Public health officials in Prince Edward Island are reporting 137 new cases of COVID-19 over the past two days.
The province now has a staggering 867 active reported cases, representing more than half of the 1,503 total cases logged on the Island since the pandemic first emerged in the spring of 2020.
On Dec. 20, there had been just 504 COVID-19 infections detected on the Island since the pandemic began, meaning total cases have just about tripled in less than two weeks.
Officials say three people are in hospital due to COVID-19, and four other people in hospital for other reasons have tested positive.
Public health has limited the availability of testing clinics to those with symptoms, close contacts of identified cases and residents who have received a positive rapid test result.
Officials say more than 18,000 Islanders have now received a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2021.