Canada added 3,276 new novel coronavirus infections Wednesday, bringing the country’s total case count to 247,954.
Provincial health authorities also said 57 more people have died after testing positive for COVID-19.
In a series of tweets Wednesday, Canada’s Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said as infection rates and hospitalizations and deaths continue to accelerate in some areas of the country, Canada needs to “act now!”
“Reduce in-person contacts as/where you can & ALWAYS use individual precautions,” she wrote.
Tam said our decisions and actions now will decide the impact the virus has on our “social and economic wellbeing” this fall and winter.
New cases in the provinces
In Ontario, 987 new cases were reported on Wednesday, and health officials said another 16 people had died.
The new infections brings the province’s total case count to 79,692 and death toll to 3,182.
To date, 68,189 people have recovered from COVID-19 infections in Ontario, while 5,228,814 people have been tested.
Meanwhile in Quebec, 1,029 new cases were detected, bringing the province’s case load to 109,918.
Health authorities also said another 33 people had died after testing positive for the virus.
Since the pandemic began, the coronavirus has claimed 6,350 lives in Quebec.
However, 94,101 people have recovered after falling ill, and 3,189,737 tests for COVID-19 have been administered.
Thirty-three new cases were reported in Saskatchewan, but health officials said no more deaths had been reported.
To date, the province has seen 3,408 confirmed cases of the virus, and 25 fatalities.
More than 2,580 people have recovered from novel coronavirus infections, while 271,198 have been tested.
Manitoba saw 374 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, and two new deaths.
The new infections brings the province’s case count and death toll to 6,751 and 87 respectively.
Health officials have completed 268,504 tests since the pandemic began, and 2,892 people have recovered after contracting the virus.
In British Columbia, 328 new lab-confirmed cases and one new death were detected, pushing the provincial death toll to 273.
The province has now seen 15,871 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and an additional 264 “epidemiologically-linked” cases, which have not been confirmed through testing. However, 12,659 are considered to be resolved.
A total of 864,963 people have been tested for the virus.
Alberta reported 515 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the province’s total to 30,447 confirmed cases of the respiratory illness.
The death toll also rose to 343 after five more people were confirmed to have died after contracting the virus.
However, 23,874 people have recovered from COVID-19 infections, while 1,842,754 have been tested to date.
Three new cases were reported in New Brunswick, but health officials said no on else had died.
To date, the province has seen 347 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and six deaths.
So far, 313 people have recovered from coronavirus infections and 104,609 tests have been conducted.
Meanwhile, four new infections were reported in Nova Scotia bringing the total case count to 1,118.
The province’s death toll, however, remained at 65.
To date, 115,155 tests have been administered in Nova Scotia, and 1,033 people have recovered after falling ill.
Newfoundland added one new case on Wednesday, but officials said no one else had died.
The province, which has seen 292 cases and four fatalities, has administered 53,472 tests for COVID-19.
Thus far, 285 people have recovered after catching the virus.
Prince Edward Island did not release any new COVID-19 data on Wednesday, but the latest numbers released on Tuesday said all 64 confirmed cases were resolved.
As of Tuesday, 46,860 tests had been administered on the island.
The territories
No new cases or deaths associated with COVID-19 were reported in the Yukon on Wednesday.
The territory has seen 23 cases and one death. Health officials have administered 4,114 tests for COVID-19 to date.
So far, 20 people have recovered in the Yukon after falling ill.
No new cases or deaths were detected in the Northwest Territories either.
Nine of the 10 confirmed cases in the territory are considered to be resolved.
By Wednesday, a total of 6,611 tests had been conducted.
Meanwhile, Nunavut still considers itself to be free of COVID-19 cases.
Health authorities have administered 3,681 tests for the virus.