VANCOUVER —
Amid the rise of the Omicron variant, Canada just experienced the highest single-day new cases of COVID-19 in seven months.
On Thursday, provinces and territories reported 7,145 new cases of the virus, a number not seen since the third wave in May. This brings the number of active cases to 43,801, according to data compiled by CTV News.
The two most populous provinces reported the highest number of cases. Quebec added 2,736 new infections while Ontario officials reported 2,421 new cases. This was followed by British Columbia, which reported 753 new cases, and Alberta, which added 473 new cases.
New cases in Atlantic Canada have been dominated by Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, which reported 287 and 177 new cases, respectively. Prince Edward Island had 10 new cases while no new cases were reported in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Manitoba saw 218 new cases, the highest the province has seen since June, while Saskatchewan added 55 new infections.
In the territories, there were eight new cases in Yukon and seven in the Northwest Territories. No new cases were reported in Nunavut.
Provincial and territorial governments have been rushing to roll out booster shots as well as free rapid tests in order to curb the spread of the virus.
Quebec reduced capacity of all bars, restaurants, retail stores and places of worship to 50 per cent on Monday while Ontario will be limiting capacity to 50 per cent at indoor venues holding 1,000 people or more starting Saturday.
The federal government is also warning against non-essential international travel and ramping up arrival tests at airports for incoming overseas travellers.
Federal modelling last week showed that Canada could see more than 10,000 new cases a day before January if Omicron becomes the dominant strain. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam has urged Canadians to keep holiday gatherings small.
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