Canada says COVID-19 cases could almost double soon unless stricter measures taken

A woman reacts while being inoculated with Pfizer vaccine by a health worker from Humber River Hospital during a vaccination clinic for residents 18 years of age and older who live in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) "hot spots" at Downsview Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada April 21, 2021. REUTERS/Chris Helgren

OTTAWA (Reuters) - New daily cases of COVID-19 in Canada could almost double to more than 15,000 from 8,600 by the end of April unless stricter measures are taken as new coronavirus variants spread, health officials warned on Friday.

The officials told a briefing that if people cut the number of personal contacts by 20%-30%, the number of cases could drop to around 4,500.