Canada's Covid-19 cases surpass 1.9 mn

Ottawa, Dec 22 (IANS) Canada reported 9,597 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the cumulative total to 1,907,180 cases with 30,082 deaths, according to CTV.

Most provinces of Canada announced having reinstated stern restrictions as a fifth wave of Covid spreads throughout the country fuelled by the Omicron variant, Xinhua news agency reported.

Quebec, a populous province with a population of 8.4 million, reported 5,043 new Covid cases on Tuesday, breaking its record of new Covid infections again.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault tweeted on Tuesday that the provincial government is considering tightening restrictions further, just one day after announcing sweeping measures that suddenly closed schools, bars and movie theaters.

Meanwhile, the city of Montreal in Quebec announced reinstatement of a state of emergency in an effort to stem the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid.

Ontario, the most populous province with 14 million residents in Canada, reported 3,453 new cases of Covid on Tuesday.

It announced new limits on social gatherings and capacity limits in stores and restaurants as the provincial government struggles to get escalating case counts under control.

Starting 8 a.m. Wednesday, all people arriving on the Prince Edward Island province will have to self-isolate for a minimum of four days, the provincial government said Tuesday.

Nova Scotia province reported another single-day high of 522 new cases, and announced a reduction in gathering limits, which will come into effect Wednesday.

New Brunswick province reported 156 new cases on Tuesday and announced a tightening of restrictions.