OTTAWA, Sep 19, 2020, SPA -- 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. Ontario is scrambling to tamp down a recent spike in coronavirus cases as children return to school and the province struggles to increase its testing capacity, forcing many in cities to wait in line for hours this week to get swabbed. Private parties are a "significant contributor" to the recent rise, Reuters quoted provincial health minister Christine Elliott as saying. --SPA 21:01 LOCAL TIME 18:01 GMT 0021 www.spa.gov.sa/w1413860