Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press with files from CNC News
Ontario is reporting a record for new COVID-19 cases in a day as Quebec announces plans to add vaccination sites and tougher restrictions take effect in Saskatchewan.
Canada's biggest province is reporting 2,432 new infections and 23 deaths from the novel coronavirus.
To protect the health-care system from a surge in patients, the Ontario Hospital Association is calling for "immediate action" to start a four-week lockdown in every public health unit with an infection rate of 40 per 100,000 people or higher.
However, Ontario Premier Doug Ford says that while he has been talking to hospital CEOs, he has been avoiding discussions about new possible restrictions. The Premier says he won't make any "snap decision" despite the surging cases and another 24 deaths yesterday.
Only a few weeks ago, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David Williams, publicly suggested it was possible that restrictions might be almost entirely lifted by the holiday season. On October 6, when much of the province's case tracing collapsed under the pressure of about 500 new cases a day, the Premier told Ontarians that existing measures were "flattening the curve."
Meanwhile, Quebec is preparing to open another 21 COVID-19 vaccination sites across the province by Monday in addition to two that opened earlier this week at long-term care homes in Montreal and Quebec City.
In Saskatchewan, residents can no longer have guests in their homes under a new public health order.
It's one of several new rules in place until at least Jan. 15 in that province.