Canada shatters daily case record with over 3,400 more coronavirus infections

Canada added a record-breaking number of new coronavirus cases on Friday, as provinces and territories tallied more than 3,400 infections.

Friday’s data brings Canada’s total COVID-19 number of cases to 231,753. Another 36 deaths were also reported, with the country’s death toll now standing at 10,110.

Though 156 of the 3,452 cases announced Friday were historical rather than newly diagnosed, the number of cases reported over the last 24 hours shatters the Oct. 25 record of 3,004 new cases.

To date, more than 11.5 million tests for the virus have been administered across the country, while over 193,900 patients have recovered from COVID-19.

At a press conference in Ottawa Friday, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam unveiled new modelling on the pandemic’s trajectory.

According to Tam, the pandemic could be brought under control if Canadians were to reduce their contact with each other by 25 per cent.

“If we increase, or if even maintain our current rate of contact, the epidemic in Canada is forecast to continue increasing steeply,” Tam said.

The modelling also suggested that Canada’s death toll from the virus could potentially reach 10,400 by Nov. 8, with the country’s case total ranging between 251,800 and 262,000 by then.

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Several provinces reported record-breaking numbers of new cases during their daily COVID-19 updates on Friday.

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Alberta reported a new daily high case case count of 622 on Friday, as well as another five deaths. The data bring the province’s total COVID-19 infections to 27,664 and its death toll to 323. This is the first time the province has surpassed over 600 new cases in a 24-hour period.

Manitoba recorded a staggering 480 new infections Friday. The total more than doubles the previous record of 193 cases, which was set just a day earlier. An unknown number of the province’s cases are considered probable, however.

The cases, which were announced along with three more deaths, bring the province’s total diagnosis count to 5,374. The Winnipeg area has been moved to level red under the province’s COVID-19 response system in an effort to curb the spread of the virus.

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Ontario added 896 cases of the virus on Friday, along with nine more deaths. The province’s total number of COVID-19 infections now stands at 74,715 confirmed cases, and its death toll stands at 3,127.

Quebec announced 952 new cases on Friday, though 156 were previously unreported infections from before July 27. The cases bring the province’s total number of infections to 104,952.

Another 18 deaths were also reported by the province Friday, though only four had occurred in the past 24 hours. Quebec remains Canada’s hardest-hit province, with its death toll from the virus standing at 6,231.

Yukon reported its first ever coronavirus-related death on Friday as well. To date, a total of 23 people have been diagnosed in the territory, though 17 have recovered.

Atlantic Canada also saw several new cases on Friday, with New Brunswick adding one infection and Nova Scotia reporting two new cases during their daily updates.

Over 45,466,000 people have been infected with the virus worldwide, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. To date, over 1,186,900 lives have been claimed by the virus, with the United States, Brazil and India leading in both cases and deaths globally.

— With files from Kerri Breen