New COVID-19 cases continue to surge in Canada

OTTAWA -- New COVID-19 cases continue to increase in Canada and some provinces in the country have broken COVID-19 records.

Canada reported a total of 295,074 cases and 10,947 deaths as of Sunday afternoon, according to CTV.

Ontario reported 1,248 new cases and 29 deaths on Sunday, a day after the province saw record 1,581 new cases.

Quebec announced 1,211 new cases and 15 deaths on Sunday after Saturday's record-high of 1,448 new cases.

Manitoba confirmed a record increase of 494 new cases and 10 deaths on Sunday while Saskatchewan recorded 181 new cases and two more deaths.

Alberta broke its single-day record of COVID-19 cases on Saturday as the province reported 1,026 new cases.

Canada's Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam on Sunday cautioned Canadians against "letting our guard down" in the fight against COVID-19 as holiday season approaches and colder weather drives people indoors.

"In these more relaxed settings, such as family and holiday celebrations and recreational activities, letting our guard down and not consistently maintaining public health practices can lead to many exposures and infections," Tam said in a statement.

Tam said hospitals are already being forced to make the difficult decision to cancel certain elective surgeries and procedures, and the number of people with severe COVID-19 continues to rise, with a daily average of more than 1,400 people being treated in hospitals over the past week.