aus Covid: South Australia goes on high alert after first outbreak in months South Australian authorities say they are facing a "dangerous situation" after reporting 18 coronavirus cases in the state's first outbreak since April. Up to 13 infections were linked to a hotel quarantine worker in Adelaide who spread the virus to a family in the local community, officials said. The state has ramped up testing and brought in new restrictions. Australia had seen cases drop to near zero after beating a second wave that was largely confined to Victoria. Victoria's capital, Melbourne, spent almost four months in a stringent lockdown before re-opening last month. Its outbreak - which caused about 800 deaths - also originated from a hotel quarantine breach. "It's obvious that the highest risk in Australia right now is this risk of [virus] importation in our quarantine hotels," South Australia's chief health officer Nicola Spurrier said on Monday. State Premier Steven Marshall added: "We are facing our biggest test to date. We are working around the clock to stay ahead of this cluster - no effort will be spared." bc COVID-19 claims 9 more lives, as B.C. announces record 1,959 new cases over the weekend Hospitalizations hit a new high with 181, including 57 in critical care. B.C. has confirmed another 1,959 cases of COVID-19 over the last three days and nine more deaths from the disease as the number of patients in hospital continues to reach record highs. As of Monday, there are 181 patients in hospital with COVID-19, including 57 in critical care, out of 6,279 active cases of the novel coronavirus across B.C., Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said. The numbers reported Monday represent the largest weekend total for new cases to date. The vast majority continue to be in the Lower Mainland, with 1,361 or 69 per cent of the new cases in the Fraser Health region, and 455 or 23 per cent in Vancouver Coastal Health. People who live in those regions are currently subject to strict public health orders that include a prohibition on socializing with anyone outside of their household. jab "...it has not yet been approved for use and we still do not know how well it works in the elderly or how long immunity lasts." A major trial of a vaccine to protect against Covid-19 has launched in the UK - the third such trial in the country. The jab - designed by the Belgian company Janssen - uses a genetically modified common cold virus to train the immune system.

manitoba Manitoba may limit what big-box stores can sell in partial lockdown, Pallister says Many still shopping in-store as some big retailers 'abusing' Manitoba's public-health orders: premier The Manitoba government is thinking of going after big-box stores, whom Premier Brian Pallister argues may be flouting the spirit of the province's lockdown orders. Many large retailers can legally stay open because they sell products considered essential by Manitoba's public-health orders, but Pallister said it is unfair to force small businesses to close while their big competitors sell the same products as them, and then some. "The reality of this situation is that some are abusing this," the premier said. ont Ontario preps for eventual vaccine distribution as province reports 1,487 new COVID-19 cases Ontario reported another 1,487 cases of COVID-19 on Monday, pushing the seven-day average to a new high as more regions move into the red "control" level of restrictions. And, with news of a promising new COVID-19 vaccine candidate from Moderna, the provincial government offered its assurances that's it's preparing for a fair distribution of vaccines when they finally become available. "We do have an entire team at the Ministry of Health that is working on the plan for distribution," said Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott. "We also have ethicists in this group to make sure its distributed fairly and equitably." Moderna says its vaccine, which is still being tested, appears to be 94.5 per cent effective against the virus. A week ago, competitor Pfizer Inc. announced its own COVID-19 vaccine appeared similarly effective.