Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam is set to speak to the media Tuesday as the number of coronavirus cases continues to surge from coast-to-coast.
Tam and other officials are set to speak around 12:30 p.m. ET, which will be livestreamed on this page.
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke to the media earlier in the day, highlighting a new deal for Canada to acquire 26,000 doses of bamlanivimab, a therapeutic drug used for coronavirus treatment, manufactured by Eli Lilly.
On Friday, Health Canada announced it granted interim authorization to Eli Lilly’s antibody drug for treating COVID-19 in patients who are not hospitalized, but are at risk of serious illness because of their age or other conditions.
Bamlanivimab was developed in partnership with the Canadian biotech company AbCellera.
Video: Coronavirus: Trudeau announces deal to obtain therapeutic drug from Eli Lilly
The news of the drug approval comes as Canada continues to see record-breaking coronavirus numbers in many provinces.
On Monday, Canada added 5,713 new novel coronavirus infections, bringing the country’s total case count to 337,242.
Alberta’s daily case counts have more than doubled in recent weeks, and hit a record 1,584 on Sunday — more than any other province that day, despite having far fewer residents than Ontario or Quebec.
The province recorded 1,549 new COVID-19 cases on Monday.
On the same day, Manitoba reached a new peak in daily infections, reporting 543 new cases.
Saskatchewan’s premier, Scott Moe, announced Monday he will self-isolate due to a possible exposure to COVID-19 that took place on Nov. 15. The province announced 235 new cases Monday and four new deaths.
In Eastern Canada, two provinces announced their temporary withdrawal from the Atlantic bubble in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.WATCH LIVE: PM Trudeau to discuss coronavirus as 2nd wave spikes across Canada
Anyone travelling to Newfoundland and Labrador from the Atlantic region will have to self-isolate for 14 days starting Wednesday, just like visitors from other parts of the country.
Prince Edward Island is barring all non-essential travel to the province for two weeks, in what Premier Dennis King called a preventive move.
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Newfoundland and Labrador and P.E.I., along with Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, were part of the so-called Atlantic bubble that allowed residents to travel freely within the four provinces’ borders without isolating.
Newfoundland and Labrador reported two new cases Monday, and P.E.I. reported one. All of P.E.I.’s 69 cases since the pandemic began have been travel-related.
— With files from the Canadian Press
