OTTAWA, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Canada is going through its worst spike in COVID-19 cases yet, driven by the Omicron variant, with 41,210 new cases reported on Friday evening, an all-time high for daily cases since the pandemic hit the country in February 2020.
The latest cases raised the country's cumulative caseload to 2,183,527, With 30,319 deaths, according to CTV news.
Over the past weeks, the country's daily case counts have been rising due to the fast spread of the Omicron variant.
Ontario, the most populous province, reported a record-breaking number of 16,713 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, while Quebec, another province, confirmed a record high of 16,461 cases.
Across the country, most provinces have delayed the full return to classrooms in January to allow public health experts to assess the impact of the Omicron variant and prevent a potential surge in cases fueled by school children.
Quebec will reintroduce a curfew starting Dec. 31 as the province battles an explosive rise of COVID-19 infections. People who violate the curfew are subject to fines ranging from 1,000 Canadian dollars (790 U.S. dollars) to 6,000 Canadian dollars (4,740 U.S. dollars).
Places of worship in the province are closed, except for funerals of up to 25 people. Restaurant dining rooms are also closed, and stores are shut on Sundays for the next three weeks, except for gas stations and pharmacies.
