Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on April 22

The latest:

• Canada bans flights from India, Pakistanover concerns overrisingcase countsin India and virus mutations.
• Nova Scotia brings in new measuresaimed at bringing down rising case numbers.
• Opposition pushes for flight bans as Ottawa considers further border restrictions.
• Ontario sees 3,682 new COVID-19 cases as ICU admissions climb to pandemic high.
• Ford apologizes after public backlash to enhanced police powers, playground closures.
• Quebec expands vaccine eligibility to those with chronic illness, disabilities.
• 'He was my everything': Wife of chef who died ofcoronavirus variant remembers big man with big personality.
• Low on hospital beds and oxygen, India adds more than 314,000 new cases of COVID-19.
• More than 11millionCOVID-19 vaccine doses have been given in Canada so far.Get the latest updates from your region on the CBC News vaccine tracker.

Nova Scotia's premier introduced new "circuit breaker" measures Thursday, as COVID-19 casenumbers in the province rose to some of their highest levels in a year.

The new measures, in place for four weeks for Halifax Regional Municipality and surrounding areas,restrict non-essential travel. Restaurants will be open for takeout only, retails stores will remain open but at 25 per cent capacity, and some schools will be moved to online learning.

There is no restriction on outdoors parks, but gyms and yoga studios are closed.

Health officials on Thursday reported 38 new cases of COVID-19 the highest figure the province has seen since late April last year. With the update, the number of active cases in the province rose to 111.

Premier Iain Rankin's government recently stepped up restrictions on most non-essential travel for a period of at least four weeks as it tries to stave off an increase of COVID-19 cases.

Health officials inNewfoundland and Labradorreported three new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, whilePrince Edward Islandreported one new case of COVID-19.

Health officials inNew Brunswick reported 19 new cases Thursday.

-From CBC News and The Canadian Press, last updated at 2:05p.m. ET

What's happening across Canada

The federal government announced Thursday that it will ban direct passenger flightsfrom India and Pakistan from landing in Canada for at least the next 30 days. COVID-19 cases in India are at record highs and the double mutation variantresponsible for a case surge in Indiahas arrived in Canada.

"This is a temporary measure while we asses theevolving situation and determine appropriate measures going forward,"said Omar Alghabra, minister of transport.

Cargo flights will be allowed to arrive in Canada to ensure continued supply of vaccine and PPE coming from India.

The government says35 flights from India with at least one case of COVID-19on boardarrived in Canada in the last two weeks.

WATCH |Ontario premier promises help with paid sick days:

Ontario premier promises help with paid sick days

3 years ago

Duration 0:49

Ontario Premier Doug Ford spoke from COVID-19 isolation on Thursday to announce his government will work on its own support program for those who lose wages when they're forced off work because of the coronavirus.

As of 5:45p.m. ET on Thursday,Canada had reported 1,155,840confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 86,768considered active. A CBC News tally of deaths stood at 23,822.

Hard-hitOntarioreported3,682 new cases of COVID-19 and 40 additional deaths on Wednesday. Hospitalizations in the province which is facing a massive strain on the health-care system stood at 2,350, while the number of patientsin the province's intensive care units with COVID-19 related illness stood at 806.

• ANALYSIS |The inside story behind Doug Ford's COVID-19 climbdowns
• Ottawa mayor demandsgreater consultation on pandemic measures

Premier Doug Ford, who is isolating after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19, held a news conference from isolation on Thursday.

The premier, who offered an apology over how his government handled some recent COVID-19 restrictions, pledgeda paid sick-leave program for Ontario workers, saying people forced into quarantine should not have to worry about their jobs or income. But when that would happen or what form it would take were not immediately clear.

Public health experts, labour groups and local officials have been calling for sick-leave support for much of the pandemic.

Across the North,Nunavutwas the first territory to report updated information Thursday, saying it has three new cases. Premier Joe Savikataaq said in a tweet that there were36 active cases in Nunavut, with all but two of them in Iqaluit. There was one new case each in Yukon and the Northwest Territories.

InQuebec, health officials on Thursday reported 1,248 new cases of COVID-19 and seven additional deaths. Hospitalizations stood at 711, with 174 people in intensive care, according to a provincial dashboard.

The province is expanding its vaccination program to people with chronic illnesses who don't require regular hospital care as well as to those with intellectual or physical disabilities.

