alta Alberta reports 1,731 new cases of COVID-19 as Kenney slams 'disturbing' rodeo event Record-high case totals, hospitalizations continue to climb Premier Jason Kenney slammed a central Alberta rodeo event on Twitter Sunday afternoon as Alberta reported 1,731 new cases of COVID-19, and three more deaths. There were 16,567 tests completed on Saturday for a positivity rate of around 10.3 per cent. Alberta identified another 1,132 variant cases. Variants make up 62 per cent of the province's new record high of 22,920 active cases. On Sunday, there were 648 people being treated for COVID-19 in hospital (a slight increase from 646 people being treated in hospital for the illness on Saturday), including 155 in intensive care unit beds. In a thread singling out large numbers of people gathered at a rodeo rally this weekend near Bowden, 45 kilometres south of Red Deer, Kenney blamed Alberta's record high daily case counts and intensive care numbers on Albertans ignoring the current rules. "Not only are gatherings like this a threat to public health, they are a slap in the face to everybody who is observing the rules to keep themselves and their fellow Albertans safe," Kenney said on Twitter. "If we do not begin to bend the curve, our health care system could very well be overwhelmed in a matter of weeks." Several responses to Kenney's post criticized a lack of enforcement of the rules. canada Coronavirus variants now make up the majority of Canada's new cases Coronavirus variants now make up the majority of Canada's new COVID-19 cases, the country's chief public health officer said on Sunday, adding that the variant first identified in the U.K. is especially prevalent. "Variants of concern (VOCs) represent a majority of cases in Canada, with the B117 variant now reported in all provinces & territories and accounting for over 95 per cent of VOCs sequenced to date," Dr. Theresa Tam said on Twitter. Tam reiterated that variants are more contagious and are associated with more severe outcomes, and some — like the P1 variant first identified in Brazil and the B1351 variant first identified in South Africa — are more resistant to vaccines. The B117 has become the dominant strain in some provinces, with Manitoba saying last week it will stop notifying residents if they've contracted the variant as it now makes up the vast majority of cases.

ns Nova Scotia reports 133 new COVID-19 cases Sunday 34 people are in hospital, 6 in intensive care. Dr. Sarah McMullen is an ICU physician in Halifax. She says if the current trend continues, the ICU could be full within a week ont Ontario reports 3,732 new COVID-19 cases, prepares to expand vaccine rollout this week Ontario reported 3,732 new cases of COVID-19 and 23 more deaths linked to the virus on Sunday. The latest numbers come as the Ontario government announced on Sunday that it is preparing to expand vaccine eligibility across the province as a boost in supply is expected to arrive from Pfizer-BioNTech. The province said those 18 years of age and older living in one of 114 hot spot communities will be able to book their vaccine appointment through the province's online portal beginning Monday at 8 a.m. As of Thursday, those turning 50 and over this year in the rest of the province will be able to book a slot through the Ontario booking system or directly through their public health units. The move follows advice from Ontario's COVID-19 science advisory table that 50 per cent of available doses should be sent to 74 hot spots only. Allocations in other public health units remain the same.