National News

VANCOUVER — Rows of rooms line a long, narrow hallway where a tall aluminum cart stacked with food trays is parked as staff at the front desk register visitors and offer surgical masks.

VANCOUVER — Canada's major cities are set to ring in the New Year with more of a gentle chime than a resounding clang, with many official celebrations cancelled or moved online for the second year in a row due to COVID-19.

The Omicron variant continued to cause record-breaking COVID-19 case numbers in several provinces Thursday, which also prompted Quebec to impose a nighttime curfew that will come into effect on New Year's Eve.

MONTREAL — Warning that hospitals could soon be overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, Quebec Premier François Legault imposed a series of new restrictions Thursday, including a nighttime curfew that will begin on New Year's Eve.

WHITEHORSE — The Yukon government says an increase in COVID-19 cases with 34 new infections reported Thursday is a sign the Omicron variant is circulating in communities.

OTTAWA — The commander of the Royal Canadian Navy is sounding the alarm over a shortage of sailors, saying he needs about 1,000 additional mariners to crew Canada's warships.

OTTAWA — The federal minister in charge of aid to the unemployed says jobless Canadians who refuse to get vaccinated may find themselves blocked from benefits so long as public health concerns remain top of mind.

The federal government has added its voice to those criticizing this week’s police raid on a pro-democracy news outlet in Hong Kong in which a Canadian human rights activist and pop singer was among those arrested.

In The News is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to kickstart your day. Here is what's on the radar of our editors for the morning of Dec.

OTTAWA — The governor general says Canadians can be hopeful as they ring in the new year, despite the ongoing crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic.