Canadian residents urged to stay home as COVID-19 cases increase
CGTN
Two medical workers speak to each other outside a testing centre in Canada. /VCG Image

Two medical workers speak to each other outside a testing centre in Canada. /VCG Image

People in Canada were warned by public health officials to stay home as much as possible as the country tries to deal with a second wave of coronavirus infections.

Over the course of the past one week, Canada has reported increasing national daily case counts with an average of 2,000 new cases daily.

The provinces of Ontario and Quebec have been identified as the new high-risk areas as they account for more than 80 percent of new infections. Statistics further indicate that persons aged below 40 account for about 60 percent of the cases.

Quebec, in particular, which reported 1,364 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday alone, has attracted deep concern. Last week, authorities closed dine-in restaurants and bars in the cities of Montreal and Quebec amid rising numbers of cases.

The provincial health minister urged young people, especially, to adhere to the health regulations warning that if they did not, "they will have an impact on the system."

"Don't take the risk, please don't test the hospital system," Christian Dube told journalists on Tuesday.

Last month, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared that a second wave of the virus was underway in most of the country.

According to data from the Johns Hopkins University, Canada has had a total of 175,380 cases and 9,593 deaths.

(With input from agencies)