Ottawa, Canada (WNews) – Canada has officially logged more than two million reported cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic as healthcare workers brace for a possible post-holiday spike driven by the fast-spreading Omicron variant. The government of Canada’s health website says the total case count was 2,000,976 as of Boxing Day. The website wasn’t updated over the holiday period.
As high as the official figures are, health care analysts have said the real number of infections is likely far higher. Several provinces have asked people to get tested only if they have symptoms as hospitals and centres have reached their testing limits. Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba each reported thousands of additional cases Monday, prompting renewed concern over their beleaguered healthcare systems’ ability to handle an influx of sick patients.
Quebec’s health minister urged people to reduce contacts after the province saw hospitalizations climb by more than 140 over a four-day period. Quebec reported 8,231 cases. Christian Dube said on Twitter that 320 people were admitted to the hospital while 179 were released between Dec. 22 and 26. He noted that admissions were rising, with 93 people entering the hospital on Boxing Day alone.
Ontario reported 9,418 new cases of COVID-19, which was down slightly from the record-breaking numbers on Christmas Day. Health Minister Christine Elliott said 480 people were in the hospital because of COVID-19 while the ICU numbers rose to 176.
Manitoba reported eight new deaths in people with COVID-19 since the last report on Christmas Eve as well as 2,154 new cases, including 675 identified Monday. The province said in a news release that approximately 75 percent of all COVID-19 cases in Manitoba were now suspected to be due to the Omicron variant.