Ontario cracks down on parties amid COVID-19 resurgence

FILE PHOTO: People maintain social distance as they sit at Humber Bay Shores park while the province prepares for more phased re-openings from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions in Toronto, Ontario, Canada May 24, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio/File Photo

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's most populous province is cracking down on private social gatherings as COVID-19 cases surge, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said in a surprise news conference called on Saturday.

Ontario reported 407 new cases on Saturday compared with about 80 per day two weeks ago. Canada on Friday recorded 1,044 new cases from a day earlier, making it the third time in five days that new daily infections have topped 1,000.