OTTAWA – In a shocking surge, 24 Ontario residents have died in less than 72 hours from Swine Flu, the Public Health Agency of Canada reported on its website.

Ontario’s startling fatalities reported between November 10 and 11 a.m. EST on November 12 catapults the death toll from 37 reported on Nov. 10 to a total of 61. That is twice the figure of dead in Quebec and the highest of any province in Canada.

Hospitals from coast to coast are swamped with admissions and visits to emergency departments in the past week with other provinces reporting record admissions from Swine Flu since its outbreak was noticed in April.

Nova Scotia and Manitoba reported one death each between Nov. 10 and Nov. 12 to take Canada’s national fatality toll to 161 with much of the spike happening since the second wave of Swine Flu began in October.

On November 10 at 11 a.m. EST, Ontario’s death toll stood at 37 and the Canadian national total was at 135.

46 Canadians have died between November 5 and November 12 with heavy rates of hospitalizations across the country.

Ontario government officials could not be reached last night to comment about the 24 deaths.

The latest federal figures show B.C. has 23 deaths with eight occurring in just one week, Alberta has 20, Saskatchewan 5, Manitoba 8, Ontario 61, Quebec 35, Nova Scotia 2, Newfoundland and Labrador 5 and one each in Yukon and Nunavut.

In B.C., more than 200 people have been admitted to hospital in just one week. But provincial health officials say they are keeping their fingers crossed that the sickness from Swine Flu has reached a plateau.

The latest death toll reported in Ontario is also likely to create a bigger demand for vaccine that is in short supply across Canada.

[link to www.vancouverite.com]