Canada’s COVID-19 caseload is nearing the 200,000 mark, with the majority of new infections in Quebec this weekend.
Public health officials reported 1,803 new cases across the country today, for a total of 198,127.
Quebec accounted for 1,094 of those new cases, marking the third day in a row the province has had more than 1,000 infections.
Quebec Health Minister Christian Dube tweeted that the number of hospitalizations in the province continues to rise and urged residents to “break the wave to slow this down” and “protect the most vulnerable.”
Ontario had the second-highest number of new cases today, with 658 reported, while Manitoba had 44.
New Brunswick posted five new cases and Nova Scotia had two, both of which are said to be related to travel outside Atlantic Canada.
Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, said in a statement that the country must remain united “to get all of Canada back on a ‘slow burn'” and reduce cases of COVID-19 infection “to manageable levels.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2020.
The Canadian Press
