Six provinces in Canada report fresh daily highs for coronavirus

Coronavirus infections set new one-day highs in six Canadian provinces Wednesday, prompting several provinces to impose more restrictions in hopes of containing the spread of the omicron variant.

The biggest jumps were in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, which are the country's most populous provinces. Quebec reported more than 13,000 new cases in the previous 24 hours, Ontario had 10,436 and British Columbia listed 2,944.

Manitoba, Alberta, and Newfoundland and Labrador also set new records. Manitoba reported 947 new infections, which broke the previous high of 825 set just a day earlier. Alberta said it had 2,775 and Newfoundland and Labrador reported 312.

British Columbia announced it is delaying the full return to classrooms after the Christmas break to give school staff time to implement enhanced health measures. Staff and students whose parents are health workers will return to schools January 3 or 4 as planned. All other students return January 10.

Officials in Newfoundland and Labrador said its schools would shift to remote learning after the holiday break.

Nunavut territory extended its "circuit-breaker" lockdown to January 17 as a rise in infections strains its health care system. The rule put in place before Christmas bans indoor gatherings, closes libraries, gyms, arenas and churches, limits restaurants to takeout service.