Canada reported another 2,531 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus Monday, but new data from over the weekend reveals the country posted a far higher number a day earlier — shattering the daily record.
Backdated cases reported Monday by Alberta and British Columbia, who take weekends off from announcing testing data, show Sunday’s true total of new cases nationwide was 3,004.
It’s the first time over 3,000 cases have been reported in a single day across the country.
Saturday’s true daily total was nearly as high, at 2,932 new confirmed infections.
To date, Canada has reported 219,982 cases of COVID-19, although 184,306 of those patients have recovered from the disease.
Over 11.2 million tests have been performed to date. The weekend testing data shows an average three per cent positivity rate each day among new tests performed.
The national death toll has risen to 9,973, after 27 new deaths were reported Monday. Some of those deaths are historical, including in Quebec, while the deaths reported by Alberta and B.C. date occurred between Friday and Monday.
Alberta and British Columbia both set new records over the weekend, their data revealed on Monday. While Alberta surpassed 500 daily cases for the first time on Sunday, the previous day saw B.C. break a new threshold of over 300 cases.
Alberta reported another 504 new cases for Monday alone, bringing the province’s total to 25,733. Its death toll climbed to 307 after seven deaths over the weekend, while 20,949 patients have recovered.
“Alberta, we have a challenge,” chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said while announcing the new numbers.
“We have now crossed a tipping point and are losing the balance we have been seeking,” she added.
British Columbia’s public health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry called her own province’s weekend numbers “sobering.” She also announced new limits on social gatherings, including inside private homes.
“We have seen a notable increase in transmission of COVID-19 as a direct result of social gatherings in private homes,” she said.
“To get through our COVID-19 storm it requires all of us to do our part.”
There were 207 new cases confirmed in B.C. Monday, for a new total of 13,140 lab-confirmed cases. An additional 231 “epidemiologically linked” cases have not been confirmed through testing, but are part of the province’s grand total.
Three new deaths were reported over the weekend, taking the death toll to 259, and 10,734 recoveries have been confirmed to date.
Heading east, Saskatchewan reported 54 new cases and no new deaths. The province has seen 2,783 cases with 2,108 recoveries to date, while the death toll remains at 25.
Manitoba saw another 100 new cases, while an additional death was reported for a total of 55. There have now been 4,349 cases so far, yet 2,177 of those patients have recovered.
Ontario announced another 851 new cases — Monday’s highest provincial total — and six more deaths, bringing the province’s count to 71,224 cases and 3,099 deaths. A total of 60,839 people have recovered from the virus.
In Quebec, 808 new cases were reported along with 10 new deaths, although only two of them occurred over the past 24 hours. The province has seen 100,922 cases, 6,153 deaths and 85,822 recoveries to date.
Nearly every Atlantic province reported at least one new case on Monday, with no new deaths in the region. Prince Edward Island, which has seen 64 cases to date with only one active case remaining, has not reported data since Friday.
New Brunswick announced three new cases for a total of 331 to date. Six people have died to date in the province, while 265 have recovered.
Nova Scotia saw one new case, bringing its total to 1,101 infections. Out of those, 65 have died and 1,031 others are considered recovered.
One new case was also reported in Newfoundland and Labrador, which has now seen 291 cases and four deaths to date, with 282 recoveries.
In the territories, the Yukon added two new cases to its total, which now sits at 22. Fifteen of those cases have recovered, while no deaths have been reported to date.
The Northwest Territories has seen nine cases to date, yet all but one of them have recovered. No cases were announced Monday.
Nunavut remains free of local coronavirus cases, although several infections have been confirmed among out-of-territory workers at a pair of local mines. Officials say those are not considered local cases and have been counted by their home jurisdictions.
The new surge in coronavirus cases across the country comes as the federal government comes under scrutiny for its spending amid the pandemic.
Opposition MPs on Monday voted for a motion approving a parliamentary probe of government contracts for supplies, remedies and vaccine candidates. The Liberal government argued revealing the sensitive contracts could jeopardize future deals.
Worldwide, the novel coronavirus has infected at least 43.4 million people and killed more than 1,157,000, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The United States continues to lead the world in both confirmed cases, at nearly 8.7 million, and deaths, at over 225,000.
India is close behind in cases with 7.9 million, followed by Brazil at nearly 5.4 million.
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