Populous Canadian provinces see spike in daily Covid cases

Ottawa, Dec 6 (IANS) Canada's populous provinces has recently witnessed a spike in the daily Covid-19 cases, as more people have started gathering indoors in the winter.

Ontario, the countyr'smost populous province with a population of 14 million, reported 1,184 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, reports Xinhua news agency.

It is the highest number in a single day since May 28. The province's rolling seven-day average of cases now stands at 926, up from 760 at this point last week.

The cumulative caseload of the province has risen to 623,497, including 10,024 deaths.

Of the new cases, 557 are people who were fully vaccinated, 536 are unvaccinated, and 22 have received one dose.

"Individuals who are not fully vaccinated represent 23.4 per cent of Ontario's total population," provincial Health Minister Christine Elliott said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Quebec, the second most populous province with a population of 8.4 million, reported 1,256 new cases in the same period, raising the cumulative caseload to 454,636, with 11,587 deaths.

According to the Quebec government, 81 per cent of eligible residents aged five and up are now fully vaccinated, with 86 per cent having received at least one dose.

Last week, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) strongly recommended that all Canadians over the age of 50 and other vulnerable individuals including health care workers and those living in congregate care settings get a third dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

In a new report issued on December 3, NACI also urged Canadians aged 18-49 to get a third shot at least six months after they got their second.