Alberta, as with other jurisdictions worldwide, is fighting a rapid, spiralling rise in COVID-19 cases driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant. Read the full explainer here: How many COVID-19 cases will force a closure? 2:49 p.m.: Florida reported 71,742 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday as hospital patients with COVID-19 increased to their highest level since Sept. 12, according to federal data. The province reported 9,783 new COVID-19 cases, though Public Health Ontario has noted that the total number is likely higher due to testing policy changes. Every world region reported a rise in COVID-19 cases except for Africa, where officials saw an 11% drop.

Source: thestar January 13, 2022 14:49 UTC