The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada

The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada (all times Eastern):

9:37 a.m.

Canada’s chief public health officer says there’s “urgency” to bring COVID-19 infections down as new forecasts from officials show case counts have surpassed levels seen in the first wave. 

Dr. Theresa Tam says COVID-19 cases could rise to 60,000 per day by the end of the year if Canadians continue to increase their contact rates.

The forecasts predict that Canada’s case total could climb as high as 378,600 while the death toll could reach 12,120 by the end of the month, if current rates continue.

The modelling predicts Canada is careening toward more than 20,000 new cases per day by the end of December.

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9:30

Health Minister Patty Hajdu says Canadians need to reduce their personal contacts now to protect each other. 

She says this will mean tough choices for Canadians over the December holidays.

Hajdu spoke to the rapid growth of COVID-19 infections at a news conference where officials shared new projections about the spread of the illness across the country. 

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 20, 2020.

The Canadian Press