Health Minister Christian Dub says it will be up to people with chronic illnesses a category that includes diabetes, obesity and respiratory problems to decide whether they qualify.

In the Prairie provinces,Manitobareported 261 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday and one additional death.

Saskatchewanreported 254new cases and oneadditional death on Thursday. There are177 people in hospital with COVID-19 and, of those, 48 are in intensive care.About 53 per cent of residents 40 and older have received a first dose of vaccine.

• Sask. to reopen care homes to visitors, under certain conditions, starting April 29

InAlberta, health officials reported 1,857new COVID-19 casesThursday and six new deaths. There are 1,326 cases involving variants of concern in the province, including a first case of the B1617 variant, behind the surge of cases in India.

Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, announced that the wait time between first and second vaccine doses for some cancer patients will be shortened to 21 to 28 days.

British Columbiareported 1,006new cases of COVID-19and four additional deaths on Thursday. Hospitalizations stood at 502, a new record high, with 161in intensive care.Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says pressure on B.C.'s health-care system is "immense" right now.

As a result, the province will beginlimiting non-urgent surgeries in the Lower Mainland for at least the next two weeks to move resources towardcaring for patients with COVID-19.

-From CBC News and The Canadian Press, last updated at 4:30p.m.ET

What's happening around the world

WATCH | India seeing deadly surge in COVID-19 cases:

COVID-19 variant, politics drive Indias deadly 2nd wave

3 years ago

Duration 2:55

With more than a million new COVID-19 infections in just four days, India is a world hotspot for the virus fuelled by a new variant of interest. Oxygen shortages are helping drive up the death toll, and the ruling party is accused of helping spread the virus by holding election campaign events.

As ofThursday evening, more than 144.2million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University's case tracking tool. The reported global death toll stood at more than three million.

Japanwill declare "short and powerful" states of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka and two other prefectures, a cabinet minister said on Friday, as the country struggles to contain a resurgent pandemic just three months ahead of the Olympics.

Under a new state of emergency for April 25 to May 11, the government will require restaurants, barsand karaoke parlours serving alcohol to close, and big sporting events to be held without spectators, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said.

Japan has so far avoided an explosive spread of the pandemic that has crippled many countries. There have been a total of about 550,000 cases and 9,761 deaths, which is significantly lower than the numbers seen in other large economies.

But the latest rise in infections has stoked alarm with an explosive variant surge and a critical shortage of hospital beds in some regions, while Japan's vaccination drive remains sluggish.

In theAsia-Pacificregion,Australia will reduce the number of flights arriving from India because of the growing wave of COVID-19 cases in the world's second-most populous country.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison saidhe had agreed with state and territory leaders that the numbers of Australian citizens and permanent residents returning in chartered flights would be reduced by 30 per cent.The government would soon announce a 30 per centreduction in scheduled commercial flights from India as well, he said.

• India facing shortage of hospital beds, oxygen supplies amid massive surge in cases

Laos locked down its capital and closed its international borders to most traffic Thursday after identifying a COVID-19 cluster connected to its bigger neighbour Thailand.

InEurope,a plan by German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government to mandate standard restrictions in areas where the coronavirus is spreading too quickly has cleared its final legislative hurdle.

Parliament's upper house, where Germany's 16 state governments are represented, could have held up the plan by seeking renegotiations, but let it pass on Thursday. It now goes to President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to be signed.

The Norwegian government said Thursday that it will "lend" all of its 216,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Sweden and Iceland as long as Norway has use of the vaccine on pause. Health Minister Bent Hoeie said that if the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine is resumed, "we will get back the doses we lend as soon as we request it" and Iceland and Sweden "send back the doses from their first deliveries from AstraZeneca."

InAfrica, intensive care units in Tunisian public and private hospitals are at the limit of their capacity as COVID-19 cases surge, an official in an independent scientific committee that advises the government told Reuters on Thursday.Amenallah Messadi added that a surge in cases driven by the B117 variant had pushed the health system to the brink of collapse.

In the Americas,U.S. President Joe Biden announced tax credits for certain businesses that pay employees who take time off to get vaccines.

• Biden talks with Trudeau about sending more COVID-19 vaccine doses to Canada

In theMiddle East,Syria's government has received its first delivery of COVID-19 vaccines through the global COVAX initiative, with almost 200,000 doses of the AstraZeneca shot, UN officials said.

-From The Associated Press and Reuters, last updated at 10:00 p.m. ET