including 1 death, 20 resolved) — Repatriated Canadians: 13 confirmed (including 13 resolved) — Northwest Territories: 10 confirmed (including 10 resolved) — Nunavut: 3 confirmed — Total: 275,845 (0 presumptive, 275,845 confirmed including 10,661 deaths, 223,007 resolved) (The Canadian Press)

Neighbouring Saskatchewan on Tuesday reported its highest number of COVID-19 hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic. Forty-four people are in hospital

Eleven of them are in intensive care.

Further west, Alberta set a provincial record Tuesday in the number of people hospitalized because of COVID-19 (207) the number of patients in ICU (43) and the total number of active cases (8,090).

On Monday, a group of Alberta physicians called on the Alberta government to impose an immediate two-week emergency lockdown, waning of ‘catastrophic’ consequences without further restrictions

Premier Jason Kenney is against new lockdowns, arguing that such measures could hurt the economy and affect people’s mental health.

In British Columbia, where new restrictions were announced last weekend, COVID-19 hospitalizations approached peak levels, with 142 people in hospital, approaching the record high of 149 COVID-19 patients who were in hospital on April 2.

Back east and in the northern territories, things are not as gloomy.

Across Atlantic Canada, which closed itself off to and from outside travel for much of the year, five new cases were reported on Wednesday.

The Northwest Territories reported one new case Wednesday.

Yukon and Nunavut reported no new cases on Tuesday.

With files from CBC, CP

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