Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says all Canadians should avoid international travel, even as some remain set on heading south for the winter.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says all Canadians should avoid international travel, even as some remain set on heading south for the winter.

Trudeau says the pandemic is resurgent across large swaths of the United States, including in the south, and says Canadians are safest at home.

However, he says the choice is in the hands of individuals, and suggests those who do make the trip get comprehensive health and travel insurance and make sure that regional health-care facilities in the places they're going to are not overwhelmed.

PM Trudeau warns young people of the seriousness of virus

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is warning young people that the pandemic is "incredibly serious," and not simply a concern for their grandparents.

Trudeau says all Canadians need to double down on caution until a vaccine is widely available.

The country's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says the number of new cases and hospitalizations continues to rise, with troubling developments that include transmission spilling over to older Canadians.

Dr. Tam says the number of patients with severe illness due to COVID-19 is on the rise, with those over 80 years old having the highest coronavirus incidence rate.

Over the past week Canada has daily average of 66 COVID-19 deaths: Dr. Theresa Tam

Canada's chief public health officer says that over the past week, there has been a daily average of 66 COVID-19-related deaths.

Doctor Theresa Tam says the number of virus-related hospitalizations also continues to climb, with an average of 1,675 patients in hospital daily over the past week, including more than 330 in critical care.

She says for several weeks, there have been more cases involving older Canadians, and more outbreaks occurring in long-term care homes, hospitals and within Indigenous communities.