World

Six Provinces in Canada Report New Daily Highs for Coronavirus

Thursday, December 30, 2021 5:05 am | 2 Minute Read

A man walks his bike at CRAB Park as an Arctic air cold weather front hit Canada’s western provinces in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Dec. 27. (REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier)

Coronavirus infections set new one-day highs in six Canadian provinces Wednesday, prompting several provinces to impose more restrictions in hopes of containing the spread of the Omicron variant.

The biggest jumps were in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, which are the country’s most populous provinces. Quebec reported more than 13,000 new cases in the previous 24 hours, Ontario had 10,436 and British Columbia listed 2,944.

Manitoba, Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador also set new records. Manitoba reported 947 new infections, which broke the previous high of 825 set just a day earlier. Alberta said it had 2,775 and Newfoundland and Labrador reported 312.

British Columbia announced it is delaying the full return to classrooms after the winter break to give school staff time to implement enhanced health measures. Staff and students whose parents are health workers will return to schools Jan. 3 or 4 as planned. All other students return Jan. 10.

Officials in Newfoundland and Labrador said its schools would shift to remote learning after the holiday break.

Nunavut territory extended its “circuit-breaker″ lockdown to Jan. 17 as a rise in infections strains its healthcare system. The rule put in place before last weekend bans indoor gatherings, closes libraries, gyms and arenas, and limits restaurants to takeout service.