国际英语新闻:Canada's COVID-19 cases surpass 800,000

OTTAWA, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Canada's cumulative COVID-19 cases surpassed 800,000 as of Saturday noon, with the total hitting 800,348, including 20,680 deaths, according to CTV.

The data indicate a continued downward trend in daily case counts, with a seven-day average of 3,947 new cases daily on Jan. 29 - Feb. 4 and 107,609 tests daily, with 4.2 percent positive for COVID-19 on Jan. 24-30, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada on Saturday.

Ontario reported 1,388 new cases of COVID-19 and 45 more deaths Saturday morning, bringing the province's seven-day average to 1,479.

Now, there are 164 confirmed cases of the B.1.1.7. COVID-19 variant in the province, up from the 155 infections reported on Friday. There continues to be only one case of the South African B.1.351 variant, according to the Ontario government on Saturday.

The total number of lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario now stand at 276,718, including deaths and recoveries.

Of the 6,483 deaths recorded in Ontario, 4,454 were people over the age of 80. A little more than 3,700 were residents in long-term care homes.

There are at least 1,021 people being treated in Ontario hospitals. Of those patients, at least 325 are in the intensive care unit (ICU) while 228 of those in the ICU are breathing with the assistance of a ventilator.

As of Friday night, 96,573 people in the province have been fully vaccinated against the disease.

Quebec reported 1,204 new cases Saturday morning, bringing the total number of cases in the province since the start of the pandemic to 268,977, including 9,999 deaths and 246,695 recoveries.

The 1,204 new cases were the highest in a week, and above the seven-day average, which is now 1,088 new cases daily.

Hospitalizations continue to drop in the province with Quebec reporting 58 fewer patients are receiving care in the province's hospitals for a total of 982. Of those, 159 people are in the intensive care ward, a decrease of nine.

As of Friday, the province administered a total number of 253,904 vaccinations.

On Friday, Canadian Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam said that active cases are still double what they were at the peak of the pandemic's first wave last spring and those new variants are cause for concern.

As of Friday, the country reported a total of 278 variants, which include 260 cases of B.1.1.7 and 18 cases of B.1.351, according to CTV.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called on Canadians on Friday not to worry about the increasing concerns on COVID-19 vaccine rollout in the country.

Trudeau said that he had spoken with Pfizer and Moderna. "I speak almost every week with CEOs of these vaccine companies, and they have assured me that they will meet their obligations."

"I want to reassure Canadians that we're on track," he said, adding that as many as 20 million more doses will start to arrive in the spring as his government keeps its sights on vaccinating all people who want a shot by the end of September.

Shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, one of two approved in Canada, have slowed as a plant in Belgium is retooled to eventually churn out more doses. Canada is reportedly getting about one-fifth of previously planned shipments this week and next.

This past week's shipment of the Moderna vaccine had 50,000 doses less than previously expected due to production delays in Switzerland. The company has reportedly signaled the next shipment in three weeks will also not be as big as initially planned.