The two Canadian provinces most affected by the coronavirus pandemic recorded their highest numbers of new cases on Tuesday since June. This rise in new cases in Quebec and Ontario comes as these provinces, also the most populous in Canada, are largely deconfined. Quebec has recorded 180 new cases, the highest number since June 12, as well as one death in the past 24 hours, according to the provincial government report.
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Quebec has recorded since mid-March more than half of the approximately 111,000 cases of coronavirus recorded in Canada and nearly two-thirds of 8,892 deaths, mainly in retirement homes, in Montreal and its suburbs. Ontario, the most populous province, has recorded 203 new cases, the highest number since the end of June, and 1 death. "Although this is data for a single day, it is worrying," said Ontario Minister of Health Christine Elliott, adding that "57%" of cases were diagnosed in the 39 years and under. In Quebec, more than a quarter of new cases involved adults between the ages of 20 and 40.
Several of the new cases involve young people who went to bars or participated in rallies, Howard Njoo, a public health official in Canada, told reporters. After broadly flattening its curve of new cases in June, Quebec has recorded more than 100 cases every day for a week. The province is the only one in Canada to impose since last weekend the wearing of the mask in all the closed public spaces. British Columbia and Alberta, two provinces in the west of the country, are also seeing an upsurge in new cases.